Castles Near Prague in Winter 2026/27: Hours and Christmas Tours

In winter 2026/27, at least seven castles near Prague have their interiors open. Křivoklát, Český Šternberk, Mělník and Dobříš also open in January–March, mostly on weekends; Karlštejn has published hours only through January 3; Mníšek pod Brdy opens until December 20 and at New Year, and Loučeň runs its Christmas program daily until January 17, 2027. Konopiště is open only until November 29, Nelahozeves only for its Advent festival on December 5–6. Many close over Christmas; dates are in the FAQ below. Around Prague checked hours, prices and programs of the castles and the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ), plus trains and buses in IDOS, on official websites on November 11, 2026.

Which castles are open December to March: table

For Karlštejn, Křivoklát and Mníšek the second time is the last tour start; elsewhere, closing time. Travel times are for a Saturday. Dollar figures use the Czech National Bank rate of November 10, 2026: 1 USD = 21.702 CZK.

Castle	Winter 2026/27 (24-hour clock)	Christmas and Advent	Getting there from Prague
Karlštejn	Fri–Sun 10:00–15:00; closed Dec 21–25; daily Dec 26 – Jan 3; hours after Jan 3 not yet published	Advent decorations Nov 27 – Jan 3; Ryba's mass Dec 6 at 17:00 and 19:00	S7 train, 41 min, then a 30–40 min walk
Křivoklát	Sat–Sun until Dec 20, 10:00–15:00; daily Dec 27–31; Jan–Mar Sat–Sun 11:00–15:00	"Advent na hradě" Dec 5–6 and 12–13; concert Dec 29 (hours and prices not out yet)	S7 to Beroun, then S75; 1 h 48 min
Mníšek pod Brdy	Dec 1–20: Sat–Sun 11:00–14:00, Tue–Fri 10:30 and 13:30 (booking); Dec 31, Jan 1: 11:00–14:00	Christmas tours on weekends Nov 28 – Dec 20; St. Nicholas Nov 28; costumed tours Dec 31 and Jan 1	bus 317 or 320 from Smíchovské nádraží, 33–34 min
Český Šternberk	Dec 5–6, 12–13, 19–20 and Dec 27 – Jan 3: 10:00–16:00 (last tour 15:00); Jan Sat–Sun, Feb–Mar Fri–Sun at 11:00, 12:30, 14:00	Advent and Christmas tours; mini market Dec 5–6	bus 406 from Roztyly to Divišov, then 791; 54 min
Mělník	Wed–Fri 9:00–17:00, Sat–Sun and holidays 9:00–18:00; guided tours for 5+ people	nothing on the website	bus 369 from Ládví, 46 min
Loučeň	daily until Jan 17, 2027	"Příběh vánočního stromečku"; park lights from 16:00	R10 to Nymburk, then bus 499; 1 h 14 min
Dobříš	Tue–Sun 9:00–16:00, self-guided exhibition; closed Dec 21 – Jan 4	Christmas market Dec 5, 11:00–19:00; Ryba's mass Dec 19 at 16:00 and 19:00	bus from Smíchovské nádraží, 37–55 min
Veltrusy	Sat–Sun only, until Dec 13	Advent tours Nov 21 – Dec 13	bus 370 from Kobylisy, 36 min
Průhonice	park and castle exhibition daily 8:00–17:00	Ryba's mass Dec 19 at 17:00 and 19:30	bus 385 or 363 from Opatov metro, 7–16 min
Nelahozeves	closed until the 2027 season	Advent festival Dec 5–6	S4 train, 42 min
Prague Castle	buildings daily 9:00–17:00; closed Dec 24	Christmas Stroll Nov 28 – Jan 3, free	in the city

Christmas at the castles: what, where and how much

Karlštejn. From November 27 to January 3, the basic tour shows the rooms in Advent decorations at the usual 300 CZK (about $14). On December 6 at 5 and 7 p.m., the SLAVOŠ choir (Beroun) sings Ryba's mass (Česká mše vánoční) in the Knights' Hall: 300/240/90 CZK, tickets online. Train and tours: our Karlštejn Castle guide.
Konopiště. The season ends on November 28–29: from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., devils fill the cellar and St. Nicholas (Mikuláš) waits with angels in the gallery. 280/220/80 CZK (about $13), booking required at [email protected]. The Rose Garden greenhouses with Advent decorations open 11 a.m.–4 p.m., 100 CZK.
Mníšek pod Brdy. On November 28, St. Nicholas, angels and devils hand out presents to children: 100 CZK, booking only, up to 15 people. Costumed Christmas tours run on weekends, November 28 – December 20; start times are not out yet. New Year costumed tours on December 31 and January 1 cost 260 CZK (about $12). The basic tour is in Czech.
Český Šternberk. The tour recalls Christmas here in the First Republic through Zdeněk Sternberg's memories and ends in the room where the fairy-tale film "Anděl Páně" was shot. 300 CZK (about $14), 250 CZK for ages 65+ and 16–24, 150 CZK for children 4–15; buy online in advance or call +420 317 855 101.
Loučeň. The ninth "Příběh vánočního stromečku" (The Story of the Christmas Tree) runs from November 17, 2026, to January 17, 2027, with costumed guides: weekdays at noon, 2 and 4 p.m., weekends 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Tickets: 295 CZK (about $14) weekdays, 330 CZK (about $15) weekends. The maze park is lit from 4 p.m., with a light show on the facade at 5 p.m.
Nelahozeves. December 5–6 brings a market, concerts, St. Nicholas and an evening tree lighting; the devils' cellar is on Saturday only. Tickets: 100 CZK until November 30, then 220 CZK (about $10), 150 CZK reduced (children 5–12, students, seniors), 590 CZK for a family. A Czech Railways (ČD) ticket gives 20% off. Hours are not published yet.
Veltrusy. The Advent tour covers the northwest wing, where the Chotek family spent Christmas a century ago, and the Baroque chapel, open only in Advent: 45 minutes, up to 15 people, 160/130/50 CZK (about $7), booking recommended.
Prague Castle. The free Christmas Stroll (November 28 – January 3) features the tree on St. George's Square, a nativity scene and the Forman Brothers' labyrinth in the Imperial Stables. Until December 20 it is open weekdays 2–6 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m.–6 p.m., then daily 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; closed December 24 and 31 and January 1. Winter season (November 1 – March 31) per hrad.cz: buildings 9 a.m.–5 p.m., St. Vitus Cathedral Monday–Saturday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday noon–5 p.m. (last entry 4:40 p.m.), grounds 6 a.m.–10 p.m., gardens closed until March; see our Prague Castle guide.

