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Sep 25, 2026
Czech Statehood Day 2026: What Is Open and What to Do in Prague
Prague Morning
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September 28 is a public holiday in the Czech Republic, marking Czech Statehood Day and the feast of St. Wenceslas. This year, the holiday falls on a Monday, giving many people a three-day weekend.
For anyone planning to spend the day in Prague, however, there are two practical questions: which shops will be open, and what can you do around the city?
Where you can shop on September 28
Under Czech legislation regulating retail opening hours, shops with a sales area of more than 200 square meters must close on September 28.
The restriction applies throughout the day and covers large supermarkets, hypermarkets and home improvement stores.
Smaller shops with sales areas of up to 200 square meters are exempt and can open at their owners’ discretion. Petrol stations and pharmacies can also operate.
Other exceptions include shops located at airports, railway stations and bus terminals, as well as retail outlets inside healthcare facilities.
Why September 28 is Czech Statehood Day
The holiday commemorates Prince Wenceslas, a member of the Přemyslid dynasty who became one of the central figures in Czech history.
Wenceslas was killed by his brother Boleslav I on September 28, 935, in Stará Boleslav. His death later became the foundation of a cult that developed around him from the late 10th century onward.
His remains were transferred to Prague in 938 on Boleslav’s orders and buried in the Rotunda of St. Vitus. The reasons behind the transfer are not known with certainty, but the move helped strengthen Wenceslas’s status as a religious figure while also reinforcing Prague’s position as the center of the emerging Czech state.
Over the following centuries, Wenceslas became the patron saint of the Czech lands and an important symbol of Czech statehood.
The connection between Wenceslas and Czech political tradition was further strengthened under Charles IV, who commissioned the Crown of Saint Wenceslas. The crown became one of the principal symbols of the Czech monarchy and remains part of the Czech Crown Jewels.
See the Czech Crown Jewels at Prague Castle
September 28 is also the final day of this year’s exhibition of the Czech Crown Jewels at Prague Castle.
The jewels are being displayed in Vladislav Hall as part of the exhibition Habsburgs 500. Admission is free, and the display also includes a coronation robe dating from 1653 and other historical objects.
The exhibition closes at the end of the day on September 28.
Government buildings open to visitors
Several normally restricted buildings will also be accessible to the public.
Straka Academy, the official seat of the Czech government, will open its doors on September 28. Visitors can see the government meeting room, ceremonial areas and the building’s garden.
The program also includes an interactive exhibition called Journey of the Republic. Tours are free and begin at 10 a.m., with the final group scheduled to leave at 5 p.m.
The Ministry of Finance on Letenská Street will also welcome visitors. Tours start at 9:30 a.m. and include the ministry’s historic premises and the former monastery.
Museums and other attractions
The National Technical Museum in Letná will remain open on September 28, giving visitors access to its permanent exhibitions.
The Postal Museum will also be open.
For those looking for a more traditional Prague attraction, September 28 will be the final chance this year to ride the historic Letná Carousel.
Another option is the National Museum, where the Přemyslids exhibition examines the history of the dynasty that ruled the Czech lands during the country’s early medieval period.
The exhibition runs until October 15, 2026, making the public holiday particularly relevant for visitors interested in the history behind Czech Statehood Day.
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