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Mikulov Christmas Markets 2026, the Castle and Holy Hill in Winter
Mikulov's Christmas markets, Christmas Under the Town Hall, run December 12 to 13, 2026 with a fair, music and castle workshops. Here's the program, winter tips for Holy Hill and how to add the Treasure Hunt Mikulov city game.
The Mikulov Christmas markets go by one name: Vánoce pod radnicí (Christmas Under the Town Hall). This year they run the weekend of December 12 to 13, 2026 on Mikulov’s main square and in the castle grounds, with a fair, live music and creative workshops at the castle. If you want to stretch out Advent, add a winter climb up Svatý kopeček (Holy Hill), a glass of mulled wine and the Treasure Hunt Mikulov city game.
Advent at a Glance
An Advent weekend in Mikulov comes together from four stops, all within walking distance of each other.
- The square: the fair and music program right below the town hall.
- The castle: creative workshops where kids and adults make small Christmas decorations.
- Svatý kopeček: a winter climb above town with views toward Pálava, best in daylight.
- The game: Treasure Hunt Mikulov on a tablet or phone, ideally in the morning before you head back to the stalls.
Christmas Under the Town Hall This Year
This year’s Advent program is built around making things together and shared experiences, not just browsing the stalls.
It’s one of the traditional pre-Christmas events on Mikulov’s square. Down below, there’s the fair and a lineup of music performances; up in the castle, the workshops are running.
The upside is that the two spots are separated only by a short climb. A family can switch between the stalls and the warm workshop depending on who’s freezing at the moment. Check this year’s hour-by-hour schedule in the town’s events calendar right before you travel.
Mikulov’s Advent Calendar 2026
Christmas Under the Town Hall is the highlight, not the whole season. Under the name Advent Mikulov, the town runs a program from the tree lighting through New Year’s Eve, with local galleries and businesses joining in. These are the dates announced so far in the Mikulovská kulturní events calendar:
- Sunday, November 29: lighting of the Christmas tree on the main square, the start of Advent Mikulov.
- Saturday, December 5: Advent at the Castle, costumed tours of the decorated castle rooms between 11:00 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. (45 to 50 minutes each) plus a public craft workshop from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets go on sale November 1 on GoOut and at the tourist information center.
- Friday, December 11: a Christmas concert at the town cinema (Jitka Čvančarová, Blue Cimbal & Eterea Trio and guests).
- Saturday and Sunday, December 12 and 13: Christmas Under the Town Hall, the fair and music performances on the square, creative workshops at the castle.
- Christmas Eve morning: Pojďme si popřát, a neighborly get-together on the square.
- December 31: New Year’s Eve on the square.
On top of that, the town promises Advent concerts, a St. Nicholas treat for kids and themed events. Check the exact times of individual performances in the events calendar before you travel; the program keeps filling in until December.
How a Weekend Under the Town Hall Usually Goes
The rhythm of Christmas Under the Town Hall doesn’t change much from year to year, even though the performers do.
Saturday starts in the morning with the opening of the fair with local products, handmade crafts and Christmas treats. Around noon, families move indoors to warm up and make things, and the afternoon belongs to the kids: a fairy tale, carols and performances by kindergartens, schools and the art school students, often a folk ensemble too. Toward evening, a concert on the square closes the day.
Sunday tends to be shorter and calmer: the fair runs through the morning and early afternoon with live music.
This year’s edition may shuffle some of the pieces, but a day planned around this rhythm works: stalls or the game in the morning, a workshop at noon, a concert and mulled wine toward evening.
The Castle During Advent
The castle isn’t just a backdrop above the rooftops; this year it’s part of the program itself.
On the Christmas Under the Town Hall weekend, kids and adults make small Christmas items and decorations in the castle’s creative workshops. A week earlier, on December 5, the castle hosts Advent at the Castle: costumed tours of the festively decorated halls that lead into rooms normally closed to visitors and mark 100 years of the Mikulov museum.
A short but noticeable climb leads up from the square. For younger kids, the workshop is the perfect break: they craft somewhere warm and go home with an ornament they made themselves instead of another gingerbread heart from a stall.
