Czechs are flocking to Polish border markets before Christmas, visiting towns near the Czech-Polish border, such as Zabelkovo near Bohumín, to buy cheaper groceries, Christmas sweets, decorations and trees.

As reported by Novinky, parking attendants in Zabelkovo expressed surprise at the influx of Czech shoppers trying to park at the Polish market.

They noted that it hadn’t happened in a long time, as Czechs embarked on their Christmas shopping spree.

Long queues formed at stalls selling meat, dairy products, sweets and Christmas decorations. Shoppers appreciated the prices and quality of the offered goods.

Some shared their purchases, comparing them to domestic options, including praising Polish mushrooms and fungi.

Czechs aren’t just buying groceries; some, like Michal Jirásek from Opava, came for an artificial Christmas tree. He claimed that Polish trees are beautiful and competitively priced compared to Czech ones.

In addition to traditional shopping, Czechs have embraced Polish gift cards this year, offering benefits such as wellness stays or discounts on purchases in Polish restaurants, drugstores, furniture stores, fashion outlets and shoe shops.

Some Czechs expressed regret that, due to disparate prices and incomes, they are compelled to shop in Poland and expressed a desire for the Czech government to similarly reduce VAT on essential foods.