A peaceful weekend morning. A light breeze, blue skies overhead, and a pleasant hustle and bustle amongst the stalls selling local products. Fresh milk, cheeses, seasonal fruits and vegetables, apple juices, sausages and crispy pastries, served up with a smile by the person who made or grew them.
You can enjoy all this and much more at farmers' markets around Czechia. Each one has a slightly different atmosphere and its own local speciality or street food.
Photo: Archetyp
How to shop at Czech farmers' markets?
Don't be afraid to ask: whether the food comes directly from the seller's farm, where the vegetables and fruit are grown, how best to prepare the ingredients, or how that asparagus tastes best. As we say here in Czechia, if you don’t ask, you don’t get!
Take note of seasonal produce! One of the main benefits of farmers' markets is not just their freshness and organic quality. You need to bear the season in mind, as strawberries won't be up to much in March, but in June you can conjure up an amazing dessert. Yummy! On the other hand, if the vegetables and fruit come in odd shapes and sizes, that's fine! We’re all different, after all.
Before you hit the farmers market, it’s best to take your shopping bag or basket. You’ll be helping the environment, which is already struggling with too much plastic waste.
Organic quality certificates: if you’re looking for top quality, ask the farmer to show you their organic certificate. A fair few of them may have one.
- Have fun and enjoy the authentic atmosphere! Chat with the other shoppers, as they can give you some tips on which farmer to buy from, as well as where to grab a good coffee in the area or where to enjoy a glass of something sparkling in the evening.
Prague: Embankment by the Vltava River
You’ll find one of Czechia’s biggest and most popular farmers’ markets with 100 stalls at the Náplavka embankment in Prague, right on the bank of the Vltava in the city centre. It’s held every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can shop from certified growers and producers, including organic cosmetics. With live music to accompany you, it’s a pleasant way to spend a Saturday morning.
Prague: “Heřmaňák”
Markets are held every Saturday at Heřmaňák on Řezáčovo náměstí in Prague. The market is fairly small and somewhat quaint. It’s known as the “plastic bag-free market”. And what can you buy? Quality fresh organic and non-organic food straight from the farmers, (milk and dairy products, meat and good sausages, vegetables, cut herbs, fruit, mushrooms, spices, confectionery, apple juices, honey, oils, pastries, and bread, homemade eggs from free-range chickens and pickled vegetables. You can also enjoy some great coffee. The market is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
You can also find some great markets in these places in Prague: at Kulaťák on Vítězné náměstí, at “Tylák” on Tylovo náměstí, where they also sell garden products, pottery, wool and candles, or at “Jiřák”, i.e. náměstí Jiřího z Poděbrad with the exquisite Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord, designed by the famous architectJože Plečnik.
Brno: Zelný trh (Farmer’s Market)
Zelný trh in Brno is the only place in Czechia where shoppers can find a wide range of local and imported farm produce almost all year round, six days a week. With 130 stalls, the market is located on the square in the historical centre of the city.
Plzeň: náměstí Republiky
In Plzeň in the west of Czechia, on one of the most beautiful squares in the country, you can taste and buy high-quality, local food grown and processed with love and respect for customers. Plzeň’s farmers’ markets are held every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m..
Spring is almost here. The farmers’ market season is just about to start, so we wish you bon appetit out in the open air.
