Shopping in Czech Republic
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Golden Lane
Golden Lane is a picturesque, cobbled alley running along the northern wall of the castle. Its tiny, colourful cottages were built in the 16th century for the sharpshooters of the castle guard, but were later used by goldsmiths. In the 18th and 19th centuries they were occupied by squatters, and then by artists, including the writer Franz Kafka (who stayed at his sister’s house at No 22 from 1916 to 1917) and the Nobel-laureate poet Jaroslav Seifert. Today, the lane is an overcrowded tourist trap lined with craft and souvenir shops. At its eastern end is the Daliborka, a round tower named after the knight Dalibor of Kozojedy, imprisoned here in 1498 for supporting a pea…
reviewed
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Bric a Brac
Hidden up a narrow lane behind the Týn church, this is a wonderfully cluttered cave of old household items and glassware and toys and apothecary jars and 1940s leather jackets and cigar boxes and typewriters and stringed instruments and… Despite the junky look of the place, the knick-knacks are surprisingly expensive; there are two ‘showrooms’, a small one on Týnská, and a larger one in a nearby courtyard (follow the signs), and the affable Serbian owner can give you a guided tour around every piece in his extensive collection.
reviewed
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Toalette
Urban 20-somethings in particular will be delighted by these carefully selected secondhand clothes and accessories, which still have plenty of fashionable mileage in them. Some new designs are found on the dressmakers' dummies on the shopfloor.
reviewed
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Antique Music Instruments
It may not get the prize for most inventive shop name, but this place is a real treasure-trove of vintage stringed instruments. You’ll find an interesting stock of antique violins, violas and cellos dating from the 18th century to the mid-20th century, as well as bows, cases and other musical accessories. In the same premises you’ll find the Icon Gallery, a luminous collection of Russian and Eastern European religious icons, as well as lots of other decorative objets d’art, watches, porcelain and Art Nouveau glassware.
reviewed
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Nový Smíchov
Nový Smíchov is a vast shopping centre that occupies an area the size of several city blocks. It’s an airy, well-designed space with plenty of fashion boutiques and niche-market stores – for example, you could check out Profimed, which has all the dental-care products you never knew you needed. Besides all the big brand names, there’s also a large computer store, a food court, a virtual games hall, a bowling alley, a 12-screen multiplex cinema and a huge, well-stocked Tesco hypermarket.
reviewed
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Kebab
The coolest streetwear boutique in Prague is notable for its stylish but humorous interior, courtesy of designer Maxim Velčoský (creator of the famous 'Pure' barcoded ceramic tumbler resembling disposable plastic cups). Quirkily customised animal trophies are joined by a shelving area resembling laundromat washing machines, saucy retro beach scenes adorn the curtains of the changing rooms and much more. Clothes by young Czech designers sit alongside brands from Spain, France, and the UK and US.
reviewed
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Vinohradský Pavilon
Housed in a lovingly restored 1902 market pavilion, this small but searingly trendy mall – completely refurbished in 2006 – has three floors of brand-name boutiques (including Tommy Hilfiger, Sergio Tacchini, La Perla), Sony electronics, jewellery, shoes and household goods. There’s a very good café on the ground floor run by the Ambiente local restaurant group. Oh, and it has that obligatory adjunct to all Prague shopping malls – there’s a supermarket located in the basement.
reviewed
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Hudy Sport
One of the half-dozen branches of this nationwide chain of stores, Hudy Sport provides reasonably priced equipment for hiking, climbing, camping and other outdoor activities and pursuits. There is a good selection of boots, backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, waterproofs and the like, as well as more specialist gear such as crampons, ice axes and climbing ropes. There are seven branches in the city, including another central one at Na Perštýné 14.
reviewed
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Pražská Tržnice
Almost a suburb in itself, Prague’s sprawling, slightly depressing city market includes a large open-air area selling fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers, large covered halls housing supermarkets, electrical goods and car accessories, and dozens of stalls selling everything from cheap clothes to garden gnomes. In the eastern part of the market are several antiques warehouses, some of which look like they have emptied a baroque palace or two.
reviewed
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Qubus
This small design studio looks more impressive online than in the flesh, but Qubus – run by leading Czech designers Maxim Velčoský and Jakon Berdych – is worth a visit if you’re interested in cutting-edge household accessories ranging from ‘liquid lights’ (lamps in the form of tear drops) to crystal wine glasses in the shape of disposable plastic cups. Whatever floats your avant-garde boat…
reviewed
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Moser
One of the most exclusive and highly respected of Bohemian glass makers, Moser was founded in Karlovy Vary in 1857 and is famous for its rich and flamboyant designs. The shop on Na Příkopě is worth a browse as much for the décor as for the goods – it’s in a magnificently decorated, originally Gothic building called the House of the Black Rose (dům U černé růže).
reviewed
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Tesco
Right above the metro and beside one of the city's busiest tram stops, this five-storey monolith is no mere retail outlet. Oh, no. It's a cultural phenomenon, too, as all Prague expat life seems to sashay down its aisles at some point. Indeed, they all seem to be milling around the basement supermarket – together – whenever you have to dash for a few late-night supplies and find yourself behind a lengthy queue.
