Christmas Holidays in Czechia: Which Stores Will Remain Open?

With the Christmas holidays fast approaching, shopping fever is at its peak.

This year stores exceeding 200 square meters will be closed for three days as part of the national holidays and will not open again until Thursday, December 27.

For those last-minute gifts, select stores might extend hours until 11 p.m. on December 22-23. On Dec. 24, larger stores can stay open until noon. However, specific opening hours vary among supermarkets.

The opening hours of shops on public holidays are governed by the law on sales hours in retail and wholesale trade.

It has been in effect in the Czech Republic since October 2016. According to this law, shops over 200 square meters must be closed on certain public holidays.

Shops for Christmas 2024

• December 24 – shops over 200 meters must close by 12:00
• December 25 – all shops are closed
• December 26 – all shops are closed

Only a limited number of restaurants are open, but even these have limited opening hours. Most restaurants book out in advance, so we advise making reservations.

However, exemptions apply to pharmacies, gas stations, and shops in the airport and railway stations (including Prague’s Hlavní nádraží) and hospitals.

On Christmas Eve (December 24), another rule is in effect. On this day, the law allows large supermarkets to work, but only until 12:00 (there are no restrictions for small stores). However, some retailers sometimes decide that it doesn’t make sense to open for a few hours and it’s better to give employees an extra day off.