Christmas trip to the last century

Take a Christmas trip to the last century! At the Valašsko Open-Air Museum in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, employees become housewives, teachers, craftsmen, or wear St. Nicholas and devils. You will see rustic decorated houses, and in each of them, different activities – from the preparation of chocolate and cup cakes to embroidery or the molding of wax candles. Your visit will culminate with a meeting in the House of Miloň, where you will remember the Nativity and the Supper of the Happy Night typical of the Valašsko region. Every year, on December 13th, the traditional Christmas Market is inaugurated in the simple village of Rožnov pod Radhoštěm.

Medieval Nativity in the castle

Enjoy the Nativity in an original way. You will experience the mysteries of the Medieval Nativity during a candle-lit night visit. This year (2017), the event will take place on the third Saturday of Advent, in an ancient, silent and gloomy castle, lit only by candlelight. The legendary mysterious atmosphere will be revived on December 13 at the Rabí de Šumava Castle, where candlelight night visits will be organized. You will have the unique opportunity to see the castle lit with only flames, and to know how the Nativity was celebrated in medieval times. After the visit, you can warm up next to one of the fires that will burn in the courtyard, enjoy tea or hot wine and, in the old stables, enjoy medieval music performed by the Gutta Orchestra. With 60 minutes of duration, the visits will happen from 16 to 22 hours.

Worthy of attention is also the Kašperk Castle, which can be visited in December – prior consultation by telephone. During the holiday season, the doors of Kašperk Castle will be open to all visitors. Special visits, with programs, will take place from December 28 to January 1, 2018.

The castle of Karlštejn offers many interesting Christmas activities in the Advent of Karlštejn. On November 30 there will be music in the town square, with the participation of dance groups and choirs. On December 21, at the foot of the castle, will be inaugurated great historical market, and it will be possible to buy toys, decorative objects made by sculptors and jewelers; pieces for Christmas decorations, crystal beads, Advent wreaths and many other items. It is worth mentioning that the typical sweets and the wine of Karlštejn will not be lacking. The day will culminate at 5:00 pm, at the sound of the Czech Christmas Mass, by composer Jan Jakub Ryba. The beautiful musical piece will be sung in the castle, in the Hall of the Knights of the Imperial Palace.

Advent in the center of Prague

During the wonderful time of the Nativity, thousands of colored lights will illuminate the streets and squares of Prague. In Old Town Square, the Christmas Market will be inaugurated on November 29th – when the lights of the Christmas Tree will be lit. The sales offices will be open daily from 10 am to 10 pm, until January 1, 2018. As in previous editions, this year it will be possible to buy traditional Czech decoration pieces, and there will be no lack of candles, jewelry and other articles; and savor Christmas cakes and treats.

Other markets will take place in Wenceslas Square; in the Náměstí Republiky Square (Praça da República); and in the Náměstí Míru Square (Praça da Paz) – places that are famous for their local atmosphere.

What can shape the authentic Christmas environment other than splendid music?

Besides the National Theater – Rudolfinum, there are other traditional places where you can enjoy listening to music. In the Christmas period, in the evening, in many of the churches in Prague there will be concerts with performances of Christmas songs. Among the most renowned churches is that of St. Savior, which during the Advent and Christmas periods offers organ concerts, the Czech Christmas Mass and the Concert of the Night. On December 25th, Celebration Day of the

Nativity, you can visit the church of St. Simon and St. Jude to hear the Czech Christmas Mass, the work of the composer Jakub Jan Ryba.

Surely, an exceptional experience for the whole family will be the visit to a classic crib scene, which has a centuries-old tradition in Chéchau. One of the most well-known Prague cribs is the baroque one, exhibited annually in the district of Hradčany, in the church of Our Lady of the Angels, next to the church of Our Lady of Loreto. From the 25th to the 30th of December it will be possible to visit the crib, from 10am to 5pm; and on St. Sylvester’s Day, until 3 pm. No doubt it would be a pity to make this visit. You will be able to visit the church of Our Lady of Loreto daily, from 09:00 to 16:30, except Mondays. In the Treasury Room you can admire the collection of 17th and 18th century donations, chalices and the Diamond Custody, with no less than 6,222 diamonds.

In the Museum of the Charles Bridge are exhibited exceptional scenes of the Nativity, among them the fish crib of the Vltava River. The big attraction is a 200-liter aquarium, with live tents, a scene that creates the optical illusion of the Vltava River bottom. Around the aquarium is interpreted the scene of the birth of Our Lord, with life-size figures, carved in linden wood. Humanized figures represent the fauna of the lakes and rivers of Bohemia.