PRAGUE GUIDE

The blood-red garnet is the official Czech national gem, rated among the world's finest. The Czech garnet is a popular urban accessory, and is even considered as the best tourist purchase if you are jewellery-shopping in Prague. Garnets aren't necessarily deep red.

Absinthe has made a comeback in Prague as the spirit of choice of alternative trendsetters. It is very well known as the 'green fairy' liquor, due to its normal green colour. Absinthe is a powerful concoction (with 70% of alcohol), flavoured with wormwood, and once in the late 19th and early 20th centuries it was consumed in huge quantities across Europe.

Shopping for clothes is heavily discussed among female tourists to Prague and for a good reason: although several overseas retail outlets (Next, Mango, Mexx, Zara, H&M, Top Shop and Benetton) have appeared in Prague's ever-present shopping arcades, much of the items sold in mall shops are still expensive, badly made, and lagging behind the rest of the globe in fashion.

Prague has a rich literary heritage, including such names as, for example, Franz Kafka, the magic realism of Milan Kundera and the theatre of the absurd of its playwright-president, Václav Havel. Monuments related to Kafka can be found in Josefov, to Neruda in Lesser Town, and to Hašek in Zižkov district, while their legacy is preserved in the city's many bookshops and theatres.

The Legendary Prague Sweet Shop Mysak, Pauker's Delicatessen, Erhartova Café and Confectionery are best please to visit if you are after sweets.

You'll find a lot of glass and crystal shops spread all around the city centre. The most popular place to start looking is around Wenceslas Square, Na Prikope and Celetna and close to the Charles Bridge.

Non-EU visitors are eligible for tax-free shopping at selected shops and department stores in Prague. Look out for "Tax-Free Shopping" signs and you can save up to 14% Value Added Tax on purchases.

Together with the opening up of the economy after the collapse of the communist regime the supply of all goods in Prague has been fundamentally extended. Recently, big western brands, luxury boutiques, fast-food brands like KFC and McDonalds are appearing all around the city. Most shopping malls and arcades are located in the centre of Prague in Wenceslas Square.