New farmers market set to open at Malostranské náměstí

The Prague 1 administration is looking for more places that can be used to promote locally made food

Raymond Johnston

Written by Raymond Johnston Published on 01.06.2020 08:37:43 (updated on 01.06.2020) Reading time: 2 minutes

Prague will soon get a new farmers market at Malostranské náměstí. The Prague 1 administration is also looking for other places where locally produced food can be sold.

“We want to support markets where there will be the promotion of locally produced food if possible,” Prague 1 Mayor Petr Hejma (STAN) said, adding the market in Malá Strana will start operating in June, but some details are still being worked on. An agreement has been reached with some local food producers.

Malostranské náměstí is in the process of being revitalized. The lower part had long been a parking lot, but as of 2016 cars were banned and it was opened to the public. Work on repaving the square and installing a fountain should finally start this year.

malostranske namesti
Visualization of Malostranské náměstí / via IPR Praha

In the future, locally made food could also be sold more at Havelské tržiště near Old Town Square. The Prague 1 administration is negotiating the change with the operator, who has leased the space for 20 years.

While some outdoor markets have reopened, Havelské tržiště is still closed. Normally, the market targets foreign tourists with souvenirs such as puppets, magnets with photos, porcelain staking dolls and similar trinkets.

The lack of foreign tourists means there is no demand for many these items, especially ones that have no real connection to Czech culture.

In the future, a farmers market could also appear in the courtyard of the Old Town Market (Staroměstska tržnice) between 28. října and Rytířská streets. The landmark late 19th century iron-frame building is currently being renovated. An operator for the space inside the market has not been chosen yet.

Due to the coronavirus, the operation of farmers markets in Prague was interrupted from the middle of March to April 20, which left many local food producers with no place to sell their perishable goods.

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Locations of farmers markets in Prague include Náplavka, Tylovo náměstí (by metro I. P. Pavlova), náměstí Jiřího z Poděbrad, Kubánské náměstí, Vítězné náměstí, Řezáčovo náměstí and Anděl, among other places. The markets are supposed to follow rules for spacing between stands and enforce rules for social distancing between customers.

Prices of vegetables in the Czech Republic have risen sharply compared to last year, due in part to drought and to economic losses related to the coronavirus.

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