elaine

Hi
I'm starting research Prague for a future trip. I've done searches here of course.
Can't find out much specific personal recommendations for shopping--some postings mentioned aproximate locations, without addresses or shop names.
Can any past or present Prague shoppers provide some data? thanks

leesimmons

Elaine, it all depends on what you are looking for. In the Mala Strana, just across the Charles Bridge from 'Old Town', you can find some shops with imported and local crafts and gifts. You can also find many shops in the area around the 'Old Town' square. For crystal, check 'Celtina Crystal' on Celtina 15. It has three floors of crystal, porcelain and jewelry. I believe that there were some interesting shops on Kaprova and certainly on Parizka.

It's easy to get around, either on foot, trolley or subway. Prague isn't a large city, but it is beautiful.

Christina

I think for the main things, Prague in general is a good shopping city and there are many many shops all over that will have quality merchandise of similar costs. This would be true of the handicrafts type things (small ducks, nested dolls, decorative colored glass, carved eggs, etc.). For those, I'd just buy what strikes your eye. There are shops all over the main central area of Prague where a tourist would be walking around (around Old Town square, across Charles Bridge into Mala Strana is a main shopping street, etc.).

Both crystal and garnets are good buys in Prague and there are also many many stores that sell those all over. I buy mainly by what looks good to me, but I know how to check crystal, and for jewelry, I just buy for design and color of stone. In reputable shops where the jewelry is marked (ie, 24 kt gold or whatever, official Bohemian garnet), I don't think there is a big danger of fake stuff.

I looked for recommendations in Frommers and Sandra Gustafson's Cheap Sleeps in Prague books (she has shopping section in back) and found a lot, and some places were mentioned in both so I figured they were good choices. I don't buy super expensive stuff, so was not going to go to Moser for crystal (although you can).

It's hard to remember exact addresses and the street names are so different in Czech than Romance languages that they are hard to remember, but exact addresses should be available in the yellow pages at your hotel.

My favorites for good selection and quality:

Crystalex for crystal (several shops in central area around Old Town sq, I like the one at Male Namesti 6)

Cesky Granat (4 Celetna and also on Mostecka) and Granat Turnov (Dlouha 28) for garnets.

Folk arts/crafts -- a chain with a name that begins with "n" with sev. stores around town. They sell handcrafted stuff from the artists. One is on Mostecka street to the left just about a block from Charles Bridge (Mostecka is the main street leading from it into Mala Strana). I'll try to find the name.

Overall, I like Kotva dept. store across from the Namesti Republicky metro stop -- they have a very good crystal and china dept. where I ended up getting hand-painted plates, egg cups, etc for very cheap. They also have a good internet cafe on one upper floor. Tesco dept store downtown also has a porcelain, souvenir section, but I think Kotva was superior. It's a little higher-level store with designer shoe and clothing depts, also, as well as good takeaway food on the ground floor.

wj1

Elaine, I e-mailed you some information. Please let me know if you didn't receive it. I may not have the right address.

Christina

I found the name of the traditional Czech handcrafts store I was thinking of -- it is Ceska Lidova Remesla (I remembered wrong). I really liked that store, bought some strange lion baked out of bread and shellaced and mounted on a blue and white board that I hang in my kitchen. Sounds weird but I like it.

There are several around town: the main one at Mostecka 17, but lots around (Nerudova 23 and 31 in Mala Strana, Melantrichova 17, Jilska 22 and Karlova 12 in Old Town).

Bootman4U

Elaine, I think you may be doing yourself a disservice by worrying about getting personal recommendations...unless you're real famililiar with the responders' tastes although I think asking for recs is never a bad thing..but fear not: want to be adventurous in Prague? Go to the Old Town Square; stare at the astrological clock for about two seconds; turn around 180 degrees; START SHOPPING!!!! The stores are everywhere and admittedly some are geared toward the tourist trade such as the "Blue" glassworks stores but oh, what fun you're going to have in The Golden City...enjoy yourself!

herman

My daughters love Botanicus, the shop of a company that makes natural products of high quality: soaps, oils, candles, pot-pourri, hand made paper. It is close to Old Town square, address, Staré Mìsto, Týn Court 3, phone 2 2489 5446.

dflawyer

I agree with Bootman. Prague is small enough to walk around, window shop and browse, and you can easily cover the main shopping streets without pre-planning. Of course, the is the "royal route", which is Neurdova Street down from the Castle to Mala Strana and across the Charles Bridge straight to the Old Town Square and then continue on Celetna Street to the Powder Tower and Municipal House. There are all sorts of shops along the way, and you can also do the walk in the other direction, but it's difficult to scale Neurdova. We did it in parts and took a taxi up to the castle at one point. Also, there is good shopping on Pariska Street, as well as Maislova Street, starting in the Josefov area, and interesting shops off those streets on Siroka and other smaller streets. The more trafficked areas for shopping by natives, are on (and off) Na Prikope, which has small multi-level shopping malls, including one of my favorites, Marks ans Spencer, and the main boulevard that leads to Welecas Square. (We found that boulevard attractive from afar, but unappealling up close.)

jason888

Another vote for crystal at Crystalex. We shopped around a lot of crystal stores and they had the best prices.

If Christina's other recommendations are as good as Crystalex, then you have struck gold!

Happy shopping!

cheriegal

We will be in Prague in October 9 (3 ladies) and definitely want to shop. We're wondering if the stores will ship the goods home for us? Does anyone have any experience in Prague with shipping? Thanks

Intrepid

Yes, have shipped glass pieces home from Prague several times. One part of a two-piece shipment was lost last year and supposedly was returned to Prague from US Customs...but it was eventually traced and found.
I am sure other types of stores will ship for you..HOWEVER, sometimes the price for shipping some items (if you also take insurance) will almost equal the price of the items themselves so be careful. However, even with those combined prices some things can still be cheaper than buying here.