Stand on Žižkov Hill as the Gripens Pass Overhead
Arrive at the Court of Honour at the Národní památník na Vítkově before nine in the morning, and you join a crowd gathered in front of Bohumil Kafka's equestrian statue of Jan Žižka, the largest such statue in the country. This is the day's central public event: the president reviews units, wreaths are laid by the president, both parliamentary chambers and the prime minister, and flowers are placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the columbarium. The ceremony runs roughly half an hour and closes with a march past and a flyover of Gripens and L-159 Alcas. It is free and open to the public. The hilltop is exposed, so dress warmer than you think you need to.
Getting there is straightforward from either side of the river. From Florenc (metro B/C) take bus 133, 175 or 207 to U Památníku; from Flora (metro A) take bus 175 to the same stop. Alternatively, take tram 7, 10 or 11 to Biskupcova and walk up through the park. A holiday transport timetable applies, so check connections before you set out.
Step Inside the Memorial After the Wreaths Are Laid
The memorial interior has been run by the Military History Institute under the Ministry of Defence since June 2024, and entry is now free. It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:30. Inside you can see the Ceremonial Hall, the President's Salon and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The National Museum's "Crossroads of Czech and Czechoslovak Statehood" exhibition is permanently closed, so plan your visit around the ceremonial spaces rather than the old displays. Café Vítkov keeps the memorial's hours, and its terrace looks out over the city.
Once you have had your fill of the hill, drop down into Žižkov, the neighbourhood below, which is known for its pubs — the natural place to sit out the rest of the morning.
Watch the Castle Ceremony from Hradčanské náměstí
On the evening of 28 October, state decorations are awarded at 20:00 in Vladislav Hall at Prague Castle. This is invitation only — roughly 2,000 invitations and 650 seats — but it is televised live, so you can follow it from wherever you are. During the day, the president's programme normally includes a wreath at the T. G. Masaryk statue on Hradčanské náměstí and the appointment of new generals. The castle grounds keep their summer hours until 31 October, 6:00 to 22:00, with visitor buildings open 9:00 to 17:00, though expect restrictions around the ceremony itself. The full programme is posted on hrad.cz about a week in advance, so check it before you commit to a position.
Plan Around the Shops — and Eat Well Anyway
Under Act No. 223/2016 Sb., shops larger than 200 square metres are banned from selling on this holiday: Albert, Billa, Kaufland, Lidl and Tesco all close. Shops under 200 square metres, such as Žabka and corner večerka stores, stay open, as do pharmacies, petrol stations, and shops in the airport and railway stations — the Czech Trade Inspection Authority has ruled that metro stations do not count as stations for this purpose. Click-and-collect is legal. Restaurants, cafés and bars are unaffected, so build your day around them rather than around a supermarket run. Buy your picnic or breakfast provisions the day before, or rely on the small shops and the pubs of Žižkov.
Expect a Sober Holiday, Not a Street Party
Independent Czechoslovak State Day is the National Day of the Czech Republic, held every 28 October to mark the proclamation of Czechoslovak independence in Wenceslas Square on 28 October 1918. It is also known as the Foundation of the Independent Czechoslovak State Day, and it commemorates the end of Austrian rule over Bohemia and Moravia and Hungarian rule over Slovakia, and the rise of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk as president of the First Republic. Do not come expecting fireworks and fairground stalls: the day is a quiet, formal national holiday, and the Vítkov ceremony is largely visual, with short speeches and little Czech required to follow it.
In 2026 the date falls on a Wednesday — the 108th anniversary — so there is no long weekend and the city is unusually quiet for October. That quiet is the point. You get the hill, the memorial and the castle squares with room to move, and you get the whole of Prague's restaurant and pub culture at your disposal while the big shops stay shuttered. Note that this is not a public holiday in Slovakia, so if you are travelling on afterwards, plan accordingly.
Book your accommodation near Florenc or Flora so the buses to U Památníku are a short ride away, check hrad.cz in the week before you travel for the castle programme, and keep the morning of 28 October free for the hill. Everything else — the pubs of Žižkov, the café terrace above the city, the televised ceremony at eight — arranges itself around that half hour at Vítkov.