Fashion and Shopping
There are loads of shops for tourists in Prague, and you can buy everything from Bohemian crystal through to soccer shirts from the capital’s biggest teams. The road between Charles Bridge and Old Town Square is notorious for these types of shops, but if you turn off this road, you’ll find the same gifts at a much lower price. In fact, for any good souvenirs, you will have to head away from the more touristy areas of the city. You could also try the street vendors, as they have some excellent souvenirs to buy – they are particularly noticeable around the Charles Bridge area.
One of the most popular souvenirs to buy in Prague are paintings, and these allow you to remember Prague in a perfect way. Tourists should not buy the furry hats and Matryoshka dolls, though, as they are nothing to do with Prague – they are actually Russian, and the sellers are simply hoping to dupe unsuspecting tourists.
Pařížská (Paris Street) is the most upmarket place to go for your shopping needs, much like Fifth Avenue in NYC. You’ll find loads of boutique stores here selling the height of fashion, such as Acne, Miu Miu and Chloe, and flagship stores for some huge names like Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Prada. Two other stores well worth a visit are Simple Concept Store and Obsession, with the latter selling clothes and accessories from Stella McCartney, Jill Sander, Victor, and Rolf.
One of the most popular fashion items to buy in Prague is accessories, and many places are selling these. You’ll be able to find bags, watches and sunglasses throughout the city and especially in the Old Town. It is here you’ll find boutiques belonging to some significant Czech fashion names, such as Klára Nademlýnská, Tatiana, Jozef Sloboda, Navarila-Design, Timeure Et Group, Bohème, Ivana Follová and Hana Havelková.
One of the most magical times to come shopping in Prague is during December, when the squares in the city play host to a number of different Christmas markets. You’ll find everything from arts, crafts, food and Prague souvenirs here, and it is a great place to get something really unique to take home with you.
If you are looking for larger shopping malls in Prague, there are a number to choose from. It would be best if you first headed to “Na Příkopě” street – one of the most expensive streets in the world in terms of property price – as you will find two shopping malls here: Cerna Ruze (Black Rose) and Palac Myslbek. Both of these have loads of shops in them and offer loads of things to buy.
For souvenir shops, head to the historical centre of Prague, more specifically the areas of Wenceslas Square, Prague Castle and Old Town Square. You’ll find Bohemian crystal here, as well as garnet jewellery, which is a really common thing to buy in Prague. The stones are gathered near Turnov and are all produced by the same company, Granat Turnov. You should make sure you get a certificate of authenticity with any purchase, so you know that you’re buying a genuine article.
