8 magical winter light trails and installations in Prague: A local’s guide

This winter season, I have discovered some amazing light displays in Prague and re-visited some of my favourite ones, that will get you into the festive mood, especially if you are travelling with children.

Equally, what could be more romantic then to walk through millions of lights, whilst sipping on a mulled wine!

This year, I had a fabulous time walking around the Botanical Garden magically lit up with glass installations. It’s a completely different experience from the rest of the light parks and probably more suited to a mature audience (although they were plenty of families with children and they all seems to have a lovely time too).

If you have a children with you, they will absolutely love the The Lumina Park, The Winter Wonderland or the ‘The lights tell a story…’ park, because these are done in a more traditional way by creating sculptures and shapes with lots of lights. The light displays are colourful and turned into a fairy tale scenes, palaces, towns and there are also plenty of twinkling trees, angels and stars. The Winter Wonderland also has amusement rides and you can easily spend a best part of the day here.

1. Crystal Garden (Křišťálová zahrada) at Botanical Garden in Troja

This year, the the Krystal Garden (Křišťálová zahrada) is the one that surprised me the most! The exhibition is in it’s second year and it’s truly the perfect way to spend a winter evening. I’ve enjoyed walking around the the main garden area above the St.Clara’s vineyard which was transformed into magical winter place with light, music, and glass art.

These amazing glass pieces look like plants, mushrooms and birds and were made by a famous Czech glass artist, Jiří Pačinek, and his team. He also created the decorative glass that was used for the Glass Onion film with Daniel Craig.

The artworks are lit up beautifully, which makes them look great during the day and even better at night. The evening shows are extra special because they include live music from the PKF – Prague Philharmonia and cool digital art and video projections by students from the UMPRUM art school.

My local tip: If you want to spend the whole day at the Botanical Garden and see the Fata Morgana Greenhouse you can as combined day and evening entry is allowed on the same ticket. You just can’t leave the garden, but there are restaurants & cafes and plenty to see, so arriving some time in the early afternoon is the perfect time to see the garden and instalations in the daylight and stay for the 5 pm light and music show.

Location: Botanical Garden, Trojská 800/196, Prague 7 -Troja
Opening Times
Daytime Visit (Exhibition + Outdoor Expositions): Monday – Sunday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Evening Visit (Illuminated Exhibition with Music/Shows): Thursday – Sunday, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM.

Ticket Prices:

Adults: 180 Kč (save by buying your ticket online for 150 CZK)
Children (3-15), Students (up to 26): 120 Kč
Family Ticket (2 adults + 3 children): 540 Kč
Seniors (60+), Disabled (ZTP): 95 Kč

2. Prague Story of Lights at Žluté Lázně

This is a large-scale event by the Story of Lights organisers set on the popular recreational area of Žluté Lázně right on the banks of the Vltava River.

This lights trail will take you on a magical journey across Europe as this year theme is ‘Light Park Europe’. You will be able to walk around famous European landmarks made out of millions of lights, including Eiffel Tower or Big Ben. You can also take an illuminated boat cruise on the Vltava River with a fabulous view of Prague’s lit-up skyline.

The park includes food stalls and indoor heated spaces for you to have break. I really appreciated it last time I visited, because it was super cold (and even more so, as the park is right next to the river).

My local tip: The tickets are more expensive at the weekend, so it’s worth visiting during a week if you want to save on the entrance fee (and there will also be less people too).

Location: Žluté Lázně, Podolské nábřeží 3/1184, Prague 4
Opening Dates: 31 October 2025 – 31 January 2026 (Closed 24 December)
Opening Times: Daily, 16:00 to 21:00 (Last entry at 20:30)
Tickets: Adult from 230 CZK (online weekday) up to 320 CZK (weekend), Reduced Admission (e.g., Child 3-14): From 160 CZK.

3. Winter Wonderland Light Park + Funfair

This event is marketed as the largest light amusement park in Prague with a combination of spectacular light installations and classic funfair attractions.

What I really like about Winter Wonderland is that all outdoor attractions, including carousels, trains, bumper cars, and a large chain carousel, are included in the price of the basic ticket. New features for the season include a large, covered gaming tent with arcade games and virtual reality (VR) simulators, also included in the entry price.

My local tip: I think, that if you have children with you, they will enjoy the Winter Wonderland the most out of all the main light parks, as all the rides and attractions are included in one entrance fee and there is plenty to see and do here.

