Praha, Česká Republika
Let me start with saying that Czech is the country most visited by us outside of Germany, which caused us to do some extensive research in order to make this visit special since we would be there over Christmas.
Our search options told us that although majority of European Christmas markets close early afternoon through Boxing Day (December 26th), it was safe for us to be in Prague, as we’d have options until as late as early January!
Day 1 – December 23rd
We left our home in Bavaria at 8:30am and arrived in Prague just after 11am. We decided to go straight to our hotel since I knew we would be parking our car there for the duration of our trip. We happened to luck out and our room was available already, so we checked in early and hit streets to explore The Golden City!
First stop was lunch and I was so excited to share with AJ a Mexican restaurant – Cantina – that I discovered last time I was in Prague with my mom. Now this might seem like whatever, but it’s really hard to find good Mexican food in Europe, so this was a treat – and the verdict was: AJ Approved. The Diablo Quesadilla he ordered, was actually spicy and the flavors were spot on! I had a chicken & steak fajita, which came with all the sides: guacamole, rice, beans, cheese, sour cream and pico de gallo– and a delicious strawberry margarita to top it off.
After lunch we knew we were going to make our way to the main Christmas market at the Old Town square, but we were really in no rush. Thanks to that freedom, I stumbled across an old church, that had a handmade local artists jewelry store that I found the cutest earrings I just had to have. Off to a great start!
Eventually we made it to the main square and admired the renowned Prague Astrological Clock, and then checked out the market! Everything was so festive and filled with people, and we made the most of it by visiting every single stall they had. While the market square itself was nice, almost all of the streets have souvenir shops and if you look past those, you’ll find some very unique stores, such as a Matrushka Nesting Doll store and a store of home gadgets that don’t look traditional. Seriously, just get lost and stumble from store to store, and you’ll loose track of time.
Thankfully since we’ve both been to Prague before, we were in little to no rush at any point – so what better way to spend the afternoon then relaxing at an Irish Pub — The Irish Times. After a pint of Guinness and a large espresso, and thanks to our waitress, Erin, we found out about the other Christmas markets across the city which gave us the perfect reason to make our way to the other side of the old town, and visit another market after the sun went down before our first scheduled adventure!
Our second Prague Christmas market was smaller, but it was in front of a mall that was awesome! The market had many of the same kind of vendors, and the mall had everything from Sephora, a four floor bookstore and a full on food court. But no worries – our dinner recommendation does not consist of a food court pick – even though there were quit a few places that looked very appealing, such as a Thai Restaurant and a sushi train.
Dinner for us was a Medieval Dinner with a show and let me just say — this was the biggest surprise, as it blew past our expectations. This was an experience from the second we got in line to enter, through the moment we left the building. We picked the 5-course meal, and all of the performers got better and better as the night continued! The highlight was certainly the show, but the food wasn’t bad either (not to mention the all you can drink beer). All in all, it was a great experience for us both, and the price was very reasonable considering it was a nearly 3 hour show. What made the event even more exciting was getting to sit and chat with our tablemates. We were sat at an eight-person table, so we were partnered up with three other duos. One was a boyfriend/girlfriend couple — He was from Geneva, Switzerland, and she was from French side of the river. Another was a a pair of friends — one from Portsmouth, England, and her childhood friend from Australia. Finally was a husband and wife from Greece. One of the best parts of traveling, in Europe especially, is the melting pot of cultures of different people you run into. This night was no different, and it was one to remember. If you’re interested in the restaurant and the experience, reach out to me and we’ll be happy to help you with getting your ticket(s) and answer any questions you may have!
Now dinner was great, but we weren’t quit ready to go back to our room so once again, I took AJ to a bar I discovered the first time I was in Prague – summer of 2017. The Black Angels Bar in the city center, once again, did not disappoint! We had an awesome server and ordered off the menu. Based off our likes, he knew the perfect drinks for us! My husbands was a spin off an old fashioned, and I was brought a Mitch Martini. 10/10 if you’re looking for a place to go on a unique drink experience, Black Angels Bar is the place to go! BUT fair warning, there are a few ‘rules’ – which include you must be 18+ to enter, no hats, and no pictures.
Day 2 – December 24th – Christmas Eve
We slept in, then caught a Bolt (think Uber) to Peace Market to see our first Christmas Market of day 2. Sadly, the market was half closed, but that was to be expected as it was Christmas Eve. But we found the cutest Nutcracker ornament as one of our trip keepsakes. This was fitting since we also had tickets for the Nutcracker Ballet later in the day.
But food was definitely up next — and we figured a good pick was to finally try what the Prague Christmas Markets had to offer, and what seemed like the obvious pick, a spicy, kielbasa-like sausage with a bun. Only thing I was missing was the delicious Bavarian sweet mustard (Bayerischer Süßer Senf) I’ve grown to love and look forward to at the German markets (and in my refrigerator).
After a little dodging of light rain by exploring more stores and vendor stalls, we went to the ballet, which appeared to be sold out. The place was filled with people speaking different languages, all waiting to see the world-famous Nutcracker in ballet form.
By the time we got out of the ballet, we were hungry again – but everywhere seemed to be reservation only, and although we did have reservations, it was outside of the city, and we weren’t ready to stop exploring Prague. Luckily, we stumbled across a burger place that had availability, but it was pretty expensive for what we got. At least we got to eat a burger, and got the energy boost we needed to keep going!
Our last major stop of the night was at our favorite Prague bar — Black Angels once again. But this time, we scored seats right at the bar, and were able to continue our adventure in the classy underground bar while watching our drinks be made in style. Since pictures aren’t allowed in the bar, you’ll really have to check it out for yourself — you won’t regret it. I started with a Mitch Martini, and requested that each subsequent drink be slightly different than the one before. The best part was that each time, the presentation got more and more extravagant, and my last drink was served in what seemed like an oversized Victorian tea cup!
We took our time walking back to the hotel and just absorb the beauty that Prague has to offer, especially over the holidays. Unsurprisingly, on our way back to the hotel, AJ couldn’t stay away from the pastries *flashback to his Belgian Waffle rush of earlier this Spring*. He got himself two chimney cakes in a span of five minutes. 🤦
Day 3 – December 25th – Christmas Day
We knew we would sleep in until checkout which was at 11am. Then we headed home to open Christmas Gifts and end our holiday with a home cooked Christmas dinner.
If you’re planning on visiting Prague over the Christmas break, but have never been, feel free to reach out and I can help you plan your perfect Prague trip filled with history, art and experiences.
If you’re only going for Christmas markets – I suggest checking out my Christmas Market – 2022 post.
❤️ idkjacklyn