Easter 2023 in Prague: Shop closings, transport disruptions, and things to do

Stores are open on Good Friday but closed on Easter Monday; a few museums and galleries will be open Monday.

Expats.cz Staff

Written by Expats.cz Staff Published on 06.04.2023 13:00:00 (updated on 06.04.2023) Reading time: 4 minutes

Prague Guide Culture
Easter market at Old Town Square. Photo: Facebook,
Easter market at Old Town Square. Photo: Facebook, Trhy Praha

Every holiday in Czechia brings a question with it: Will stores be open or closed? For Easter, the answer is split. You can shop in large stores on Good Friday but not Easter Monday. Both are national holidays.

This year Good Friday falls on April 7, Easter Sunday on April 9, and Easter Monday on April 10. People who follow the Orthodox Christian calendar celebrate a week later this year, but that is not a national holiday here.

Advertisement Austrian Ball Category + In article

Banks and government offices will be closed all four days. Many museums and galleries that are normally closed on Mondays will stay closed, but a handful will open with special hours. Check our list below.

Most stores over 200 square meters close on some holidays, including Easter Monday. There are exceptions. 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. However, personal-shopper services that rely on sourcing items from supermarkets will be faced with limited suppliers.

Most of the main tourist sights are open, but many churches will have restrictions due to religious services. Prague Castle will be open but the hours for St. Vitus' Cathedral are slightly limited.

Travel restrictions

Public transit will also be affected. Buses, trams, and the metro will be on holiday schedules on Friday and Monday. In addition, metro service on the A line between Náměstí Míru and Strašnice and on the C line between I.P. Pavlova and Vltavská will be suspended from the start of Friday to the end of Monday.

People planning to travel anywhere by car or motorcycle should be careful to obey traffic rules, as police announced they will be boosting patrols throughout the four-day weekend. They will be monitoring the speed limit, seatbelt use, proper licenses, vehicle condition, and attentiveness. Czechia has zero tolerance for alcohol use by the driver, and that will be monitored as well.

Advertisement NG Ecole List + In Article

Family fun

  • The Easter markets will be open until April 16, with the exception of the one at Anděl, which closes on April 9. The market at Old Town Square has a live music program.
  • People have a last chance to visit the fun fair Matějská pouť, which ends on April 10. It is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on holidays and weekends.
  • The National Technical Museum operates the historical carousel at Letná, which runs Friday to Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • The Botanical Gardens at Troja are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., but the Fata Morgana greenhouse is closed on Mondays. An exhibition of butterflies just opened in the greenhouse.
  • Prague Zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On weekends and holidays, all zoo entrances are open until 5:30 p.m. On Monday, animals will receive treats from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with commentary in Czech.

Museums and galleries during Easter

  • The main buildings of the National Museum are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Friday to Monday. This includes the Historical Building, the New Building, the Czech Museum of Music, the Náprstkovo Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, and the National Memorial in Vítkov. Two smaller venues, the Bedřich Smetana Museum and the Antonín Dvořák Museum, are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • The National Gallery Prague (NGP) will follow its normal opening hours, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday through Sunday. All locations are closed on Monday. A large retrospective on Josef Mánes just opened at the Waldstein Riding School.
  • Prague City Gallery (GHMP) venues are open all Easter weekend, including Monday. This included the Troja Chateau and its gardens, Villa Bílek, the House of the Stone Bell, the second floor of the Municipal Library, and the House of Photography.
  • The National Technical Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • The Museum of Decorative Arts and the House at the Black Madonna are open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday through Sunday. It is closed Monday. The Josef Sudek Gallery is open Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.
  • DOX is open on Thursday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., and is closed on Monday.
  • Kunsthalle is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., including Monday. On Sunday, you can try the all-you-can-eat brunch.
  • The newly opened Musoleum, featuring works by David Černý, also has its regular hours of 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Monday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
  • All museums and galleries will charge normal admission fees.

Holidays when large shops must close

  • New Year's Day
  • Easter Monday
  • May 8: Liberation from Fascism
  • Sept. 28: Czech Statehood Day (St. Wenceslas)
  • Oct. 28: Establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic
  • Dec. 24: Christmas Eve (after noon)
  • Dec. 25: Christmas
  • Dec. 26: Christmas

Holidays when large shops remain open

  • Good Friday
  • May 1: Labor Day
  • July 5: Cyril and Methodius Day
  • July 6: Jan Hus Day
  • Nov. 17: Day of the Struggle for Freedom and Democracy
  • Dec. 24: Christmas Day (until noon)
Advertisement Austrian Ball Category + In article

Did you like this article?

#culture #Holidays #museums #prague guide #shopping #stores
Would you like us to write your article? Explore the options

Related articles

Advertisement Mortgages - Pagination & End-of article banners

Partner articles

FEATURED JOBS

View all jobs

TRENDING ARTICLES

POPULAR ARTICLES