Page 57 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Prague

PR A GUE THROUGH THE Y EAR  55

Average Monthly Temperature
Temperature Chart
°C °F The chart shows the
25 77 average minimum and
20 68 maximum temp eratures
for each month in
15 59
Prague. The summer
10 50 usually remains
comfortably warm, while
5 41
the winter months can
0 32 get bitterly cold and
-5 3 temperatures often drop
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec below freezing.
Winter
If you are lucky enough to catch
Prague the morning after a
snowfall with the sun shining,
the effect is magical. The view
over the Little Quarter rooftops
with their pristine white
covering is a memorable sight.
Unfortun ately, Prague is rarely
at its best during the winter
months. The weather is
changeable. Foggy days with
temperatures just above freezing
can quickly go down to -5° C
(23° F). Pollution and Prague’s
geographical position in the
Vltava basin, lead to smog being Snow-capped rooftops in the Little Quarter
trapped just above the city.
As if to try and make up can be heard on street corners. January
for the winter weather’s Christmas mass is held in most New Year’s Day (1 January).
shortcomings, the theatre churches and New Year’s Eve is Public holiday.
season reaches its climax celebrated, in time-honoured
and there are a number of style, throughout the entire city. February
premieres. Balls and dances are Dances and Balls (early
held in these cold months. Just December February).
before Christmas Eve, large Christmas markets (throughout Bohemian Carnevale Praha
barrels containing live carp – December), Můstek and Anděl (second and third weeks of
which is the traditional Czech metro stations, Náměstí Míru, February). Museums, schools
Christmas delicacy – appear Palackého náměstí, Old Town and shops host performances
on the streets. Christmas trees Square. Stalls sell Christmas of traditional Czech festivities.
adorn the city, and carol singers decorations, gifts, hot wine,
punch and the traditional Public Holidays
Czech carp (see p195).
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day New Year’s Day (1 Jan)
and Boxing Day (24, 25 and 26 Easter Monday
December). Public holidays. Labour Day (1 May)
Mass is held in churches Day of Liber ation from
throughout the city. Fascism (8 May)
Swimming competitions in the Remembrance of the
Vltava (26 December). Hundreds Slavonic Missionaries (5 Jul)
Anniversary of Jan Hus’s
of hardened and determined death (6 Jul)
swimmers gather at the Vltava St Wenceslas (28 Sep)
to swim in temperatures of Foun dation of
around 3° C (37° F). Czechoslovakia (28 Oct)
New Year celebrations (31 Fall of Communism (17 Nov)
December). Crowds of people Christmas Eve, Christmas Day,
Barrels of the traditional Christmas congregate around Wenceslas Boxing Day (24–26 Dec)
delicacy, carp, on sale in Prague and Old Town Square.

054-055_EW_Prague.indd 55 20/03/17 11:14 am