Olomouc Christmas Markets 2026 on Upper and Lower Square

Where to find everything at the Olomouc Christmas markets and how to fit Treasure Hunt Olomouc into your Advent day.

Every Advent, the Olomouc Christmas markets spread across Horní náměstí (Upper Square) and Dolní náměstí (Lower Square), right in the city’s historic center. The city council decided that this year’s markets will be organized by Kulturní Olomouc. Before you travel, check this year’s dates, opening hours and stage program in the official market calendar. Meanwhile, this guide shows you where everything is and how to plan your day.

The Markets at a Glance

If you only have one afternoon and evening for the markets, you mainly need to know where to find what. Here’s an overview of the spots and attractions that are part of the Olomouc markets.

• Upper Square: a stage with a cultural program and the Christmas tower above the stalls.
• The tower: a 10-meter walk-up lookout with a view over the whole Advent village.
• Tržnice (the Market Hall): an ice rink and a Ferris wheel, both part of the Christmas markets; skating is traditionally free.
• Punch: Olomouc’s punches have their own punch trail at the markets.
• Organizer: the nonprofit Kulturní Olomouc, which has run the markets for more than 15 years.

The Tower Above the Square

The best view of the markets is from above. The Christmas tower on Upper Square remains the markets’ permanent landmark, a lookout where you can take in all the action without the rush.

From up there, you can clearly see that both squares, Upper and Lower, are decked out for Christmas. It’s worth climbing the tower at dusk, when the stalls light up.

The Column as a Backdrop

Upper Square has a backdrop you’ll take home in every photo: sloup Nejsvětější Trojice (the Holy Trinity Column), rising above the roofs of the stalls. In the evening, when the markets light up, it’s the most rewarding subject on the whole square.

At the markets, one rule is enough: stand so the column is behind you, and your Advent photo from Olomouc is done.

On the Stage

Music alternates with theater on the Upper Square stage. The program regularly features concerts by well-known performers, fairy-tale theater shows, cooking shows and Ježíškova pošta (a Christmas post office).

The markets open with the ceremonial lighting of the Christmas tree. The grand opening also kicks off a packed cultural program. The organizer publishes the specific performers and dates, so check this year’s schedule in the market calendar.

A typical Advent day has its own rhythm. During the day, the square belongs to families with kids; toward evening, the space in front of the stage fills up. The markets are also where the locals meet, not just tourists.

For kids, there’s the traditional Mikulášská nadílka (St. Nicholas gift-giving), Ježíškova pošta, a small belfry and a carousel.

Punch and the Christmas Tree

Punch is a discipline of its own in Olomouc. There’s a whole punch trail here, so tasting follows a clear route from stall to stall.

Olomouc’s Christmas tree gets a name at the opening of the markets, which has become a sweet tradition, and the naming contest draws hundreds of suggestions every year.

The markets also feature a carved nativity scene with life-size figures. A stop there makes a calm break between the stalls.

The Ice Rink at Tržnice

Skating is as much a part of Advent in Olomouc as punch. At Tržnice, an ice rink waits under a canopy of lights, paired with a Ferris wheel that gives you a view of Olomouc from above.

Tržnice usually has a skate rental and refreshment stands, so you don’t have to bring skates from home.

With kids, it pays to split the day: the ice and the wheel in the afternoon, the square with the tower and the nativity scene in the evening.

How to Walk the Markets

The easiest way is to walk the markets as one loop. Start on Lower Square, work your way up through the rows of stalls to Upper Square and end the day on the tower.

Save Upper Square for the later afternoon, when there’s music on the stage and the stalls are lit. Treat the rink at Tržnice as a separate stop, ideally before dark, while the kids still feel like skating.

For photos, there’s a simple rule. Shoot the column and the tower at dusk, and the stalls up close only after dark, when the light decorations stand out.

A Game Between the Stalls

Your market day doesn’t have to start in line at the first stall. Treasure Hunt Olomouc is our city game: teams look for treasures on a map on a tablet or phone with our GPS app, and the questions are tied to specific places in the city.

Each game keeps a team busy for 2 to 3 hours. That fits into an afternoon, and you’ll be back on the square just as the markets light up.

Treasures activate when you get within 10 to 40 m of them, depending on the terrain and the type of game. More treasures mean more room for strategy.

You can play with family, friends or colleagues. First-time visitors to Olomouc get to know the city before they see it from the punch stand in the evening.

Corporate Advent in Olomouc

For companies, Advent in Olomouc comes with a ready-made plan: a team game in the afternoon, a walk through the markets together in the evening. Team-building geolocation games for companies are team activities where colleagues have to communicate and solve the tasks together.

For team building in Olomouc, we bring tablets and instructors, pick the best game for the location and take care of full-service event management. The game has no capacity limit; it works for a small team as well as a company-wide corporate event. We’ve been running Treasure Hunts since 2013.

Peace of mind is part of every booking. If the December weather turns bad, a story game in indoor mode replaces the city game: the team sits together in a hall or restaurant, and the questions appear on the screen one after another.

FAQ

Where are the Christmas markets in Olomouc?

The stalls are on Upper and Lower Square, and you’ll find the ice rink and the Ferris wheel at Tržnice.

When do the markets start this year?

The organizer publishes this year’s dates and opening hours in the official market calendar, so check them there before you travel.

How tall is the Christmas tower?

The lookout on Upper Square is 10 meters tall, and you can walk up it.

Is there an admission fee for the ice rink?

No, skating at the Tržnice rink is traditionally free.

Can I combine a visit to the markets with a city game?

Yes, Treasure Hunt Olomouc takes 2 to 3 hours, and the evening then belongs to the square.

Plan your Olomouc Advent in two parts: Treasure Hunt Olomouc in the afternoon with family, friends or colleagues, then the tower, punch and lights on Upper Square in the evening. Companies planning a Christmas get-together just need to send us the date and headcount. We’ll set up the game as the main event of the afternoon, with full-service event management included. And the program goes ahead on the planned date, even if sleet is falling over the square.

Want to try it out?

Treasure Hunt Olomouc

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.

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