Food & cultureBy Clever Tourists · Published
The best Czech souvenirs are Bohemian garnet jewellery with a Granát Turnov certificate, Bohemian glass and crystal (Moser if you want the top end), Becherovka from Karlovy Vary, and a hand-carved marionette. Prague's old town is full of shops selling all four, and a large share of them are not what the label says: a Czech inspection found most "Bohemian garnet" shops it checked were not selling the real stone. Below are 10 things worth buying from our time in Prague, Brno, Kutná Hora, Pilsen and Karlovy Vary, how to check what you are paying for, where to buy, and how the tax-free refund works above CZK 2,000. Prices are tiers: $ is small change, $$ a considered purchase, $$$ a splurge.
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The rule that saves most money in Prague: buy jewellery and glass from the maker's own shop or a certified dealer, and food and drink from a supermarket.
| Souvenir | Type | Price tier | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemian garnet jewellery | Craft | $$ to $$$ | Granát Turnov shops, certified dealers |
| Bohemian glass and crystal | Craft | $$ to $$$ | Glassworks' own shops |
| Moser glass | Craft | $$$ | Moser shops in Karlovy Vary and Prague |
| Wooden marionettes | Craft | $$ | Puppet workshops |
| Wooden toys | Craft | $ to $$ | Toy shops |
| Glass Christmas ornaments | Craft | $ to $$ | Christmas markets, glass shops |
| Becherovka | Drink | $ | Supermarket |
| Slivovice (plum brandy) | Drink | $ to $$ | Supermarket, distillery shops |
| Czech beer | Drink | $ | Supermarket, brewery shops |
| Kofola and Czech sweets | Food | $ | Supermarket |
• Bohemian garnet jewellery ($$ to $$$). The deep red pyrope garnet mined in northern Bohemia, usually set in clusters. The cooperative Granát Turnov holds the mining rights and issues a certificate of origin with every piece. Ask for it before you pay: a Czech inspection reported by Radio Prague found 13 of 15 shops selling "Bohemian garnets" were not selling the genuine stone.
• Bohemian glass and crystal ($$ to $$$). Cut glass and crystal from Bohemian glassworks. Buy in the makers' own shops rather than the souvenir strip near Charles Bridge, where the same-looking vase can be imported.
• Moser ($$$). The luxury glassmaker of Karlovy Vary, founded there in 1857 by Ludwig Moser as an engraving workshop for spa visitors. If you visit Karlovy Vary, the company's own shop is the place to buy.
• Wooden marionettes ($$). Puppetry is a Czech tradition, and a hand-carved marionette from a workshop is a far better buy than a printed T-shirt. Check for carved, painted wooden heads and hands; cheap ones are moulded plastic.
• Wooden toys ($ to $$). Simple painted wooden toys are sold in specialist toy shops in Prague and Brno.
• Glass Christmas ornaments ($ to $$). Blown and painted glass baubles, best bought at the Christmas markets; see Prague Christmas markets 2026.
• Becherovka ($). The herbal liqueur from Karlovy Vary. A supermarket bottle costs far less than the airport.
• Slivovice ($ to $$). Plum brandy, often strong. Bottled versions from a supermarket travel fine.
• Beer ($). Pilsner Urquell comes from Pilsen, and Czech supermarkets sell beer for less than bottled water. Cans pack better than bottles.
• Kofola and sweets ($). Kofola is the Czech herbal cola; supermarkets also sell wafers and chocolate that make cheap small gifts.
More on the supermarket shelf in what to buy at a grocery store in the Czech Republic and on the food in what to eat in Prague and our Czech food guide.
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• Prague: go a few streets away from the Charles Bridge and Old Town Square routes for glass and garnets, and use the makers' and certified dealers' shops. Our Prague and Bohemia guide and 3 days in Prague cover the city.
• Karlovy Vary: Becherovka and Moser both come from here.
• Brno: the open-air market in the centre sells produce, and the city has fewer tourist shops and lower prices than Prague.
• Supermarkets (Albert, Billa, Kaufland, Lidl) for drink and sweets. Many smaller shops close on Sundays.
• Uncertified "Bohemian" garnets. No certificate, no purchase.
• Trdelník as a souvenir. The rolled pastry turning on spits in every old-town stall is fine to eat on the spot but does not travel.
• Exchange booths with "0% commission" signs. See tourist scams in Prague before you change money.
Visitors who live outside the EU can reclaim VAT on goods when they spend more than CZK 2,000 in one shop on one day (Planet and Czech shopping centres give CZK 2,001; some Czech consulate pages round it to 2,000). Ask for a tax-free form, keep the goods unused, and have the form stamped by customs at your last point of exit from the EU, such as Prague airport, within three months of the purchase.
Garnet jewellery and glass are the purchases where this is worth doing. The refund is paid by the operator, less its fee.
• Glass and crystal: most good shops pack for flying or ship. If you carry it, pack it in the middle of a soft bag in your hand luggage.
• Spirits: checked luggage; carry-on liquid limits still apply. The US allows one litre of alcohol inside its $800 duty-free personal exemption if you are 21 or over.
• Australia and New Zealand: declare wooden marionettes and toys on arrival. Clean, painted items are usually released after inspection.
More in things to know before visiting the Czech Republic and our souvenirs by country guide.
Bohemian garnet jewellery, Bohemian glass and crystal, Becherovka and hand-carved marionettes. Buy garnets with a Granát Turnov certificate and glass from the makers' own shops.
Ask for the certificate of origin that the cooperative Granát Turnov issues with every piece. A Czech inspection found 13 of 15 shops selling Bohemian garnets were not selling the genuine stone.
More than CZK 2,000 in one shop on one day, for visitors who live outside the EU. Get the form stamped by customs at your last EU exit within three months.
In Karlovy Vary, where Ludwig Moser founded the company in 1857. Its own shops in Karlovy Vary and Prague are the safe place to buy.
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