Spending New Year's Eve in Prague - THOUGHTFUL TRAVELING

Prague is hands down, one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever visited. It’s known as the ‘golden city of a hundred spires’ because of the various towers made of sandstone that shimmer like gold in the sun. I visited Prague with my family over the New Year, and although the weather was freezing and we were bundled up like 5 Michelin Men, it was a wonderful time! Spending New Year’s Eve in Prague is truly a special experience.

Whether it’s having a late dinner and drinks on a hilltop terrace overlooking the Charles Bridge, or watching the hair-raising fireworks displays in the heart of Wencelas or Old Town Square, there’s something for everyone to do in Prague to celebrate the New Year. Read on to find out more about our time celebrating New Year’s Eve in Prague!

RELATED POSTS: How to Spend Christmas in Budapest | A Mini Guide to Vienna in December

Day 1: Day before New Year’s Eve in Prague

We spent our first morning in Prague roaming the Old Town Square, the heart of the city. During the winter season (ending right after New Years Day), the Old Town Square hosts the annual Prague Christmas Market where charming wooden huts are stocked with colorful ornaments, wooden toys, and tasty handmade candies and treats. Pigs are roasted on spits over a wood fire, filling the air with smoky goodness. In the center of it all, a Christmas tree stands tall and decorated against the backdrop of the St. Nicholas Church.

Feeding animals at the Christmas Market in Prague

We wandered through it all, enjoying the festive atmosphere and sharing a few tredelniks (rolled dough covered in sugar, filled with toppings), a piping hot bag of roasted chestnuts, and mulled wine. It’s a good thing calories don’t count over the holidays!

Within the Old Town Square is the Prague Astronomical Clock, one of Prague’s most prized possessions and famous tourist attractions. Every hour, hundreds of tourists gather under the Astronomical Clock to hear it ring. To be honest, I thought the clock performance was a bit underwhelming but it was definitely worth crossing off the item on our Prague bucket list.

FUN FACT: The Prague Astronomical Clock is over 600-years old. That’s almost double the age of the United States!

We made our way to the top of the Old Town Hall Tower for the best views of the Old Town Square.

Afterwards, we wandered the Jewish Quarter, an area which serves as a somber reminder of the past. Dating back to the 13th century, this ghetto was the home to many Jews from across Central Europe who had been banned from living anywhere else. Thankfully, many of the synagogues and historical buildings in the area are still well-preserved – rumor has it, Hitler himself decided to ‘save’ the Jewish Quarter from Nazi destruction because he wanted to make the area a museum to the lost Jewish race. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps!

Lunch was at a cozy restaurant, Sisters, which was situated between the Jewish Quarter and the Old Town. I highly recommend visiting Sisters for their delicious Chlebíček (open-faced sandwiches), which is a classic Prague specialty. We ordered a variety of options to share, each one of them more colorful and delicious than the last!

From there, we walked across the pedestrian-only Charles Bridge, which crosses the Vltava River. I don’t know if it was the time of year, or if the Charles Bridge is always busy, but the bridge was completely packed with tourists! Don’t get me wrong, the Charles Bridge is insanely beautiful and there’s a reason why it’s one of Prague’s most busy tourist destinations but crossing the bridge felt a bit like herding sheep. What could have been a romantic stroll ended up feeling pretty overwhelming and claustrophobic! If you don’t like crowds, I’d recommend visiting the Charles Bridge early in the morning or late at night.

Heading across the Charles Bridge in Prague

We continued up the street leading away from the Charles Bridge and made the climb up the New Castle Stairs towards Prague Castle (the largest ancient castle in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records). The walk up the New Castle Stairs was demanding but was totally worth the effort for the views. I said it earlier and I’ll say it again…Prague is seriously one of the prettiest cities I’ve ever been to, and the top of New Castle Stairs is the perfect place to savor the scenery!

The Stairs took us directly to Hradčanské Square and the Gate of Giants (also known as the entrance to Prague Castle). We explored the area but due to the crowds, didn’t make it into the castle itself. In case you’re interested in visiting the site, they offer both open visits into the premises as well as guided tours.

After exploring the area for a bit (and enjoying another mug of mulled wine at the small holiday market at Hradčanské Square…guilty!), we headed back down the way we came, back across the Charles Bridge, back to our hotel where we all promptly ‘zonked out’ and took advantage of a short hour-long nap (I mean…is it really a winter holiday if naps are not involved?).

TIP: For the best views over the Charles Bridge, climb up to the top of the Old Town Bridge Tower. It costs money to enter, but the view is worth it. We made it to the top of the tower just in time for sunset…the orange and pink hues over the water looked absolutely magical!

After re-gaining some strength (and allowing time for our bodies to recover from the winter cold), we headed out for fancy dinner celebration at Cafe Imperial. Cafe Imperial is a high-end restaurant serving traditional Czech food. It’s most famous for being frequented by the writer Franz Kafka, as well for it’s intricate art-nouveau ceramic wall tiling and mosaic ceiling.

I’m usually skeptical about visiting these types of ‘touristy cafes’, but I’ll be honest, the food at Cafe Imperial was absolutely delicious! I devoured my Stuffed Quail with Foie Gras, and my sister couldn’t stop raving about her Braised Lamb Shank. The winner of the night though were the Braised Veal Cheeks that my dad ordered….they were so tender and flavorful, and none of us could stop picking-off of his plate (sorry dad).

TIP: Reservations for Cafe Imperial are essential. If you can’t make it for dinner, they are also well-known for their brunch food.

Day 2: New Year’s Day

Day two of our weekend in Prague started out with a light breakfast of coffee and sweet buns at EMA Espresso Bar.

