Prague’s Farmers’ Markets

Farmers' market at Jiřího z Poděbrad Square. Image by the author.

​If you like Farmers’ markets, then Prague has something to offer. Beginning about 10 years ago, true Farmers’ markets started to appear in Prague, and shortly thereafter the locavore trend appeared, too. Initially, there were only a few of these places, with some being markedly better than others. But in the intervening years, they’ve grown in size; most have equalized in quality; and the (Farmers’ market) market has stabilized.

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​One of Prague’s Farmers’ markets takes place near the center of town where you're more likely to be if you're a visitor, whereas the others are out in various suburbs. And while the items sold by most are similar, and a few even belong to a single Farmers’ market “group,” fortunately many of the markets have kept their own distinct character and vibe. As a result, some people might venture to a market outside of the one in their own neck of the woods in order to get a certain item from a particular seller, while others do the same in order to get a particular experience.

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​Náplavka - First, Biggest and Best?

One of the first markets to appear was the one at Náplavka (it might have been the first, actually), and almost immediately it became the place to “see and be seen” on Saturday mornings – not just for the young and trendy Prague equivalent of a “yuppie” crowd, but also for middle-aged serious chefs and people just wanting to enjoy some good street food and good jazz music in an attractive locale.

The Náplavka market with Prague Castle in the background. Image by author.

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​Náplavka is the largest of Prague’s Farmers’ markets, and it takes place along the east side of the riverbank just down from Palackého Náměstí. As you can see from the image above, the crowds at Naplava are big. But don't let that put you off - the flow moves along pretty well, and if it gets overwhelming, you can always escape to Na Brehu Rhony, an excellent French wine bar in a nearby park on the embankment.

Like most of Prague's farmers' markets, Naplavka has lots of street food and drinks, like the delicious coffee and "vdolky," a pastry similar to a donut, pictured above. Savory food, beer and wine are also on offer, in addition to fresh produce, meats, jam, ceramics, baskets and more!

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​Naplavka happens only on Saturdays, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., so if your Prague visit overlaps with that timing, you might want to check it out.

​Kubáň at Kubánské Náměstí

​Náplavka is in a group with two other markets: Kubáň and Heřmaňák. These two could not be more different from each other, and, especially in the case of Kubáň, very different from Náplavka. Kubáň is very local. It’s quite far out in a more working- to middle-class neighborhood (Prague 10), and you rarely see foreigners (either expats or tourists) there. But you will see LOTS of the local folk having a really nice time enjoying good coffee, beer, wine and live music (folksy-country when I was there recently).

Banner at the entrance of the market at Kubánské Náměstí. Image by author.

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​Kubáň doesn’t have as many stalls nor the variety of, say Náplavka or the market at Jiřího z Poděbrad Square (affectionately known as “Jiřák”), but it has lots of families with kids (young and older) getting their bread, meat, pastries, honey and other things and then enjoying the atmosphere at the publicly-provided tables and chairs or around the leftover communist-era concrete structure on one edge of the square. Opposite this piece of “art” is an incongruously long and sterile concrete block building that is also left over from the same period. You’ll get many layers of local flavor here.

Concrete "art" at Kubánské Náměstí. I suppose it was a fountain originally. Image by author.

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​Kubáň stands in stark contrast to Náplavka, Jiřák and Heřmaňák, both in terms of size, crowd, vibe and music – cool jazz for the more urban crowd at Náplavka, pop and blues for the cool and trendy crowd at Jiřák and 70s folk for the local crowd at Kubáň.

​Heřmaňák on Řezáčovo Náměstí

​Heřmaňák is quite unique. I visited it for the first time only a couple of weeks ago to do research for this blog post - as it’s quite far away from where I live, I don’t normally get to that area unless I’m visiting the main National Gallery site or the DOX art center (and that’s usually not during market hours). But the location of the Heřmaňák market intrigued me before I even got there because it’s in the now very up and coming, gentrifying and trendy neighborhood of Holešovice.

The market square where Heřmaňák is held. Image by author.

