Spring is a great time to come and visit Prague since it’s starting to get warmer with each week and we finally get more daylight as the days get longer, especially after the day light changing, this year on the 31 March 2024. Prague is especially lovely during the cherry and apple blossom season, which is from mid March to about mid April and in May you get the wonderfully scented lilac trees in just about every park.
Prague is also a lot less busy than in summer, so it’s a perfect time to visit if you want to avoid the crowds.
Is Prague worth visiting in spring?
Spring – especially late spring from mid April to end of May, is a great time to visit Prague, especially around Easter time. From about 2-3 weeks before Easter, you can start seeing decorations going up everywhere the traditional Easter Markets start at least 10 days before Easter and stay open afterwards too. There are also plenty of events to celebrate the Easter traditions and the spring.
It’s of course not as hot as if you are visiting Prague in summer, but it’s warm enough to do plenty of outdoor activities and walk around Prague.
You might need to think about some indoor activities and plan your day around coffee places or museums in the early spring as it can still be fairly cold. It’s also a great opportunity to visit opera or theatre (such as the Estate Theatre), go to see the latest film in one of the independent cinemas in Prague or explore the town from the inside of a warm tram instead of walking in the cold.
Whilst the top Prague attractions stay open all year round, some smaller museums and galleries only properly open or extend their hours to the full week at the beginning of April. If you like to visit castles outside Prague during winter, some stay open and the rest re-open at the beginning of April.
PRACTICAL TIPS & WHAT TO SEE IN PRAGUE EACH MONTH DURING SPRING
What is the weather like in SPRING in Prague ?
In March the ground is starting to warm up and whilst most plants and trees are still in a dormant state, it’s starting to get warmer after usually cold winter weather.
With the warmer weather in April the rain and the showers usually come (with May being the rainiest month in spring).
The night temperatures can be still very cold and easily hovering around 1-3 C in March, 3-5 C in April and 5-8 C in May, but it does get warmer as the sun comes out.
What are the temperatures like in SPRING in Prague?
There is a big difference in temperatures going from March to May, with March beginning on average 4 C ( with as low as 2 C during night and can be up to 10-13 C during day), April’s average is 9 C ( with as low as 7 C during night and can be up to 14-17 C during day) and May’s average about 14 C (with night temperatures around 10 C and can be up to 15-20 C during day). All these temperatures are measured in the shade.
When the sun is shining it can be pleasantly warm, but when it’s not it’s still pretty cold, especially in March.
How does the weather change during SPRING in Prague?
Generally speaking, the weather is getting warmer and warmer as you progress through March and April and very pleasantly warm (even hot in the sun) in May. The difference between the beginning and the end of each month can be easily few degrees, which can easily mean that at the beginning of March you still need to wear your winter clothes and by the end of May you can get away with summer clothes with some extra light layers.
What is the warmest month in Prague in SPRING?
May is the warmest month in spring in Prague with an average high temperature ranging from 17 C to 20 C depending on the local weather. These temperatures are measured in the shade, which means that when it’s sunny it can be a lot warmer.
May is also the rainiest month in spring, with frequent showers, when the temperature can drop by a few degrees.
How to read the local weather forecast
The local weather forecast uses Celsius (not Fahrenheit) and the temperature given is measured (or predicted) in the shade. This means that if the weather forecast mentions 10 C, it can be easily 15 C in the sun.
This is quite a big difference, so if you see anything over 10 C in a weather forecast, you know that the weather will be pleasantly warm (ish…) and you might not even need a hat!
How much does it rain in Prague in SPRING?
Spring can be quite rainy and when it rains it also gets quite cold. If the weather has been slightly colder and it’s getting windy and clouding over, the rain will be more persistent and perhaps slightly lighter. It will, however last much longer, so it’s wise to revise your plans for indoor activities or at least wear good sturdy shoes and pack a rain jacket or an umbrella.
We also get spring showers with a quick downpour of rain, after which the sun will come out again, so you really need to be prepared for everything!