reviewed
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Shakespeare & Sons
Though its shelves groan with a formidable range of literature in English, both new and second-hand, Shakes is more than a bookshop – it’s a congenial literary hangout, with a cosy café that regularly hosts poetry readings, author events and live jazz. Here you can buy magazines, such as the New York Review of Books, Harper’s and Atlantic Monthly, and settle down for a read over coffee and cakes.
reviewed
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Baťa
Established by Tomáš Baťa in 1894, the Baťa footwear empire is still in family hands and is one of the Czech Republic’s most successful companies. The flagship store on Wenceslas Square, built in the 1920s, is considered a masterpiece of modern architecture, and houses six floors of shoes (including international brands such as Nike, Salomon and Cat, as well as Baťa’s own), handbags, luggage and leather goods.
reviewed
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Houpací Kůň
The ‘Rocking Horse’ toy shop houses a collection of carved wooden folk dolls, old 1950s wind-up tractors, toy cars and – surprise – even a couple of rocking horses. There are quality toys and art supplies you won’t find anywhere else in Prague, but for a typically Czech souvenir look out for the famous and ubiquitous Little Mole character, available here in several guises.
reviewed
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Modernista
Modernista is an elegant gallery specialising in reproduction 20th-century furniture in classic styles ranging from Art Deco and Cubist to functionalist and Bauhaus. Its collection includes those sensuously curved chairs by Jindřích Halabala that are a feature of the Icon Hotel and an unusual chaise longue by Adolf Loos, a copy of the one you can see in the drawing room of the Villa Müller.
reviewed
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Manufaktura
There are several Manufaktura outlets across town, but this small branch right near Charles Bridge seems to keep its trim inventory especially enticing. You'll find great Czech wooden toys, beautiful-looking (if extremely chewy) honey gingerbread made from elaborate medieval moulds, and seasonal gifts like charming hand-painted Easter eggs. The branch up the hill at Nerudova 31 specialises in cosmetics.
reviewed
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Pohádka
This store is sometimes beset by souvenir-hunting tour groups and it harbours matryoshky (Russian stacking dolls) - artefacts that have nothing to do with Prague, despite their annoying ubiquity. Surprisingly then, it's also a pretty good place to shop for genuine Czech toys, from cuddly Little Moles to marionettes, via costumed dolls, finger puppets, rocking horses, toy cars and more.
reviewed
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Pivní Galerie
If you think that Czech beer begins and ends with Pilsner Urquell, a visit to the tasting room at Pivní Galerie (the Beer Gallery) will soon lift the scales from your eyes. Here you can sample and purchase a huge range of Bohemian and Moravian beers – more than 180 varieties from 34 different breweries – with expert advice from the owner, who speaks both English and Swedish.
reviewed
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Globe Bookstore & Café
A popular hangout for book-loving expats, the Globe is a cosy English-language bookshop with an excellent cafe-bar in which to peruse your purchases. There’s a good range of new fiction and nonfiction, as well as a big selection of second-hand novels, newspapers, magazines and – a first for Prague – a dedicated gay, lesbian and transgender section with literature in English, German and Czech.
reviewed
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Klara Nademlýnská
Klara Nademlýnská is one of the Czech Republic’s top fashion designers, having trained in Prague and worked for almost a decade in Paris. Her clothes are characterised by clean lines, simple styling and quality materials, making for a very wearable range that covers the spectrum from swimwear to evening-wear via jeans, halter tops, colourful blouses and sharply styled suits.
reviewed
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Le Patio Lifestyle
There are lots of high-quality household accessories here, from wrought-iron chairs and lamps forged by Bohemian blacksmiths to scented wooden chests made by Indian carpenters. Plus you’ll find funky earthenware plant pots, chunky crystal wine glasses in contemporary designs, and many more tempting items that you just know will fit into your already crammed suitcase…
reviewed
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Palác Flóra
You could be anywhere in the capitalist world in this shiny, glittering shrine to consumerism. Slick cafés share floor space with girly emporia of tiny T-shirts, sparkly make-up and globalised brand names (Hilfiger, Sergio Tacchini, Nokia, Puma, Lacoste, Guess, Diesel, Apple), a full food court, an eight-screen multiplex and an IMAX cinema that keep the crowds coming in the evenings.
reviewed
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Vetešnictvi
This is an Aladdin’s cave of second-hand goods, bric-a-brac and junk with, in all likelihood, some genuine antiques for those who know what they’re looking for. There’s affordable stuff for all, from communist-era lapel pins, medals, postcards, old beer mugs and toys to crystal, shot glasses, porcelain, china, pipes and spa cups, all presided over by a bust of Lenin.
reviewed
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Material
Material puts a modern twist on the Czech crystal industry, with its oversized contemporary vases, bowls and Dale Chihuly-like ornaments, candleholders, chandeliers and glasses. The firm boasts its 'drunken sailor' glass is spill-proof. Yet, despite well-spaced displays, it's a store where you immediately fear breaking something - and when you check the prices you realise you should!
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