Best Christmas Markets in Czechia: Top 3 (+13 More)

Czech towns hold their Advent markets on the main square, so the stalls almost always come with a floodlit Gothic church or baroque column behind them. The Christmas markets in Czechia run right across the country, from Prague and the spa towns of Bohemia to Brno, Olomouc and Ostrava in Moravia. Three are worth planning a trip around, and every other market is listed after them, from big city squares to small towns that are more lights than stalls.

Christmas Markets in Czechia

Dates

Status: Confirmed
Czechia dates: 18th November 2026 to 6th January 2027 (specific dates vary by market, see below)
Last checked: October 2026

Update: Dates were finalised in October. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified of changes.

Our Top Picks

Looking for a specific market? Skip to the full list ↓.

1. Prague

Prague wins on setting and on staying power. The Old Town Square market sits between the Astronomical Clock and the twin spires of the Týn church, and more than a dozen smaller markets run through the neighbourhoods, several of them trading on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day when much of Central Europe has packed up. I’ve always liked Prague, sometimes loved it, and it has never stopped intriguing me. The stalls are another matter: the central squares sell much the same goods as each other.

Give the old town an evening for the lights and the clock, and walk the side streets between Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square rather than the main thoroughfare, where the crowds bunch up. Spend the next evening in Vinohrady, at Peace Square and the square locals call Jiřák, where prices are lower and residents do their own shopping. Order the spit-roasted Prague ham (Pražská šunka) by the gram, because it’s priced per 100 grams and a vendor’s idea of a portion can run to several hundred crowns.

Read the full Prague Christmas Market guide.

I’ve written a separate guide to hotels in Prague, split between the Old Town and the streets below the castle.

2. Český Krumlov

This one ranks above the bigger cities because of what happens after dark. A few dozen stalls fill the square below the lit castle tower, with no fairground rides or sponsors’ stands, and once the coach groups head back to Prague, the crowd around the tree is mostly Czech. The town also keeps rituals of its own, from candles lit on its Advent wreath to a Christmas for the brown bears that live in the castle moat.

Stay the night if you can. The lanes go quiet once the day trippers leave, and an afternoon in the castle courtyards gives you the rooftops from above before the lights come on. I only managed two nights here and left wanting more. The cobbles are steep and slippery in frost, so wear shoes with grip, and come Friday to Sunday if the concerts matter to you.

Read the full Cesky Krumlov Christmas Market guide.

3. Olomouc

Olomouc is where I’d send anyone who wants Czech Advent without the tourists. The organisers lay it out as a walk: 110 stalls around the UNESCO-listed Holy Trinity Column, then a quieter square of handmade goods and a life-size carved nativity, then a 33-metre Ferris wheel and a free rink to finish. The crowd is mostly Moravian families and university students, and the hot punch is spiced and laced with rum or cherry brandy. It’s what the city is known for across the country.

Go on a weeknight and shop first, because the gift stalls shut at 8pm while the punch keeps pouring. Children can write their wish lists to Ježíšek, the Baby Jesus who brings Czech presents, in his glass-walled workshop on the Lower Square. Brno is an easy train ride away, so the two make a Moravian weekend with a night in each, rather than a dash back to Prague.

Read the full Olomouc Christmas Market guide.

Complete List of Czechia Christmas Markets

Planning more than one country? See our guide to the Best Christmas Markets in Europe.

• Brno – The second city spreads its Advent over several squares, with Brno punch and restaurant-run stalls in the Old Town Hall courtyard.
• České Budějovice – One of the largest squares in the country, with a rink around the Samson Fountain and stalls that stay up into January.
• Český Krumlov – See top picks above.
• Hradec Králové – A free ice rink wraps around the Marian Column, and prices sit well below Prague’s.
• Karlovy Vary – Stalls line the spa colonnades, so warm mineral water and mulled wine take turns through the afternoon.
• Kroměříž – Wooden stalls on the Great Square beside the archbishop’s chateau, with a Christmas post office for children’s letters.
• Kutná Hora – The old silver-mining town lights its tree on St Barbara’s Day, for the miners’ patron saint, with stalls and music on a few Advent weekends.
• Liberec – Close to the German and Polish borders, two squares are linked by a little Christmas train and lined with stalls styled on old Wallenstein houses.
• Olomouc – See top picks above.
• Opava – Silesia’s historic capital splits its stalls and two Christmas trees between the Lower and Upper Squares.
• Ostrava – Built around live music, with concerts on several stages and skating in set sessions on the main rink.
• Pardubice – The gingerbread town fills Pernštýn Square with stalls, and adds a big wheel at the old Automatic Mills.
• Pilsen – More eating and drinking than shopping, under the tallest church tower in Czechia, with Pilsner Urquell on tap.
• Prague – See top picks above.
• Telč – More lights than market, with stalls on the Renaissance square for the tree lighting and a craft fair in the chateau courtyard early in Advent.
• Znojmo – In this southern Moravian wine town, silver spruces light up two squares, trumpeters play from a tower, and punch is served through windows.

Sustainability

• Travel at half fare if you’re over 65: Czech law gives every passenger aged 65 or older a 50% discount on trains and regional coaches, on České dráhy, RegioJet and Leo Express alike, with a passport as proof. Children aged 6 to 18 and students under 26 with an ISIC card get the same, though it doesn’t cover city trams and buses.
• Buy the Group Weekend Ticket: České dráhy’s Skupinová víkendová jízdenka gives up to five people, no more than two of them over 15, unlimited travel on its trains across the whole country on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday for 999 CZK. Regional versions cost less if you’re staying in one area.
• Donate your cup deposit: Brno’s Daruj kelímek scheme and Ostrava’s DobroKoš baskets let you hand the 50 CZK deposit on your returnable cup to a local charity instead of taking the cash back.