Souvenirs from Prague

Finding souvenirs in Prague is easy, but what souvenirs to buy and in which shop is not so easy. There is no shortage of souvenir shops in Stare Mesto’s narrow streets. Busy shopping street Na Prikope, close to Wenceslas Square also has its fair share of these shops. Prague is the perfect place to find keepsakes to take home with you; Bohemian crystal, string puppets, wooden toys, beer and absinthe to name but a few.

Best Souvenir: Bohemian Crystal

Most souvenir shops stock Bohemian crystal. Moser in na Prikope 12 is the most elegant but also the most expensive shop selling Bohemian cut glass. You may have to pay €80 for one wine glass. True to say, it is lead-free crystal and cut to perfection. If you think the prices here are too steep, ‘ordinary’ souvenir shops also sell crystal glasses, bowls and figurines bust at prices that will make you smile.

Souvenirs: String Puppets

Puppet theatres in Prague are still as popular as they were in the seventeenth century. Almost every souvenir shop has a large collection of these wooden marionettes. Havelska Market is a good place to buy them. If you prefer handmade puppets your best place is Marionety Truhlar, U Luzickeho seminare. 5, in the Mala Strana district.

Wooden Toys as Souvenirs

Wooden toys made from untreated wood have been popular toys for centuries. One of the first presents many Czech parents buy for their children are wooden trains, toy cars, playing bricks and wooden jig saw puzzles. Pop into Manufaktura in Melantrichova 17, in the Old Town, they stock a large selection of wooden toys for all ages.

Beer, Becherovka and Absinthe

Be sure to take a bottle of Absinthe home with you, if you are looking for a ‘liquid’ souvenir. The Czech Republic is one of the few countries in Europe where it is legal to buy and sell this potent drink. This slightly mind-enhancing drink contains 70% alcohol and it usually drunk diluted with water. If this is not what you had in mind as a souvenir, you might like to buy beer, the national drink, or Becherovka, a herbal bitter with an alcohol volume of 38%. Most souvenir shops are ‘famous’ for their stiff prices. Therefore, Becherovka is best bought at one of the Albert Super Markets. One of the best shops for absinthe is the Absinth Shop, Vorsilska 2, in the Nove Mesto district.