Page 216 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Prague

214  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS

Markets, Malls and Speciality Shops

Take your pick – super-modern mall or traditional market. cinema. The largest mall in the
Prague has them both, although do remember that Prague’s country, OC Letňany (metro line
main market is at some distance from the city centre at C and shuttle bus) is close to the
Holešovice. Malls have sprung up everywhere in the city, and D8 motorway. Šestka can be
useful for last-minute shopping,
Prague has made a name for itself as a leading place to find all as it is situated just next to the air-
sorts of odd bits and pieces in any number of speciality stores. port and served by bus Number
From Fabergé eggs to Jewish yarmulkas, you’ll find it in Prague. 119 between Dejvická and
Václav Havel Airport.
others selling hot wine and
Markets sausages, and there is also a
Prague’s markets offer a vast small children’s play area. The Street Stalls
range of goods, although most Square also hosts the city’s Street stalls and wandering
are aimed at locals, offering Christmas tree and a number vendors are not officially allowed
fruit and vegetables, cheap of open-air winter concerts. to operate in most areas of
clothing and electronics. The Prague, though a number
largest market in the city, River of vendors are permitted to sell
Town (Holešovická tržnice), Malls souvenirs around Charles Bridge.
was converted from a former There is an increasing number of Street stalls are allowed near
slaughter-house. The market Western-style shopping malls in the entrance to the Old Jewish
now sells fresh fruit and vege- Prague, which are more popular Cemetery in the Jewish Quarter,
tables, and all kinds of poultry, and often much better than the and they also line the Old Castle
as well as fish, textiles, flowers, old department stores, offering Steps from Malostranská metro
electronics, antiques, toys and better value and a greater range station up to the castle’s
furniture. These are all sold in of high-quality goods. In the eastern gate.
several large halls and in outdoor very centre of town on Náměstí As most of these sellers are
stalls. The market is generally Republiky (on metro B), Palladium well vetted, the goods on sale
open from Monday to Sa turday, has hundreds of shops and tend to be reasonably good
7am to 8pm. restaurants on five levels. Just quality, though you are unlikely
In Havelská, right in the down the street, on Na příkopě, to find any real bargains, and
centre of the city, is Havelská the up market Myslbek, Černá much of what is on sale can be
tržnice, which mainly sells růže and Koruna Palace (metro bought cheaper in souvenir stores.
fruit, vegetables and cheap A and B) are home to a great
souvenirs. It is open daily, number of chic boutiques and Speciality Shops
7am–7pm. jewellery stores. In addition,
You will also enjoy foraging at Slovanský dům, there is a Bohemia and Moravia have
through the junk, antiques, multiplex cinema as well as a long been known for their fine
furniture and military fabulous Kogo restaurant. wooden toys. You will find a
memorabilia (none of which You can also take the metro number of shops selling them
comes with a promise of a to visit three-storey galleries throughout the city, especially
refund or guarantee) at the out- Arkády Pankrác (metro C) and in Old Town, but beware of
of-town Buštěhrad Collectors Atrium Flora (metro B). Nový cheap imports. You can be sure
Market, allegedly the third- Smíchov at Anděl (metro B) is of the genuine article at Hračky
largest market of its kind in home to a two-storey Tesco, Traditional Toys near the castle,
Europe. You can get there by as well as multiplex Cinestar Beruška in New Town and
public transport, taking a bus Cinemas (see p219) nearby. Sparky’s House of Toys, just
from Dejvická or Zličín metro Other shopping destinations off Na příkopě, a treasure trove
stations. The market is only include Quadrio, at Spálená, for children of all ages. Older
open on the second and and Florentinum, next to children might also like Games
fourth Friday and Saturday Masaryk train station. & Puzzles on Wenceslas Square,
of the month, from 6am to Very popular is the huge which specializes in all sorts of
noon. Another flea market Centrum Chodov (metro C), mind teasers, including hand-
worth visiting, Bleší trhy with 200 shops. Galerie Harfa, made wooden labyrinths.
Praha, is at Kolbenova metro close to the O2 Arena, has an If you are looking for some-
station, and is open 6am– ice-skating rink on the roof, thing a little quirky, but very
1:30pm at weekends. which is free for public use Czech, try Botanicus near Old
Old Town Square plays host (Českomoravská, metro B). At Town Square, which sells all-
to an excellent and very popular the furthest outskirts of the city, natural and all-Czech health
Christmas Market from the end at both ends of metro line B, and beauty products, from
of November through the New there are many hyper markets soap to massage oil. Another
Year’s holiday. Besides the stalls and malls, including Metropole popular store is Qubus, which
selling gifts and toys, there are Zličín, which also has a multiplex sells anything and everything,

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Date 13th August 2012
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