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| :: Prague Shopping |
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| Prague Shopping |
No holiday or city break is complete without shopping. Prague has a decent mix of well-known big name western stores, local brands, souvenir shops and specialist outlets. Prague's stores open between 9am and 7pm on weekdays and from 10am to 1pm on Saturday.
In recent years Prague shopping has succumbed to a wave of rampant consumerism, with glitzy new shopping malls crammed with designer outlets, smart cafes and big Western brand names springing up all over the place. Opened in 2001, Slovansky dum (Na prilkope) is the newest, and still more are planned. Imports carry Western European prices, but Czech products are affordable for Czechs and cheap for Westerners. While tourist-zone gift shops outside Prague (such as in Karlstejn or Melnik) have smaller selections, prices are significantly lower.
VAT stands at 22% for most products and services. Goods must be removed from the Czech Republic within 30 days of purchase, in order for visitors to claim a tax refund. Bills must be confirmed at the border or at the Duty Free Tax desk of the Customs Office in the Departure Hall (Terminal North) of Ryzynì airport upon departure. Actual VAT refunds must be realised by Global Refund at the Thomas Cook cash desk or the Czech Made Products shop in Finger A, or VAT MAX at the transfer desk of Menzies Aviations Group. In Terminal South, actual VAT is refunded in the transit space in Free Shop by Global Refund.
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| Prague Antiques Shops |
Alma Mahler Antique-
Valentinská 7, Praha 1, Staré Mesto.
Good selection of 19th and 20th-century antiques including furniture, glassware, crystal, porcelain and jewellery.
Andrle Antique
Vaclavske namestí 17, Praha 1, Nove Mesto
Located on Wenceslas Square, Andrle is certainly worth checking out, despite hefty price-tags on most goods. Particularly impressive crystal pieces are on sale here, though you'll need export permits for (most) items sold.
Antique Art Gallery
Maiselova 9, Praha 1, Stare Mesto
The Antique Art Gallery carries a fine selection of antique jewellery, decorative boxes, porcelain and 19th/20th-century art. Situated in the Josefov (Jewish district) of Prague.
Art Deco
Michalska 21, Praha 1, Stare Mesto
Art Deco is a shop dedicated to the era, with antique clothing, tea sets, porcelain, hats and costume jewellery.
Papilio Antique
Týn 1, Praha 1, Stare Mesto
An inviting emporium in the Ungelt (Tyn Court) with a good selection of crystal, porcelain and furniture. |
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| Intersenting Shops |
Prague's principal shopping area is around Wenceslas Square and the streets at its northwestern end - Na prikope, 28.rijna and Narodni trida - but there are also lots of interesting shops in the maze of streets and alleys around Old Town Square. There are new shopping centres on namesti Republiky, and in Smichov and Vinohrady.
The city has a number of open-air markets in Prague where you can buy not only fresh produce but also souvenirs, clothing and the odd antique. The biggest one in the city centre is the (rather pricey) daily produce and souvenir market (Havelska), south of Old Town Square. Less expensive ones - mainly open in the morning and closed Sunday.
Antiques & Bric-a-Brac
There are dozens of starozitnictvi (antique shops) in Prague. In Stare Mesto, there are several along Celetna and Tynska.
Bric a Brac
(Tynska 7, Stare Mesto) is a wonderfully cluttered Aladdin's Cave of odds and ends and old household junk, along with glassware, toys, apothecary jars and 1940s leather jackets.
Starozitnosti Alma
(Valentinska 7, Stare Mesto) and Art Deco Galerie (Michalska 21, Stare Mesto) specialise in early-20th-century stuff, including clothes, handbags, jewellery, glassware and ceramics. Starozitnosti V Andrie (cnr Platnerska and Krizovnicka) is also worth a look.
Eduard Capek
(Dlouha 32, Stare Mesto) was founded in 1911 and has been doing a roaring trade ever since. You may not need an old door knob, a rusty typewriter or a cracked teapot, but you might find something of interest among the household junk.
Starozitnosti Z Krizek
(Zitna 3, Nove Mesto) is a dusty treasure-trove of old furniture, porcelain toilet bowls and old postcards and photographs. There's also an Antiques Fair (cnr Bechynova & Kolejni, Dejvice; open 8am-noon every 2nd Sunday), organised by a commercial dealer, offering everything from old books, coins and postcards to cameras and militaria.
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| Czech products |
include crystal, hand painted eggs, handicrafts, folk art, puppets, wooden toys,hats, knives and badges. Bohemian crystal and porcelain enjoy a worldwide reputation for quality, and many shops offer excellent bargains. Glass has traditionally been Bohemia's biggest export, and it was one of the few products manufactured during the Communist era that managed to retain an artistically innovative spirit. You'll find plenty of Bohemian glass, but it's best to do a little research since much of it is tourist kitsch.
Plenty of late-night grocers shops are dotted around the downtown area, with one of the most central being the Bílá labut store at Wenceslas Square.In department and specialist stores the time honoured (Communist inspired) practice of ordering goods, paying for them at a separate counter, then returning to have purchases wrapped, still goes on.In department and specialist stores the time honoured (Communist inspired) practice of ordering goods, paying for them at a separate counter, then returning to have purchases wrapped, still goes on.
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