A souvenir shop in the Bratislava city centre. (source: SME - Jozef Jakubčo)
Drinking glasses depicting the works of Czech painter Alfons Mucha or Gustav Klimt, T-shirts professing love for Bratislava and Slovakia. A torrent of magnets and wooden barrel organs. Matryoshka dolls.
All this can be found in souvenir shops in Bratislava. Tourists do not care much about phrases such as "Made in Slovakia" or "handmade". According to shop owners, buyers are more interested in the price and whether they can transport the souvenirs in their own luggage.
They are in no way bothered by the souvenirs not always being of Slovak origin. But not all are made in China. The souvenir business is global, but pays attention to local specifics.
The basis of good sales is location. This is also why souvenir shops are mainly located in city centres and airports. Bratislava is no exception. Most shops can be found on Laurinská and Michalská Streets.
INDEX contacted the owners of several souvenir shops. None wanted to talk openly about their business, speaking only under the guarantee of anonymity, arguing there is a lot of competition and they do not want to reveal their know-how.
Austrians in the Slovak souvenir business
Souvenirs in Bratislava are sold by both smaller and larger companies owning one or more stores. Some smaller players in the business have opted out of it recently, unable to survive the Covid-19 lockdowns, only a fraction of foreign tourists visiting Slovakia.
