The Southern Gardens below the Prague Castle reopened on June 20, 2012 after a 2.5-year reconstruction. The gardens offer one of the most beautiful views of Prague, so they’re definitely worth a visit. They were originally designed by Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik in the 1920s while he was working on numerous projects at the Prague Castle. The recent reconstruction returned the Southern Gardens to their original look. You can access the gardens from the top of the New Castle Stairs off of Hradčanské náměstí, from the top of the Old Castle Stairs near the Opyš viewpoint, or from the third castle courtyard via the so-called Bull Stairs (Býčí schody). The gardens are open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and entrance is free.
Matějská pouť (St. Matthew’s Fair) 2012
Prague’s renowned Matějská pouť (St. Matthew’s Fair) started on March 3 this year. The fair is a Prague institution and the tradition can be traced back to 1595. The Matějská has had its home at the Prague Výstaviště in Holešovice since 1963. With some 130 attractions, it is the largest fun fair in the Czech Republic. We barely scratched the surface this year but you can easily spend hours there, especially if you decide to visit the Sea World (Mořský svět) aquarium (as we did) that can be entered from within the fair grounds.
This year’s St. Matthew’s Fair will continue until April 22. After that, some permanent attractions will remain in place for the rest of the year.
Opening Times
Tuesday – Friday: 2 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Closed on Mondays
The fair’s official site with lots of good pictures and videos is at www.matejskapout.cz.
Tickets
Entrance: 25 CZK per person (adults and children alike)
Rides: Tickets for each ride are sold separately and can quickly add up, beginning with 30 – 50 CZK per toddler ride and going up from there
The 2011 Prague Christmas Markets Are Open
The two largest Christmas markets in Prague opened over the weekend. The markets at Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí) and Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) were crowded over lunch time on Sunday. There were a lot of people buying gifts and enjoying the food selection, including bramboráčky (potato pancakes), klobásy (sausages) and trdelník (cooked dough with cinnamon and sugar).
First Prague Christmas Market of 2011 Opens on Sunday
The final preparations were being completed today on the Christmas market on Peace Square (Náměstí Míru) in Prague. The market starts tomorrow and traditionally is the first one in Prague to open for the holiday season. The two largest Christmas markets take place on Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) and Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí).
You can read more about Czech Christmas and Christmas time in Prague on our site at My Czech Republic.
