Prague's Christmas markets in 2026: Old Town Square, Wenceslas Square, and how to do them right

Overview

Prague runs two big Christmas markets a few minutes’ walk apart, both organized by the same company and open on the same dates. The one people photograph is on Old Town Square, Staroměstské náměstí, where the huts and a tall Christmas tree stand between the Old Town Hall with its astronomical clock and the twin spires of the Týn Church. The tree is chosen each year from tips sent in by the public. The second market is on Wenceslas Square, Václavské náměstí, the long boulevard of the New Town.

If you have one evening, see Old Town Square; Wenceslas Square is a short walk away for a second.

When it runs

Both markets run from 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, every day from 10:00 to 22:00, according to the organizer, and Prague City Tourism lists the same dates. That makes Prague one of the markets still open after Christmas and into the first week of January, so a trip between Christmas and the New Year still finds them running.

The organizer had not published the date of the tree lighting as of mid-October; the markets’ own site announces the program closer to the opening.

Local tip: the astronomical clock on the Old Town Hall draws a crowd every hour; if you want to walk the Old Town Square market rather than stand in that crowd, arrive just after the hour has struck.

What to eat and drink

The organizer names mulled wine and sweets as the stalls’ staples, and that is what you will find on both squares.

Two things deserve a warning. The first is Prague ham roasting whole on a spit, which looks and smells irresistible and is priced per 100 grams, not per portion. A carver who cuts you a thick slab and then charges the per-100-gram price on all of it is a complaint that recurs in guide after guide. Say the weight you want, or the price you want to pay, before the knife goes in; the page on Prague ham explains what the real thing is.

The second is trdelník, the sugar-coated pastry rolled on a spit that is sold at every other hut and in shops across the Old Town as a “traditional Czech” treat. It is not a historic Prague food. The protected version, Skalický trdelník, comes from Skalica in Slovakia and has carried an EU protected geographical indication since 2007, and by most accounts its spread through Prague’s tourist streets is recent. Eat one if you like the look of it, but not as a taste of old Bohemian Christmas.

Getting there

Both squares are in the center and both are on metro line A. For Old Town Square the stop is Staroměstská, a few minutes’ walk from the square; for Wenceslas Square it is Můstek, at the lower end of the boulevard. The two markets are a walk of about ten minutes apart, through the lanes of the Old Town, so most visitors see both in one evening.

Practicalities

Card payment is accepted in most cases, the organizer says, and there may be a cash machine on site; carrying some Czech koruna is still the safer choice for small purchases. Entry to both markets is free.

Watch the prices, not just the ham. Read the price board before you order, and check the change.

Book a room early for an Advent weekend. Prague’s guide covers which district to stay in; the Old Town puts both markets on your doorstep, at the price of the crowds that come with it.