Prague Food Festivals and Farmers Markets
These can run all year but the bulk are to be found April to October. There are some fixed locations for food festivals in Prague like the Anděl pedestrianised zone, Rašinovo nabřeží Naplavka, Smichovska Naplavka, Jiriho z Podebrad market, Dejvice market etc. Apart from dedicated Food Festivals you’ll also want to track down some Farmers Markets as they will also be offering local food. Make sure you’ve got the Google Translate plugin on your browser as not all resources on the page go to English options.
Food Event
Food Event is a promotion company for various food festival events throughout the country. Look for the places I mentioned above like Naplavka, Smichovska Naplavka, Anděl or anything listed as “Praha”. No English language option on this site but use the Chrome Google translate plug-in and it’s fine. More detail at https://foodevent.cz/ and you’ll get some idea of when a food festival is running by looking at the posters.
Holešovice Market
This is a whole year market which expands to include foodie options and special events. Here I link to the “Food Truck” page next to Hall 22 in the market but you’ll find a selection of fixed food positions. Best to access this by tram. Find more detail at https://www.holesovickatrznice.cz/foodtrucky.
Farmers Market – Naplavka – Saturday Only
Naplavka is the original riverside farmers market in Prague. It’s a Saturday Market open from 8am to 2pm so foodies use it for lunch. You can walk here from the Old Town in 20 minutes. You can find opening times, address etc at https://www.farmarsketrziste.cz/en/trh/naplavka.
Farmers Market – Kubán – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
Kuban is mainly a Saturday Market in the 10th district best accessed by tram. They also have smaller markets on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Find detail about this markets at https://www.farmarsketrziste.cz/en/trh/kuban.
Farmers Market – Hermanek – Most Saturdays
Hermanek is a Saturday market in the centre of Holesovice in the 7th District and again best accessed by tram although you can walk here from the Old Town in 25 minutes. Hermanek opens February to December but NOT every Saturday so check the details for dates during your stay. Find detail about this market at https://www.farmarsketrziste.cz/en/trh/hermanak.
Farmers Market – Jiriho z Podebrad – Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Note in 2023 the local metro station is closed so take the tram up from Muzeum). This market is called “trhy na Jiřáku”. It opens as a farmers market with add on eateries from Wednesday to Saturday and adds specific food festival dates into their regular days. Best accessed by metro if open, otherwise tram or you can walk here from the Old Town in 30 minutes. Find more detail at https://trhyjirak.cz/ (not in English but run it through a translator.
Farmers Market – Na Kulataku – Saturday Only
This is the farmers market next to the Dejvice metro station on Victory Square. Similar choice to Jiriho z Podebrad above. Find details at https://www.trhynakulataku.cz/en/ (EN version in progress).
Getting Around
You’ll find most Saturday markets are open 8am to 2pm so if you want to get between them you’ll need to use public transport. I use a combination of the green metro line (Dejvice market and Jiriho z Podebrad market) and Tram 17 which gets you between the Holesovice market (Hermanek) and Naplavka but also stops at the Old Town metro station (green line).
TIP: If you are running late then finish at Naplavka even if you get there after 2pm because the moored boats will still be serving food and drink even if the stalls are closed. As you’ll be hopping on and off it’s worth buying a day pass for the public transport on a Saturday. Check How to Use the Public Transport Touch-screen Machines.
Prague Food Festival
The Prague Food Festival has been running since 2006 and has always presented the best of what the Czech Republic has to offer. Currently it says “preparing for Autumn 2023” but no other details. A magnet for people who really appreciate good food and for people who like to witness it’s preparation from start to finish, it’s one of the peaks of the Czech gastronomic calendar. You’ll have access to food prepared by top restaurant chefs so expect marvellous combinations, flavours and visions all for a fraction of the price of eating at the restaurants themselves.
Where and When? Usually in May but exact dates to be specified on the Prague Food Festival Website. On each day it starts at 12pm. Finish times vary. The last few times it ran adjacent to the Vyšehrad church or STs Peter and Paul.
What’s to See and Do? The organizers will have selected an eclectic mix of cuisines from many different restaurants and culinary businesses. I’ll update this page with relevant details. There will be a cookery school plus cookery workshops (presented by chefs) and the opportunity to learn about beer tasting (as if an excuse was needed). All in all it’s a must for foodies and people who want to explore modern Czech Food and International cooking styles.
How does it Work? To enter the complex you can buy day-tickets in advance or pay cash at the entry (@CZK500) on one or more of the festival days. Part of your entry fee includes 10 “Grands” worth @CZK300 which you use to buy food. You can either split the 10 into parts and buy more smaller dishes or spend the whole 10 at once on the Festival Menu offered by the restaurant. If you want more “grands” then you can buy them at the Prague Food Festival “banks”. If you want to do some planning in advance then on the website, go to the “Restaurants” tab and select “Restaurants and Menu”. You’ll then be able to see who is offering what and for how much. You can also view the Prague Food Festival map. Or if you want to see my last visit to the Prague Food Festival then check the YouTube video. Bon Apetit.