St. Wenceslas Vineyard Harvest, Prague 2026 (Svatováclavské Vinobraní at Villa Richter)
Prague's oldest vineyard celebrates its patron saint's day each 28 September with a harvest festival on the slope directly below Prague Castle. Grape pressing, Czech wine tastings, and one of the best castle views in the city.
Svatováclavské vinobraní — the St. Wenceslas harvest festival — is held each year on 28 September, the feast day of St Wenceslas (Sv. Václav), patron saint of the Czech lands and of Czech viticulture. The 2026 edition falls on a Monday. It takes place on the Svatováclavská vinice (St. Wenceslas Vineyard), the small slope directly below Prague Castle where Czech viticulture is traditionally said to have begun in the 10th century.
What happens
Villa Richter, the restaurant and tasting venue on the vineyard site, hosts the festival. The vineyard's own grapes — mostly Pinot Noir and Riesling — are pressed during the event. Czech wineries set up tasting stalls along the terraces, alongside food vendors and live music. There is usually a procession or ceremonial element tied to St Wenceslas's feast day, and a small market of Czech wines you can take away.
Where it is
Svatováclavská vinice is on Staré zámecké schody (Old Castle Steps) on the south-east slope of Prague Castle, in Hradčany, Prague 1. The easiest approach is metro A to Malostranská then tram 22 or 23 up to Pražský hrad and walk down the steps to the vineyard entrance. The view from the upper terraces across the city — Charles Bridge, the Vltava, the red roofs of Malá Strana — is one of the best in Prague.
Practical tips
Because the festival is on a single day rather than a weekend, it gets busy. Buy any timed entry online via villarichter.cz if available rather than queuing on the day. Tasting glasses are sold at the entrance and you pay per pour at each stall — bring small notes. The slope is steep cobblestone in places; sensible shoes only. If 28 September is a weekday and weather looks poor, check Villa Richter's site for confirmation that the outdoor programme is running.
Why come
If the St. Clare's festival two weeks earlier is the local-Praguer harvest, this is the postcard one. The Prague Castle backdrop, the religious framing around St Wenceslas, and the small scale of the vineyard make it feel ceremonial in a way bigger Moravian harvest festivals don't. The wine programme is shorter than St. Clare's — fewer stalls, less variety — but the setting carries the day. For travellers, the combination of harvest festival and a guided castle visit makes a tight one-day Prague wine itinerary.
Verify before you go
Official sources: villarichter.cz (the venue) and prague.eu (Prague tourism portal). The festival programme is usually published a few weeks before 28 September each year — verify the on-the-day timetable before travelling.