If you decide to visit Prague during the Easter holidays, you should not miss the traditional Easter markets which are always held in several places. The biggest and our favorite one is in the Old Town Square, which is only few steps away from our hotel Residence Bologna .

Easter markets on Old Town Square (16.3. - 7.4.2024)

The markets in the historical city center truly offers something for everyone. From local stalls with traditional Easter decorations, finest food and drinks to many activities. Food lovers and explorers of new tastes will discover many delicious meals and flavors, such as pancakes, grilled meat, potato pancakes (bramboráček), various kinds of sweet pastries and other more or less traditional foods.  

You can’t possibly imagine Spring welcoming without music and dancing. The cultural program will include over 600 performers from the Czech Republic and abroad, for example from Lithuania, Romania, and Turkey. But you don't have to just watch, you can try out folk dances under the guidance of a teachers and even learn how to play on a traditional musical instrument. All the buildings, the whole square and the flowering trees will be transformed into this Easter spirit with colorful ribbons, wicker decorations and painted eggs. Its going to be a truly unique way to experience Prague.   

Easter atmosphere also attracts the youngest ones who will have lots of fun during the children´s workshops. They can try to craft by themselves – make their own decorations, paint the eggs or color the Easter cards. Not only children can make or buy one of the most traditional Czech Easter items called "pomlázka", what it is and what it is for, see below in this article.

Other locations of Easter markets in Prague 

• Old Town square (16.3. – 7.4.)
• Wenceslas square (16.3. – 7.4.)
• Republic square (16.3. – 7.4.)
• Peace square (16.3. – 1.4.)
• Prague Castle (20.3. – 16.4.)

Easter traditions in the Czech Republic   

Easter has origins in Christianity as a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Over time it has become a period of folk traditions associated with welcoming spring. Easter is celebrated almost all over the world and has many common elements, however, in each country the traditions slightly differ.  

The main day of Easter is Easter Monday. In the Czech Republic, this day is reserved for caroling. Most people would probably consider Easter caroling in the Czech Republic to be a very unusual and even incomprehensible tradition. It is an old pagan tradition during which men use a braided bundle of freshly cut willow twigs called pomlázka (cannot be translated) to symbolically whip the women's legs. The men recite a carol while doing this and then they are rewarded with a decorated egg, a colored ribbon, which they tie onto their pomlázka, so at the end of the day, the twigs are covered with differently shaped and colored ribbons. The point of the tradition is to "rejuvenate" the women, to pass on the freshness, flexibility and strength of freshly cut wicker.

Easter is also always associated with good food, mostly with family. The food prepared during Easter is also very different in many cultures. In the Czech Republic the cuisine differs from bread with butter and eggs to goose with dumplings and cabbage. But the most traditional food is the sweet pastries in different forms and flavors, as you can imagine, all the streets of Prague are filled with the amazing smell of freshly baked goodies, so you can try them all and then tell us which one you like the best.