Holesovice Market: From slaughterhouse to art, food & cultural hub
Holesovice Market (often also called simply Prague Market – Prazska Trznice) is the place to go when you want to pick up fresh fruit and vegetables, visit modern art gallery, listen to a concert, have a great food from street trucks or browse through an artisan market at the weekend.
There are also independent shops, offices and plenty of interesting places to eat. I visit often and over the years, I’ve seen the market develop from ‘left to it’s own devices’ place with just a few open halls to what’s now becoming an alternative place to hang around and visit at the weekends. I love the mix of industrial buildings with different venues and I always make sure I pop in to the Prague largest vegetable & fruit market in Hall 22.
Best time to visit & local tips
The Holesovice market area is open all the time, so you can walk around pretty much any time of the day. But the shops and the outdoor markets have their own opening times, so it’s best to come during those to see the place at it’s best.
I found that weekends tend to be busier (in a good way), because there is usually something happening there, like a craft market, beer festival, concert or an art exhibition. This means that the street food tracks are open and so are the cafes and other shops.
The only exception is the Fruit & Veg Hall no. 22, which is open Monday – Saturday – early in the morning till 4 or 5 pm and it’s usually closed on Sundays.
How the Holesovice Market developed from a meat market to a cultural venue
This unusual heritage-protected complex has number of buildings in Art Nouveau and Neo-Renaissance style and was built between 1893 and 1895 based on the designs of architect Josef Srdínek for the Central Meat Slaughterhouse of the Royal City of Prague. It was the main slaughterhouse for the whole Prague and was used until 1983, when it was changed into a more of a general market.
It was originally intended mainly for wholesale, but soon became popular with individual shoppers as well and it become a place where you go if you want something in large quantities and slightly cheaper than regular shop (for example the veg & fruit stalls at Hall no. 22, home or cleaning products or clothes).
At the main entrance from Bubenské River Embankment, you’ll find two monumental sculptures of Men with Bulls, sometimes called the allegories of the Market and the Slaughterhouse. The pedestals of these statues also have the coat of arms of the City of Prague. They have been recently restored and they look very imposing as you get off the tram stop.
Meat Exchange Building
The historic Meat Exchange building is one of the most imposing buildings of Holešovice Market and you will see it immediately as you walk in to the complex. This was the place where meat was traded and then processed by up to a thousand workers at its busiest times in the other buildings, across the site’s eleven hectares. Thanks to this, the operation could supply almost the entire city.
After the slaughterhouse closed in 1983, the Meat Exchange gradually fell into disrepair, and the 2002 Vltava river floods caused even more damage. I’ve never really seen it open.
By summer 2025, a complete renovation should be finished, restoring the building to almost its original appearance. Inside you will be able to find a new restaurant for 300 guests called Burza (Trade Market).
Water Tower
In the middle of the complex you can see the only tall building, which is the water tower. It was built in 1895 in a neo-Baroque style with flat roof based on the designs of architect Josef Srdínek by the Elhenický Smíchov company. It was used as the main water supply for the whole slaughterhouse drawing the water from a local well.
Theatre, Art & Galleries
The Prague Market might look like it’s all about food and shopping, but there are several buildings that are completely dedicated to culture and art.
For example, you’ll find the Trafo Gallery at Hall 14 near Bubenské Embankment, The Chemistry Gallery at Hall 2 right at the entrance from Bubenské Embankment, the contemporary circus venue Jatka 78 in Hall 7 which is on the other side of the market near the entrance from Jateční Street, and RockOpera Praha near Hall 10, next to Alza shop.
Holesovice Market Shops
There are lot of different shops scattered around the site, including number of shops you won’t find anywhere else. For example, the Alza shop (Czech version of Argos or Amazon, where you pick your product from a catalogue or online and pick it up at the shop or have it delivered to your home address or special delivery box) is in Halls 8–10, Mountfield (Garden & DIY) in Hall 12. There’s also a Cycle Center and a scooter repair shop.
I also like to shop at the independent shops, which includes artisan pottery workshop, clothes shop or traditional kitchen utensils and ironmongery shop.
The ‘U Rotta’ ironmongery shop is the famous shop that was once in the centre of Prague (Small Square – Maly Rynk) before it become a hotel (of the same name). The shop moved to the side street behind the hotel, but here at Holesovice Market, they have a much large space and you can buy pretty much anything you need for your home and diy.
Food & Drinks
Right by the entrance from the embankment near The Chemistry Gallery, there’s the Burza #4 pub. In Hall 5, in the centre of the market, you’ll find the Asian restaurant Tràng An, and in nearby Hall 25, there’s the restaurant and music club SaSaZu.
Next to the “vegetable” Hall 22, there’s the Vietnamese food truck Banh—mi—ba, the Greek Souvlaki bistro, and the classic café Kafe King. Potato dumplings can be bought in Hall 23 and there is also a gourmet burger place.
The Vinotéka Pražská tržnice in Hall 29 has over 800 types of wines from localy produced wine in Prague, Bohemia, Moravia and around the world, as well as sparkling wines, cognacs, select spirits, gift packaging, and wine accessories.
On top of that, you also get the food tracks that are open mainly during weekends or when they there is a large event on and smaller cafes. There is also a patisserie just outside the Hall 22, fast food burger window and vine bar, so there is plenty to choose from.
What’s coming up at the newly restored Halls at Holešovice Market
Besides the Meat Exchange, halls number 27 and 28 near Jateční Street are also being renovated and will be used as new eating venues. This part of the market will be called Holešovický dvorek and you will be able to find here places like the famous Myšák patisserie, the Naše maso butcher shop, and a new Slovak restaurant. These will be run by the Ambiente group, which has slightly upmarket restaurants, but uses great ingredients and has a good olfashioned and honest approach to food preparation, so I’m really looking forward to visiting, once they open.
Hall number 1 is a small gatehouse close to the Vltava riverside, which is also awaiting renovation. As far as I know, the plans are to turn it into an information centre for the Holešovice Market, where you’ll be able to buy tickets for events and get information about what’s on.
How to get to Holesovice Market from the centre of Prague
Location – Bubenske Nabrezi 306/13, Holesovice, Prague 7
By Metro and Tram:
Walk from Old Town Square to the Náměstí Republiky metro station (about 7–10 minutes) and take Metro Line B (yellow) one stop to Florenc. Change to Metro Line C (red) at Florenc and go two stops to Vltavská.
From Vltavská, it’s about a 5-minute walk to the main entrance of Pražská tržnice or you can take any tram towards Vystaviste and ride one stop.
By Tram:
Alternatively, from Náměstí Republiky or Masarykovo nádraží, take tram number 6 or 14 directly to the “Holešovická tržnice” stop. The journey takes about 20 minutes. The tram stops right in front of the market.
By Foot:
If you prefer to walk, there is now a new pedestrian bridge, that connects Karlin with Holesovice. If you are walking from the Old Town Square it’s about a 30-minute stroll along the river (stay on the Old Town Square side as the other side is quite busy with car traffic.) You can also get any tram to Florenc or Karlin Square and walk from there (about 10-15 minutes)
This blog post was originally written on 26 May 2025 and last updated on 26 May 2025
