Winter wanderer: 7 easy winter day trips from Prague

The season of swimming and hiking may still be far from sight but that doesn’t mean that you have to stay inside. Our list of easy winter day trips from Prague will help you truly embrace Czech culture by planning outdoor adventures in even the chilliest of weather.

There is, of course, no shortage of cozy castles, museums, and places to explore inside. But we've also picked some beautiful hikes and ski resorts for those happy to brave the elements for a dose of exceptionally fresh air and sunshine.

First up, Ještěd Ski Resort. A popular spot for skiing, Ještěd has a variety of powdery slopes ranging from the relaxed to the more advanced with striking views from up high. There’s a restaurant and bar on-site to keep you fed and watered.

You can stay even after dark falls, as between 6 and 9 p.m. the Nová Skalka slope becomes fully illuminated and thus suitable for night skiing, ideal for both advanced and beginners.

The Ještěd Ski Resort lies close to Liberec and a CITYSKI bus from Palmovka metro will take you there in 70 minutes. Prices and timetables can be found here.

Famous for its sweeping pointed Ještěd Tower, Hotel Ještěd’s tapered building is a combination of TV tower, hotel, and restaurant. You’ll easily see this when en route to Ještěd. We recommend walking up on a clear day just as the sun sets for spectacular 360° views, as the colors and the clouds from the tower are incredible. 

A 22-minute drive from Ještěd Tower is the city of Liberec. Liberec is a short way from Prague, and a bus can take you there in an hour from Černý Most if you’d like to skip the slopes and head straight inside for some culture.

On the main square is an impressively imposing Town Hall, with interesting architecture and colorful stained glass windows. An equally impressive building is the Liberec Regional Gallery.

With a permanent collection of paintings and sculptures, the temporary displays frequently change so check out the upcoming exhibitions here.

A little quirk of the gallery building was that at one point it was a spa complete with a swimming pool. Tickets for the main exhibition and the temporary exhibitions in the Pool Hall are CZK 150, but on Thursdays, the entrance is completely free.

The city of Pardubice is an easy winter day trip from Prague, just over an hour’s train ride from Hlavní nádraží will take you to the city center. Close by is Zámek Pardubice, a renaissance château and museum, housing some unusual and interesting collections.

Airy rooms of evocative glasswork, strategically placed to filter the sunlight to create colorful silhouettes and numerous cabinets of weaponry and armor. The surprisingly intriguing numismatic exhibition is held in a cellar, showcasing silver treasures and gold coins that would not look amiss on a pirate ship.

For coffee, divert your path from Starbucks to have cake in the quaintly beautiful Café Bajer, which has wonderfully decorated rooms in the style of an eclectic French hoarder with a taste for houseplants.

České Švýcarsko is always mentioned when traveling outside of Prague. This destination is a favorite for a summer hike, and rightly so, it’s glorious. But it has a special charm during winter and that winter air up high is crisp.

If you haven’t yet been, then this is your sign to visit. If you have, then go again. Here is a great list of hikes and viewpoints, and it’s less than two hours drive from Prague.

Průhonice Park is a classic winter day trip from Prague. Take the C line to Opatov then the 357 bus to Hájovna, it’s then just a 20 minute walk to the park. Inside are sweeping gardens, snow-laden trees, a castle, and frozen lakes - it’s picture-perfect.

Harrachov’s Mumlava Falls are frozen during winter, making them an enchanting sight. To see this sparkling waterfall take the 700 bus from Černý Most. It’s a little further out at 2.5 hours, but Harrahov has much more to offer.

The nearby Harrachov Ski Resort has excellent skiing and snowboarding and a daringly steep Black Slope for the adventurous, plus a nearby bobsledding race track for you to speed through the beautiful nature. Harrachov is well worth the trip.

So whether you decide to stay in or venture out this February, you will hopefully enjoy some of these winter highlights, and even add some new favorites to your list of go-to places until the sun is warming your face again.