Bohemian crystal: a must!
It is impossible to think of the Czech Republic without thinking of crystal. If you are lucky enough to visit the showroom of the famous Moser company in Karlovy Vary, there is no need to continue reading this section: you will have found something to bring back with you as a wonderful souvenir of your trip. Glasses, decanters, lamps, decorative objects and of course jewelry: Bohemian crystal, known for its brilliance and clarity thanks to the quality of the sand extracted locally, is one of the most beautiful in the world. The price is commensurate, especially when designers launch a unique collection or when the objects display lines evoking Art Deco or Art Nouveau. Jewelry, which can be set with other treasures from the Czech subsoil such as garnets, also sees their prices soar, but as Audiard once said to his actors, "The price is forgotten, the quality remains."
Handicrafts and wooden toys
There is a long tradition of wooden toys in the Czech Republic, especially articulated puppets, whose shows still draw crowds in Prague and other cities. To the recurring characters: golem, witch, scarecrow, are now added a multitude of famous characters (Chaplin, Pinocchio, political figures ...), but all are manufactured with the same concern for quality and respect for tradition. You can really find them for all prices, with prices rising to several hundred euros for the most beautiful models from the most reputable galleries, but twenty euros can be more than enough to bring back a beautiful wooden puppet as a souvenir for your children. More widely, specialized stores are full of articulated toys, merry-go-rounds, mobiles and other wooden board games that will delight the youngest children.
Gastronomy and drinks
As far as wine is concerned, the Czech Republic cannot compete with our national products, but the wine regions of Moravia can provide beautiful discoveries for wine lovers. The national drink of the Czech Republic is of course beer, of which the Czechs are the world's largest consumers. Some big brands have seen their fame cross borders, such as Pilsner Urquell from Plzeň or Budweiser or Budvar (the original, not the American) from České Budějovice, but small craft breweries are legion in all regions of the Czech Republic and you will have no trouble bringing back delicious and surprising local recipes.
In the mountainous regions, where aromatic and medicinal herbs grow in abundance, you will also find some strong drinks not necessarily known in France. Apart from absinthe, Becherovka is a liqueur produced in Karlovy Vary from a clever mixture of about twenty herbs and local spring water. At 38 degrees, it is said to have beneficial effects on heartburn but should be consumed in moderation. From village to village, you will find many recipes, sometimes close to the genepi or the Fernet-Branca but all having a particular character due to the water used, the types of herbs in the mixture, the addition of honey..Mole Krtek : a nice little mole
Who, born before the 1990's, doesn't remember the Little Mole and his misfortunes? Male Krtek, from his Czech name, was originally meant to be the mascot of a short animated film illustrating the making of clothes. It featured a little mole dreaming of overalls full of pockets and calling on ants, spiders, birds, frogs, storks and even a crayfish to help him cut and sew the linen he had found. That was in 1957. The success was such that from 1963 the little mole appeared in other animated short films which this time were entirely dedicated to him. Flanked by his friends the hedgehog, the rabbit, the mouse and all the other animals of the forest, Zdenek Miller, his creator, made the little mole go through no less than twenty-five adventures of 7 to 15 minutes each until 1975, before going on with six short films of 30 minutes between 1982 and 1994. In other words, she has become the mascot of several generations of Czechs and you can find, in addition to the DVDs with all her adventures (from 2 years old for children), all sorts of derivative products. The Little Mole and his friends are indeed present in many souvenir or toy stores and are available in board games, decorative objects, creative materials, books... A typical souvenir for children!
Without forgetting the culture
Classical" memories should not make you forget that the Czech Republic has many talented writers, painters, poets and film directors. In the many bookstores or literary cafés throughout the country, browse through books and DVDs. Old black and white films from the famous Barrandov studio, Miloš Forman's filming in exile or Jan Svěrák's more recent work, Czech cinema is full of treasures to watch at home, while on the book side, great authors such as Kafka or Hrabal hide a forest of talented and recognized authors. The Czechs have remained great lovers of reading, and the country's bookstores always have a section dedicated to works translated into English or French. For art and architecture lovers, the "fine books" section of these same bookstores will be a delight!
Where to buy souvenirs?
In Prague, you will be spoiled for choice. High-end stores for crystal, designer boutiques for fashion, antiques, artists' studios, art galleries... If you are looking for handicrafts, you will also find many stores in the capital, in all the neighborhoods. Avoid the "wholesalers" who sell souvenirs for tourists in a chain, and choose specialized stores depending on the items you have chosen to bring back home. To follow the Czech tradition, you can also visit the market on Havelská Street, on the border between the Old Town and Nové Město. Traditionally, in the Czech Republic, markets are indeed where crafts are sold, and as you travel around the country, it is in the town and village squares on market days where you can get the best deals.
