Prague Travel Guide
Shopping in the Czech Republic

It’s nearly impossible to remember that this country was an empty-shelved shopper’s nightmare only a decade ago. Capitalism has arrived! Upscale shops cater to foreign visitors, department stores offer something for everyone, while glass and porcelain vendors won’t let you escape their attention. Be sure to take home a piece or two of that famous Bohemian crystal or maybe some elaborate
marionettes for the kids.

Antiques
Art galleries
Department stores
Bookstores
Markets
Shopping areas
Unusual shops


ANTIQUES

Antique shops are located all around Prague, including several choice locations along Parizska Street (near Old Town Square on the
way toward the Jewish Quarter).

Jan Hunek Starozitnosti is especially noted for fine 18th-and 19th-century Czech crystal and glass. Open daily 10 am-6 pm. Parizka
1, Prague 1, phone/fax 232-3604.

Antikvariat Galerie Mustek. Antique books, graphics and maps. Monday-Friday 10 am-6 pm and Saturday 11 am-2 pm. Ulice 28
Rijna 13, Prague 1, phone 268-058, fax 2423-0041.

Antikvariat U Karlova Mostu. Antique books, prints and maps. Near Charles Bridge. Monday-Friday 10 am-6 pm, Saturday 11 am-4
pm. Karlova 2, Prague 1, phone 262-186, phone/fax 2422-9205.

ART GALLERIES

Galerie MXM. One of the oldest private galleries, featuring 18 Czech artists. Previous exhibitions have shown works by Petr Nikl, Jiri
David, Jan Merta, Stanislav Divis and Martin Mainer. Tuesday-Sunday noon-6 pm. Near Malostranska Metro. Nosticova 6, Prague 1,
phone/fax 531-564.

Galerie Rob Van Den Doel. Contemporary glass art. Dutchman Van Den Doel has exhibited Czech artists in the Hague for years.
Ales Klemper displays his work at this site, too. Tuesday-Sunday 11 am-5 pm. Jansky Vrsek 15, Prague 1, phone 53-82-57.

Galerie Genia Loci. Italian, German and Czech furniture designers. Also has a permanent exhibition and sale of glass, porcelain,
wood, graphics and photos featuring works by Borek Sipek. Monday-Friday 10 am-6 pm. Ujezd 11, Prague 5, phone/fax 539-468.

BEST DEPARTMENT STORES

Kotva. One of Prague’s first department stores, Kotva carries men’s and women’s fashions, perfumes and cosmetics. Stop by the
section selling crystal and by the well-stocked sporting goods section. Monday-Friday 9 am-8 pm, Saturday and Sunday 9 am-6 pm.
Namesti Republiky 8, Prague 1, phone 2480-1111.

Krone. Located right on Wenceslas Square, Krone has a little of everything: toiletries, clothing, shoes, electronic appliances, blank
cassettes and batteries. The folk-style ceramic and pottery items are reasonably priced. Open Monday-Friday 9 am-8 pm, Saturday 9
am-7 pm, Sunday 10 am-6 pm. Vaclavske Namesti 21, Prague 1, phone 2423-0477.

Tesco. Formerly a K-Mart, Tesco operates four floors with just about everything that can be sold. Large and usually crowded grocery
store with many U.S. and other foreign items in the basement. Tesco opens Monday-Friday 8 am-8 pm, Saturday 9 am-6 pm, Sunday
10 am-6 pm. Grocery store hours: Monday-Friday 7 am-8 pm, Saturday 8 am-6 pm, Sunday 9 am-6 pm. Narodni Trida 26 (Line B
Metro), phone 2200-3111.

BOOKSTORES

U Knihomola. The city’s largest selection of literature published in English. Art gallery and bistro within the store. Monday-Thursday
10 am-11 pm, Friday-Saturday 10 am-midnight, Sunday 10 am-8 pm. Near Jiriho z Podebrad Metro (Line A). Manesova 79, Prague 2,
phone 627-7770, fax 627-7769, e-mail zazie@terminal.cz. See also their Web page: http://www.knihomol.cz.

Foreign Language Bookstore (Cizojazycne Literatura). Good selection of English-language paperbacks and foreign-language
dictionaries. Nice selection of books about Prague in English. Monday-Friday 9 am-7 pm, Saturday 10 am-6 pm, Sunday 10 am-6 pm.
In the city center at Na Prikope 27, Prague 1, phone 262-837.

