accessible prague: shopping malls

Downtown Prague, although historical, has seen the addition of several large modern shopping malls in recent years, which have been built with mobility issues in mind, be it for the disabled or parents with small children in a stroller. This includes not only accessible entrances, sanitary facilities, reserved parking spaces, but also trouble-free movement through most shops and refreshments. Nevertheless, there are still issues with transport access — not all the nearby public transport stops are fully accessible, and this goes for underground station exits and the adjacent walkways. We therefore recommend accompaniment when visiting.

Quadrio – one of the freshest shopping centres in Prague 1 offers more than 60 shops, restaurants and services. It is also joined onto the older department store MY Národní. Although both buildings stand above the accessible metro station of line B Národní třída, there is no direct accessible access when exiting the metro towards Quadrio. It is therefore advisable to take the elevator to Magdaleny Rettigové street and continue to the shopping centre along Vladislavova street. This route has a bonus, a chance to view the eleven-metre revolving segmented bust of Franz Kafka. If arriving by tram, there is a ramp of granite slabs to the right of the main entrance.
Both buildings are accessibly connected on the ground floor and on the 1st floor, with automatic doors. The facilities in both buildings are interconnected by spacious elevators. Accessible sanitary facilities with a changing table are situated on the 1st underground floor.

Nearby Wenceslas Square is one large shopping boulevard. Most shops have made their main entrances accessible from the walkway. If you decide to explore these, you are advised to go along ‘from the horse’ i.e. from the monument to the patron saint of the Czech lands, St Wenceslas, gently downhill (from Muzeum Metro station). When it comes to fully accessible shops, we’d opt for Desirred department store (the main entrance having an automatic door and the individual store levels from the basement to the 2nd floor accessible by elevator. A partially accessible toilet is available on the 2nd floor) or at the Myšák Gallery in the adjoining Vodičkova street (three double-leaf automatic doors, and the 1st underground to 1st above ground floor span served by an elevator. The accessible toilet is located on the 1st underground floor).

Na Příkopě street is the most renowned pedestrian promenade zone in Prague with lots of famous brand shops. It starts at the lower end of Wenceslas Square, from Můstek along to Náměstí Republiky square just past the Powder Tower. Going in this direction, on the right is one of the most beautiful Prague malls of interwar architecture — the ‘Black Rose’ Černá růže. Elevators in the central part of the department store connect from the basement and up to the 2nd floor. Almost all the facilities here are accessible; although the WC meets the parameters of an accessible toilet, its shortcoming is that the door opens inwards, which makes it inaccessible for most purposes.

On the opposite side of the street there is the Myslbek shopping gallery, and its through-passage connects the Old and New Town. This modern building is comfortably accessible to both baby stroller and wheelchair users — the entrances to the building and the sales area are accessible, the first floor of the gallery is served by an elevator. On the 1st floor, the accessible Vapiano buffet restaurant serves Italian cuisine. The accessible toilets on this floor are known for their cleanliness.

On Náměstí Republiky square, behind the romantic Tudor neo-Gothic facade of the former barracks is the Palladium shopping centre, with over 180 shops, restaurants and services on five floors. Finding your way around can be a bit of a challenge. The floors are connected by 4 elevators as well as escalators, and the lowest and top floors feature toilets that include a folding changing table. It can be reached via the Náměstí Republiky partially accessible tram stops. The Metro station of the same name is not accessible for wheelchair users.

Opposite the Palladium is another department store, Kotva. It was built in the 1970s and listed as a cultural heritage monument in 2019. Kotva offers luxury branded goods by traditional Czech and world names. The main entrance is from Republic Square through a pair of double-leaf automatic doors. On the ground floor is an accessible toilet, which also includes a changing table. It can be opened by Eurokey, or by staff on request. The floors are connected by two elevators as well as escalators.

On the left bank of the Vltava River, we would recommend the Nový Smíchov shopping centre, which is in terms of its scope and range of services a more suburban shopping centre with hypermarkets, shops, boutiques, restaurants and a multiplex cinema. There is also a large underground carpark for trouble-free parking. The centre is best accessed through the main entrance at Plzeňská street (approached from the tram and metro stop “Anděl”). You can rent a wheelchair by arrangement from the information stand on the ground floor. The Cinema City Nový Smíchov multiplex has space reserved for wheelchair users in every screening room, as well as an accessible toilet. Visitors with a disabled status car get a discount on the ticket price. The toilet in the shopping centre has a separate Eurokey accessible room on the 1st floor, as well as the adjacent facilities, including a changing table, on demand by signal bell.

Further out there are shopping centres such as Atrium Flora (Prague 3), Novodvorská Plaza (Prague 4), Westfield Chodov (Prague 4), Galerie Harfa (Prague 9), the Fénix (Prague 9) and other shopping centres.

Nový Smíchov | Source: KLEPIERRE MANAGEMENT ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA s. r. o.