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City Guide - Prague - Shopping | ||
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Shopping Shopping in Prague can be frustrating - or rewarding - depending on the approach. Western chains and large stores around Wenceslas Square do not offer bargains. Seek out the smaller shops, browse around and then patronise the cafés when it all becomes too much. Most markets only sell food. Best for crafts, hand embroidery, leather goods and charming wooden toys are Havelská, Prague 1 and the craft stalls in Starom?stská nám?stí. Christmas Markets throughout December are excellent for gifts but beware the strength of the hot grog and the professional pickpockets. Czech crystal and glassware are superb and often represent extremely good value. There are enough shops to spend an entire day on this alone. Cheap Czech crystal jewellery can be found throughout the city. Czech garnets are considered the world's best; Granát, Dlouha 30, Prague 1, are the specialists. Amber (jantar) can also be a bargain, but stick to the Baltic variety; Russian shops sell a far more brittle, over-priced variety. Even in the markets it is possible to find beautiful and unique wood and ceramic pieces. The early post-Revolution days when exquisite pieces of Art Nouveau Daum, Loetz glass or a set of duelling pistols could be purchased at one-sixth of their value are long gone, but antiques still can be good purchases. Jan Hun?k Staro?itnosti, Pa?í?ská 1, Prague 1, sells beautiful Czech glass from the eighteenth century to 1930s Art Deco. Alma, Vamentinská 7, Prague 1, specialises in porcelain, lace and folk costumes. Away from the centre, Bazars - glorified junk shops - can occasionally turn up real finds; time is needed to search them out but the rewards can be worthwhile. Antiquarian books and prints remain good buys but prices are rising. Antikvariát Galerie M?stek, 28, ?íjna 13, Prague 1, and Antikvariát Karel K?enek, Celetná 31, Prague 1, both offer an excellent selection. Antikvariát Pa?í?ská, Pa?í?ská 8, Prague 1, specialises in prints and maps from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries. Classical music CDs are often very low in price. The best selections are at Bonton Megastore, Palace Koruna, Václavské nám?stí 1, Prague 1 and Bontonland (Supraphon), Jungmannova 20, Prague 1; Supraphon, the privatised state recording company draws on a wealth of stunning Czech music in its archives. Opening hours vary widely: Monday to Friday 0800-10.00 to 1700-20.00 and on Saturday 1000-1400. Many tourist shops and larger stores now remain open on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Most areas of the city have at least one 24-hour (non-stop) food shop. Almost everything closes on public holidays. |