Christmas trams return to the streets of Prague with city center parade

In addition to the much-awaited lighting of the Christmas tree at Prague's Old Town Square this afternoon, another seasonal favorite is set to illuminate the streets of Prague from today. Prague's special Christmas-decorated fleet of public transport vehicles will officially light up for the holiday season from December 2, 2023, at 5:15 p.m.

A tram-lighting ceremony will take place in the courtyard of the Střešovice tram depot later today, with the director of Prague public transport authority DPP overseeing the grand inauguration. From 5:30 p.m., the specially-decorated trams and buses will embark on a 30-minute parade through the heart of Prague.

While capacity at the Střešovice depot is limited, spectators throughout the city center will be able to see the special fleet of Christmas vehicles ride in unison during the parade before embarking on their usual routes from Sunday, December 3.

Comprising five Christmas trams and two buses, the specially-decorated vehicles will traverse a carefully planned route through iconic Prague locations. The parade will commence at the Střešovice Depot and continue through Hradčanská, Sparta, Strossmayerovo náměstí, Vltavská, Štvanice, Těšnov, Bílá Labuť, Náměstí Republiky, Dlouhá třída, nab. E. Beneše, and Malostranská.

The vehicles will make a brief stop on the Mánes Bridge for a photo op as they head back into Old Town before officially concluding at Staroměstská at around 6:00 p.m. If you're at Old Town Square for the tree lighting ceremony at 4:30 p.m., you'll have an opportunity to catch the tail end of the parade route a few blocks away.

DPP has announced that the Christmas trams and buses will remain in operation through January 6, giving Prague residents and visitors plenty of time to see the holiday-themed vehicles across the city throughout the season.

Prague boasts the most extensively-decorated public transport fleet in the Czech Republic this year, with five trams and two buses participating in the Christmas festivities.

However, other cities across the country will also be graced by special Christmas-decorated public transport vehicles, with a total of 31 trams, buses, and other vehicles set to hit the streets of 20 Czech cities this Christmas season.

Some notable Christmas vehicles across the country this year include a decorated double-decker bus in Děčín, a festive funicular cable car in Karlovy Vary, and Hradec Králové's unique Christmas electric bus, adding a touch of holiday magic to the public transport experience across the nation.