We are going to Prague for the New Year. Prague for New Year and Christmas: a magical winter fairy tale
This is our third time in Prague (and for some reason all the time in winter), all the main attractions were covered in previous visits, so we wander around the city just as if we lived there and spent the weekend, discovering something for ourselves every day - something new and enjoying New Year's Prague.
The squares, decorated since Christmas, are teeming with people.
Souvenirs, fried meat, sausages and mulled wine flowing:
If you are visiting Prague for the first time, then the New Year holidays are not the best option. Festive Prague, of course, is beautiful, but it is too overloaded with people, the restaurants are packed, there are queues during lunch and evening hours and it is better to book tables in advance, especially with a large group.
Always near:
A store with strange display windows:
Of course, it’s impossible not to cross the Charles Bridge!
Touch the dog:
Christmas scenes with straw figures are so cute:
The costumed sailor invites visitors:
Suddenly:
To my collection of typos and subtleties of translation - “rabbit feet” and “schnitzel over the stove”:
Leftover knuckle:
Speaking of beer, this time we booked an interesting restaurant on Wenceslas Square (Výtopna Railway Restaurant - Václavské náměstí), where beer is not served by waiters, but delivered by railway carriages. The food in this restaurant is so-so, so we had a hearty dinner in an excellent tavern, took a walk and went to drink beer in an exotic restaurant. The line to enter starts about 20 meters away! But we had a table reserved
We order:
Not all places in this restaurant have access to the railway; there are regular tables served by waiters. We had an excellent table, we could observe all the simple logistics:
Ours arrived:
Someone has an order:
Empty containers are also returned:
The beer in the restaurant is not bad, a little overpriced, in Prague you can find something tastier and cheaper, the food is expensive and some kind of fast food, I didn’t see anything on a single plate of the visitors that whetted the appetite, but the place is very atmospheric and everyone can visit it it's worth it!
At night there were no fewer people in the squares, there were fireworks:
Since we were leaving for Bavaria early in the morning, we celebrated the New Year, drank champagne and went to bed.
Well, traditional advice, where without them:
Where to live. Prices in Prague, compared to the European average, are high! You need to settle in Prague in the historical center, yes, it’s expensive, but you can walk everywhere and see the main beauties, feel the atmosphere of the city, especially in the evening, this is important! Once we stayed in a sleeping bag (or rather, a travel agency put us up), where we had to go by metro + bus. No, of course, you can get there and back, but the road eats up energy, their transport is no less loaded than in Moscow. This is a completely different quality of relaxation, I will not repeat this mistake again.
We really liked the location between the station and Wenceslas Square. Everything is close by - the station (if you're going somewhere, express trains and buses from the airport go here), metro, square, shops. Our hotel was very successful, we would happily stay there again. There are a lot of good offers on AirBnB; friends of ours rented good apartments in this area much cheaper than a hotel.
From Prague you can rush to Karlovy Vary for a day.
What is. In Prague you need duck and pork knuckle with cabbage! This is the most amazing gastronomy that the Czech Republic has, not counting beer, of course.
Shopping. Great! The main brands are in stock, just walk around Wenceslas Square and the street “on the spot”, it will take a while. It’s better to buy souvenirs on the small streets near Charles Bridge, I really love puppets, they are so beautiful! And in Prague there is simply a cult of cats - charming pictures, magnets, figurines, jewelry and household utensils such as hangers. Cute and original!
I love Prague! But I still find it nicer with fewer people.
New Year's program in the Eliška hall
In the very center of Prague, near Wenceslas Square, a traditional New Year's celebration is held in a beautiful historical building. The festive dinner features a rich and varied menu. A large original entertainment program with a Russian entertainer has been prepared for guests. Knight tournament, fire and light show, dance performance. Competitions, quizzes, dancing, lottery.
An unforgettable holiday!
Program:
20:00 - meeting of guests, aperitif
20:30 - dinner, entertainment program
22.00 - New Year's Eve Moscow time
22:15 - continuation of dinner and program
00:00 - New Year's Eve Prague time, continuation of the holiday
02:30 - end of the program
Guest accommodation:
. round tables for 10 people
. at rectangular tables for 8 or 12 people
There is a comfortable wardrobe in the room with the ability to store spare shoes. Please do not leave valuables and documents in the wardrobe. If possible, use the hotel safe. For safety reasons, it is strictly prohibited to bring alcoholic drinks with you. Additionally, there is a bar in the lobby with a wide range of drinks at reasonable prices. In case of late arrival, your place is reserved for you throughout the evening, as well as food and drinks served a la carte.
