PRAGUE
The snow and the festive atmosphere make Prague a magical city and incantanta. In this setting, the Christmas markets are held, an event attended by millions of tourists every year.
There are Christmas markets in Prague 6 (here called Vánoční trhy). The most important is to set up in Staromestske namesti and the bottom of the immense Vaclav namesti (Wenceslas Square). The wooden stalls are arranged in a star shape, around the statue of Jan Hus and is surrounded by the fairy-tale atmosphere of the Gothic palaces of medieval Prague. A sparkling lights and Christmas music will really dreaming visitor!
In the markets you sell Christmas decorations, toys, handicrafts Bohemian art, as well as captive food stands with roasted corn, peéena klobasa (grilled sausages) of pernièky (honey gingerbread), the peéena kastany (chestnuts) or vanoèni cukrovi (Christmas cookies). To warm you can have a little ‘svrené wine or svarak (mulled wine), the Horky Pune (hot punch) or a glass of medovina (mead). You will be enchanted by these delicious treats.
In Prague there are many Christmas markets, of which the main ones are mainly two, located in the Old Town Square and Piazza S. Wenceslas. The others can be considered “minor”, but absolutely worth a visit! The opening of the Christmas Markets in Prague always coincide with the lighting of the Christmas tree and this year falls on November 28. Among others, will also lit the Christmas tree at Prague Castle, this year the wife of the President of the Republic, Mrs. Livie Klausova, which will distribute gifts to the children.
Market in Old Town Square
The most famous Christmas market in Prague is housed in Staromestske namesti (Old Town Square), where 150 wooden huts are arranged delicious all around the statue of Jan Hus to form a star. Here you will find all the best of traditional craftsmanship Czech: from wooden toys to the famous and fine Bohemian crystal, figurines from the leaves of maize straw products, from Christmas decorations to delicious local products. Among these are exceptional trdelník, sort of cannoli sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, sausages and other pork specialties, and to mitigate the bitter cold drinks: mulled wine (or svařené víno svařák), the grog and a hot liquor made from honey (medovina).
The surrounding frame is that of a beautiful Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque art, the opportunity for further embellished with decorations and lights, as well as a beautiful Christmas tree adorned with hundreds of lights, lit every evening at sunset. At his feet, a stage is set up to allow the performance of songs, Christmas music and theater performances. Among the best known events is the famous Christmas Mass “Ceska mse Vánoční” Jakub Jan Ryba Baroque composer (XVIII-XIX century), performed very well in churches and auditoriums. To complete the scenario, the square is home to a nativity scene with real animals, to surprise and delight even the afternoon children.
Market in Piazza S. Wenceslas
In the square S. Wenceslas (Václavské náměstí), called Little Champs-Elysées to the resemblance to the famous avenue of Paris, the houses are close to the neo-Renaissance building of the National Museum. Besides the classic Christmas decorations, toys, scented candles and goldsmith craftsmanship, are the precious Bohemian crystal. In the food stalls you can taste roasted corn, peéena klobasa (grilled sausages), pernièky (honey gingerbread), peéena kastany (chestnuts) or vanoèni cukrovi (Christmas cookies). To warm up, you can sip mulled wine or dell’horky Pune (hot punch).
Other Christmas markets
The Christmas Market is located in Havelské trziste Havel, one of the oldest streets of the city, opened in 1232 and located on the street that connects the Old Town Square with Piazza S. Wenceslas.
Another one is located in Namesti Republiky (Republic Square), near the Kotva department store and at a few steps from Old Town Square. But a bit out of the center but easy to reach by public transport, there is a Market Namesti Miru (Peace Square), right in front of the imposing church of St. Ludmila, whose peculiarity is to be frequented almost exclusively by Prague.
In the exhibition of Prague 7, in the district Vystaviste Holesovice, there is a very large Christmas market, with around 500 exhibitors offering toys, ceramics, Bohemian crystal and handicrafts blind. The curiosity of this market is the presence of a giant gingerbread house all that the closure is devoured by visitors seem to be thrown in the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel! Finally, a Christmas Market can be prepared on Kampa island, the picturesque peninsula on the Vltava.
Not only Christmas Markets
For those who would like to add to shopping the more classic folk in stores, it is advisable to go Parizska street, the most famous street of Prague, where you can find designer boutiques especially, as in “fashion triangle” formed by the streets Dusni, and Dlouha V Kolkovne, overlooked by the windows of renowned international designer and Czechs.
