The Christmas season here is magical..no one does Christmas like Europe. Our family has seen a great deal of the markets over our travels and this would be our last Christmas market trip in Europe *insert sobbing face*. We chose Prague after several friends recommended it to me. It was never high on my list but I am so happy we made the choice. We ended up falling in love with Czechia. We had wanted something walkable, classic, and kid friendly. It’s also important for us to spend Christmas Day at home and Prague is one of the markets that stays open through the New Year. We left on Boxing Day and returned the day before New Years. A perfect 4 night getaway.

Where we stayed 

Christmas break hotels in Europe are expensive and Prague was no different. For this holiday we teamed up with another family and pitched in for a 3 bedroom apartment just a 2 minute walk from the main Christmas market…excellent location with lots of shops and restaurants nearby. This is mostly a pedestrian area so not the best location when traveling with car but we used taxis to and from the airport. Old Town Square apartments can be found on booking.com.

Christmas Markets

There are small Christmas markets throughout the city but we spent the most time at the largest market in Old Town Square near our hotel. It’s not as kid-friendly as other markets weve visited since there was no Santa or rides; but they did have a small petting zoo. There is a large tree that has a light show set to music at the top of the hour. There are also musical performances in the evenings…and of course plenty of food, mulled wine and shopping.  I picked up my usual things to take home, an ornament, magnet, honey, and something to display in the home; a hand-woven throw pillow case.

 

About the food…

Something that really sticks with me after I’ve left a country is how much I enjoyed the food. Thank you, Prague- for not disappointing. We had a lot of street food in the markets. I tried it all; halusky, candied nuts, sausage, and all things gingerbread My favorite treat was the trdelnik, a sugary dough that is wrapped around a pole, heated, then filled with any type of sweet filling you could want.

 

There are several medieval taverns in Prague that have historical shows in the evenings. Belly dancing, music, and sword fighting sound like a good time, however;  being that they are quite long and run way past my boys bedtime, we opted to visit one for lunch. U Pavouka is near the old town square and has a great atmosphere, almost haunted. We asked our server how old the building was and all he could say was “very very old”. I looked online later to see it dates back to around 1400. The food here was perfection.

 

Museum of Senses

There are countless museums in Prague.. but where should you take 4 little boys with endless amounts of energy? The museum of senses. It’s much smaller than others I’ve been to in Europe but it’s a fun way to spend a couple of hours with children. They’ll have a chance to let loose and be silly after all the sugar from the market treats.

Chocolate Museum

This is a small museum over a chocolate shop and cafe near the main square. While my boys werent thrilled with the history bits and the tour itself, the highlight of Choco-Story is the demonstration and tasting at the end. Yummmm.

 

Charles Bridge

Walking on and around the Charles bridge area is a highlight of Prague. It was especially exciting for me since everyone knows I am an Outlander super-fan. This is where they filmed many of the scenes for season 2 as France. Je suis prest!

The construction of Charles bridge started in the 1300’s to replace another bridge crossing the Vltava river. It has seen many reconstructions due to terrible floods, wars, and most recently tourists. It’s scheduled for another repair this year which will last 20 years.

Prague castle

One of the largest castle complexes in the world, Prague castle dates back to the 9th century. It sits atop a hill with some amazing panoramic views of the city. We walked here after Charles bridge and spent time strolling around the complex without touring any of the interiors.

 

I think one of my favourite things about Prague was how medieval everything felt. That era in Europe is fascinating to learn about. Many cities have a smaller old town surrounded by its modern buildings. Prague feels like one giant historical beauty. Everything is quirky, has charm, and worthy of a photo. Christmas is a great time to go.