May 2024: Everything you need to know this month in Czechia

Lasting all of May, more than 20 tram and bus routes running through Prague 1 and other parts of the capital will be diverted due to maintenance work near Prague’s Jindřišská Street. Tram lines 1, 3, 6, 7, 12, 14, 15, 24, 25, and 26 will all change their normal routes. Read our full guide to see if you will be affected.

Banks, government offices, and similar institutions will be closed on May 1. Schools and most universities will also be closed. However, major shops over 200 square meters in size will be allowed to stay open. Also called May Day, this day celebrates love, too. Tradition says that couples are supposed to kiss under a blossoming tree. Prague's Petřín Park is an especially popular spot.

The deadline for submitting your online tax return for 2023 is May 2. Self-employed people must do this via their data box. You have until July 1 if a registered financial advisory/accounting firm or person does it on your behalf.

This popular event takes place on May 5, with both professional and amateur athletes running through the center of Prague, including Na Příkopě, Celetná, and Národní streets. Expect substantial road closures and public transport diversions as thousands take part in the race.

As on May 1, banks and public administration institutions will close on May 8. Most schools and universities will also be shut. Unlike on May 1, however, shops over 200 square meters and department stores will need to close. Pharmacies, gas stations, and shops at airports, railway stations (including Prague’s Hlavní nádraží), and hospitals are exempt. Delivery services are not covered by the law and should operate as normal. 

On May 8, Prague’s metro goes retro as the Prague Public Transport Company (DPP) marks 50 years since the opening of its underground network. To celebrate, vintage 1970s metro cars will run on line C from 9:19 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Prague and Ostrava will host this year’s Ice Hockey World Championships, which kick off on May 10 and last until May 26. Games in the Czech capital will be played in Prague 9’s O2 Arena. Czechia finds itself in Group A alongside top seeds Canada and Finland. Tickets are still available; find all ticketing information on the tournament's official site.

Results from the first round of high school exams across Czechia will be announced on May 15. According to the META website for foreigners in the Czech education system, the second round of applications for high schools takes place between May 20 and May 24.

This global commemorative event will see historical hotspots such as the National Gallery Prague, the National Museum, and the National Museum of Agriculture open to the public free of charge on May 18.

The 10th year of this cultural event will see 115 buildings and spaces open to the public on May 18 and May 19. These include Clam-Gallas Palace, the Prague Castle Presidential Residence, and Liechtenstein Palace.

U.S. streaming platform Max, formerly and commonly referred to as HBO Max, will launch in Czechia on May 21. Max will, among other things, combine the Discovery+ and Eurosport platforms. It will also broadcast the 2024 Olympics in Paris and show popular series such as The Last of Us and Euphoria. A standard subscription will cost CZK 219.

Running from May 23 to May 26, this Holešovice-based festival features the best of Czech and international literature, with a particular focus on Bohemian author Franz Kafka; 2024 marks 100 years since his death.

Czechia will host an informal meeting of NATO ministers of foreign affairs, which will take place in Prague on May 30-31. Alongside some the world's most high-profile foreign ministers, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will also be in attendance.

If you bought or inherited a property in 2023, you have until May 31 to pay property tax. The most convenient ways to pay are through internet banking or a Czech Post branch. You may also do it via your data box.

As a self-employed person, you must show your tax return and submit reports on your income and expenses to your health insurance company (usually VZP) and the Social Security Administration within a month of submitting your return. You can send these via your data box. People who submitted their tax returns around the end of April thus have until the end of May to do this.