Holiday pop-ups and design markets: Discover local gifts to love from Prague

Prague’s famous Christmas markets are well underway, spilling onto almost every corner of the city; but along with the festivities comes the kind of overcrowding and long queues that can dampen even the jolliest of spirits.

There are dozens of pop-up markets running throughout December in the lead up to the big day which offer a reprieve from the Christmas frenzy, not mention better quality and more distinctive trinkets perfect for gifting or keeping to treat yourself.

Local brands and smaller creators will be showcased at Lemarket this weekend and next in the functionalist ambience of the former Elektrické podniká in Holešovice. In one large, Christmas-themed space, browse through hundreds of brands offering up uniquely designed trinkets, jewelry, and perfect presents for your holiday gift-giving.

Prague’s Exhibition Center is hosting a weekend-long market extravaganza from Dec. 14 to 15, with original creations from over 200 local brands and designers. The Dyzajn Market will offer up natural cosmetics, fashion pieces, porcelain and ceramic homeware, candles, paper products, and more from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Italy, Ukraine, and beyond.

If you’re stuck for choice, you can purchase a surprise package with a variety of gifts inside, and have the chance to meet and mingle with creators at the stands inside the heated building. Grab a cup of coffee or lunch from one of the many street food stalls and make a day of it.

For a local-first shopping experience, head to Jiřák every Advent Sunday for the Show What You Can Do market, where local Czech creators and designers showcase their handmade products. Read more here.

Clay lovers can potter around to their heart’s content on the square in front of Prague’s Industrial Palace in Výstaviště from Dec. 7 to 8, where 130 craftsmen will be selling their goods. The traditional Pottery and Craft Market travels from Beroun specifically for Christmas, bringing along glassmakers, blacksmiths, carpenters, weavers, and more.

Break from your perusing by settling in a stylish tea room serving mulled wine, punch, mead, and beer, along with festive classics like langoustines, gingerbread, and roasted nuts. You can purchase Czech food delicacies as gifts for your family back home, such as the Pilsner-type beer Dráteník.

Fatigued from the Czech crafts and looking for something further abroad? Running until Dec. 18, Vnitroblock is hosting the Discover Sweden Exhibition, jam-packed with Swedish goods. Browse the artwork of contemporary Swedish painters such as Richard Andersson, Malin Bengtsson, and Terese Mörnvic, and take home original homeware pieces by Olsson & Jense and Stig Lindberg. In the spirit of Advent, of course, Nordic Christmas pieces will be for sale in a matching Scandinavian atmosphere.

Take your taste south-east of the globe and attend the Vietnamese Christmas Market at the Thimble Museum of Asian, African and American Cultures on Dec. 6. Not only will the market explore the fusion of Vietnamese and Czech Christmas traditions, but also the essence of ‘Tết’, the Vietnamese New Year and most important holiday of the year for their culture. Taste traditional dishes served during Tết, experience a Vietnamese tea ceremony, decorate Christmas cookies, play tombola, and more amid this lively celebration of cultures.

The barrage of gift-giving this season gives talented young art graduates an opportunity to shine, and UMPRUMSHOP is bringing this to the public from Dec. 4 to 8. Every year, the Technology Center of UMPRUM Mikulandská brings the original collections of dozens of students and recent graduates of UMPRUM.

In a peaceful atmosphere, specifically devoid of Christmas music and overcrowding, organizers have put together a thoughtful space. This year, they are focusing on sustainable wrapping paper, which can be purchased at the market.

Give back at the St. Nicholas Charity Bazaar on Dec. 5, where non-profit organizations will come together for a charity event best suited for families with young children. Christmas gifts, hot drinks, and more will converge at the intersection by the Church of St. Anne, and kids should expect a visit from Santa, an angel, and a devil.

At its conclusion in the early evening, they will also have the opportunity to sing famous Czech carols on stage in the church with Dagmar Havlová actress and wife of the late Václav Havel, and other famous personalities.

Swap books, take part in creative workshops, attend author readings, and partake in a festive atmosphere for children and parents alike at the KNIHOVÁNKY event at HYB4 on Dec. 7. Bring up to 8 of your own well-loved books along and take away 6-7 of your choice, after a creative workshop about Little Red Riding Hood, an illustration workshop with Nikola Hoření, a ‘little journalists’ workshop by radio journalist Michaela Vetešková, and more. The full day event is packed with literary goodies for little ones and families.

Head to Prague’s most kitschy neighborhood for a quirky Christmas Flea and Gift Market on Dec. 11. Instruments, sound equipment, furniture, accessories, and a range of curiosities will be up for sale at the Žižkovšiška Gallery, accompanied by a DJ, bar, ping pong, and hot wine. Arrange your own table if you have your own goods you’d like to re-home, or attend for some neighborhood mingling and gift buying.