Hradec Kralove Christmas Market 2026: Free Ice Rink

Prices here sit well below Prague’s, and on a weekday afternoon you can reach a stall without queuing. That is the appeal of the Hradec Králové Christmas Market: a Czech Advent run at the pace of a regional city rather than a tourist circuit.

Hradec Králové Christmas Market 2026

Dates

Status: Confirmed
Dates: 27th November to 23rd December 2026
Last checked: October 2026

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

Source: Verified by Ultimate Christmas Markets via Royal Christmas Markets.

Plan Your Visit

Location and Times

Location: Great Square (Velké náměstí)
Opening times:
Monday to Friday: 1pm to 8pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10am to 8pm
27th November: 4pm to 8pm
23rd December: 10am to 5pm
Christmas Day: Closed

Travel and Accommodation

Public transport: Buses and trolleybuses stop at Adalbertinum, Magistrát (city hall) and Zimní stadion, all within walking distance of the square.
Parking: Parking on the square is closed during the market, so please take public transport to help limit congestion. If you drive, the RegioCentrum car park is a 5 minute walk, the Jana Gayera car park 10 minutes, and the free Flošna swimming pool lot 15 minutes.
Where to stay: Hotel Okresní Dům is 4 minutes from the square.

Amenities and Attractions

Admission: Free
Lights: 6pm on the first Sunday of Advent.
Santa: No.
Ice skating: 400m². Free entry. Skate hire cash only. The rink stays open until 6th January.
Attractions: Carousel, Ferris wheel, blacksmith, Bethlehem scene
Reason to visit: A small city with a cosy atmosphere.

Dietary Options

Vegetarian: Plenty of options.
Vegan: Some options.
Gluten free: Limited.
Specialities: Trdelník, mulled wine, Czech pastries, traditional sausages, local cheeses, honey wines.

Accessibility

Accessible: Yes.
Pet-friendly: Yes, but not recommended during busy periods.

Where to Stay

Staying near the Great Square in Hradec Králové ensures easy access to the market. I suggest considering Hotel Okresní Dům due to its excellent reputation and location.

Visitor Feedback

What Visitors Loved

• The ice rink is the main draw, free to enter with inexpensive skate hire.
• Visitors who compare it with the market in nearby Pardubice often prefer Hradec Králové for the bigger choice of stalls and lower prices.
• Weekdays are calm, and there are gas heaters and seating beside the food stalls for cold evenings.
• The stalls lean towards farm products and handmade gifts rather than souvenirs.

Common Complaints

• The opening weekend draws big crowds, with long queues at the food stalls.
• Earlier editions were criticised for their look and limited choice of vendors, and the organiser has since reworked the layout as a winter village.
• The rink can have teething problems: it opened late on the first day in the latest edition because of technical faults.
• Everything sits on one square, which some visitors find less varied than markets spread across several sites.

The Bottom Line

Hradec Králové is a relaxed, good value market, and the rink is the reason to make the trip. Go on a weekday afternoon and stay for the lights, and bring cash for skate hire.

Location

What to Expect

The Labe and Orlice rivers meet here, and the backdrop is a mix of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and modern architecture. Hradec Králové is nicknamed the Salon of the Republic for its interwar modernist buildings, so a walk between the stalls and the old town is part of the visit. The ice rink wraps around the Marian Column in the middle of the square, and a stage hosts children’s and folk ensembles and local bands. Stalls sell gingerbread, wood-fired trdelník (chimney cake), Czech wine and hot cider, alongside ceramics, wooden toys and handmade crafts.

Specialties

• Trdelník: A sweet rolled dough wrapped around a stick, then grilled and topped with sugar or different toppings.
• Mulled wine (svařák): Spiced red wine heated with cinnamon, cloves and orange zest.
• Gingerbread (perník): Spiced biscuits, often decorated, sold at the craft stalls.
• Czech pastries: Local bakeries sell pastries filled with fruit, nuts or poppy seeds.
• Traditional sausages: Look for signs that say klobása.
• Local cheeses: Soft and hard cheeses to sample at different stalls.
• Honey wine (medovina): A sweet, fermented drink made from honey.
• Pickled vegetables: Jars of pickled cucumbers, onions and cabbage.

Gifts and Stocking Fillers

• Bohemian garnet jewellery: A deep-red gemstone from the region, set into necklaces and earrings.
• Wooden toys: Carved toys, from simple figurines to mechanical ones.
• Ceramic pottery: Mugs, plates and vases, often decorated with Czech folk motifs.

Sustainability

• Take the trolleybus: Hradec Králové has run electric trolleybuses for more than seven decades, and the organiser names Adalbertinum, Magistrát and Zimní stadion as the nearest stops to the square.
• Leave the car behind: Parking on the square is closed during the market and the organiser asks visitors to use public transport, or to park at the free Flošna swimming pool lot and walk 15 minutes.
• Nextbike rental bikes: The city’s shared bikes run year-round through the Nextbike app, with the first 15 minutes of every ride free, which covers most short hops across the old town.
• Museum Advent Market: The Museum of East Bohemia holds a long-running market of traditional handmade crafts on the opening weekend, a good alternative to buying souvenirs at the main stalls.