Prague in spring: blossom, Easter markets and the first beer gardens

Spring in Prague is a slow reveal. In March the city is still in winter coats; by the end of May the terraces are full, the chestnut trees are in flower and people drink beer outside until dark. It is one of the best times to come, with long light and fewer crowds than summer. Figures below are the 1995–2024 averages on our weather page.

Weather, month by month

• March: average high 9.4°C, low 0.7°C, around 11 rain days. Changeable — a sunny café terrace one day, sleet the next. See March in detail.
• April: average high 14.8°C, low 4.5°C, about 300 hours of sunshine. Mornings are cool, afternoons can be warm. See April.
• May: average high 19.4°C, low 9.4°C, and the sunniest month so far, though with more showers. See May.

Pack layers: a warm jacket for evenings, something light for the afternoon, and a compact umbrella.

The dates that matter

Easter. Markets appear on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square with painted eggs, gingerbread and woven willow whips called *pomlázka*, part of a boisterous Easter Monday folk custom. Easter Monday is a public holiday, and the weekend is busy.

30 April — Witches' Night. *Pálení čarodějnic* is the old custom of burning witches in effigy on bonfires to see off winter. Parks and neighbourhood gardens hold evening fires with sausages and beer, a local celebration rather than a tourist show.

1 May — Love Day. Couples kiss under a blossoming tree, traditionally on Petřín near the statue of the Romantic poet Karel Hynek Mácha, whose poem *May* every Czech learns at school.

12 May — Prague Spring festival. The international classical music festival traditionally opens on the anniversary of Bedřich Smetana's death, with concerts running into early June in the Rudolfinum, the Municipal House and churches. Check the events calendar for this year's dates.

Where to see spring

• Petřín — orchards in blossom on the slopes, with views over the roofs. The funicular reopened with new cabins in September 2026; walking up through the orchards is lovely in spring anyway.
• The palace gardens below the Castle and the Waldstein Garden — terraces, fountains and peacocks in Malá Strana.
• Vyšehrad — the old fortress above the river, green lawns and a cemetery of Czech greats, with far fewer visitors than the Castle.
• Riegrovy sady — the beer garden reopens, and at sunset the Castle glows across the valley.
• The Botanical Garden and Troja — blossom, vineyards and a Baroque chateau in the north of the city, easy to combine with the zoo.

Beer gardens and river life

Letná's beer garden, with its view down onto the bridges, and the embankment at Náplavka come back to life when the evenings warm up, usually from April. On Saturday mornings, Náplavka hosts a farmers' market that is at its liveliest from spring onwards.

Crowds and prices

March and early April are still quiet and good value. Easter weekend is busy. From May onwards, weekends fill up and hotel prices climb towards summer levels, so book ahead for a May trip.

A three-day spring plan

1. Day one: Old Town and Charles Bridge early, then Josefov; dinner in a beer hall.
2. Day two: the Castle, then down through the gardens of Malá Strana; sunset on Petřín.
3. Day three: Vyšehrad in the morning, lunch in Vinohrady, an evening beer at Riegrovy sady.

Compare with the rest of the year in our guide to the best time to visit Prague, or build your own days with the itinerary builder.

What to eat and drink in spring

Spring menus change with the markets. Look for wild garlic (*medvědí česnek*) in soups and spreads in April, asparagus from the Mělník region in May, and the first strawberries at the end of the month. Easter brings *mazanec*, a sweet round loaf with raisins and almonds, and *beránek*, a lamb-shaped cake dusted with sugar, sold in bakeries. And as the beer gardens reopen, many breweries release lighter spring and wheat beers alongside the classic lager.

Rainy spring days

Showers are part of the season, especially in May. Keep a list of indoor plans ready: the museums guide sorts the best by interest, the Klementinum library tour and the National Museum are central, and a long lunch in a traditional café is a perfectly Prague way to wait out a downpour. Check the live forecast on the weather page each morning and swap your days around: gardens and viewpoints when the sun is out, interiors when it isn't.

Day trips

Spring is a good time to leave the city for a day before the summer crowds arrive. The Gothic castle of Karlštejn sits in freshly green wooded hills, and Kutná Hora is quieter in April than in July.