What unique items should be purchased in Ven., Budapest and Praque as unique items to remember the vacation and as gifts for friends.

BUDAPEST: May be still a few around...the Bill Clinton doll. It is a nesting doll in the Russian style. First you have Bill then Paula Jones, Monica, Gennifer and last Hillary. I bought one in 2000 in Budapest. They were quite popular!

Prague and Budapest are much more affordable than Vienna. I would think twice about buying anything in Vienna.

In Prague I recall seeing lots of amber jewellery, "Matrushka" dolls (but serious ones rather than gag ones), embroidered table linens, crystal ornaments and glassware. When we were there in September 2004, there were many sidewalk artists selling scenes of Prague -- watercolours, charcoal drawings, etc. We bought a couple of watercolours that we particularly liked. Whether those sidewalk artists would be out and about in winter I cannot say.

In Budapest there was an even greater variety of embroidered table linens. There seem to be a few colour schemes that are popular. One involves embroidering very brightly coloured flowers onto a white background, another involves blue embroidery or cross stitch on a white background, and yet another is white-on-white. One could get the table linens in the form of large, medium and small tablecloths, still smaller tray cloths and place mats, and smallest of all, coasters. Oh yes, the embrodiery also was available in the form of clothing -- peasant blouses, women's shawls, dresses, skirts, etc.

There also are Matrushka dolls, wooden chess sets in Hungarian peasant themes, lots of leatherwork, some amber jewellery. I don't particularly remember the politician dolls to which traveldawg has referred, but maybe I just didn't notice them. There also were decorated eggs, some painted and some with intricate designs carved into the shells.

In Budapest one can buy expensive Herend porcelain (plates, figurines, Easter eggs, etc.). In Central Europe, Herend is a name that is on a par with Germany's Meissen.

Vienna also has porcelain and crystal, but those goods are more expensive than their counterparts in Prague and Budapest. I particularly remember a great deal of Mozart memorabilia for sale in Vienna. We did buy two watercolours, which were quite reasonably priced, from a sidewalk artist in Vienna.

Hi John,

In Prague, I suggest Bohemian Crystal - especially from Moser.

I go along with the crystal. We gave my son and daughter-in-law a crystal set of candleholders. They were well packed in foam lined containers.

Another item is a distinctive item of clothing. I bought for myself a tie at Das Haus der Musik in Vienna that highlighted the name of a Mozart opera.

For women, necklaces, pins, etc. are often in motifs we don't see in the US outside of a few big city specialty shops, if then.

Unfortunately, the weakness of the dollar makes many of the high quality goods more expensive than before.

Also if there is a person for whom you want a present you might consider one of the highly distinctive beer krugs that you can find in specialty shops. Some of them command a very high price and they are decorative as well as usable.

My son said he wanted a Waldhorn (French horn) but the $8,000 price plus shipping and insurance slowed me up a little.
I did not want to run the risk of bringing it home and discovering that he did not like the sound of the instrument.

If you collect crystal, Swarovski is made in Austria. We picked up a piece for a friend a few years back who was a collector, and saved quite a bit.

I second Budman -- Swarovski crystal in Vienna. Small, packed well, and pretty.

My favorite purchase in Austria was a lovely little petit point pin set in silver. In Vienna we bought a Russian nesting doll with four Santa Clauses, along with a crystal wine decanter.

Helmut Lang accessories, which are hard to comeby elsewhere, and pieces from his current collections.

So Austrian, and far more useful than some hideous piece of crystal that is fit for little more than smashing.

Hello John:

In Vienna, I suggest porcelain from Augarten. Gradyghost

m kingdom 2: Obviously you don't have ANY idea what Swarovski crystal is!

My dear, they have shops in London - one in Regent St., every single time I walk past, I feel like going in there and smashing every single item (and of course paying for any damage). It's hideous, and the height of bad taste.

Their use on belts and other items of clothing is perhaps permissable, but as ornaments, smashing is the only way.

Um, just how would you use a crystal ornament on a belt? They're not exactly netsuke, after all.

The little crystals adorn the belt/garment.

Vivienne Westwood featured them on an oversized orb clasp on a black leather belt.

I have just read all the replies so far. I'm amazed that no one seems to have heard of Stroh rum. The only place you can obtain 80% proof Stroh rum is in Austria but don't wait for the airport to buy it. They only stock 54% proof at the airport. You can buy it quite reasonably in any supermarket called Billa in Austria. It's wonderful in tea as it has a rum buttery taste. I would take this before a piece of crystal anytime.