Advent offers lots of "non-festive" activities
If you’re planning a trip to Czechia during Advent and want to avoid the Christmas madness, here are a few tips. You can explore Czechia’s sights, visit a state-of-the-art concert hall, admire the splendor of glassmaking or enjoy breathtaking views from treetop trails.
Giant red crab
Start in a famous Czech spa, home to healing springs, where you can warm up in hotel wellness facilities or take a relaxing stroll along the colonnades.
The UNESCO-listed spa region of West Bohemia, i.e., the triangle comprising the towns of Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně and Františkovy Lázně, is an ideal place to spend time in winter. Karlovy Vary has now made its mark on the map of modern Czech architecture with a visually appealing, multi-purpose hall in the Imperial Baths building. With its color and design, it’s reminiscent of a giant red crab or one of the popular Transformers.
The Imperial Baths building, which you can walk to along the spa colonnade from the Brutalist Thermal Hotel, is open for tours of the interior. Refreshments and accommodation are available next door in the luxurious Grandhotel Pupp.
Crystal Garden in Prague
To enjoy some culture in beautifully decorated halls, visit Prague (the Rudolfinum, National Theatre, Municipal House, State Opera), or Brno (the Janáček Theatre), Olomouc, Plzeň or Ostrava (the multi-purpose Gong auditorium), which all host top concerts, operas and theatre throughout the winter. You can have a great time at the Nová Spirála, a space with a rotating circular stage at the Prague Exhibition Centre, or in JazzDock, a jazz club right on the Vltava River.
The absolute highlight is sure to be the fantastic installation in the Botanical Garden in Prague, which will look particularly amazing during the cold months thanks to glass artist Jiří Pačinek. He became famous for, among other things, his sculptures for the American comedy movie Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Until February 2nd, 2025, he’ll be showcasing his art in an exhibition featuring bizarre plants and animals made of glass. It will also be open for evening tours.
Stay in Prague and move to Wenceslas Square in the city center, where the former legendary Grand Hotel Europa has reopened with a gorgeous Art Nouveau café. Following its refurbishment, it is now called W Prague and features a vertical garden in addition to other interesting details.
For nature lovers
Czechia is also the perfect place for nature and outdoor lovers. Besides fun, the treetop trails offer amazing views of the surrounding countryside.
The popular Sky Walk in Dolní Morava is connected to the Sky Bridge 721, the longest suspension bridge in the world.
Another 45-meter-high observation tower offers views of the surrounding trees stands in the Krkonoše Mountains. Finally, one of the most popular, surprisingly breathtaking views is of Šumava National Park and the vast Lipno Dam.
If it snows, you can look forward to a white-carpeted landscape straight out of a fairy tale.
