Christmas Markets Outside Prague — Český Krumlov, Karlovy Vary and More

Prague's Christmas markets are famous, and we have covered them thoroughly in our Prague Christmas markets guide. But some of the most memorable Christmas market experiences in the Czech Republic happen outside the capital — in smaller towns where the decorations go up against backdrops of medieval castles, Baroque colonnades, and UNESCO-listed squares. The crowds are thinner, the atmosphere is more local, and the hot wine tastes the same.

This guide covers the best Christmas markets beyond Prague: where they are, when they run, what to eat and drink, and how to get there. If you are spending more than three days in the Czech Republic during the holiday season, at least one of these is worth a day trip.

Český Krumlov Christmas Market

When: Late November through December 23, with some stalls extending to January 1. The main market opens around the last weekend of November.

Where: Náměstí Svornosti, the main square in the Old Town, directly below the castle tower.

Český Krumlov in December is as close to a storybook Christmas setting as Europe produces. The 13th-century castle looms above the square, the narrow streets are lined with pastel-colored Renaissance houses, and the Vltava River wraps around the entire Old Town like a natural moat. When snow falls — and it often does in South Bohemia — the town becomes almost impossibly picturesque.

The Christmas market itself is intimate. Roughly 40-50 wooden stalls surround the central Christmas tree on the main square. The scale is human — no sprawling commercial fairground, no corporate branding. Vendors sell handmade ornaments, beeswax candles, honey products from local apiaries, and wooden toys carved in South Bohemian workshops.

What to eat and drink:

• Svařené víno (mulled wine): The Czech version uses red wine with cinnamon, cloves, and star anise. Some stalls also serve svařená medovina — hot mead, which is sweeter, stronger, and distinctly Czech. A cup costs about 60-80 CZK.
• Trdelník: The spiral-shaped pastry rolled in cinnamon and sugar, cooked on a rotating spit over hot coals. In Český Krumlov, the trdelník tradition is more authentic than the tourist-oriented versions sold in Prague — the town is closer to the Slovak and Moravian origins of the pastry.
• Klobása: Grilled sausage, usually pork, served in a bread roll with mustard. Look for stalls grilling over real wood rather than propane — the smoke flavor matters.
• Langáš: Deep-fried dough topped with garlic and grated cheese. Simple and excellent in cold weather.

Insider detail: On the weekend closest to December 5, Český Krumlov hosts its annual Mikuláš celebration. St. Nicholas (Mikuláš), an angel, and a devil walk through the streets and visit children. The devil costumes in small Czech towns are genuinely elaborate and sometimes frightening — this is not a sanitized commercial event. The procession begins around 16:00 from the castle courtyard and moves through the Old Town. For children under four, it can be intense.