Visiting Prague

Museums in Prague

2010-03-18T21:29:14Z

Do not miss the Museum of Czech Cubism and the Mucha museum!

Museum of Czech Cubism ***

The Museum of Czech Cubism is located in the Black Madonna House. The collection offers a complete view of this movement which was very active in the early Czechoslovakia.
Open everyday from 10am to 6pm.

Kampa Museum ***

Located in in Sova's Mills on the eastern bank of the Kampa Island on the River Vltava, this modern art gallery shows central European (and in particular Czech) work.
Open daily from 10am to 6pm.

Mucha Museum ***

The Mucha Museum is the bigger museum in the world dedicated to Alfons Mucha's life and work. It includes a big part of its parisian work.
Open daily 10am- 6pm.

Museum of Communism **

Private museum located in a casino, it shows the Czech life during the communist period through objects and reconstituted scenes.
Open daily 9am- 9pm

The Czech Museum of Music **

The museum is situated in the Lesser Quarter, in the beautiful Baroque Church of Santa Maria Magdalena. The exhibition presents a unique collection of musical instruments. Your visit of the museum will be accompanied by listening to the greatest musical creations.
Open daily except Tuesdays 10am- 6pm.

Museum of Decorative Arts *

The museum is housed in a Neo-Renaissance building. Its collections include decorative and applied arts and design work ranging from Late Antiquity to the present day, in particular arts and crafts created in the Bohemian Lands.
Open on Tuesday 10am-7pm and from Wednesday to Sunday 10am-6pm.

Week-end in Prague

chihie — 2010-03-18T13:22:42Z

Two-day tour suggestion in Prague

Spending a week-end in Prague

Visiting Prague in a week-end would be a feat. Nevertheless it is possible to visit the essentials in two days…with good shoes!

Saturday in Prague : Prague Castle, Malá Strana and Staré Mesto

You can begin the day spending a few hours in Prague Castle. Then going down to the Vltava by Nerudova street, arrive at Malá Strana and have a walk through the charming little streets. Take the time to have lunch. Take your shoes again and visit Wallenstein garden at the North of Charles Bridge. Cross the river to reach the Jewish quarter. Visit the famous Jewish graveyard and then go to the Old Town square (Staré Mesto). