Kokova Magazine

Following a late-night trip to Wiseley on the 30th December 2024, we arrived home around midnight and decided not to spend New Year 2024 in front of the TV. So in the early hours of New Year's Eve, we booked flights and a hotel and made plans to be in Prague in time for the astronomical clock to ring in the New Year. With a few hours of sleep under our belts, we boarded a plane around 5pm and landed at Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport at 8.30pm. Pre-planning ahead, we had a car booked to shuttle us straight to our hotel, located in the Old Town Square of Prague 1.

Landing in freezing thick fog, and finding over 200 people ahead of us from a cancelled flight meant an hour delay getting through passport control, and we were eternally grateful to our driver for his patience in waiting for us. After a swift check-in and bag drop at our hotel, we headed into town, passing stalls selling warm chestnuts and mulled wine. Although fireworks were banned in the area for 2024, many people were still setting them off in the streets, and we dodged a few wayward 'missiles' - but the atmosphere was jovial and friendly.

It was our first time in Prague and we didn't know what to expect as we approached the Old Town Square. What seemed like a quiet night soon turned into thousands of people gathering around a rather unusual clock on the side of an ornate building. Not being comfortable in deep crowds we felt a little unsettled, so positioned ourselves back against a storefront, effectively trapping us behind the deepest part of the gathering crowd. Here we were joined by many families with young children and found people were friendly, unhurried, and calm - readily letting others through the throng as the crowd settled for midnight and making room for everyone.

As midnight struck the crowds cheered, with numerous bottles of champagne and prosecco being uncorked and poured. Families had come together with picnics to celebrate what had to be the most polite and reassuring New Year we have ever experienced away from home. Over the next 30 minutes, we relaxed, surrounded by people celebrating the arrival of 2025. Shortly after, the crowd began to disperse yet the feeling of calm remained. People were happy, having fun, and respectful.

As we had landed with little time to spare, dinner was at 2.30am in the nearby burger bar, followed by ice cream and wine! Our hotel delayed breakfast until noon so visitors could recover from the night before, and we took full advantage of the extra time to sleep. Booking a three-night stay in Prague meant we had time to explore the area further. We spent time browsing the Christmas markets, taking a night-time riverboat ride, visiting the famous Slivovitz Museum for a little plum brandy, and spending one morning in the Sex Toy Museum...

With so many sights to see, including the Charles Bridge, the Franz Kafka Museum, and St. Vitus Cathedral, you might need a few more days to get around it all. We had to be back for work so waved goodbye to Prague on the 4th of January, promising to return soon.