Shopping

The rapid influx of visitors, the post-Communist wage growth, and a new consumer economy fueled by the shopping habits of the Czech nouveau riche have resulted in expensive boutiques and specialty shops popping up like mushrooms in Prague. Shopping malls now offer everything from designer baby clothes to Bruno Magli shoes. The selection of world-renowned labels is beginning to rival that of many western European cities, though shops tend to have a tiny inventory compared with the same outlets in Paris or London. Still, since labor and rent make operations cheaper here, you might find a bargain for the same items offered at points farther west.

For those looking for a piece of Czech handiwork, you can find some of the world's best crystal and glass, often at shockingly low prices. Antiques shops and booksellers abound, and the selection of classical, trendy, and offbeat art is immense at the numerous private galleries. Throughout the city center you'll find quaint, obscure shops, some without phones or advertising.

Special Shopping Notes--In an effort to keep precious pieces of Czech heritage in the country, the government now requires export permits for a large range of objects, including glass and graphics over 50 years old, miniature art objects valued at more than 3,000Kc ($125), and paintings valued at more than 30,000Kc ($1,250). Most antiques shops provide export permits; ask for one if necessary.

In many markets, customers are expected to bring their own bags. If you don't have one, ask for a taska; it'll cost a couple of koruny.

Shopping Areas

The L-shaped half-mile running from the middle of Wenceslas Square around the corner to the right on Na Príkope and to the Myslbek Center has become Prague's principal shopping street. In this short distance you'll find three multilevel shopping gallerias, with stores like Britain's H&M, Next, Kenvelo, Pierre Cardin, Adidas, and Revlon. Between the centers is a wide array of boutiques and antiques shops; in high season there's also a crafts market at the low end of the square.

A handful of fine private art galleries is concentrated on the stretch of Národní trída running from just east of the National Theater to Wenceslas Square. The wide tree-lined Parízská, from Old Town Square to the Hotel Inter-Continental, is flanked with top-level boutiques, travel agencies, and airline offices, as well as eclectic local shops.

In the streets surrounding Old Town Square, you'll find a wide variety of expensive shops like Mapin & Webb jewelers, with bizarre nooks offering woodcarvings, garnets, handmade toys, and typical Czech glass and porcelain.

In Malá Strana, you'll find artists and craftspeople selling their jewelry, prints, handicrafts, and faux Red Army surplus on Charles Bridge and the Old Castle Steps (Staré zámecké schody).

Vintage Treasure & Trash--Those looking for acres of antiques and secondhand goods can trek to Holesovice trznice every Saturday from 9am to 5pm. Take the metro to Vltavská, in Praha 7, and follow the signs coming out of the station. People from all over the country come to the capital to unload their attics. Anything from pictures of Soviet leader Josef Stalin to family silver collections can be found here.

An Open-Air Market--On the short, wide street perpendicular to Melantrichova, between Staromestské námestí and Václavské námestí, Havel's Market (Havelský trh), Havelská ulice, Praha 1 (named well before Havel became president), features dozens of private vendors selling seasonal homegrown fruits and vegetables at the best prices in the city center. Other goods, including detergent, flowers, and cheese, are also for sale. Open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. Take metro line A or B to Mustek.

Hours & Taxes

Prague's centrally located shops rely on tourist business and keep fairly long hours. Most are open Monday to Friday from about 9am to 6pm and Saturday from 9am to 1pm, and sometimes much later. Many open on Sunday as well, though usually for a shorter time. Note that some small food shops that keep long hours charge up to 20% more for all their goods.

Prices for goods in shops include the government's 19% value-added tax (VAT). All tourists from outside the E.U. can save up to 16% of this tax. To make use of this concession, buy from stores with the TAX FREE sign. To qualify, the purchase price must exceed 2,000Kc ($83), including the VAT in 1 day in one store.

How to Claim Your VAT Refund

Recouping some of your tax money is easy; just follow these steps:

When paying for your goods, ask the store for a Global Refund Cheque.

Within 30 days of the date of purchase, present the voucher to a Czech Customs official to get a stamp. At the airport, the Customs Stamps official is located before Passport Control.

Hand the stamp in after Passport Control to one of the Cash Refund Offices. Their staff will then refund your VAT, free of charge. Alternatively, you can use a direct crediting of a chosen credit card, or have a bank check sent to a chosen address.

For more information go to www.globalrefund.cz.

Shipping

Don't trust the post office when it comes to shipping valuable goods. If your package is larger than a breadbox, contact the international company DHL, Aviatická 12 (Ruzyne Airport), Praha 6 (tel. 220-300-111 or 800-103-000; www.dhl.cz). They charge 1,960Kc ($81) for a 1-kilogram (2.2-lb.) parcel to the U.K. and 2,000Kc ($83) to the United States. You can use the DHL terminal at the Ruzyne Airport, open nonstop, or visit the Express Center at Václavské nám. 47 (the entrance is from Opletalova St.), open Monday to Friday 8am to 6:30pm and Saturday 9am to 3pm.

Prague's Best Buys

Blood-red garnets are the official Czech national gem, and the ones that you can buy here are among the world's finest, as well as one of the country's top exports. Most garnets are mined near Teplice, about 63km (39 miles) northwest of Prague. There are at least five specific kinds. Bohemian garnets are the Pyrope type, an amalgam of calcium and magnesium that's almost always deep red. You can get a small necklace for as little as 700Kc ($29) or densely packed brooches or bracelets for more than 30,000Kc ($1,250), depending on whether they're set in silver or gold. Be warned that fake garnets are common, so purchase your stones from a reputable shop like ones recommended in the listings.

Fine crystal has been produced in the Bohemian countryside since the 14th century. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it became the preferred glass of the world's elite, drawing royals and the rich to Karlovy Vary to buy straight from the source. The king of Siam made a fabled trip to this western Czech spa town in the 1930s just to choose place settings for his palace. Bohemian factories are responsible for artistic advances in gilding, cutting, and coloring. Today, the quality remains high, and you can still purchase contemporary glass for prices that are much lower than those in the West. See below for a list of Prague's most prominent glass retailers.

Antiques and antiquarian books and prints are widely available and are distinctive souvenirs, sold by specialist Antikvariáts. These antiques shops are located throughout the city, but you'll find many in Old Town and Malá Strana.

Since beer is a little heavy to carry home and the local wine isn't worth it, take home a bottle of Becherovka, the nation's popular herbal liqueur from Karlovy Vary. You'll find the distinctive green decanter in shops around the city; it costs about 400Kc ($17) per liter.

Wine & Beer--Wine, Budvar, and Becherovka are sold in shops all over Prague, but one of the cheapest places to buy these popular drinks is Tesco. Expect to pay about 300Kc ($12) for a medium bottle of Becherovka and 150Kc ($6.25) for six bottles of Budvar. They also have a decent selection of domestic and foreign wines.

Cosmetics & Fragrances--Soon after the revolution, some of the world's most noted perfumeries and cosmetics boutiques became pioneers in Prague. Elizabeth Arden, Rybná 2, Praha 1 (tel. 222-325-471; metro: námestí Republiky), is open Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 6:30pm and Saturday from 9:30am to 2pm. Estée Lauder, Zelezná 18, Praha 1 (tel. 224-232-023; metro: Mustek), is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 7pm and Saturday from 10am to 4pm. Perfumery Lancôme, Jungmannovo nám. 20, Praha 1 (tel. 224-217-189; metro: Mustek), is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 7pm and Saturday from 10am to 4pm. Christian Dior, at V Celnici 4, Praha 1 (tel. 224-224-447; metro: námestí Republiky), is open Monday to Friday 10am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 6pm.