The Globe Bookstore. A large stock of English-language used books and a variety of new local favorites, too. Several chairs are
scattered around as a reading room. In the adjacent room, The Globe offers a coffeehouse with good cappuccinos and veggie-style
food. Open daily 10 am-midnight. Janovskeho 14, Prague 7, phone/fax 6671-2610.

MARKETS

Old Town Market (Stare Mesto Market). Fruits and vegetables, flowers, wooden toys and delightful ceramic pieces. You can also
purchase household items from these vendors in their canopied stalls. Monday-Friday 8 am-6 pm, weekends 8 am-1 pm. Between
Mustek and Old Town Square in the center. Havelska, Prague 1.

SHOPPING AREAS

Parizska Street. Leading from Old Town Square toward the Vltava River, with buildings patterned after those in Paris, it boasts
name-brand shops—Christian Dior, Pringle of Scotland, Francesa Lecca and a wonderful leather shop called Belt. Karlovarsky
Porcelain, at Parizska 2, has a wide selection of Karlovy Vary porcelain and Bohemian glass and crystal with a shipping service.
Monday-Friday 9 am-7 pm. Phone/fax 2481-1023.

The Pavilion Shopping Mall (Pavilon Vinohradska Trznice). Prague’s first venture into the world of enclosed multiple-shop malls
opened in 1994 with more than 60 shops and boutiques, including Lacoste, Freemens of London, Body Basics, Levi’s Iasmir, Bohemia
Art & Design. Monday-Saturday 9:30 am-9 pm, Sunday noon-6 pm. Vinohradska Trznice, Vinohradska 50, Prague 1.

Koruna Place, on the corner of Wenceslas Square and Na Prikope, boasts impressive gray marble, glass and chrome in its interior.
It’s headquarters to such retailers as Swatch, Daniel Hecter, Fratelli Rosetti, Serchio Tachnini, Oillily children’s wear, Big Star Jeans,
Bruno Magli shoes and Body Basics, as well as what may be the world’s largest Dunkin’ Donuts.

Mappin & Webb carries exclusive gifts, watches, clocks, silver, jewelry and porcelain. Monday-Friday 10 am-7 pm, Sunday 10 am-5
pm. Near Old Town Square, Karlova 27/144, Male Namesti, Prague 1, phone 2423-7075.

UNIQUE OR UNUSUAL

Czech garnets—those sparkly red semiprecious stones—gleam in store windows all around Prague. A reputable shop with a good
selection is Granat, open Monday-Friday 10 am-5 pm, Saturday 10 am-1 pm. Near Namesti Republiky Metro, Dlouha 30, Prague 1,
phone 231-5612.

Costume jewelry is popular in the Czech Republic, and one of the best shops in which to make your purchases is Royal Bijou. Daily
10 am-7 pm. Located in the city center at Na Prikope 12, Prague 1, phone 2421-0552.

Bata shoes are world famous. Originally manufactured in Czechoslovakia by the Bata family, the base of operations was moved to
Canada after World War II. Back home after a 40-year exile, Bata displays its own well-made shoes and European imports in a
five-floor store at the base of Wenceslas Square near Mustek. Open Monday-Friday 9 am-8 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 am-6 pm.
Vaclavske Namesti 6, Prague 1, phone 2421-8133.

Moser offers exquisite crystal. Monday-Friday 10 am-7 pm, Saturday 10 am-6 pm, Sunday 10 am-4 pm. Male Namesti 11, phone
2161-1520, fax 2161-1527.

Sklo Bohemia Svetla nad Sazavou offers less expensive Bohemian glass. Monday-Saturday 1-6 pm. Na Prikope 17, phone
2421-1669.

Cesky Porcelain. The original blue-onion-pattern china. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9 am-6 pm, Thursday 1-6 pm,
Saturday 9 am-1 pm. The factory shop is in the center not far from Mustek. Perlova 1/412, Prague 1, phone/fax 2421-0955.

Krasna Jizba. Czech folk crafts, such as cornhusk dolls and the wooden toys you see advertised everywhere, as well as furniture and
colorful fabrics. Monday-Friday 9 am-7 pm and Saturday 9 am-5 pm. Narodni 36, Prague 1, phone 2494-6677.

Bontonland. One of Prague’s largest selections of CDs and tapes. Wenceslas Square 1, phone 2423-5356.

Trio. Excellent in-depth source for CDs by classical Czech composers as well as works by other composers. Knowledgeable staff.
Music from this site (“Kafka’s House”) flows into Old Town Square. U Radnice 5, phone 232-2583. 

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