Discovering the Easter Markets of Prague

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Christmas period is now well and truly over and another holiday season is upon us; Easter.  German Christmas markets, whether in Birmingham or Frankfurt, are immensely popular.  However, the lesser-known Easter Markets which take place in cities such as Vienna and Prague are delightful but undeniably suffer from a lack of exposure; many people are sadly unaware of their existence.

Decorations galore: a tree in the Old Town square adorned with colourful Easter eggs (Photo: Julia Wessels)

A recent trip to Prague for the markets was a wonderful adventure as I tasted the local Czech delicacies, admired the festive decorations, and even fed a rather hungry Shetland pony. The markets must be experienced at least once in your lifetime and should be added to all ‘bucket lists’.

This year the Prague markets run from the 21^st of March to the 12^th of April, with authentic wooden huts filling up the historic Old Town Square and the equally famous Wenceslas Square.  For a bite to eat there is plenty of Trdelnik – a delicious sugar coated pastry – as well as the more savoury Bramborova Spirala which is essentially a potato spiral on a skewer.  Spit roasts are dotted around, although the price paid depends on the weight of your plate. Therefore, I advise a bit of caution as you can be tricked into paying a fortune due to the language barrier; before you know it, you have a meal for four on your plate with all the toppings and

Trdelnik: a truly tasty delicacy which everyone should try at least once.
(Photo: Julia Wessels)

extras!  Spit roast or not, a visit to the Czech Republic would also be incomplete without a cold Pilsner beer or Svarak (mulled wine). As you enjoy your treat of choice, you can sit down on one of the wooden benches made from wagon wheels and take in the sheer beauty of the Old Town Square’s 14^th century Tyn Church, or the trees adorned with colourful Easter eggs.

Easter eggs are not only found on the trees or on top of the wooden huts as decoration; you can buy beautiful hand painted eggs from a number of stalls, some wooden, and some made from real egg shell. The prices are, on average, very affordable at just over a pound each and they are a perfect memento of your Easter experience with no one egg being exactly the same.  A variety of chocolates, handmade jewellery, glassware, tourist memorabilia and even lace are also available.

Special events run throughout the duration of the markets. These include choir singing, dance ensembles, vulture shows (which I unfortunately didn’t witness) and the opportunity to feed animals.  Leaflets in the market advertise these events so that you know exactly when to be around.  I was particularly excited by the Shetland pony, having always wanted one as a little girl – who didn’t?

With nostalgic feelings ignited, I was very sad when my time at Prague was at an end and the markets were unforgettable.  Whilst the capital of the Czech Republic is a popular tourist destination, anybody who really wants to immerse themselves in Czech culture needs to include the Easter Markets in their travels.