How cold is Prague in December, and what to wear?
December in Prague is damp and grey far more often than snowy, with daytime highs a few degrees above freezing. The sun is gone by about 4 pm, which is the reason the market lights matter so much. This guide covers how to dress for an evening on slippery cobbles, where snow is likelier than in the city, and where to warm up between the stalls.
What December feels like
A typical December day in Prague reaches about 36 °F (2 °C), and nights drop to around 27 °F (-3 °C). The sky is often grey, the air damp, and fog drifts up off the Vltava on still mornings. On paper that is mild. In practice the damp finds its way through a thin coat, and the cold rises from the cobbles once you have stood at a stall for half an hour with a mug in your hand.
None of this is harsh cold, and it rarely stops anything. It is the slow chill of a long evening outdoors, felt first in the feet and fingers. Dress for that, and Prague in December is a pleasure.
Fog, ice and slippery cobbles
The Old Town and the Lesser Town are paved in small stones that turn slick when they are wet and treacherous when they freeze. On frosty nights Charles Bridge and the lanes below the castle need care. Distances are short, at least. Old Town Square to the lower end of Wenceslas Square takes about seven minutes on foot, and Charles Bridge about ten. The climb from the bridge to the castle takes about 25 minutes, all uphill, so on an icy day take tram 22 to the Pražský hrad stop instead. Our Prague Castle in winter guide covers the visit itself.
Fog has its own reward. On a grey morning Charles Bridge loses its far end in the mist, and the baroque statues loom out of it one by one.
Short days and the market lights
The sun rises around 7:55 am and sets around 4 pm, giving you about eight hours of daylight. It sounds like a drawback, yet it suits the markets well. The huts are lit from late afternoon, so the lights are on by the time most people finish sightseeing, and the big trees on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square look their best by 5 pm. In flat daylight the same stalls seem rather ordinary.
Spend the light hours on the castle, whose paid interiors close around 4 pm in winter, or on a trip out of town, and save the markets for dark. The two big markets open at 10 am and close at 10 pm, while Peace Square and Republic Square close at 8 pm. Final dates and times are announced by the organizers only shortly before opening, so check each market's own page, or start with our market dates and opening hours.
What to wear for an evening on cobbles
| What to pack | Why |
|---|---|
| A thermal base layer | Standing still at a stall is when the cold gets in |
| A fleece or wool sweater | Easy to open in a warm tram or a busy café |
| A water-resistant coat with a hood | Damp drizzle is likelier than a dry snowfall |
| Waterproof boots with a grippy sole | Wet or frozen cobbles get slippery after dark |
| A warm hat and thin gloves | Thin gloves let you hold a hot cup without taking them off |
| A small backpack | Leaves both hands free for a mug and a plate of food |
Several thin layers beat one heavy coat, because a Prague evening moves in and out of warm rooms. One moment you are on an open square in the wind off the river, the next on a heated tram or in a crowded café. Something you can unzip stops you from overheating indoors and shivering at the next hut. Leave smart shoes at the hotel unless you are going to a concert, and even then wear boots for the walk. Families should pack spare gloves for each child, and Prague at Christmas with kids has more on keeping small hands warm.
Snow in the city, and where it is likelier
Snow comes and goes in Prague and rarely stays on the ground for long. On the odd night when it settles on the roofs of the market huts, the Old Town looks like a Christmas card, but you cannot plan a trip around it. South Bohemia and the Saxon hills across the German border are colder, and they turn white more often, though snow is never guaranteed even there.
The easy way south is Bohemian Walks' day in Český Krumlov, from ~$126. A van collects you from your accommodation in the center, a guide leads you through the castle courtyards above the Vltava, and the afternoon is free in the Old Town after a lunch at your own cost. It takes about 9 hours, with groups of up to 15, and scores 4.8 from 656 reviews on GetYourGuide (about $134 there) and 4.6 from 1,100+ on Viator. The catch is that reviewers keep asking for more free time, food is extra, and it is not suitable for wheelchair users. Our day trips guide sets it beside Dresden and Kutná Hora.
South Bohemia for a chance of white roofs
Pickup at your door and two hours by van to Český Krumlov, a guided walk through the castle courtyards and free time in the Old Town, from ~$126. It is colder there than in Prague, so snow is likelier, though never certain.
Warm places between the stalls
Cafés are Prague's answer to a cold afternoon. The café in the Municipal House, the Art Nouveau landmark from 1912, stands right beside the Republic Square market, so you can thaw out over a coffee and step straight back to the stalls. Museums make a longer break, and the National Technical Museum is a good one on a wet day, especially with children.
The castle interiors keep you out of the wind for a morning, from St. Vitus Cathedral to the Old Royal Palace, though stone halls are never truly warm. For an evening indoors, the Christmas gala at the Rudolfinum, from ~$68, fills the Dvořák Hall from 8 pm to about 10 pm, with Dvořák's New World Symphony after the interval. Its catch is a classical program rather than carols, a 5.0 score from only 21 reviews, and a listing on GetYourGuide alone. Our Christmas concerts guide compares it with the church concerts.
A plan for a wet day
- Spend the morning inside the castle or a museum, when the rooms are at their quietest
- Take a long lunch in a café, with a hot drink and a slice of cake to finish
- At dusk, choose a market by a metro station, such as Wenceslas Square at Můstek, so the dash from the train is short
- Warm up with a svařák, or a hot chocolate, then head to a concert hall for the evening
- If the rain stops, walk back across Old Town Square to see the tree lit one more time
Once you are back out in the cold, our guide to svařák, trdelník and Christmas food helps you choose at the stalls.