Recommended clothing: festive.
We urgently ask you to take with you only good and excellent mood
New Year's menu
Aperitif
Becherovka, 40 g
Sandwiches with red caviar - 3 pcs/portion
Served on tables on shared dishes:
Cold appetizers, 100 gr. per person
Prunes baked in smoked bacon
Chicken roll with ham and champignons
Roll with spinach and gorgozola cheese
Roe deer pate with lingonberries
Assorted smoked meats
Assorted cheeses, 40 g per person
Served as a buffet:
Salads, 150 gr. per person
Greek salad with feta cheese and olives
Assorted fresh vegetables
with pickled onions, olives, Balkan cheese, mushrooms
Meat salad (Vlash)
Grilled vegetables marinated in olive oil
Cabbage with grapes and apples
Mussels on white wine with a New Year's surprise
50 gr., served in portions
Served buffet
Hot dishes, 400 gr. per person
Roast beef with greens
Turkey roll with prosciutto and basil pesto
Grilled pork with mushroom sauce
Duck legs with cabbage
Roe deer on sour cream with lingonberries
Side dishes, 200 gr. per person
Stewed vegetables, baked potatoes with sour cream, stewed rice,
fried champignons with onions, grilled potato slices
Italian ice cream
Assorted portions
Served on tables
Special New Year's cake at midnight
Mini desserts
Fresh fruit 200 gr.
Baked goods, almonds, nuts, chips
After midnight
Chicken chops in batter with pickled cucumbers, 150 g per person
Beverages
0.3 l. a bottle of Bohemia Brut champagne at 22.00
Glass of Sekt Bohemia champagne at midnight
0.5 l. Wines white or red
0.6 l. Non-alcoholic drinks
Draft beer Ferdinand 0.5 l.
Coffee Tea
There is a bar in the lobby
We arrived in Prague on December 29 by Czech Airlines. This was our first trip to the Czech Republic. We had some extra money and we decided to celebrate the New Year in Prague. Last year we celebrated the New Year in Paris and we have never had a more boring holiday. And, of course, I really wanted to try the famous Czech beer and just walk around this amazing festive city with red tiled roofs.
We dedicated the day of arrival before the New Year holidays to a walk around the center and all local attractions. We went to lunch at the first restaurant we came across, and not the one found in advance based on reviews on the Internet, where it was cheaper and tastier. We went where we liked and where there was no line at the entrance, and did not regret it at all. Lunch for the two of us with my wife was much cheaper compared to similar establishments in Moscow.
In Moscow on the day of departure it was -12 degrees, in Prague only 4 and there was no snow at all. Meet New Year in Prague nothing should have interfered. Sometimes the sun peeked through the small clouds. But the biggest nuisance was the damp, piercing wind. It would have been all right, but my hands were freezing all the time. But these are small things compared to the festive New Year's Prague. There are Christmas trees everywhere (probably artificial), festive lights, cheerful faces of tourists. Everyone fraternizes, sometimes even hugs. Overall great!
New Year in Prague We, of course, decided to meet on Old Town Square and then planned to just walk along the New Year's streets of Prague for as long as we could. We arrived at the square at about ten o'clock in the evening. To be more precise, we didn’t come, but filtered through the crowd of tourists. There were a lot of people, everyone was drunk and cheerful, congratulating strangers they met in English. There are a lot of our compatriots, who apparently also came specially to drink beer and celebrate the New Year in Prague. Russian speech was heard everywhere. More and more often we hear that to meet New Year in Prague become fashionable because it is fun and not expensive.
While still in Moscow, we decided not to go to any restaurant, but to spend New Year’s Eve on the street. In addition, there are plenty of places to eat and drink in the center. The same sausages on the fire, sweets, coffee, tea and all sorts of sausages with beer. On the square itself and the adjacent streets there are tents with souvenirs, toys and other festive tinsel.
Finally, we squeezed into the square through the crowd of New Year's tourists and settled down almost under the clock tower. At this time, people were already actively flocking to the square. There was a Christmas tree set up on Old Town Square, all covered in lights, and around there was a crowd of screwed-up and uncontrollable people, all with beer or champagne. There were so many people in the square that we simply couldn’t walk freely, because there was nowhere to walk. But, there was physically nowhere to retreat and we decided to succumb to the general fun and celebration and, if we decided to celebrate New Year in Prague, that means we will meet him here. Next to us, also squeezed by the crowd, was a couple of elderly Italians. We somehow immediately found a “common language” with them and stayed together until 12 o’clock. I offered them the whiskey that I had with me, but they categorically refused and drank their champagne from plastic cups.
