Prague may not exactly be a shopping destination, but rare items and great deals await. Staré Město is a bastion of touristy shops selling overpriced Bohemian crystal, marionettes, and all sorts of souvenirs. This is where you can pick up one of those cheesy “Czech Drinking Team” T-shirts, the obligatory uniform of many a foreign tourist. Wenceslas Sq. is home to huge international chain stores, while Pařížská, which connects Josefov and Staré Město, is the most expensive street in Prague, famous for its high-end designer shops. Handmade clothes and accessories from Czech designers can be found in a few stores around the center, while some of the more residential areas hold rare communist artifacts and other antiques. There’s a handful of Western-style malls; the closest ones are in Staré Město and Smíchov. There are also plenty of good bookstores, and even the lesser-known ones tend to be well stocked with English-language classics from bigname Czech authors like Hašek, Hrabal, Kafka, and Kundera. Then there are the quirky places, like a witch store near Náměstí Míru or the hat shop in Malá Strana. And let’s not forget about the Prague Market in Holešovice, the city’s largest marketplace, where you can get everything from cheap clothes to swords.
As in any city, bargain-hunting in Prague centers around secondhand stores and markets where prices can be negotiated. The best of all these can be found in Holešovická Tržnice (Prague Market) in Holešovice. You can get literally anything here, though recognize that as an English-language bargainer, you will have to haggle down vendors who think you have no idea how much anything is worth. If you go in with a strong idea of prices and an iron will, however, you should come out with great deals.
Parazit
STARÉ MĚSTO
Karlova 25
603 561 776; www.parazit.cz
An amazing find in any city, Parazit has more outrageous, oneof-a-kind wardrobe pieces than a Tim Burton nightmare. Every item is handmade by Czech and Slovak designers and design students. There are definitely more options for women, but men can find a few original T-shirts. If you don’t want to spend much, take a look at the huge selection of accessories, diaries, and other bric-a-brac that are sold alongside the clothes.
A: Staroměstská. From Old Town Sq., head toward Charles Bridge on Karlova. The shop is in a courtyard on the right. 
Shirts 420-1000Kč. Dresses from 1500Kč. Bags from 500Kč. Cash only. 
Open M-Sa 11am-8pm.
Julius Fashion
NOVÉ MĚSTO
Ostrovní 20
731 419 953; www.juliusfashion.com
Julius is very similar to Parazit in that it sells original handmade items by local designers, but the wares here tend to be a bit less crazy and more conventionally elegant. Nevertheless, you’ll still find a few outlandish items (handbags made from LPs, for instance). Check out the store’s online shop to get a sense of its wares.
B: Národní třída. Walk on Ostrovní toward the river. The shop is on the left. Accessories 100-500Kč. T-shirts 500-690Kč. Dresses 700-3000Kč. Open M-F 11am-7pm, Sa 11am-6pm.
STARÉ MĚSTO
Náměstí Republiky 1
225 770 250; www.palladiumpraha.cz
Enter this enormous Western-style mall, and you’re not in Old Town anymore—you could be anywhere. There’s a food court and plenty of stores selling clothing, books, electronics, beauty products, eyeglasses, and everything else you’d expect from a mall.
B: Náměstí Republiky. The mall is near the Metro exit. Shops open M-W 9am-9pm, Th-Sa 9am-10pm, Su 9am-9pm. Supermarket open M-F 7am-10pm, Sa-Su 8am-10pm.
Obchodní Centrum Nový Smíchov
SMÍCHOV
Plzeňská 8
251 101 061; www.novysmichov.eu
This giant mall boasts a Tesco, a Palace Cinemas multiplex (840 200 240; www.palacecinemas.cz), several coffee shops, clothing stores, a sporting-goods shop, and a food court. Much of downtown Smíchov is organized around this area. The mall may be a bit out of the way, but it’s very popular with locals.
C: Anděl. 1 block north of the Metro. To get here from Malá Strana, walk or take tram 12 or 20. Shops open daily 9am-9pm. Tesco open daily 7am-midnight.
Šatna (The Cloakroom)
STARÉ MĚSTO
Konviktská 13
777 030 415
Šatna is a tiny boutique with a large supply of secondhand leather jackets and men’s jeans in good condition as well as a few men’s shirts, shoes, and some blouses. It may not be exactly a bargain (especially for a secondhand store), but Šatna is definitely the pick of the litter.
B: Národní třída. From the station, head north on Spálená and continue as it becomes Na Perštýně. Curve around to the left and move onto Konviktská. Shirts 100-300Kč. Pants 200-500Kč. Jackets 300-400Kč. Cash only. Open M-F 11am-7pm, Sa 11am-6pm.
Shakespeare & Sons
MALÁ STRANA
U lužického semináře 10
257 531 894; www.shakes.cz
Shakespeare & Sons is our favorite bookstore in Prague, and not just because it sells Let’s Go. The bookstore boasts an impressive collection of fiction, comics, and social science books (mostly in English), as well as a cozy downstairs cellar that’s perfect for browsing, and tons of cheap used books. If you’re searching for your obligatory Kundera paperback, start here.
A: Malostranská. From the Metro, walk south parallel to the river and bear right on U lužického semináře. The store is on the right. Open daily 11am-7pm.
Globe Bookstore
NOVÉ MĚSTO
Pštrossova 6
224 934 203; www.globebookstore.cz
Attached to a cafe with the same name, the Globe caters specifically to American and British expats looking for literary enlightenment in Prague. The store features an expansive collection of English-language literature, travel guides, and general-interest books, while the cafe hosts cultural events, such as readings or film screenings.
