Devin has always wanted to go to a Christmas market in Europe and when she came to me with a surprise trip idea I wasn’t surprised about the destination. The spontaneity did surprise me. Neither of us have been to Prague but from our research they have one of Europe’s largest Christmas markets.
What are Christmas markets?
Christmas markets are a German invention where street markets would appear around Christmas time dating back to the middle ages. Ironically, most Czechs don’t believe in god but traditions often persist like this market. Each year the Prague Christmas Market has a theme which is announced in late November. The 2017 theme was the History of Prague.
Looking forward to food
Readers of my works on this site know I’m a huge fan of street food. These markets are supposed to be filled with street food. Some of the offerings I’m interested in are:
- Pražská Šunka – Brine cured ham
- klobása – Sausages
- langoš – Deep fried bread with assorted toppings
- palačinky – crepes
- Trdelnik – spiral of dough is wrapped around a wooden pole, warmed, and rolled in sugar, cinnamon or other flavors.
Beer
While it might not be the best judge of a country or city, I often rate the area on the quality of the beer. When I reminisce of past travels the quality of the beer will usually be in my top three things that comes up in conversation. The Czech Republic is famous for its pilsners. When Devin and I went to Ireland, a bar tender was very proud of his Budweiser. I was confused as to why he was excited about one of the worlds best known brands and I must have made a face because he explained that it was brewed in the Czech Republic. Apparently the Budweiser made there has a more Czech pilsner style than the freedom Bud I’m used to.
Our trip
We are planning on going during the end of December after visiting Devin’s family in Wisconsin. This way we will be prepared for the cold. We are going to stay through the new year and celebrate with fireworks on the Charles Bridge.
