While January or February is cold and outside the tourist season, March is starting to feel like the beginning of spring, and it’s much more welcoming time to visit Prague. The further into March you go the warmer the weather is going to be, you will get more sunshine, and the flowers and trees in parks start to blossom too. But it’s still too early into a ‘proper tourist season’, which means you can still experience Prague without too many visitors.
Practical tips
Although the weather is much warmer than in January and February, don’t bring your summer clothes just yet! Comfortable walking shoes, good waterproof jacket or umbrella, warm layers will always be welcomed, and I would pack a warm fleece hat, scarf and gloves too, just in case. It’s not that common these days, but the snow can fall anytime until Easter, so it’s better to be ready.
Visit FebioFest – The Independent Film Festival
This is one of the oldest independent film festivals held each year at the end of March in Prague and regional towns around the Czech Republic. Each year there is a fantastic selection of new films from around the world and it also includes films from local filmmakers. You can buy tickets to see individual films or special events which are held mainly in CineStar Cinema in Smichov and other more independent cinemas around Prague. Just check their main website for more info and to book your tickets, you won’t be disappointed!
St Mathew’s Fairground
I’ve already mentioned this outdoor fairground in my February post as it starts late in February and stays open for about six weeks. You can find out more here.
Zizkov’s Night
The Zizkov’s Night is a well established independent festival which started in 2010 and is usually held in the last weekend in March. There are around 60 different venues, all in the Zizkov area, ranging from theatre, cinemas to bars and coffee houses, which host various programs, such as stand up comedy, music, theatre and independent short films. The festival is extremely good value as for around £20 you get an all-inclusive ticket which covers every venue for the three nights and you can also buy separate tickets for the main shows. You won’t find George Ezra here, but if you are after experiencing local culture, good music and perhaps a bit of experimental theatre you can’t go wrong.
Food Festival at Smichovska Naplavka
‘Naplavka’ is a plot of land close to a river Vltava located in Prague 5. Naplavka is an outdoor festival with many food stalls to choose from. You can find many themed food festivals held during the whole year, not just in March. Each festival is themed around one particular style of food from different countries, such as American, Indian, Far East cuisine, but also including fantastic themes like the first international soup festival, just sweets festival or cider festival. It’s worth checking out whether there is festival whilst you visit Prague – you can find all the details here. There is usually a small entry fee to visit the festival, but after that, it’s up to you what local food you try.
Easter Celebrations
Easter is often in March or at the beginning of April, so depending on when Easter falls, you can see traditional decorations, customs and food available at various festivals – mainly in the centre of Prague. There are always stalls at Old Town Square, where you can admire beautifully decorated Easter Eggs traditionally made to hang from branches of green springs in large vases in Czech homes. Since the Czech Republic was under the communist regime for over 40 years, which didn’t encourage the display of any religion or faith, Easter is only just starting to return to its roots of being a religious festival.
Good Friday and Easter Monday is a national holiday, which means that some shops might be closed and various government offices will shut for the day too. Most tourists attractions, souvenir shops, cafes and restaurants will be, however open, but it’s always worth checking in advance.