It was under such gas lamps in Prague that we warmed ourselves.
Artists, rock bands and other musicians performed right on the street on a kind of stage in front of which young people frolicked. The people, it seemed to us, behaved too festively that night: every now and then somewhere nearby we could hear the clink of breaking bottles, the popping of champagne corks, explosions of firecrackers (and not only firecrackers), under our feet and above our heads, and look at the head the fire will descend. In short, the noise was so loud that it hurt your ears, especially when the clock struck twelve. What started here! Music, screams, screeching, explosions, fire, bottles. Meet New Year in Prague- It is something! To be honest, I felt a little uneasy about such a celebration. I even noticed a slight fear in my wife’s eyes for a second. The youth had the best time. It seems that the police are resting in Prague on New Year's Eve and people feel complete impunity, freedom of action and freedom. It was just some kind of ball of Satan! Here we for a second regretted that we were on Old Town Square on New Year’s Day, and not sitting quietly and peacefully in a restaurant in front of the “New Year’s chimes.” At that moment the thought flashed through my head: “Why did we come here?” All this happens among many stalls with mulled wine (svarak in Czech), fried sausages and beer. The queues, by the way, for all this are not long at all, if of course you can call a huge tipsy crowd a queue. In one place they even saw a whole ram and the famous Czech “boar’s knee” being roasted on a fire. They sold it in portions, but we already knew in advance that we had to try the whole knee with all sorts of mustard and horseradish, and not like this, on the street and in a small piece. Therefore, this event was postponed until later, on the evening of January 1st.
My wife and I didn’t really want to drink beer on the street in such cool weather, and therefore we specially bought a flat bottle of whiskey in advance so that it could easily fit in our pocket, which was very useful to us on this frosty New Year’s Eve. Although there was no snow, the frost felt decent and it was chilly. Salvation could only be found under the gas lamps that were installed on the street near each cafe.
We did not dare to wander through the frosty streets for a long time and gradually began to make our way towards the hotel, fortunately it was located not far from the center of Prague. All you had to do was move
What could be more romantic than celebrating the New Year in the Czech Republic? Of course, Prague is beautiful at any time of the year, but in winter it turns into an amazing snow fairy tale. Cheers cheers! Hello, beloved Prague! This means that the New Year will certainly be fabulous and bright. This is exactly what we came here for. How did we celebrate the New Year in Prague? This is my story, friends...
So, a few simple steps separate you from celebrating the New Year in magnificent Prague and remembering this day for a long time...
Buy tickets to Prague and book a hotel
First, you need to decide on the dates of your trip, choose a suitable hotel for these dates and find the best priced air tickets. It makes sense to first “monitor” flight prices. As a rule, this is the main item of travel expenses. And after that, look for housing.
For those who are not familiar with online services for finding tickets and accommodation, I suggest reading how we do it:
It's better to plan everything in advance. After all, the earlier you purchase air tickets before the departure date, the cheaper they are. A direct flight with Czech Airlines (round trip) cost us 42 thousand rubles for two (December 2015). You have the opportunity to compare prices today.
By the way, usually the cheapest flight from Moscow during the Christmas holidays is December 31st. As they say, “from the ship to the ball.”
As for housing. In Prague you can find both inexpensive hotels and luxurious luxury apartments. During the New Year holidays, the country has many guests from all over the world, so it is recommended to book accommodation in advance.
For the second time, our choice fell on the four-star hotel OREA Piramida, which is located in the Prague 6 area. Not for the lazy, because the distance to the Old Town is about 3.5 km. But you can get to the center by tram or bus to the Malostranská stop, and then walk about a kilometer.
A few words about why this is not the first time we have chosen the Orea Hotel Pyramida 4*.
- Relatively inexpensive for a four-star hotel during the New Year holidays.
- A very good varied breakfast (and on the first of January - life-saving hot soup).
- The hotel is quite large, and despite being fully booked, you feel quite comfortable here.
Vaclav Havel Airport (Ruzine), getting to the hotel
So, on December 31, we landed safely in Prague, at the Vaclav Havel Airport (Ruzine), went through all the standard customs procedures and went to the public transport stop, which is located near the terminal. We got to our hotel in about an hour with one change. It was not difficult, the bus number and the optimal route were suggested to us by Google, there is also a schedule of public transport departing from the airport to the city.
