So Christmas is around the corner and let’s be honest here: if you want to buy online but haven’t got around to it, and Christmas is three/two/one week(s) away from now, don’t fool yourself: that gift ain’t never arriving on time for Christmas. (Thank you, broken global delivery chains and Covid!)

So it’s a good idea to shop local. And that’s where we step in: we have recently recorded a podcast about Czech-made gift ideas, but it’s in Czech only, and if you don’t listen to our podcast (why not? We mean, honestly…), we figure we will also write a blog post about it. These also serve are great souvenirs from Prague, of course, regardless of season. So enough chit chat, here we go.

Zuzi’s gift idea no 1: flower subscriptions

Confession time: I love me some flowers, and if our house ends up looking like a botanical garden, then be it. But you know what is the key to having great flowers at home? Consistency - you gotta buy them all the time. And that’s when a flower subscription comes in handy, because the Lord knows Jan ain’t buying flowers except when it’s my birthday or except when he forgot it was my birthday. So self-reliance is key here. Where do you get a flower subscription, I hear you ask?

You can start with the good people at Plevel. Kytky od potoka is a great option, too, and Loukykvět will sell you both cut flowers and flowers that you can continue growing in your pot. Finally, Pokojovky is another local favorite seating just a few blocks away from us over at Hradčanská.

Jan’s gift idea no 1: Czech turntable and LP records

You may not know this, but Czechia is a bit of a super power when it comes to all things vinyl, and a good chunk of LP records made today are actually made here. LP records are a great tactile gift: the once made today are robust, well made and with loads of additional perks, so I’d rank them under „affordable luxury“, and the old ones are just little pieces of history. Where can you buy them? Here’s a good start.

Czechs also make great turntables: Pro-Ject turntables may be Austrian-owned now, but they are made - as they have been for decades - in Litovel here in the Czech Republic, and based on a tried-and-tested design by the Communist government-owned Tesla company. They have a big range of turntables from cheap to expensive, and they tend to win many awards. Even Wirecutter/NYT recommend them in their Christmas Buying Guide.

And if your other car is a yacht, you can go for 440 audio turntables. Costs a fortune and a liver, but they are amazing. I think.

Zuzi’s gift idea no 2: An experience AND something tangible

You know I love getting intangible gifts: trips, concert tickets, vouchers of all kinds for something I can look forward to. But even better than that, you can add something tangible to that voucher or gift, something you can enjoy right there and then. If you’re buying concert tickets, add a CD of the performer. If you’re buying a trip, add a cool printed guide through the destination. And if you’re buying a gallery membership, buy a piece of art. And here’s my favorite artists to buy from this Christmas.

We do have a painting by Antonie Stanová and absolutely love it. I also love the work by Martin Lukáč, Lu JIndrák Skřivánková has some amazing stuff (like her painting at Kro Coffee), Bára Prášilová and Mária Švarbová are great photographers, and David Krňanský is another favorite. Also, check out Young Real Art for pieces by promising art students. And if you’re on a budget, why not a reprint of an old poster by Czechoslovakian Ink? Love the one with Gothaj salami.

Painting my Lucie Jindrák Skřivánková at Kro Coffee.

Jan’s gift idea no 2: Diary by Brašnářství Tlustý

You know, every year I try to get organised and start a proper diary/notebook, and I do put entries and appointments in it… for about the first two weeks of the year, and then I put it somewhere only to discover it again in August, blank except the first two weeks of January.

Still, the beautiful leather diary by Brašnářství Tlustý might get me to fill in entries for at least the full January (one can always hope). These come in different colours of Italian leather, which can be monogrammed, and BT offers different types of calendars and notepads for the inside, all made with high-quality Munken paper. And I am pretty sure they are compatible with Midori Traveler’s Notebook papers. Good stuff!

And if we’re talking stationery, make sure you also check out Papelote and Voala stationery shops in the Letná district and the wonderful Kartotéka shop in Žižkov.