Even when I first moved to Prague in the days when we expats could afford to live in beautiful historic flats right in Prague’s center, Holešovice was a cool neighborhood we gravitated to – for a slightly more unique pub when pubs were all that were available; sometimes to live; and – most notably – for the opening of Prague’s first English language bookstore, the Globe, in 1993 (have I been here that long?).

Original location of The Globe English language bookstore.

​The Globe long ago relocated to New Town, but I’m thankful it’s still here. However, I sometimes miss the original place which now houses another bookstore and café with mainly used books - most of them in Czech but a small number of them in English in the store's English language section. I must admit to some feelings of nostalgia when I rounded the corner by the old Globe to make my way to Heřmaňák, but the market made up for my feelings of loss and sadness. 

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​First of all, the square on which the market is situated, while perfectly adequate in size, is relatively small in comparison to Náplavka and Kubáň. It’s also quite picturesque, surrounded by mostly solid late 19th-century apartment buildings and a few local restaurants and cafés. The items on offer were sparser than at the other markets, and they leaned more heavily on the “goods” side rather than the “grocery” side. So, you could pick up potted plants and herbs to take home to your kitchen and essential oils for your bath. There was also a greater proportion of street food available relative to other things in comparison to the other markets, like delicious pastries and bramborák. Perhaps this changes when the growing season starts.

Like the square and the market itself, the crowd was small though it filled the space, and it seemed to be made up of mainly locals from the neighborhood. And because it’s smaller, Heřmaňák is quieter and calmer, too, than, say, Náplavka or Jiřák.

​Jiřího z Poděbrad Market (Jiřák)

​Jiřák is the nickname for the market at Jiřího z Poděbrad Square, which is the market in my neighborhood. All of us have watched with delight as this market has grown and improved and – several years ago – became runner up to Náplavka in the “see and be seen on a Saturday” department. Originally taking place only two days a week, it’s now held 5 days a week, from Wednesday through Saturday. And it’s probably the most balanced of them all when it comes to farm products, goods and street food. We love it as much for grocery shopping as for entertainment.

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​At Jiřák you can get incredible (mostly local) fresh fruit in the summer (blueberries, strawberries, apricots and cherries) as well as root vegetables most of the time and things like spinach, tomatoes, lettuce and eggplant in the summer. I can tell you that you haven’t tasted a strawberry or a cherry or an apricot until you’ve tasted a Czech one in season.
 
Meat and seafood vendors are also on hand, and you can get cheeses and fresh bread, too. If you need a shopping basket to carry your purchases, vendors are selling weaved baskets, as well. And you can even pick up fresh wildflowers.

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The unique church by Slovenian architect Josip Plecnik at Jiriho z Podebrad Square. Image by author.

​On the weekends, there’s live music and more street food, such as Balkan pljeskovice (like a hamburger patty on the grill with onion) and burek (cheese, spinach or meat in filo dough), as well as classic burgers (in buns). Czech microbrews are on tap, and you can find a glass of wine, too. Several coffee roasters and sellers are selling beans as well as preparing cappuccinos and other of your favorite coffee drinks at good prices. Cakes and pastries are on sale to go with your coffee.

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​And if none of that is what you’re looking for, you can soak in the atmosphere of the market by sipping a coffee or a prosecco at one of the many outdoor cafes, wine bars and restaurants that now line the square. It all blends together – the square, the market and its crowd and the cafes and their crowds. And it's all dominated by the amazing Plecnik church pictured above. In short, Jiřák is a great place to be anytime, but especially when the market is on.

​Other Markets

In addition to these rather large, “serious” Farmers’ markets, there are smaller ones at various squares around town, typically near metro stations. For example, near the IP Pavlova metro and tram stop a market takes place on Tylovo Náměstí. It’s known as “Trhy Tylak” or “Tylak.” Likewise, near the Hradčanská tram and metro station another small, almost “popup,” market can be found.

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I’m sure there are countless others, but the ones described here are the ones I know, use, and/or are my favorites! Keep in mind that they close in the cooler months (from around November through February. This can vary by market, as do the days of operation and hours by day. Typically live music is provided only on Saturdays. 

Contact Me

If you'd like to know more about Prague's farmers' markets and other happenings in Prague, please get in touch. And you might like to check out my Prague guidebooks, too!