This is a start of a series of posts that may open your eyes to a different type of souvenirs - maybe more subdued than the things you can buy in the centre but definitely more connected to the Czech culture and history. We will try to point out souvenirs that you really cannot buy anywhere else. And we're starting with music, namely the Dobry casy CD by Mr Vaclav Neckar.
Made in Czechoslovakia
OK, we must admit it: life is not just about food and drinks, although sometimes Zuzi and I tend to forget that. But any visitor that has joined us for our Prague tasting walk will confirm that we also love to talk about architecture, design and things that we use on a daily basis, even the smallest things. Because let's face it - it's the things that surround us that shape our taste in fashion, arts, food and much more, ultimately making us who we really are. We talk about them because these small things, for instance things we remember from childhood, are the true essence of "local". Although you may find many similarities among nations (e.g. no matter where you lived, the odds are you hated broccoli when you were a kid), you can still find many things that will come as a surprise and that will help you appreciate local tastes and preferences.
Well, to appreciate the Czech taste, modern history and present, there is a great website that you can visit: Made in Czechoslovakia (you will probably know that Czechoslovakia as an independent state existed from 1918 to 1938 and then again from 1945 to 1993, when it split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia). It's a great site about applied arts, architecture and technology made in Czechoslovakia that will put many things into perspective, including cubism, modern Czech crystal, or even the famous Tatra and Skoda cars.
Speaking about Czech cars and other technology, we have another tip for you: after five years of extensive works, the National Technical Musem in Prague opened a few weeks ago. Seated in an awesome functionalist building on the Letná plain, just across the river from the historical centre (about 20 minutes by walk), it is a living proof that, as one of my foreign friends put it when he saw the old airplane suspended in the hall of the Prague Ruzyne airport, "Gees, the Czech really used to make everything!" I loved this museum when I was a kid, and I think you will love it, too. Check out, for instance, the Tatraplan, a famous Czech design that has inspired Porsches! It's a classic, and even Jay Leno has one!
Prague Take-Homes: Designer Souvenirs
In Prague, there are plenty of shabby shops selling cheap souvenirs to tourists (Russian dolls, anyone?). As an alternative to getting an unmemorable present, you can pop into one of the unique design shops and choose an interesting gift you or your loved-ones back home will appreciate as an original piece of Prague. Wandering through the streets of Prague, you can stumble across design shops that feature rare and alluring designs just waiting for you to take home.Here are a few of our favorite stores with unique souvenirs:
They offer original and unique jewelry, porcelain and glass, all from Czech producers and designers that will accommodate any budget.
Studio Pirsc Porcelain has become one of the leading studios in porcelain design and production. They offer high quality and limited decorations, along with useful household items. You can purchase them online or at various Prague stores (e.g. Belda, Qubus, Futurista, Modernista).
This original Czech stationary gives paper a brand new, creative dimension. In Papelote you can find exercise books, notebooks, postcards and many other things that a good stationery shop should carry. You will be surprised by the original design that develops ordinary paper goods to unique pieces of art.
The 66 Gallery is a wonderful mixture of a sales gallery and the Botas Concept Store. This traditional Czech sport shoes brand has become extremely popular, as illustrated by the fact that the Czech word "botasky" is the universal word for any sneakers.
Here you will find unique treats for anyone exceptional in your life, things like a weird porcelain candleholder looking as baby head, a porcelain vase in the shape of a wellington boot or plenty of other cool design items to show your friends back home.
Over 100 m2 of unique space where you can browse a broad collection of art, design books and magazines, pick an original gift for your loved ones or just meet up for a cup of coffee.
This design shop offers broad and diverse selection of furniture, ceramics, glass, lighting, jewelry and toys from the Art Deco, Bauhaus, and Czech Cubism movements.
Presenting the best of decorative art and design from the most important stylistic periods of the 20th century, particularly cubism and art deco, Kubista offers rare originals of applied arts.
Design lifestyle store full of original ideas, cool accessories and unique gifts such as a beautiful porcelain “babovka” form.
This boutique is run by one of Prague’s most respected fashion designers; their quarterly collections feature sophisticated yet wearable clothes.