Getting there: trains, buses and the December 13 timetable change

The national timetable changes on December 13, 2026. Train times are from IDOS for Saturdays, December 5 and 19 (unchanged for Karlštejn and Křivoklát); bus times are for December 5, since IDOS had no PID buses after December 13 as of November 11. Check idos.cz before you go. Karlštejn is 40 km (25 miles) from Prague.

Konopiště (until November 29): the R17 from Praha hl.n. (the main station) to Benešov u Prahy takes 41–42 minutes; then walk 2 km (1.2 miles).
Křivoklát, 50 km (31 miles): change at Beroun to the S75; the 8:16 a.m. train from Prague arrives at 10:04 a.m. Back, the S75 leaves at 1:30, 3:14 and 5:29 p.m. and, via the R16, reaches Praha hl.n. at 2:52, 4:52 and 6:52 p.m.
Nelahozeves (35 km, 22 miles) and Veltrusy combine well on December 5–6. Until December 12, S4 trains to Nelahozeves zámek leave from Praha-Bubny, not Masarykovo nádraží, due to construction.
Mělník: bus 369 from Ládví metro, 46 minutes; the S3 train from Praha hl.n., about an hour.
Mníšek: take the bus; the S88 train station is 2.5 km (1.6 miles) from the center.
Průhonice: a Prague city ticket is not enough; you need a PID ticket for zones 0, B and 1.

Plan your Prague trip
1. From the airport to the centre
2. Public transport and tickets
3. Money and currency exchange
4. Where to stay
5. What to see in 1, 2 and 3 days
6. What to book in advance
7. Beer halls and pubs
8. Day trips from Prague
9. What is on this week

What stays closed until spring

Konopiště: no dates listed for December–March.
Karlštejn's Chapel of the Holy Cross and Křivoklát's "Celým hradem" (whole castle) tour are closed until April 30, 2027.
Nelahozeves: reopens in 2027; no date yet.
Veltrusy: interiors close after December 13; the park stays open dawn to dusk.
Kokořín: November–March only for groups of 10+ by arrangement; from April, weekends 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

How to plan a winter castle trip

Mělník tours need five people, so call ahead: +420 733 735 392.
The Prague Visitor Pass covers only Prague Castle here (see our Prague Visitor Pass guide).
The Permanentka Na památky (3,500 CZK, about $161) covers basic tours at more than 100 NPÚ sites for 2027; sales opened on November 11, 2026, at 11 a.m.
For a walk rather than interiors, try Loučeň's lit mazes or the park at Průhonice. More ideas: Prague in winter.

Castles near Prague in winter: FAQ

Which castles near Prague are open in winter?

In January–March, Křivoklát, Český Šternberk, Mělník and Dobříš; days are in the table above. Karlštejn has published hours only through January 3, 2027. Loučeň opens daily until January 17. Mníšek's 2027 schedule is unclear so far.

Is Konopiště open in December?

Not as of November 11, 2026: the season ends on November 28–29.

Are the castles open on December 24–26?

Karlštejn closes December 21–25, Český Šternberk December 22–26, Dobříš December 21 to January 4. Křivoklát lists no dates for December 21–26, Mníšek none for December 21–30. Prague Castle buildings close December 24; the grounds stay open.

Where can I hear Ryba's Christmas Mass in a castle?

At Karlštejn on December 6 at 5 and 7 p.m. (300 CZK). On December 19, the Příbram Philharmonic (Příbramská filharmonie) performs it at Dobříš at 4 and 7 p.m. in the Mirror Hall, and Průhonice has concerts at 5 and 7:30 p.m. (450 CZK, about $21, on sale from November 16).

Do I need to book?

Yes for Český Šternberk, the Konopiště devils, and St. Nicholas and weekday tours at Mníšek. Loučeň and Veltrusy recommend booking.

Sources: NPÚ: sites open in winter, Karlštejn: hours, Karlštejn mass, Křivoklát: hours, events, Konopiště: hours, devils and St. Nicholas, Mníšek: hours, Advent, Český Šternberk, Mělník, Loučeň, Dobříš: hours, program, Veltrusy, Průhonice: concert, park hours, Nelahozeves, Prague Castle: Christmas Stroll, Prague Castle: opening hours, Kokořín, PID: timetable change, IDOS. Data checked on November 11, 2026; confirm hours on the castle's website before you go.

Photo: Křivoklát Castle in winter. Draceane, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Comments (0)

Please be polite. Spam and insults will be removed.