Castle holiday festivities are a great escape from Prague’s packed markets

While this Saturday sees the opening of Czechia's largest and most talked-about Christmas market in Prague’s Old Town Square, a lesser-known and far less crowded option is coming to the provinces this weekend: the Advent programs at the country’s historic castles and chateaux.

The National Heritage Institute (NPU) announced yesterday that it has prepared an extensive Advent program at 53 different castles and chateaux across the country.

"Visitors can expect Christmas trees lit up in courtyards, markets, traditional delicacies, as well as music and theatre performances," Blanka Černá from the NPU said in a press release on Wednesday.

Good news for those seeking to put some distance between Prague crowds and/or to stave off hygiene concerns: this year’s markets will double down on disinfectant at every stall due to increased cases of hepatitis A taking place citywide.

While many news outlets have made much ado about the Prague Christmas markets, a recent BBC report noted the markets' overcrowded side. In our own informal reader poll, nearly half of Expats.cz readers said they avoid the massive Christmas markets altogether, opting instead for smaller, local alternatives.

If you fall into the "avoid them" camp, the NPU’s program will likely be your cup of svařák. The special events cover the entire Advent period, running from Sunday, Nov. 30, to Wednesday, Dec. 24. Some NPU-administered sights will even extend their events afterward, through the Christmas holidays and the New Year.

Visitors can see festively decorated interiors, exhibitions of nativity scenes, and join guided and evening talks about Christmas customs.

The events range from creating your own Advent wreaths with a castle gardener at Loket to experiencing St. Nicholas festivities in the cellar of Konopiště or a Christmas market in the castle's famed Rose Garden. Karlštejn's annual market brings a medieval flare to the festivities. See the full schedule here.

Prague's Old Town Christmas markets tend to get the most media attention, but there are others worth visiting outside the capital city.

The Independent recently named Czechia’s Christmas markets the “most authentic” in Europe, highlighting the Christmas markets in České Budějovice and Český Krumlov, while the BBC also praised Bratislava's market.

For those who opt to stay, Prague’s Christmas markets open on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, and run until Jan. 6, 2026. For a more local castle experience, Prague Castle's holiday strolls kick off this weekend as well.