Midnight on Old Town Square, and the Year Turns Twice
You step out of the metro at Staroměstská a little before midnight and the city is already loud. Old Town Square is packed shoulder to shoulder, the Christmas market stalls still standing, their lights throwing colour across the facades of the houses around you, and the smell of svařák — hot wine — rising in the cold air along with smoke from food grills. The Astronomical Clock tower rises above the crowd, and the medieval buildings of the Old Town press in on every side. This is where Prague marks both the arrival of the new year and Restoration Day of the Independent Czech State, the public holiday that falls on January 1 and commemorates the creation of the independent Czech Republic on that date in 1993, following the Velvet Divorce from Slovakia.
The two celebrations are inseparable here. The night belongs to revelry; the day belongs to the nation. If you arrive in the morning, you'll catch the shift — the last of the New Year crowds giving way to something quieter and more civic.
Spend the Day at the Civic Heart: Old Town Hall and the Square
The Old Town Hall, with its origins in 1338, is the civic centre of the holiday. Its 70-metre tower is climbable on January 1 — check holiday hours before you go — and from the top you look down on the square where the whole day plays out.
- Climb the Old Town Hall tower (Staroměstské náměstí 1/3, 110 00 Praha 1 – Staré Město) for a view over the crowds and the market below.
- Walk the square itself. The Old Town is pedestrianized, so walking is the main way to take in the landmarks — no transport required between the square's sights.
- Warm up with svařák at the Christmas market stalls, which stay open until January 6. Food vendors in the main squares sell traditional Czech food and warm drinks throughout the day.
- Note the closures: by law, shops over 200 m² must close on the holiday, so plan your shopping around it.
Hear the President, Then Hear the Philharmonic
The official programme gives the day its shape. At 1:00 PM, the President delivers the New Year's Address from Prague Castle — a fixed point in the national calendar and the moment the holiday feels most formal.
Later, the Czech Philharmonic performs its New Year's Concert at the Rudolfinum, the orchestra's home on the river. Between the two, you have the makings of a full civic day: the castle at one o'clock, the concert hall in the evening, and the Old Town in between.
Take the New Year's Gift: Cheap Entry to the City's Sights
The Novoroční dárek — New Year's Gift — programme opens attractions at reduced or no cost on January 1, with some sites priced as low as 100 CZK. It's the best-value day of the year to see the city's institutions.
- Prague Zoo participates in the programme — a strong option if you're travelling with children.
- Vyšehrad Casemates also take part, giving you a reason to walk the fortress grounds south of the centre.
- Fireworks at Letná are part of the city's celebrations — note that private fireworks have been banned in the historic centre since 2020, a measure taken to protect the Vltava's swans and the city's pets.
No tickets are required for the public holiday itself; the celebrations happen in open spaces and on the streets.
Eat for Luck: Lentils, and What to Avoid
Czech New Year's food is fortune-telling by another name. The traditional lunch is čočka — lentils — often served sour (čočka na kyselo) with a fried egg and smoked pork. The lentils resemble coins, and eating them is believed to bring wealth in the year ahead. The saying that governs the day is „Jak na Nový rok, tak po celý rok" — as you start the year, so goes the year.
- Order the lentils. Restaurants across the city offer special New Year menus alongside the traditional dish.
- Skip poultry — duck and chicken are avoided because luck is said to fly away.
- Skip fish — fortune is said to swim off.
- Don't do laundry or sweep on January 1, lest you sweep the good luck out of the house.
- Carry local currency for the food stalls; it's the practical way to pay at the market stands.
Getting Around, and Getting Warm
Prague runs on holiday schedules on January 1. Trams and the metro follow holiday timetables, and the PID Lítačka app is the way to buy tickets — digital fares cost less than paper ones. Night trams (routes 90–99) run all night, and the metro stays open until 2:30 AM on the morning of January 1, which matters if you're out for the midnight moment.
Dress for a Central European winter: warm clothing and sturdy boots are advised, because you'll be on your feet on cobbles in the cold. The reward is a city that is simultaneously at its most festive and its most formal — the market lights of Old Town Square on one hand, the President's address from the castle on the other.
Start with the date. January 1 is fixed, the holiday is national, and the programme — the address at one, the concert at the Rudolfinum, the discounted entries, the lentils on every menu — repeats each year. Book your travel around the turn of the year, pack for the cold, and let the city show you how it begins a year and a state at the same time.