Sweet buns at EMA Espresso Bar in Prague

Bear with me here, but there’s a bit of a side story related to our visit. Prior to our trip to Prague, I had read a food article about where to have the best traditional Czech food in the city. EMA Espresso Bar was listed as offering the city’s best buchty, which was described as a fluffy, plump, doughy sweet bun bursting with jam or farmer’s cheese…a food often mentioned in Czech fairy tales (the heroes would pack them before starting a long adventure).

Now I don’t know about you, but that description had me hooked, and I was obsessed with making sure that we had our taste of buchty. And so, I dragged my family to visit EMA not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES. We actually tried to visit EMA twice on our first day in Prague….the first time they weren’t open yet (we decided we’d just try again later), and the second time, they had SOLD OUT OF THE BUCHTY (to my absolute despair). And so, on our second day in Prague, we made sure to be the first ones in line as soon as the cafe opened (not surprisingly, a line quickly formed behind us right after we got there).

Were the buchty delicious? Yes (especially the farmers cheese one). Was it worth all the headache? Perhaps not (although, the coffee was some of the best coffee I’ve had…period). It’s definitely worth a visit if you happen to be in the area.

And now…continuing on with the itinerary….

We took a tram to Petrin Park, the city’s biggest and most beautiful park that offers panoramic views of Prague. You can either walk up the path (~30 minutes), or take a funicular to the top of the hill (~10 minutes). Several gardens can be found within Petrin Park, as well as an observation tower. Although the gardens weren’t in bloom during the winter, we still enjoyed our time exploring the grounds.

From Petrin Park, we made our way to the John Lennon Wall in Mala Strana, a wall covered in Lennon-inspired graffiti and lyrics from Beatles songs. The wall was meant as a symbolic gravestone for John Lennon when he died, representing peace, freedom, and equality for all.

Afterwards, we made our way towards the banks of the Vltava River and found ourselves in the company of dozens of swans. The Swans of Prague are an attraction in-and-of-itself, and we watched as as they glided gracefully along the river (or fought with pigeons over bread fed to them by tourists).

Lunch was at Cafe Savoy, an extravagantly-decorated Viennese-style coffeehouse known for its baked goods and hearty brunch sets. It was a great spot for warming up again (did I mention that Prague can be quite cold during this time of the year?!) over a refined and leisurely meal.

TIP: If you’re planning on dining at Cafe Savoy, go hungry. A typical brunch set (for example, their French breakfast set) comes with coffee, ham, sausage, a boiled egg, potatoes, french toast, a vegetable tart, croissant, and freshly-squeezed orange juice! Reservations are highly recommended.

After lunch, we crossed the river back towards New Town to visit the Dancing House, a striking modern building featuring a curvy outline and a fine-dining restaurant (Ginger & Fred) on the 10th-floor. FUN FACT: It’s called the Dancing House for a reason. Inspired by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (hence the restaurant name), this unique building is an unusual and unexpected landmark along the Vtlava River.

Of all the attractions we visited in Prague, the Vyšehrad Fortress Complex was unexpectedly my favorite. Also known as the ‘Castle of Heights’, this historical fort is one of the most significant national cultural monuments in Prague (it also happens to offer some of the best views of the city). There are several attractions within Vyšehrad, like the Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul, a cathedral featuring richly decorated ornamental wall paintings, or the Slavin Tomb, which was meant to serve as a formal resting place for those deemed to be ‘Czech greats’ (e.g. famous and significant people).

After fighting the crowds at the various other Prague attractions we visited, the calm and off-the-beaten path Vyšehrad Fortress was a nice welcome. We spent a few hours roaming the gardens, visiting the basilica, and enjoying the views.

Afterwards, we made a pit stop at the Head of Franz Kafka, a 42-layer rotating stainless sculpture located in the heart of the city. The sculpture is meant to represent Kafka’s continuous self-doubt, his unsolvable and tortured personality. Personally, I thought the sculpture itself was a bit bizarre and out-of-place, but fans of modern progressive art should make a stop here…the sculpture is quite odd but captivating!

Dinner was at a fine-dining vegetarian restaurant called Maitrea. We chose Maitrea because it had really stellar TripAdvisor ratings and we wanted to try something different, but ended-up being let-down by the food. Honestly, I don’t know why the reviews were so positive….everyone in my family thought the food was both bland and expensive! Not at all what we were hoping from a New Year’s Eve dinner unfortunately (which is why we grabbed a hearty burger and beer at Kantyna, a local beer hall and butchery a few hours later).

At around 11:30pm, we made our way to the busy Wenceslas Square to gather with the crowds and witness the fireworks demonstrations happening along the street. Be warned – there is no ‘official’ fireworks display in Prague and it can be quite dangerous to watch the fireworks in central areas of the city (not good for families with small kids!). Most of the demonstrations seemed to be lit with a beer in one hand, and a lighter in the other! It was both frightening and hilarious at the same time.

TIP: If you’re not into the party scene, or want a ‘calmer’ view of the fireworks displays, try other viewing locations near Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, or on Petrin Hill.

My whole family giggled nervously, as we watched the fireworks explode above us (some, a little too close for comfort). It was hard not to get emotional, as it was the first time in a very long time (since moving away to attend college) that I was able to spend New Year’s Eve with my family. Jamie (my sister) was crying. I was crying. And Kevin was laughing at both of us.

The countdown to New Year’s was spectacular, and at midnight, we cheered and exchanged kisses under the blanket of colorful fireworks lighting up the night sky. It was a New Year’s Eve that I will never forget.

Best of all…it ended with a fried cheese sandwich (a Prague specialty).