The regular guided tour routes run on their own schedule. If you want an interior tour on top of the workshop, check the December opening hours on the castle’s website in advance.
Svatý Kopeček in Winter
Svatý kopeček is the exact opposite of the busy square: a quiet hill above town that you can climb even with kids.
A Way of the Cross with chapels leads to the top, and St. Sebastian’s Church stands at the summit. On a clear December day, you’ll see the castle, the rooftops of downtown and the ridge of Pálava.
The limestone path gets slippery in winter. Sturdy shoes with treaded soles are a must, not a suggestion.
Set out in daylight; December afternoons slide into darkness early, and nobody enjoys coming down over stones at dusk. A good plan is to climb around noon and get back to the square just as the stalls light up.
Wine Cellars and Mulled Wine
Mulled wine is as much a part of Advent in Mikulov as carols, and you’ll find it at the fair below the town hall every year.
But Mikulov is a wine town, so mulled wine at a stall is just the first step. If you want to taste wine right in a cellar in December, book a tasting in advance with a specific winery rather than counting on dropping in.
One rule from experience: if you’re going to play, save the glass for the end as a reward.
Advent with a City Game
Treasure Hunt Mikulov is a city game whose questions are tied to specific places in Mikulov. During Advent, it gives the town a second dimension alongside the stalls.
You play on tablets or phones with our GPS app. You see the treasures on the map on your screen, and with Treasure Hunt you choose the order yourself, so you can plan your route to finish at the square.
Expect the game to keep a group busy for 2 to 3 hours. In December, put it in the morning; the afternoon belongs to the stalls, and daylight fades fast.
If you’re staying the whole weekend, Pálava is close to Mikulov and the Lednice-Valtice Area is just a short hop away.
Practical Tips
For the market weekend, arrive in the morning, leave your car in a parking lot outside the historic center and walk to the square.
Before you go, check the town’s webcam and the parking overview on the town’s tourism website. You’ll save yourself circling the narrow streets.
Dress in layers. You’ll stand around a long time on the square, it’s windy on Svatý kopeček, and the castle workshop is warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the Christmas markets in Mikulov?
Vánoce pod radnicí takes place this year on the weekend of December 12 and 13.
Where are the markets held?
The event takes place both on the square and in the castle grounds, with the workshops held right in the castle.
Is the program suitable for kids?
Yes, the castle’s creative workshops are designed for both kids and adults.
How long does Treasure Hunt Mikulov take?
Plan on 2 to 3 hours; you choose the order of the treasures yourself.
When Is the Christmas Tree Lit in Mikulov?
On Sunday, November 29, 2026 on the main square. That’s the start of Advent Mikulov, which runs through New Year’s Eve.
The best Advent Saturday in Mikulov starts in the morning with a map of the treasures on your phone and ends at the stalls below the town hall. Launch Treasure Hunt Mikulov in the morning, explore the town on your own route and reach the square just as the fair lights up. After the game, you’ll know the lanes below the castle and the way to Svatý kopeček, so the next day you’ll know exactly where to go back to.
Treasure Hunt Mikulov
Our instructors run the game with tablets, or you start it yourselves on your phones. Tell us the number of people and the date, we will get back to you the same day.
Summary
- Vánoce pod radnicí, the Mikulov Christmas markets, run on the weekend of December 12 to 13, 2026 on the main square and in the castle grounds.
- The program includes a fair and live music on the square below the town hall, plus creative workshops at Mikulov Castle for kids and adults.
- Advent Mikulov starts with the tree lighting on November 29 and runs through New Year's Eve; on December 5 the castle hosts costumed Advent at the Castle tours.
- Svatý kopeček offers a winter climb with views of Pálava, but its limestone path gets slippery, so sturdy treaded shoes and daylight hours are recommended.
- The Treasure Hunt Mikulov city game is played on phones or tablets, takes 2 to 3 hours, and lets players choose the order of the treasures.
Want to walk this route with your team as a game? Write to us or call and we will set it up for your date.
