The centre of Prague is increasingly given over to shiny new shopping centres, which are full of international high-street chains. In addition large malls now ring the city centre. A sizeable number of international designers have set up shop along the posher avenues, but a number of Czech designers have made their mark. Service has improved markedly since the early post-Communist days of grumpy state-employed assistants who seemed to resent your presence in their establishments.
Shopping Areas
The best shopping is generally to be found in Staré and Nové Město, although some of the outlying districts now have huge shopping centres. The main commercial streets of central Prague, with dependably long hours all year round, are Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí) and Na příkopě. If you are looking for expensive international fashion then head for Pařížská, which runs off Old Town Square.
Some of the small streets in the Old Town, such as V Kolkovně, Dušní, Týnská and Panská, have a number of exciting and unusual boutiques. The Týn Courtyard near Old Town Square also has numerous little shops that are worth exploring, as do the backstreets of Malá Strana. If you are looking for a department store try either Kotva on náměstí Republiky, or Marks and Spencer in the Palladium shopping centre opposite.
Bohemian glass
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What to Buy
Czech souvenirs
There are a number of locally produced items that are worth looking out for. You will not be able to avoid Bohemian glass and china, held in high esteem throughout the world because of their quality and value for money. New items from major manufacturers are still excellent (try Moser at Staroměstské námestí, or for more contemporary styles Artěl at Celetná 29), but now it’s almost impossible to find a good deal in antiques shops. Antiques dealers have become wise to the foreign market for their wares and have altered their prices accordingly.
If you’re looking for something typically Bohemian to take home as a gift, a bottle of the herbal liqueur Becherovka or some Slivovice is a good idea. Fruity wines from Bohemia and Moravia will also be appreciated. Wooden toys and marionettes make excellent gift items for children. These can be found in Obchod Loutkami at Nerudova 47.
Street vendors – concentrated in Hradčany and on the Charles Bridge – sell handmade goods, such as marionettes and costume jewellery, as well as items of dubious use and value, such as refrigerator magnets depicting famous Prague sights.
Designer ceramics at Kubista
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Music
Classical music CDs, especially those of Czech music from the record label Supraphon, are cheaper than in the UK or US. The performances, by superb Czech ensembles and musicians, are always good and often thrilling. Also look out for recordings by local jazz and experimental rock musicians. One of the best places to find classical and contemporary music is the large Bontonland Megastore in the basement of the Koruna Building on the corner of Wenceslas Square. A good range of classical CDs can also be found at Via Musica on Staroměstské námestí.
Fashion
Although Prague seems overwhelmed by international chains and designers, local fashion by Prague designers can be found and their clothes are often interesting and well made. In the Old Town there are a number of interesting places. Klára Nademlýnská’s sexy and fashionable clothes can be had at Dlouhá 3, while, nextdoor but sharing the same address, Beáta Rajská embodies elegance in her luxury designs. One of the most interesting places is Hard-de-Core (Senovážné námestí 10), the brainchild of inspired designers Josefina Bakošová and Petra Krčková. This is not just a fashion shop but an institution stocking jewellery, ceramics and other handmade designs not to be found anywhere else. The owners will also design your party decorations and are happy to teach you some of their skills.
Design duo
Kubista and Modernista are not only two of the most chic design boutiques in Prague but they also offer some of the best and most unusual souvenirs of your visit. Both capitalise on Prague’s extraordinary outpouring of cutting-edge design during the first half of the 20th century. The first (Ovocný trh 19; tel: 224 236 378; www.kubista.cz; Tue–Sun 10am–6pm), not surprisingly, concentrates on superb reproductions of Czech Cubist works, including ceramics and furniture, as well as selling a number of original pieces. Fittingly, it is located in the Cubist House of the Black Madonna, as is Modernista (tel: 224 241 300; www.modernista.cz; Tue–Sun 10am–6pm), which by contrast, concentrates on slightly later works with reproductions of pieces by Adolf Loos and Functionalist designers.