In addition, we can not dwell on the many musical events that accompany the Advent Prague. The theater of Prague Stavovske divadlo presents the work entitled “Hej Mistre” (Hey, teacher!), Also carried out on Christmas Day in the Church of St. Simon and Jude Chamber Orchestra of Prague symphony. But the real gems are the concerts of classical music Christmas State Opera in Prague.
01.12.2013 – 06.01.2014
Christmas Market in Prague
Old Town Square (Old Town Square)
Every day from 9:00 to 19:00
26.11.2013 – 01.01.2014
Christmas Market in Prague
Wenceslas Square
Every day from 9:00 to 19:00
26.11.2013 – 01.01.2014
Christmas Market in Prague
Market Havel (Havelské tržiště)
Every day from 9:00 to 19:00
23.11.2013 – 24.12.2013
Christmas Market in Prague
Republic Square (Namesti Republiky)
Every day from 9:00 to 19:00
18.11.2013 – 24.12.2013
Christmas Market in Prague
Peace Square (Namesti Miru) Every day from 9.00 to 19.00
Located on the banks of the Moldau (Vltava in Czech), Prague is a wonderful city, a treasure trove of magnificent historical monuments, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its central Europe has made since the early Middle Ages, a major commercial crossroads and a meeting place for scientists and artists from around the world. Not only that, but more than a thousand years of history have left their mark and produced a continuous development in its streets and architecture in the historic center, which is still a diverse gallery of all styles, from Gothic to Art Nouveau and to Modernism. It ‘also what makes it one of the most fascinating cities in the world.
The main tourist areas of Prague are separated from the Vltava. The Prague Castle, the Lesser Town and the Cathedral of St. Vito is situated on the left bank of the river, while on the right you will find the Old Town, the Jewish Quarter and the New Town. Over the Vltava lies the beautiful Charles Bridge that connects the Old Town and the small part.
Old Town and New Town
The Old Town is the historic center of Prague, the heart of which is the Old Town Square (Starometske). The square has been beautifully restored and is the ideal base to start your tour of the city. Here you will find the Gothic spiers of the Tyn Church, the statue of the reformer Jan Hus, and on the other side, the astronomical clock in the Old Town Hall. In the tower of the Town Hall has a magnificent view over the square and beyond.
Not far from the Old Town Square is located on Wenceslas Square, a meeting place much loved by locals, as well as bustling center of New Town, the New Town.
The New Town was built 600 years ago and was conceived as the main business center of Prague. Even today, this remains its main feature. There are numerous companies, hotels, banks as well as department stores, boutiques and a few small shopping centers. New Town is also rich in culture with its many theaters, including the Opera House, cinemas and museums. It was founded by Charles IV in 1348 as a new large area between Old Town and Vysehrad. The new district would have to increase the size and population of the city, because at the time it was the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Thus, many commercial activities were moved to the Old Town and New Town from Lesser Town. King Charles independently designed the layout of the New Town in person and followed the progress of the construction work, perhaps to make sure that his plan was followed to the letter. The project was very modern for its time, included large squares and wide boulevards. The three main squares served as market was one of the horses (Koňský trh), now Wenceslas Square, the cattle market (Dobytčí trh), now Charles Square, and the Hay Market (Senovážné náměstí), which even now today this name. The three markets were connected together by today’s Vodičkova and Jindřišská. Although the New Town had been originally built in Gothic style, much of its current architecture dates from the late nineteenth century, a time when most of the original buildings were breaks down during a radical cleaning of the slums in which he had transformed the neighborhood. New buildings were built by the architects of the time and the result was a diverse mixture of architectural styles similar to what can be found in the neighboring district of Vinohrady.
The District Ebraic
The Jewish Quarter is not far from the Old Town Square Inside you will find the Jewish Museum, which administers the following locations: the Maislova Synagogue, the Pinkasova Synagogue, the Spanish Synagogue, the Old Jewish Cemetery, the Klausova Synagogue and the Ceremonial Hall . The Old-New Synagogue is the oldest in Central Europe.
The Charles Bridge
The bridge connects the Old Town with Lesser Town. It was built in 1357 by architect Peter Parler Swabian, in order to defend and the entrance to the Castle of Hradcany. E ’10 wide and 516 meters long, and begins with a beautiful tower, adorned with the coats of arms of countries united in Bohemia. On summer evenings the bridge is filled with artists and musicians and all the inhabitants and tourists come to take a walk in the parade of statues. The best time to cross is in the evening, allowing you to enjoy the beautiful view of the castle lit. During the day, however it is possible to climb the towers that are located on both sides of the bridge, in particular, it is worth visiting the tower on the Old Town.
