The Czech Republic’s biggest funfair Matějská pouť opens its gates at Prague’s exhibition grounds in Holešovice on Saturday, February 25.
Originally a pilgrimage to the nearby church of St Matthew, the fair now offers some 115 attractions including a giant water slide, a 55-meter Ferris wheel, bumper cars and shooting galleries.
In the past years, Matějská pouť attracted between 100,000 and 200,000 visitors annually. The highest attendance, over 215,000 visitors, was recorded in 2011.
A little bit of history
The tradition of the amusement park is pretty interesting because it’s not just about having fun and killing some free time. The history goes back to the 16th century and it’s linked to pilgrimage celebrations of St. Matthew’s holiday, happening on the 24th of February.
The fair was first located in Dejvice and traveled all around Prague, until 1960, when it took place in Výstaviště and it hasn’t changed since.
Ride or die!
The most famous piece of the whole park is the roller coaster Cyclon, but let’s be honest, no one can be fully satisfied after riding just this one, so my recommendation is – when you try all the dangerously looking attractions and feel like throwing up after eating a whole bag of cotton candy – this is your time to hop on. Just to make sure you really can’t take anymore.
If you consider yourself to be an adrenaline lover, be prepared for Booster. After a while of going upside down and spinning, you won’t even know which direction is the ground and whether you have all parts of your clothes, but the fun is worth it. Another good white-knuckle is catapult Bungee. I will let you guess what is this one about.
If you happen to be in one piece after trying out these guys, you can cool off on one of the more classical attractions, such as the Ferris wheel, Shooting range, or the Scary House.
There’s a lot more to see and try, the whole place has 120 rides and also nice spots with candy and fast food.
Where? When? How much?
Matějská pouť is very easily accessible going by tram number 1, 12, 17, 24, 53, or 54 to the Výstaviště station. When you get off the tram it only takes about 5 minutes walk to get to the front gate. You can also travel by metro going to station Nádraží Holešovice which is on the red line “C” and take a tram from
there.