The main thing is to make sure in advance that you have cash in the form of crowns, because we purchase tickets in special machines exclusively for Czech crowns.
If you don’t want to bother with public transport at all, order a private transfer. Today, the choice of companies providing these services both in Russia and in Europe is very large. You can choose the best option and order a car online if you have an Internet connection, for example, here:
Walk through New Year's Prague
Almost all hotels in Prague have Russian-language channels and even some federal ones, so you feel at home here. And to the traditional for us “If you don’t have an aunt...” hands are just asking to cook “herring under a fur coat.” But seriously, after a little rest after a tireless flight, take a walk through winter Prague, your mood will immediately become festive.
We went for a walk in the center of the Old Town, in order to feel the atmosphere of the holiday and then celebrate the New Year on Old Town Square.
We set off on foot through our favorite beer restaurant in the Strahov Monastery. Good Czech beer immediately puts you in a good mood).
Prague is decorated long before the holidays. The huge, though not always snowy, Christmas tree on Old Town Square is the main symbol of the New Year.
Christmas trees are everywhere here. In general, there are plenty of beautifully decorated places for New Year’s photo shoots in Prague.
You can still find touching nativity scenes throughout the city.
In December there is a fair on Old Town Square. Here you can not only buy sweets and Christmas tree decorations, but also see street theater performances.
Many hotels and restaurants offer guests a festive dinner and entertainment program. But if you are celebrating the New Year in Prague for the first time, then do it in the very heart of the Old Town, on.
Street food in Prague
While walking around Prague before the New Year, you can have a good meal right on the streets of the city. Although some people prefer to while away the evening in numerous Prague restaurants if they can find a free table.
The New Year holidays are a great opportunity to try national Czech dishes. Food is prepared and sold in almost all Prague squares. It is simply impossible to get hungry here. The best part is that they mainly serve traditional Czech cuisine. Everything is natural, fresh, high in calories and incredibly tasty.
The country's real gastronomic brand is boar's knee. The Czech Republic is a real paradise for meat eaters. Delicious sausages just melt in your mouth. Klobasy, tlachenki and utoplentsy will appeal to even gourmets.
They will cut you a piece of this delicious ham; the cost depends on the weight of the piece.
Visiting Prague and not trying the famous Czech delicacy trdlo is an unforgivable oversight. The sweet aroma of this delicacy with notes of vanilla and cinnamon hovers over the Old Town Square and whets your appetite. If you see a sign like this, feel free to get in line).
What is a traditional Czech trdlo?
Trdlo (or trdelnik) is a sweet treat with a hole in the middle. Strips of yeast dough are wrapped around a metal or wooden cylinder and baked over an open fire. Sprinkle them with nuts, sugar or cinnamon. Yummy! The cost is about 50 crowns.
It’s funny, the Czech word trdlo can be translated as “fool,” and Czech mothers sometimes call their restless children that way.
You can buy trdlo not only on Old Town Square. It is baked in many other places in the city. Prices are approximately the same everywhere.
New Year's Eve and fireworks in Prague on Old Town Square
The majority of tourists, like us, wander the streets of Prague, enjoying the anticipation of magic. In the evening the city comes alive with colorful lights and garlands.
Closer to midnight, everyone begins to gather at Old Town Square. It's getting very crowded, too crowded. Here is the main traditional place to celebrate the New Year in Prague.
Fairs are open until nightfall; you can try mulled wine, old town pancakes and drink champagne. We had carefully stored it with us).
Long before the fireworks show, Old Town Square looks like a battlefield. I remember the roar of firecrackers and firecrackers did not stop for a minute. My heart sank when something suddenly exploded under my feet. It was very, very noisy. We were in a hurry to find a secluded, safe place with a good view.
Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian speech was clearly distinguishable in the crowd. As always, there are a lot of our compatriots in Prague.
And so, at twelve after midnight, to our loud “Urrra!!!” fireworks went off. Happy New Year Prague!
Everyone rejoiced, raised their glasses, so did we... And, of course, we made wishes...
It was a little surprising that there were so few police officers that it was as if there were none at all. Maybe the disguise is good?
The completely inebriated youth hardly behaved within the bounds of decency, but not aggressively. Everyone was drunk and cheerful. Champagne flowed like a river all around. Perhaps in Russia we are already a little unaccustomed to such “freedom”.
After 15-20 minutes, we, together with a crowd of citizens and guests of the city, moved in a friendly seething stream to storm public transport stops. I was glad that there were few passengers in our direction (BILA GORA) and we reached the hotel comfortably. Don't forget to purchase your tickets in advance.
