unique czech gift ideas

it’s tough to figure out a meaningful gift to bring home from your holidays sometimes… especially a product actually made in the country and not shipped from china with “prague” emblazoned on it. why not try these ideas next time? totally czech, and your loved ones will definitely appreciate them.

1/ becherovka, the most popular herbal liquor choice! made from a secret blend of over 100 herbs and minerals from the karlovy vary region. (i don’t recommend trying to bring czech beer- too much hassle) also recommended: slivovice or moravian white wine. the more homemade/local, the better.

2/ oplatky, especially the kolonada brand. they’re round wafer cookies that come in many different flavors and you can buy them cheaply from almost all supermarkets.

3/ pencils from koh-i-noor, famous high-quality pencil manufacturer headquarted in budejovice!

4/ czech pottery. so much better than a generic mug that says “prague” on it! check out local markets to find products from local artisans. i looooove my czech mug and had to get one just  like it for my mom!

5/ alfons mucha souvenirs. i love almost anything with mucha’s dreamy art on it, and you can find a lot of it in the market stalls of prague.

6/ carp jerky! i bought south bohemian carp jerky (found at a billa) for a gift basket as sort of a gag gift but it’s true that the south bohemian carp reigns supreme in czech! good gift for a seafood lover to try.

7/ anything with bob a bobek (silly bunny rabbits) or krtek (the little mole) cartoons on it, especially commemorative merchandise from this year’s international hockey championship which took place in prague and ostrava. great for children & adults alike.

8/ czech beer stein, especially budvar, urquell, or from another centuries-old brewery. what’s better than an old-fashioned stein from the original budweiser town? you can often find steins for a great price in tourist information centers in small towns rather than overpriced prague souvenir shops.

anything else you would add?

ps, you might enjoy favorite czech & slovak cuisine or czech eats.

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