September 2025: Everything you need to know this month in Czechia

The 2025–26 academic school year begins on Monday, Sept. 1, across all elementary schools, secondary schools, conservatories, and art schools. First-grade students are typically welcomed with a short ceremony, while older pupils attend a brief orientation before lessons begin on the second day. University starting dates vary wildly, between late August and early October, and depend on the institution itself.

An amendment to the Education Act will come into force in full at the start of the month, introducing several key changes. Legal guardians must now apply for a postponement of compulsory school attendance at the time of enrolment, and schools are no longer required to inform them of this option. The change also sets new dates for registration and information transfer between kindergartens and primary schools, tightens the rules for granting postponements, and allows verbal assessment instead of grades.

Sunday, Sept. 28, will see Czechia celebrate the public holiday of St. Václav (Wenceslas) and Czech Statehood Day, which will see many changes to day-to-day business and cultural operations in the country. Shoppers will only have access to small shops for their groceries; stores over 200 square meters in size will need to close by law. Unfortunately, Czechia doesn’t use the “sliding holiday” (or “day off in lieu”) standard that allows for a Monday off when a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday.

Sept. 28 also marks the Open Day of the Ministry of Culture, which opens the doors of the Nostitz Palace to visitors and welcomes both adults and children with a host of special programs. The Ministry of Finance and the Straka Academy are also open.

Czechia’s general election on Oct. 3-4 will mean that intense political campaigning will come to a climax in the last week of September. The incumbent Spolu (Together) coalition, headed by Prime Minister Petr Fiala, is seeking re-election, while opposition populist party ANO seeks to repeat its 2017 election success. ANO is comfortably ahead in the polls and favorite to win. People living abroad have until Oct. 1 to apply for a postal vote in person.

Fines for traveling without a ticket will skyrocket by 50 percent. Starting Sept. 1 this year, passengers caught without a valid ticket will face a fine of CZK 1,500 if paid on the spot or within 15 days, up from CZK 1,000. Late payments will increase to CZK 2,000, then accrue interest.

Beginning Sept. 1, the Czech Republic’s toll road network will be expanded to include the newly opened 9.51-kilometer bypass on the I/34 near Lišov, south of České Budějovice. The I/34 is a key first-class road linking České Budějovice, Třeboň, Jindřichův Hradec, and Svitavy, while the D6 motorway runs west from Prague toward Karlovy Vary and Cheb, continuing on to the German border.

Prague’s public transport services will return to their regular schedules at the start of September following the summer break. However, be aware that some bus routes and new school buses will cause additional changes in the region. Check and plan your journey on the English-friendly Prague Public Transport Company (DPP) site.

From Sept. 1, until further notice (approximately one year), bus lines 348, 351, 471, and 658 in Neratovice are temporarily rerouted due to one-way street changes and new parking. Selected trips on lines 351 and 658 via Neratovice, III. ZŠ toward Neratovice, Žel.st., bypass the Kojetická stop, with a new Školní stop added on Bratří Čapků Street near line 479.

In better news, from Sept. 18, tram lines 10, 11, 16, 91, and 98 will no longer be affected by the westbound Želivského stop moving to a separate platform along Vinohradská Street (Prague 3). You can periodically check for disruption, along with specific details, on this section of the DPP site.

The National Theatre in Prague will enter its 143rd season in September 2025. It will prepare several premieres for its 2025-26 season, and it will offer over 50 productions in its repertoire. Other theaters will also launch their annual seasons. Check out our guide to English-friendly theaters in Prague.

On Sunday, Sept. 7, people in Czechia can witness a rare total lunar eclipse, the first in over six years, when the Moon turns a vivid brick-red. The event begins at 7:30 p.m., but the best views will be from 8:30 p.m. as the fully eclipsed Moon rises low in the east, the Institute of Physics in Opava reported. The total phase lasts 1 hour 22 minutes 6 seconds, ending at 9:56 p.m. Ideal viewing requires an open eastern horizon; Saturn and Neptune will also be visible.

September sees the peak of the grape harvest season (vinobraní); people in the Czech capital have a range of wine festivals to visit, such as the Prague Castle Wine Harvest in the Royal Garden (Sept. 6–7), Vinohrady Wine Festival at Mahlerovy sady (Sept. 12–13), St. Claire’s Vineyard Festival at the Botanical Garden in Troja (Sept. 13–14), and St. Wenceslas Wine Festival at Villa Richter (Sept. 27).