The scene at United Islands Prague. Photo by czechian.

By Jacy Meyer in Prague—

Planning a trip to Prague this year? One of central Europe’s most historic and picturesque capitals will mesmerize you with its charm and beauty. But it’s not all architectural oohs and ahhs—there are plenty of festivals and other events sure to enliven your experience. Check these out!

FebioFest
March 25-April 4, 2010
website

The Czech Republic’s largest non-competitive international film festival is one of the most popular events on local film lovers’ calendars. The festival specializes in full length films from just about every genre: documentaries, retrospectives, and premieres.

The majority of films are shown at a city center multiplex and tickets are a nice cheapo 79 CZK. An added bonus for Cheapos is the accompanying FebioFest Music Festival. The event is held in the cinema’s underground garage, and bands range from ska to rock-n-roll to pop and admission is free!

Prague Spring
May 12-June 4, 2010
website

Prague’s premier international music festival isn’t the most bargain event on the calendar, but it’s worth every koruna. This year’s program offers performances of work by Mozart, Martinu, and Hayden, to name a few.

From theater to opera to early music performances, Prague Spring is a stellar musical extravaganza. Plus, the event is held in some equally stunning venues. Viewing concert halls like the Rudolfinum and the Municipal House is a free added feast for your eyes.

Czech Beer Festival
May 14-May 30, 2010
website

A bit more low-brow than Prague Spring, the Czech Beer Festival is a fun feast of a different kind. Admission is free to this event full of Czech beer, Czech food, and Czech fun. Servers in traditional Czech dress and music playing all day long makes this a cheerful place to spend an afternoon.

Prague Fringe Festival
May-28-June 5
website

Prague’s own mini-version of the Edinburgh legend, the Fringe here brings a welcome dose of English theater and comedy to the city. Expect lots of favorites from past Edinburgh Fringes as well as fun newcomers.

Prague Museum Night
June 12, 2010
website

Like many other European cities, Prague hosts its own museum night. On the designated night, hundreds of museums around the city are open for free from 7 PM-1 AM. Free transport is available from venue to venue. Visit the bigger museums early; this is an extremely popular event and lines form quite quickly.

United Islands of Prague
June 24-26, 2010
website

This international outdoor music festival is one of the most popular events in Prague. Featuring a range of musical acts from around the world, the concerts are showcased on three Vltava River islands. The festival is free, and plenty of after-parties take place in area clubs.

To find out what else is going on when you’re in town, check two of the biggest ticket sellers: Both Ticketpro.cz and Ticketstream.cz have easy search-by-date functions.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Tasty samples at the Czech food festival.

This year, the month of May provides several tasty reasons to celebrate in the fair city of Prague. The weather turns milder and the city puts its food and beer on display. Here are two festivals, for gourmands and imbibers alike, that we think are worth czech-ing out.

Brew-ha-ha: Czech Beer Festival
May 22-31, 2009

Oktoberfest may be a standard in Munich, but in Prague the second annual Czech Beer Festival kicks off on May 22, 2009 (through May 31). Up to 50 brands of beers are featured this year, and large-scale tents will provide ample hop stops, as well as food stalls.

Taste, buy, and be merry! For more info, visit the event’s web site (in Czech only). 

Gourmet days: Czech Food Festival
May 29-31, 2009

What goes better with a little beer than some gourmet cooking? The third annual Czech Food Festival runs May 29-31 (time it right and you could do the beer and food fest over the same weekend!). This year’s festival features the intriguing (and potentially hard-to-swallow) theme, “Culinary Sensation in a Time of Crisis.”

Fun (and food) for all.

With food stalls and restaurant locations spread between the Charles Bridge and Manes Bridge (including some choice culinary stations positioned on boats and along the Vltava River), the event promises ”food with a view” and offers its guests tastes from 33 of Prague’s best-known restaurants in a pretty idyllic setting.

Delights span the culinary map. Aside from Czech delicacies, expect to sample Brazilian, Japanese, French, and kosher cuisine (to name but a few). The festival will also include some food-themed events, including the “Asparagus Cup,” which promises that attendees won’t leave without learning the many methods for using the lean, lanky veggie in day-to-day cooking.

Admission

Official admission to all events (including 10 food tasting vouchers) is 350 CZK (€13). Additional tasting vouchers cost 25 CZK each (about €.90), and a packet of ten is 250 CZK (about €9). Children receive a discount. More info can be found here.

Popularity: 12% [?]