B: Karlovo náměstí. From the Metro, take Resslova toward the river and then turn right on Na Zderaze, which becomes Pštrossova; the cafe is on the right. Open daily 9:30am-11pm.
Big Ben Bookstore
STARÉ MĚSTO
Malá Štupartská 5
224 826 559; www.bigbenbookshop.com
This cute little bookshop, located across from St. James Cathedral, offers travelers a solid literary outlet in the middle of the Old Town. Despite its small size, Big Ben has enough literature and travel guides to warrant a look. Stop by in June during the Prague Writers’ Festival (see Arts and Culture: Festivals) for book signings by visiting authors.
From Old Town Sq., take Týnska east, continuing straight through the courtyard as it turns into Týn. Take a left when the courtyard lets out at Malá Štupartská. Open M-Sa 9:30am-8pm, Su 11am-7pm.
Bazar
HOLEŠOVICE
Přístavní 18
Antique shopping in Prague isn’t the expensive hipster affair that it is in the States, but there are a bunch of places where you can pick up your First Republic-era bottle opener or Communist-era hat. Bazar is a great place to start your hunt for such objects—the one large room has enough objects to satisfy your inner hoarder. The wares here include war knives, old pocket watches, Art Deco relics, and much more. Look carefully in the store window too—some of the best stuff is not visible from inside the store.
C: Vltavská. From the Metro, take tram 1, 3, 5, or 25 or walk along the tram tracks 3 stops to Dělnická. After 1 more block, Bazar will be on the corner to the left. Prices negotiable. Cash only. Open M-F 11am-12:30pm and 1:30-4:30pm.
Vetešnictví
MALÁ STRANA
Vítězná 16
257 310 611
Walking around Vetešnictví feels like snooping through somebody’s attic, with many strangely personal, flimsy, and useless objects, but here and there you’ll discover an actual hidden gem. Even if you don’t intend to buy anything, take a few minutes to wander around—it’s strangely educational.
A: Malostranská. From the Metro, walk or take tram 12, 20, or 22 to Újezd. Walk toward the river on Vítězná. Antiques 10-10,000Kč. Cash only. Open M-F 10am-6pm, Sa 10am-noon.
Holešovická Tržnice (Prague Market)
HOLEŠOVICE
Bubenské nábřeží
220 800 592; www.holesovickatrznice.cz
Dozens of clothes vendors, furniture salesmen, food peddlers, and other entrepreneurial-minded gentlemen and women call this market home. Housed in a warehouse complex on the bank of the Vltava, Prague Market is the largest market in town and the perfect place to hunt for bargains on manufactured goods. A sampling of what’s for sale: clothes, bags, toys, smokeless cigarettes, swords, ice cream. Bargaining languages are Czech, English, and Vietnamese.
C: Vltavská. From the station, take tram 1, 3, 5, or 25 or walk along the tracks on Bubenské nábřeží for 1 stop to Pražská Tržnice (Prague Market). Prices negotiable. Hours vary by vendor, roughly 7am-9pm.
In the last weeks of November, the people of Prague begin to bask in festivity and holiday cheer as the annual Christmas markets roll in. The markets are open from morning until late evening, seven days a week. Don’t expect any extraordinary seasonal products, though: there are some nifty stocking stuffers like candles, toys, and ornaments, but those can be bought year-round. The tradition is more about the atmosphere than the actual shopping. If you visit Old Town Sq. or Wenceslas Sq. in the city center, a dazzling spectacle of dozens of street shops, glimmering Christmas lights, and a bustling crowd will surely get you into the holiday spirit. Throw in some traditional Czech cuisine and a glass of mulled wine (svařené víno) and you’ll want to spend every Christmas in Prague.
Farmers’ Markets
NOVÉ MĚSTO, JOSEFOV
Locations vary
On most days of the week, there’s a farmers’ market happening in some part of Prague, selling not only local fruits and vegetables, but also fish, smoked meat, mushrooms, baskets, ceramics, flowers, beer, wine, and more. Some of the locations are a bit out of the way, but two are located on embankments not far from tourist areas—on Saturdays, there are markets at Rašínovo nábřeží (near the bridge connecting New Town with Smíchov), and on Thursdays, there are markets in Josefov, on the river bank between Hotel Intercontinental and a hospital. The markets are a great place to discover what the Czech countryside has to offer.
To get to Kubánské náměstí, take trams 6, 7, 19, 22, or 24: Kubánské náměstí. To get to Náměstí Jířího z Poděbrad, take Metro A or trams 10 or 16: Náměstí Jířího z Poděbrad. To get to Rašínovo nábřeží, take Metro B to Karlovo náměstí and walk toward the river. Dvořákovo nábřeží is just above Hotel Intercontinental in Josefov. Kubánské náměstí market open Tu 8am-6pm, Th 8am-6pm, Sa 8am-2pm. Náměstí Jířího z Poděbrad market open W 8am-6pm, Sa 8am-2pm. Rašínovo nábřeží market open Sa 8am-2pm. Dvořákovo nábřeží market open Th 8am-6pm.
STARÉ MĚSTO
Havelská
Just in case you haven’t noticed yet, there’s an open-air market in the city center, between Wenceslas and Old Town Squares. It sells fresh produce and, along with the much bigger Pražská Tržnice, is one of the only permanent marketplaces around central Prague.
A or B: Můstek. From Wenceslas Sq. walk on Na Můstku as it becomes Melantrichova. Generally open daily 7am-7pm.