Very merry markets

For those who need to get a jump on a lengthy Christmas shopping list or just need to recharge from the Prague winter by drinking some mulled wine and equally warm holiday cheer, the Christmas markets are the place to go. The first market opens on náměstí Míru Nov. 20, and a few days later you can check out the markets on náměstí Jiřího z Poděbrad in Žižkov and náměstí Republiky in Prague 1.

On Nov. 27, the biggest markets in the very heart of the city, on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, will commence, marked by the Christmas Old Town tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m.

The atmosphere of traditional markets is an essential part of advent in Prague. The first markets came into existence in Germany in the Middle Ages, and since then they have spread to the rest of the Christian world, providing the setting for Christmas celebrations complete with chanting choirs, popular hand-painted nativity scenes and various holiday delicacies both sweet and savory.

The Czech Republic is one of the top Christmas destinations for tourists, mostly because of the unique traditional markets still found here. More than 120,000 tourists travel to the Czech Republic each Christmas holiday, according to the Association of Czech Tourist Offices and Agencies (AČCKA), which monitors the markets.

The markets on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square attract most of the tourists. Vendors there offer Czech traditional products, as well as gifts from neighboring countries, and hold many accompanying cultural programs on a daily basis.

"We try to come up with new enhancements every year, either in special decorations for the booths or by offering products from Slovakia, Bavaria, Italy or Hungary - mostly sausages, cheeses or smoked meats," said Zuzana Uhlíková, spokeswoman for Taiko, the company that organizes the Old Town and Wenceslas markets. "Children can participate by creating some of the traditional products themselves and can even take part in competitions."

If you are looking to buy a typical Czech gift, Christmas markets are the place to go, with their wide range of traditional homemade products including straw-made decorative gifts, ceramics and wooden toys.

If you feel like sweetening your Christmas trip to Prague, don't forget to taste the traditional trdelník (sweet dough wrapped in cinnamon and nuts) and svařák (mulled wine). Or if you happen to catch the smell of roasted chestnuts, feel free to succumb to temptation. You won't regret it.

The main markets might be too congested, but you can always stroll a bit further to náměstí Republiky, which is still in the very center of Prague, or even to Vinohrady to náměstí Míru, where the smaller markets with a cozy atmosphere, fewer tourists and more locals take place.

At náměstí Míru, enticingly named booths like "Rose tearoom" and "Herbal Soap House" reveal what you can expect to find at this market. With 59 booths, you can buy almost any gift - even for the hardest to shop for person on your list. Traditional Christmas crafts are sold in abundance: jewelry from precious stones, ceramic nativity scenes, tin figures, candles, products made from sheep's wool and wooden toys.

In Prague's freezing weather, typical for local winters, you might welcome the always popular rum tea, special "winter crepes" or even fresh cuts of simmering meat hot off the grill.

If you feel carried by the Christmas spirit and feel like doing a good turn, a few NGOs helping the needy have rented a booth at the náměstí Míru market and will be selling products with the proceeds going to a good cause.

A very specific Christmas market for pottery and handicrafts takes place at the Holešovice exhibition grounds. Besides the traditional gifts and foods also on offer at the markets in the city center, at the Holešovice market you can watch craftsmen at work making pottery and artists painting canvases. Weekends at Holešovice will be spiced up with appearances by gospel choirs, various fashion and ballet shows and a number of competitions. And of course, there will be plenty of games and entertainment for the kids.

Tomio Okamura of AČCKA says all the Prague markets have improved their offer significantly in the last few years, especially by replacing junk food and cheap novelty gifts with traditional Czech handicrafts and delicacies.

"The situation has particularly improved because the vendors have come to understand that you can attract tourist by offering traditional local products rather than some cheap gimmicks in the form of babushka (Russian Matryoshka dolls) and ushanka (Russian soldier's winter hat)."

Klára Jiřičná can be reached at
kjiricna@praguepost.com