Shopping in the
Czech Republic
Its nearly impossible to remember that
this country was an empty-shelved shoppers 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 wont 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 Pragues first department stores, Kotva carries mens and
womens 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 citys 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 shopsChristian 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). Pragues 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, Levis 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.
Its headquarters to such retailers as Swatch, Daniel Hecter, Fratelli Rosetti,
Serchio Tachnini, Oillily childrens wear, Big Star Jeans,
Bruno Magli shoes and Body Basics, as well as what may be the worlds 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 garnetsthose sparkly red semiprecious stonesgleam 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 Pragues 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 (Kafkas House) flows into Old Town Square. U
Radnice 5, phone 232-2583.
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