Jan Dell: “It’s great to hear that we organize one of the best Christmas markets in the world”
The Christmas market on Old Town Square is rated by the world media as one of the most beautiful in the world. Every year it attracts some 750,000 visitors from at home and abroad. So what makes this Christmas market so special and what is in store for visitors this year?
Prague’s Old Town Square, with its Gothic and Baroque architecture and its famous astronomical clock, attracts hordes of visitors all year round. But during the Christmas season the square is the heart of Prague’s holiday festivities and is literally packed all day. It boasts the best Christmas tree in town, dozens of stalls selling traditional Czech products, there is live music and the air is filled with the smell of mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, spiced sausages and hot pastry long into the evening. But what is it that sets this market apart from so many others?
Jan Dell is the executive director of Taiko, the company that has organized the markets in Prague for more than 20 years.
“It’s definitely the magic of Old Town Square — with its Týn Church, with the Astronomical Clock. The magic setting is there -we couldn’t ask for a better backdrop. On the other hand, I think we can proudly say that we run the markets well. If we didn’t, not even the square’s old-world charm would have helped. Last year we were listed among the best markets in the world, alongside New York, Singapore, and the traditional Christmas market in Vienna. That’s a huge challenge for us. Such praise means a lot and we are grateful for it!“
Preparations for the market, which runs from November 29 till January 6, start in May or June, when the company announces a competition for the annual Christmas tree. People from around the country make suggestions or offer a tree growing on their premises. Many consider it an honour to have their tree grace Prague’s main Christmas square. Jan Del says that the tree is carefully selected.
“ As regards the tree — there is something I want to clarify because we have heard criticism about why we need to cut down a healthy tree. Actually, the competition is designed to select a tree that would be felled anyway, either because it blocks construction or for safety reasons, which is most common. Finding the right tree is difficult: it must be a solitary tree, which has had sunlight from all sides, so it looks good from every angle. Combining these requirements is the hardest part. The point is for the tree to get a second life — not just to be cut up for firewood, but to bring joy to visitors for 40 days on Old Town Square, and then be used for something meaningful afterward.“
Once the festivities are over, the tree is used to create furniture and other basic wooden items for people in need. But over Christmas it shines bright with lights and ornaments and a carefully selected music accompaniment. The first lighting of the tree attracts thousands of visitors and the light animation is repeated several times every day –often to the sound of children’s choirs.
Between May and the end of November the number of people involved in creating the market grows from around five to 300 or more. The organizers place strong emphasis on products from Czech and Slovak artisans. Cooperation with craftsmen and vendors is long-term –sometimes as long as two decades - and the products have been tried and tested.
“The market is mainly about creating the best possible Christmas atmosphere, so we look for craftsmen with traditional goods. For example, gingerbread made by a lady with whom we have cooperated for 20 years. Then there’s wonderful mead from Slovakia. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted better. There’s a vendor who sells amazing honey. There are Christmas ornaments made from exclusive hand-blown glass and pearl ornaments - wonderful souvenirs for people to take home. But I think gastronomy is the main part of the experience –in particular the traditional Christmas sausage and mulled wine. That sausage, made especially for the market, has a 97% meat content. For the mulled wine, we’ve been working for four years with Chateau Baltice, who prepare it from Czech — or rather Moravian — grapes. Again, it’s wine made exclusively for the Christmas market.“
In addition to mulled wine there is also punch and apple cider, snails, oysters, potato pancakes, grilled cheese, gingerbread, Štramberské uši (ear-shaped cookies), frgále (fruit tarts from Moravia), Hořické trubičky (cream-filled pastries) and the traditional Czech Christmas cookies that you will not find anywhere else in the world.
Among the souvenirs offered are glass and straw Christmas decorations, wooden toys, a wide array of nativity scenes, bobbin lace decorations, crocheted toys, bells and chimes that will serve as a reminder of your stay in Prague.
The Christmas market draws visitors year after year. So how has it changed over the 20 years that Taiko has been organizing it? Jan Dell again:
“Everything evolves. The market evolves, so do visitors. Consumption habits change. And above all, ecology and sustainability are becoming increasingly important — using natural materials, for example. Last year we invested roughly 10 million crowns into new roofs and new decorations. However some things stay, because Christmas is about tradition. And that is something we always want to keep — the tree, the ornaments, the atmosphere, and the smell of mulled wine."
What is your personal wish for this Christmas?
“For peace… for us to spend this time in tranquility, because all we hear these days is bad news — war, politics. I hope that we can all find reason to smile, to make time for ourselves, and spend Christmas the way it should be — surrounded by those closest to us and in a festive atmosphere.”
Old Town Square Christmas Market – now open daily from 10:00—22:00
December 24 - 10 am to 2pm
December 25 - 12 am to 10pm
December 26 - 12 am —10 pm
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