The Castle
The Castle is without doubt one of the best locations in Prague. Along with the Lesser Town and the Cathedral of St. Vito, is on a hill, which gives you a spectacular view of the city. Today it houses the offices of the President of the Republic, as well as many cultural institutions. Are open to the public rooms of the former Royal Palace and the gardens of the castle. Once you cross the gardens, taking the Nerudova you can go down and reach Malostranské náměstí, the heart of Lesser Town, full of picturesque alleys. Here, next to the Charles Bridge, you can see the Kampa Island.
The square of Jiří z Poděbrad (Náměstí Jiřího z Poděbrad)
The square takes its name from the Hussite king Jiří z Poděbrad (George of Poděbrady) that ruled the country in the fifteenth century. It is an excellent place to begin a walk to Vinohrady. The square is easily recognizable by the Church of the Sacred Heart (Kostel nejsvětějšího Srdce bread). This monumental modern church and the Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik a unique, built between 1928 and 1932.
The Market Vinohrady (Vinohradská Tržnice)
The historic building market Vinohrady the number 50 in the Vinohradská is located a few blocks from the square of Jiřího z Poděbrad. The building was constructed in 1902 following a design by architect prinicipale Vinohrady of that time, Antonín Turek. It is one of three remaining traditional markets of Prague. The interior now houses a shopping mall, Pavilon. But Vinohrady is also the name of the residential area of the city. The district includes parts of Prague called 2, 3 and 10. Most of its imposing buildings, which are in different styles, neo-Renaissance, Art Nouveau, Neo-Gothic and pseudo baroque, were built between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Many of these buildings have been and continue to be restored, giving amazing detail and pigmentation.
Peace Square (Namesti Miru)
The square is dominated by the neo-Gothic church of St. Ludmilla (Kostel sv. Ludmily), a basilica with two towers, built between 1888 and 1893. Many famous artists of the period worked to the interior and exterior of the church. Among these, the sculptor Josef Václav Myslbek (author of the statue of St. Wenceslas on Wenceslas Square and the sculptures in the park Vysehrad).
At 7 Namesti Miru is the majestic building of the Vinohrady Theatre (Divadlo na Vinohradech), one of the oldest and most famous theaters of Prague, which opened in 1907.
The Neo-Renaissance National House of Vinohrady (Vinohradsky Narodni dum) is at number 9, dates from 1893-94 and was designed by Antonín Turek. Today the building is home to various organizations and associations.
Parks
Are very numerous parks Vinohrady. The largest of these are Riegrovy sady north and south Havlíčkovy sady.
Riegrovy sady is a lovely park between the streets Italská, Chopinova, Polská and Vozová in the north-east of the border with the Vinohrady district of Zizkov. It is an easy walk from Vinohradská and Slavíkova and square Jiřího z Poděbrad. The park takes its name from the Czech politician František Ladislav Rieger of the nineteenth century. Located on a hill, the park offers a splendid view of the Prague Castle. The park was built between 1904 and 1908 as a public garden in the English style and comprises a terrace of observation now sadly deteriorated and fallen into disuse.
Havlíčkovy sady is the second largest park in Prague and is located on the other side of Vinohrady, on the border with the district of Vršovice. The most famous landmark is the Villa Grobe (Grebovka). This magnificent example of neo-Renaissance villa was built as a summer residence for the luxury industry Moritz Grobe between 1871 and 1888 and is set in a terraced garden decorated with a molded small vineyards.
Plate of Christmas
Among the specialties of the Christmas season in Prague you can taste the homemade cookies, the rolls with vanilla, the pandolci (trdlo) with almonds and gingerbread with honey, even if these are just some of the varieties prepared according to recipes handed down from generation to generation. On Christmas Eve the whole family gathers around the table for supper. The menu begins with traditional fish soup (or potato), followed by the main course made from fried carp and potato salad. Among the drinks, you remember the bitters, such as grog, made with rum and water, or medovina, a honey liqueur served hot.
Rest of the year
In the taverns of Prague you can enjoy Bohemian dishes, which are influenced by the German and Austrian cuisine. Among the soups should be noted that with liver dumplings, among the latter dominate the pork specialties such as roast with knedlíky (bread balls) and the famous smoked ham, known throughout the world as the “Prague ham” . Among the desserts, in particular we remember the palalinka, a crepe with chocolate or strawberry.
Prague is not directly reachable from Cagliari to save Kalariseventi suggests you from Bergamo with Wizzair (www.wizzair.com) who practices a direct flight from Bergamo to Prague.
For example, with flights operating on December 7 and went back on December 10 you spend € 175.98 including tax.
How to fly the approach, on the same days, Kalariseventi recommends Ryanair total expenditure of € 69.98 including tax.
Merry Christmas market!