The average rain fall in Prague during SPRING
The average rainfall in Prague during spring is moderate, but May is the month with the highest rainfall on average although in the last few years, the actual figures (especially for May) were much lower.
- March – 38 mm
- April – 31 mm
- May – 62 mm
How much daylight is THERE in Spring?
The sunrise is between 5 and 7 am and the sunset is between 5.30 and 8.30 pm during spring with nearly extra 30 minutes after the sunset when you can see the light.
The good thing is that as the spring progresses, you get more and more daylight from about 11 hrs to 16 hrs, which is great if you are planning a day trip outside Prague or a longer walk.
The daylight saving and time changes on 31 March 2024 and the clock will go forward (so you’ll lose one hour of sleep).
March
At the beginning of the month
Sunrise – 6.44 am and sunset at 17.43 pm
Middle of the month (around 15th)
Sunrise 6.14 – sunset 18.05 pm
At the end of the month (day light saving is on 31 March 2024)
Sunrise 6. 40 am – sunset 19.32 pm
April
Beginning of the month
Sunrise 6.37 am – sunset 19.33 pm
Middle of the month (around 15 July)
Sunrise – 6.08 – sunset 19.55 pm
End of the month
Sunrise 5. 39 – sunset 20.19 pm
May
Beginning of the month
Sunrise 5.37 – Sunset 20.20 pm
Middle of the month (around 15 August)
Sunrise 5.15 – Sunset 20.41 pm
End of the month
Sunrise 4.58 – Sunset 21.01 pm
What does Prague’s nature look like in SPRING?
I thought I’d also mention, what you can expect in terms of nature, parks and the countryside. If the weather is cold in the winter, the plants and trees are only just waking up in March, so you will usually see everything bare – no leaves, no flowers, just a few spring flowers that will start to come out.
Things usually start to change towards the middle and the end of March, when you’ll see the cheery tree blossom and then apple trees and other fruit trees flowering. The trees will start to look more green and by April everything starts to flower.
If you visit Prague in May, which is the warmest spring month, you’ll find plenty of flowering gardens, trees with green leaves and grass to sit on in the park. Although some fruit trees would have already blossomed, the ground and border flower displays in the gardens are much fuller than in April or March.
Spring hay fever allergies
If you suffer from hay fever allergies, then spring in Prague can be challenging as most fruit and other trees flower during this season. When it’s cold, the early March can be still fairly fine, but as the weather gets warmer, more flowers, trees and grasses start to flower.
Prague parks and gardens are always well maintained, which means that the grass is regularly cut and the weeds taken out. Most parks and gardens, therefore should be fine for you to visit if you suffer from mild hay fever caused by grass, but do be prepared to have an alternative plan in case there are flowering plants or trees that are too strong for you.
If you forget your hay fever medication, or need some, any pharmacy will be able to help you. Not all pharmacists speak English, but if you visit a large pharmacy like the one in the Main Train Station, they might have staff on duty who speak English. Most hay fever medication is also international, so you might recognise the type of medication you normally take.
In Czech hay fever is ‘senna ryma’, in case you need to make yourself understood in Czech.
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What to pack for your visit in the Spring
I get always over excited with spring coming, pack very lightly and then regret it on the first cold morning! This is especially true when I’m visiting in early March, when the temperatures can hover still around 1-3 C. Now I just take a lighter winter jacket and have 1-2 layers underneath. I still wear a hat and thin finger gloves and a scarf.
By April the weather does get noticeably warmer, so a spring jacket (shower or waterproof ) is best with some warm layers and a thin hat or gloves as it can still be chilly in the morning and evening.
In May, I would also pack a sun hat, sunglasses, a few lighter layers and a dress.
Because I do a lot of walking in Prague (and in the countryside) I usually just stick to a pair of comfy trainers or padded shoes as Prague’s cobbled streets can be quite hard to walk on.
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This blog post was originally written on 12 March 2024 and last updated on 12 March 2024