Zuzi’s gift idea no 3: prints by vyvolej.to

We give prints by vyvolej.to to each other nearly every year, and it’s always one of the highlights. Vyvolej.to is a web service where you upload your photos and they will create some beautiful prints. But it’s not just about cool Polaroid-style print-outs of your photos - you can actually get, for instance, photo magnets for your fridge, photo books, calendars, or a whole big poster with photos of your choice: we’re always getting one with pictures of our JJ and our travels to see how the last year went buy and how much the little one actually grew. This is a great gift for your loved one to remind them what a great time you had together.

Jan’s gift idea no 3: Alcohol!!!

Heck yeah. Alcohol rules, and it rules twice as much during a coronavirus lockdown. And I think most (Czech) guys would appreciate a bottle of something nice. So we’re going to talk about wine, about alcohol, and what to serve it from.

You may know we run pretty awesome Moravian Wine Tours, so it’s hard not to be impartial towards wine from winemakers we love and visit in the course of these tours. So here’s a few very specific tips:

Gala Chardonnay Brut sparkling - love sparklings by Gala: this one lies on the yeast for 3 years and has a beautiful, bready aroma and taste. Also, Mr Gala’s Pinot Noir / Merlot blend will open eyes to the fact that Moravia can produce a nice, warming red. Great stuff.

Skale 2016 by Pavel Springer - the Springers are famous for their reds, and this Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot blend is just amazing and well worth the price that may seem a bit higher compared to other Czech reds. Also, their 2018 Merlot Family Reserve is fantastic, and their Blaufrankisch (Frankovka) reds are incredibly well balanced.

Pinot Noir Novosady by Mr Kočařík - I love me some pinots, and Mr Kočařík’s must be my absolute favorite. Mr Kočařík is a natural (low-intervention) winemaker, but these are not the funky, cloudy wines served in Danish hipster bistros. This is just a beautifully made pinot. Whenever we take a sip on the tour, what follows is a long, dreamy silence. It’s that good. Also, Mr Kočařík’s Tramin has more rosewater notes than an Ottolenghi recipe. Yum!

Pálava straw wine by Sonberk - confession time: I really enjoy dessert wines with my foie gras or dessert. And when it’s Pálava, a local grape, made as straw wine, even better! Sonberk is a beautiful winery with a great view of the Pálava hills, and a sip of this sweet wine always reminds me of the wonderful time sitting at the terrace and enjoying the view, as if time had stopped.

Riesling by Plenér winery - Dominika Černohorská is one of our top fave winemakers in Moravia: she’s a no-nonsense, no BS winemaker that just wants to make great wine. Her riesling is made of Sonberk’s grapes, and it’s interesting to compare her interpretation of those grapes to Sonberk’s own: her riesling is clean, fresh and easy to drink. And that’s her handwriting on those bottles. A great gift.

Any frankovka (Blaufrankisch) by Dva duby - Mr Šebela’s winery is just as magical as the Dolní Kounice village it is located in. His wines are intense and contemplative, the opposite of crowd pleasers, but if they hit you right, there’s no coming back.

Moving on to the stronger stuff, Landcraft makes beautiful liquors, some of them using he philosophy of circular agriculture and zero-waste movement. Some of the creations are pretty wild, like their Kro gin using the paprika mix for Kro’s chicken paprikash.

When it comes to hruškovice, the classic pear brandy, most people would suggest the oaked version by the infamous Mr Žufánek, arguably the most popular Czech artisanal distiller, and they would be right, but I want to point your attention to the hruškovice by Rudolf Jelínek. Sure, Jelínek is famous for its Kosher slivovitz, but they did move a part of the production to Chile where they had acquired a lot of land with Williams pear trees. Instead of compromising the quality of the pears as they travel all the way from Chile to the Czech Republic, they moved a part of the distillery to Chile just to make this magnificent pear brandy. Well worth it.

