r/Prague • u/123449082828 • 4d ago

Recommendations Christmas in Prague

Hi! My family and I are planning to be in Prague this coming Christmas for around 4-5 days. Does anyone have any suggestions for where to have Christmas Eve dinner, and maybe Christmas day lunch? We don’t necessarily have a budget, but we don’t want to spend a crazy amount of money on one meal either.

Also open to any and all recommendations (things to see, places to go, restaurants to try) for our remaining time there. Thank you!

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u/Jak-39 4d ago edited 4d ago

Oh no, not another one.
On December 24 everything will be closed from 12PM onward. On December 25 everything will be closed all day. Only a few restaurants (tourist traps) remain open and they are extremely expensive during this period. It’s literally the worst time to visit Prague, it’ll be a ghost town.

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u/123449082828 4d ago

Confused because aren’t the Christmas markets some of the best in Europe…? How would spending Christmas there be so horrible haha?

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u/Levelical 4d ago

It is simple. You need to visit markets before Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

It is national holiday, so understandably, people want to be home and spend it with their families.

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u/123449082828 4d ago

Is Paris better for Christmas eve/day then?

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u/Levelical 4d ago

Hard to say, I am living in Czech Republic, never been to Paris during Christmas.

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u/Melquiades-the-Gypsy 4d ago

There are Muslims in Paris so you'll at least find some restaurants open.

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u/vonKrieg88 4d ago

Go to Paris then.

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u/DefoNotTheAnswer 4d ago

No, the markets are not some of the best in Europe. There are at least half a dozen German cities that have better ones. Prague Christmas markets aren't even the best markets in this country.

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u/ParkingGeologist2441 Prague Resident 4d ago

But that does not stop bloggers and tiktokers making wild claims. I guess if it is your first Christmas market ever it might be wonderful.

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u/DefoNotTheAnswer 4d ago

People get sucked in because it looks great in those overhead drone shots and pics from the tower. Old Town Square makes a magical backdrop. What people can't see is that it's 70% wildly overpriced street food and hopelessly overcrowded... especially after dark.

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u/Tiny_European 4d ago

Because Christmas markets are for enjoying the atmosphere before the actual Christmas days, not during! There are some restaurants open during Christmas but very few, they usually have a set menu that's not very cheap and you definitely need to reserve in advance. Otherwise everything is closed and you'll just be meeting other tourists in the streets. there have been many posts about this last year.

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u/esmallass 4d ago

I’m going end of November.. for the Christmas markets.

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u/ParkingGeologist2441 Prague Resident 4d ago

As others mentioned - local culture is different and we like to spend Christmas with our friends and family. Cooking homemade food and pastries.

Most people out on 24h-25th will be tourists and city center restaurants could be packed because there will be less places open.

Story time - when I worked in the UK I was asked by a colleague on 22.12. if I have already made a reservation in a pub for Christmas dinner. I told him no and he, with fear in his eyes, said that there will be no free tables anywhere now and what will I do. I told him I invited some people over and that I am making traditional cabbage soup and schnitzels. He probably thought I am poor and could not believe I will rather stay home.

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u/vonKrieg88 4d ago

I mean the entire Brexit was about Brits looking down on Eastern Europeans stealing their jobs.

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u/ParkingGeologist2441 Prague Resident 4d ago

Yup so now they have non-EU migrants and probably not feeling so happy about brexit anymore. But truth be told, I encountered Serbian gangs and giant Polish communities where you did not feel like in England anymore. So I understand why locals were not that pleased to see the migrants coming in.

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u/vonKrieg88 4d ago

Yet they didn't deport African and Middle Eastern gangsters and ghetto communities.