We will have 3 days to spend in Prague at the end of our Danube cruise in the beginning of June. Any suggestions for restaurants, purchases, or menu items will be greatly appreciated.

Forget about eating, etc just wear good walking shoes (the cobblestones are murder) and enjoy. Prague is a wonderful city just to wander in. My favourite time was to get up at dawn and go across the Charles bridge before it became full of tourists. One day catch a train to Karlstein, just a short ride out and shop for your crystal there and also some of the best food and beer at unbelievably reasonable prices. BTW don't forget the camera. Peg

Ah, three days in Prague in early June. What a nice time to be there. Here are my two cents' worth on eating, buying, and teh like. <BR> <BR>Restaurants: my favorite is Cafe Colonial on Siroka street, right across from the Jewish Cemetery. The prices are reasonable (entrees for $8) and the food is imaginative, well-prepared, and good. Service is good as well. It's an informal atmosphere where you can wear anything from jeans to very dressed up, and they have a nice cafe as well which serves really good espresso. You should make reservations for dinner, although I've gotten in without reservations -- and you can also eat in the cafe area. I also like Pravda and Barock, which are both on Parizska street, although they're both more expensive and more trendy than Cafe Colonial. For classic Czech food, try almost any Czech pub or restaurant -- the dishes are so traditional and so unchanged over the centuries that it's hard to do it poorly. A very classic Czech dish is pork with dumplings and sauerkraut, or goose. It's not what you'd eat at home, probably, but it really does taste good and although the caloric content is high, the portions aren't so gigantic that you're destroyed at the end of your meal. The Mucha restaurant on the street leading from Wenceslas Square straight down to Old Town Square (the name escapes me) is good. <BR> <BR>There are many nice souvenirs to purchase in Prague, and they're relatively inexpensive. Starting at the top of the price scale, you might look at the Moser store on Na Prikope for high-end glass. It's a very old Czech company and the glass is beautiful. Lately they've added modern pieces and opened a new wing in their showrooms. Moser glass has been crafted for kings for centuries, and heads of state (including George Bush) have some. It's all hand-made. <BR> <BR>You can then work your way down the price scales to the thousands of glass stores you'll find all around the city. There's a particularly nice group right in the thick of the tourist strip, between the Charles Bridge (on the Mala Strana side) and Malostranske namesti, on the right-hand side. Also, there's a nice shop on Rytirska street with a giant selection. <BR> <BR>I've also bought ceramics (folk style), especially from a store on Havelska, right near the church on that street. <BR> <BR>Around Easter time (but also sold the rest of the year) you can find hand-painted eggs (real eggs) that are a bit of a pain to transport, but quite spectacular and very very cheap. <BR> <BR>The traditional liquor of the area is Becherovka, which is, I believe, in the gin category. It's a little bit sweeter than gin, and goes great with tonic and a lime. It's slightly bitter, and is rumored (by everyone's grandmother) to be medicinal. I always bring back a bottle or two. If you do, by the way, wrap them in a plastic bag -- they sometimes leak a tiny bit. The bottles are sturdy enough to check in a suitcase, but do wrap them. For some reason, the caps ooze a little bit. <BR> <BR>As you wander around Prague you'll also find many galleries and outdoor markets, where you can find some wonderful regional artists. <BR> <BR>For clothing, I'd stick to London or NY. The boutiques in Prague are expensive (they do have nice things though) and the size selections are small. Even stores like Marks & Spencers, a British chain, are more expensive in Prague than anywhere else, and don't sell anything unique. <BR> <BR>Books are a nice souvenir too, albeit kind of heavy. There are many nice bookstores around town, and most will have an English-language section. All have guidebooks and books about Prague in English, some have literature in English as well. <BR> <BR>Finally, my father always buys classical music CDs in Prague. They're cheaper than in the US, and there's a tremendous selection. There's a store to the left of the St. Nicholas church on Old Town Square, right on the corner, that has a great selection and a salesman (blondish hair in a ponytail) who knows classical music. <BR> <BR>If you buy things at the outdoor stalls on Old Town Square or if you buy marionnets (sp?) in any of the puppet stores, negotiate, especially if you're buying more than one item. They will go down. <BR> <BR>Have fun!!

The above post is right on target. The only thing I would add is to go to a yardage store if you'd like to buy tablecloth/linens or scarves/shawls. The ones I bright back for relatives are wonderful...the cashmere is quite warm and extremely reasonable.

Mcfelf - you have received good advice, one more item to purchase.... Garnets, Garnets, Garnets. You'll see them everywhere, really regal, really elegant settings - I bought a pair of earrings for $200, 18K gold, and 4 or 5 carats worth of garnets... have fun!

I second all of the above. And thanks for the tip on cashmere. To my knowledge Becherovka is more like slivovitz [sp?] than gin.

I'm a little fuzzy on my liquors, but I know that Slivovice is made from plums (prune plums, to be specific) and Becherovka is made from something else. They're both an "acquired taste", both extremely traditional, and Slivovice is made every year by every self-respecting gardener. Getting a gift of home-made Slivovice is a sure indicator that you've made it in to someone's heart. Becherovka has more of a thick, ever-so-slighly sweet, kind of bitter flavor. Hmmm, I should go taste some just to refresh my memory... <BR> <BR>There's another traditional liquor, Borovicka, which has the smell of juniper berries. It's in the same category as Becherovka, whatever the category may be, but less well-known.

IMHO, Becherovka tastes a little like Goldschlager (if you are familiar with that). It is, as Helena described, slightly thicker than vodka and tastes like cinnamon red-hot candies! It's yummy; definitely try it!

Try Trader Joes for Becherovka...they sometimes carry it. As for garnets...be very sure you are buying 14 or 18K settings as some are set in "pot metal" the CR.

I will be in Prague for 3 days march 2007, so I am topping this for myself.

I thought Becherovka was made from prunes. I'll double &quot;czech&quot; on that, though...

PJ-also bear in mind that the thread is 6 years old-some of that information may no longer be valid-prices on everything in Prague that I saw in my one day there last month were VERY high, and some of the restaurants listed might not be there anymore as well. Things have moved at a lightning pace in Prague and the CR in the last 6 years-I'd carry along a good current guidebook, if I were you.

Check the galleries for some amazing artworks at reasonable prices. Local handmade jewelry is nice, too.

Also topping this for myself.