And Mr Žufánek needs no further introduction to anyone who’s spent at least some time in Prague and drinks alcohol. The ubiquitous distiller has a wide portfolio of liquors, but his absinthes are where his heart is, really. And make sure you check out some of his limited edition stuff - these are investment bottles here in the Czech Republic. That’s how strong Mr Žufánek’s brand is.

Zuzi’s gift idea no 4: ceramics for coffee or tea

Getting coffee or tea at home must be some of my favourite domestic moments, and they are even better when we use beautiful pottery. And Prague can offer some beautiful pieces. At home, we use cups by bisqit ceramics and our friends In August Company, but cups by Kera atelier are beautiful, too. Also, our friend Lukáš Novák makes a beautiful V60 in Wonderland set for your home brews, and his new Epic Christmas Set of a carafe and two glasses is… well… epic.

And if you like things that smell beautiful at home, try and visit Scent Roche at Nový svět for their beautiful custom-made home scents and candles!

Jan’s gift idea no 4: vessels for alcohol!!!

So you have that delicious juice, the alcohol you crave, but what do you drink that alcohol from? Easy. Bohemia is not the land of cut crystal for nothing.

I have three tips for beautiful whiskey tumblers. Starting at the top, Moser’s classic whiskey tumblers are a thing of beauty with strong heritage… and a price tag to boot. Buy these if money’s not an issue. For something still very classy but more affordable, get the Ruckl Love glasses or something from their more modern lines. That’s what we get: these glasses are beautiful and modern and a joy to drink from. And if you’re on a budget, the Tethys tumblers from Kvetna 1794 are a steal for something made manually.

Zuzi’s gift idea no 5: jewellery

We think Czech jewellers are fantastic and a piece by any of the jewellers mentioned below will make anyone happy. And as a souvenir from Prague, jewellery ravels very well: it’s small and light but twill bring a lot of joy and memories.

We really like 27Jewelry: heck, our wedding rings are made by them. The designs are simple but beautiful. Janja Prokić is another of our favourites - her designs are spectacular and she uses interesting stones. Zdeněk Vacek, one half of the former iconic Zorya brand, makes stunning pieces, and so does Maria Kobelova. Where do you put all that bling? In the jewellery bowl by Ruckl, of course!

Jan’s gift idea no 5: custom jeans by Chatty

Okay, this was Zuzi’s gift to me for my birthday last year, but I gotta steal it because it was so good: the idea is you pay a certain price for jeans, and then your loved one will get to Chatty’s shop in Old Town’s Haštalská and choose pretty much everything about the jeans from material and colour to stitching, style, shape, pockets and all the little details. At the end of the process, you have a pair of jeans that fit perfectly and are exactly like you want them. I was surprised by the speed of the process - I had my pair just some two weeks after my first visit. And BTW, Chatty’s ready-to-wear models are pretty cool, too.

Jan and Zuzi’s recommended shops

Need more inspiration? You need a great shop that sells products that are inspiring in themselves. Here’s our favourites in Prague that we never leave empty-handed:

Nila is a one-stop shop for many various gifts from sustainable fashion to a great selection of cosmetics, homewares, books, souvenirs, and gifts for kids. We rarely leave without buying anything. Ingredients may not sell Czech products, but we’ll give it a pass this time: their selection of high-end and interesting perfumes and cosmetics makes us wonder why would we ever buy a fragrance elsewhere? Watch out: this store in the Jewish Quarter is highly addictive. You’ll be back. Shop Up Stories is a store that gives a chance to smaller, independent manufacturers and designers that may not have the size, volume or following to have a space of their own. This way, this multi-brand store offers a bit of everything, but the selection is well curated and beautiful. Finally, Book Therapy next door is our fix for our book cravings. We always buy something for us… and something for the little one.

(Full disclosure: we have paid or barter collaborations with the Nila store and Janja Prokic, which, however, doe not oblige us to post about them in this post: we would recommend them even if we had no closer relationship with them. We also get free stuff from Lukáš Novák from time to time.)