The trams were on duty that night until the morning. Everyone went home safely.
Just for the sake of fireworks, you shouldn’t go to Old Town Square on New Year’s Eve. After all, this is not the main New Year's fireworks display in Prague. On January 1 at six o'clock in the evening they launch from Letensky Gardens. This one is worth a look. A grandiose pyrotechnic show!
That's all for today. Sleep, sleep... There are still a few days of the Prague holidays ahead. Sightseeing, getting to know traditional Czech cuisine, shopping and much more. But that is another story.
The second of January is a great time for shopping. Discounts and sales start on this day. Here you can buy clothes, Czech crystal, electronics and other goods at a good price.
In New Year's Prague there is entertainment for every taste. If you prefer a relaxing holiday, book a table in one of the restaurants. If you like noisy companies, go to a club or to the city square. Or you can just stroll through the streets and enjoy the atmosphere of this amazing city.
New Year's Eve
There are many restaurants in Prague, however, choosing a place to celebrate the New Year will not be so easy for you (given the pre-holiday influx of tourists). In the center of the capital, prices in all establishments will certainly be inflated. Choose pubs and restaurants away from the center, prices there will be affordable, and be sure to reserve a table. My Prague and description will help you.
The capital's main Christmas tree will be the epicenter of the New Year's festivities. The decorated spruce is surrounded by trade tents and stalls with mulled wine “svarzhak” and hot pastries “trdlo”. At night, it is mainly young people who “walk” in the square. The atmosphere is cheerful, noisy, truly festive. Many tourists gather around to celebrate the New Year with their fights and flashes of fireworks. You should definitely rush to the Charles Bridge to make your cherished wish, which is sure to come true.
It’s crowded and fun, everyone drinks champagne and beer, chats, dances and sings, congratulates each other.
You can celebrate the New Year on a grand scale in (you can buy tickets). There they perform Strauss's Die Fledermaus, during intermissions a banquet is organized for the audience in the foyer, and at midnight all the guests celebrate the New Year; next - ball.
There is an excellent solution for those who like to relax in an unusual environment. A night walk, with a festive dinner and live music, is an unforgettable, exclusive option for celebrating the New Year.
Fireworks
A big fireworks display for residents and guests of Prague will take place on January 1st. The “Doomsday” to commemorate the New Year 2015 will begin at 18:00. The pyrotechnics will be placed in, and this impressive spectacle can be observed from several points: from and from the Vltava embankment (by), from and, from the upper deck of a pleasure boat (if you are lucky enough to be relaxing on the river at that time). You can continue the celebration in a nightclub - this is what Prague youth usually do.
Transport
There is night public transport in Prague, but you have to wait a long time for it. It's better to call a taxi.
1st of January
It's quiet in Prague in the morning - almost all restaurants that were open on New Year's Eve open only in the evening, after five o'clock. To avoid “excruciating pain,” buy several bottles of beer, mineral water and some groceries in advance. Large grocery stores will remain open on January 1.
New Year's Prague, photo vratsab
Schedule of Christmas and New Year concerts
- Christmas concerts in – Czech Christmas Mass by Jan Jakub Ryby
November 30 and December 7, 14, 21 at 13:00 - Christmas concerts of the Czech Philharmonic in
November 30 and December 7, 14 at 15:00 and 17:30; December 21 from 15:00 - Gospel Christmas music performed by Roderick Giles & Grace
December 10 at 19:30 at - Jan Jakub Ryba: Czech Christmas Mass
December 10, 18, 25 at 19:00 in the Mirror Chapel (Baroque Organ & Orchestra Benedictus & Choir Adalbert & Soloist)
December 20 at 14:00, 16:00 and 19:00 performed by the Prague Children's Opera
December 25 at 17:00 in the Church of Saints Simon and Jude (Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK)
December 26 at 18:00 in the Church of Salvator (Orchestra Benedictus & ChoirAdalbert) - Christmas with the Choreа Bohemica ensemble
December 12 at 19:00; December 13 and 14 at 10:30, 15:00 and 19:00 at
December 22 at 19:00 and December 23 at 15:00 and 19:00 at the Estates Theater - Christmas concert of the children's choir named after. Küna
December 13 at 16:00 and 19:00 at the Estates Theater
December 26 at 15:00 at the State Opera - “Three nuts for Cinderella” & Czech carols
December 18 at 19:00 at
