October 2024: Everything you need to know this month in Czechia

Typically, heating season begins during October in Czechia when average daytime temperatures fall below a certain amount. However, it’s already begun, according to energy provider Pražská teplárenská, due to a significant drop in temperatures. Financial company XTB estimates that the heating season will be cheaper than last year, with gas prices falling around 15 percent year on year.

Flu season is here – health experts urge everyone (not just seniors or those with chronic conditions) to get vaccinated. Jan Kynčl from the State Health Institute noted that flu complications lead to 1,500 deaths annually in Czechia. Vaccinations are recommended from October to December. The official Ministry of Health portal, Óčko Report, provides a handy and regularly updated map of where you can get a vaccination (also specifying the type). 

From Oct. 1, a legal amendment to vehicle liability insurance cancels the need to carry so-called green cards when driving in Czechia. Drivers will also need to pay in full for liability insurance before an agreed contract is in effect. Failure to do so may result in the insurance company terminating or postponing the contract's validity. To ensure immediate coverage, payment must be made within an hour of receiving the draft contract, typically through an online card payment for immediate credit to the insurance company's account.

Beginning Oct. 1, reconstruction work means that several bus stops – serving lines such as 133, 135, and 207 – will be slightly moved in the Florenc area. Additionally, tram-track renovation work between Strossmayerovo náměstí and Nádraží Holešovice will end on Oct. 25, resuming normal tram service in the area. Check the Prague Public Transport Company (DPP) website for full information.

The DPP has scheduled special events for the public to experience and take a final ride on Prague’s Petřín funicular. Every Saturday in October, visitors can pay CZK 60 for guided tours of the upper station, which will include the engine room and driver's cabin. Along with this, visitors will also receive a special farewell ticket to commemorate the occasion.

October sees several festivals – spanning music, food and drink, and culture – take place. For example, the 11th edition of Be2Can, running from Oct. 2-9, will showcase 12 films from the Cannes, Berlinale, and Venice film festivals. Coffee lovers will also be stimulated by the Prague Coffee Festival between Oct. 12 and Oct. 14. Additionally, the 18th edition of Das Filmfest celebrates German-language films from Oct. 16-20 at Kino Lucerna and Edison Filmhub in Prague. In Prague, the month of October is also devoted to jazz.

As part of the Zažít město jinak (Experience the city differently) annual event, several streets in Prague will hold street parties – postponed from late September due to recent flooding. The best-known example is the Americká Street block party taking place on Oct. 5, which celebrates a large part of Latin American culture and food.

Oct. 5 marks 88 years since former Czechoslovak and Czech President Václav Havel was born. The Havel Speaking, Can You Hear Me? documentary, which charted the anti-communist figure’s more private moments in his life, was released in April this year. Small commemorative events will happen around the country. 

The 12th edition of the light-based Signal Festival takes place between Oct. 10 and Oct. 13, which exhibits 22 different light installations. The festival's main attraction will be a route by Prague Castle, featuring renowned Czech and foreign artists, while the second route will showcase installations in the center of Prague.

On Oct. 12, Czechia will commemorate the Day of Samizdat in order to mark the communist-era fight against censorship and oppression in Czechoslovakia. The holiday is ceremonial and there will be no days off work or store closures.

The 135th edition of the Velká Pardubická horse race, which is known for its long-standing Czech tradition and its reputation as one of the most challenging in Europe, will be held on Sunday, Oct. 13. This race, which takes place at the Pardubice racecourse, covers a distance of 6,900 meters and features a total of 31 obstacles for the horses to overcome. 

In the early hours of Sunday, Oct. 27, clocks will go back one hour to mark the start of winter time – one minute after 2:59 a.m. will become 2 a.m.

Oct. 28, a public holiday, marks the day Czechoslovakia declared independence in 1918. Traditionally, a memorial ceremony takes place at Prague's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Some retail stores over 200 square meters are closed, while pharmacies, petrol stations, and airport shops remain open while a number of museums and institutions are open to the public for free.

Schoolchildren will have their first day off (during the Monday-Friday week) for autumn holidays falling directly after Czechoslovak Independence Day; on Tuesday, Oct. 29, and Wednesday, Oct. 30. This means an epic five-day “weekend” for schoolchildren – not so epic for parents. 

As October turns to November, Prague’s communities bring their traditions alive, blending All Souls' Day, Dia de los Muertos, and Halloween. From honoring ancestors with candles to festive celebrations featuring parades, music, and food, the city is in full force for the season. Notably, the Prague Halloween Trick-or-Treat for Charity event invites children to collect candy while raising funds for endangered children in the Czech Republic.

Dýňová Farma BYKOŠ, near Beroun, offers pumpkin picking, pumpkin-flavored treats, and mulled wine from through Oct. 31. Pumpkin World in the Vysočina region runs through Nov. 3, while Prague's farmers' markets and the Botanical Garden also offer seasonal pumpkin events.