Location: OC Letňany (Shopping Centre Letňany), Veselská 663, Prague 9
Opening Dates: 26 September 2025 to 11 January 2026
Opening Times: Daily, 15:00 to 21:00.
Tickets: Adults from 360 CZK, child from 200 CZK, family ticket: From 1,350 CZK.

4. Slovanský Dům Garden: Light Butterflies

This is always a lovely lights display with butterflies, lights tunnel and opportunity for selfies (even with a phone holder for you to use!). Slovansky Dum garden is hidden behind the same name shopping arcade in Prague and the best thing is there is no admission fee!

While the light display itself is very small, its location in an elegant, enclosed garden in the heart of Prague makes it a lovely opportunity to pause during a Christmas shopping trip. The restaurant bar also serves great festive cocktails and you can book one of the outdoor igloos to have your dinner in.

Location: Slovanský Dům Garden, Na Příkopě 22, Prague 1
Opening Dates: late November 2025 to early January 2026
Opening Times: The garden is accessible during the shopping passage opening hours 10 am – 8 pm and lights are switched on after sunset (around 4 pm).
Tickets: Free entry

5. Charles Square Light Installations

If you don’t have the time to travel outside the centre of Prague, just pop in to Karlovo Square, one of the historic squares in Prague, where you will find a few large light installations. I counted about 4 large ones, when I walked by and all are set up in the public park for free.

The installations are all made with LED lights and include a par of squirrels, Christmas present with a red bow, large arch and a deer. Come just before the dusk (around 4 pm) to get the beautifully lid New Town Hall Tower in the background and the large trees branches – they look amazing against the sky in the ‘blue hour’ light just after the sun sets.

Location: Charles Square Park (Karlovo náměstí), Prague 2
Opening Dates: 28 November 2025 – 6 January 2026.
Opening Times: The installations are lit up after dusk until the late evening (approx. 16 – 23:00).
Tickets: Free entry

6. Shopping Centres Light Installations

This year, I’ve also started to notice that there are more and more large-scale and completely free light installations in the main shopping centres in Prague, which are perfect for taking great photos with your friends and family.

Nový Smíchov (Anděl): Just outside the shopping centre you will find a cute, illuminated red tram with a street lamp and a large Christmas tree made entirely from lights. It’s lit up all day.

Palladium (Náměstí Republiky): This shopping centre always has amazing festive decorations and this year you can find a beautifully decorated Christmas phone box designed for you to step in and take a fabulous photo.

Myslbek (Na Porici): This shopping passage has modern festive decorations and this year, you can find a large photo frame, where you can step in and take a great photo.

7. Lumina Park: Adventure of Lights (Dobrodružství světel)

Lumina Park has approximately 1.5 km long, interactive lights walk with a strong focus on adventure and family fun. This season, the theme is ‘Adventure of Lights’ and it combines the light park experience with Dino Live, which means you get two parks for the price of one!

The trail has over 200 light installations themed around historical epochs, from prehistoric dinosaurs and ancient Rome to pirate adventures and even pop culture references like the ‘Friends’ TV show couch. There are plenty of opportunities to take photos and it’s a great fun to do with all the family.

My local tip: This park is about 30 minutes by tram outside the centre of Prague, but if you arrive early in the day, you can combine your visit with a walk in the beautiful Sarka Valley.

Location: Near Džbán Reservoir, Nad lávkou 847, Prague 6
Opening Dates: 31 October 2025 to 1. February 2026
Opening Times: Daily: 17:00 to 21:00
Tickets: Adult from 260 CZK (online pre-sale) up to 325 CZK, Family Ticket (e.g., 2+2): From 912 CZK (online pre-sale). Includes both parks (inc. Dino Live)

8. Prague Zoo – Wild Asia Light Park (Divoká Asie)

The Prague Zoo winter light event is a truly special experience because it combines the magic of a light park in a real setting of an animal zoo. Apart from the amazing light installations, the walk through the night-time enclosures of the zoo’s ‘Wild Asia’ section is also educational and you can learn more about the animals as you walk around.

You will get to see wonderful light replicas of the animals that live in Asia, such as tigers, pandas, and snow leopards, all set against the actual environment of the zoo. The Prague Zoo is normally not open after dark, so this is a great opportunity to come here and see the animal enclosures illuminated after dark.

My local tip: If you want to see the ZOO during normal opening hours, you will need to purchase separate – regular ticket to the main ZOO. The Botanical garden light installations are in the hill above the ZOO and you can easily visit them both in one evening.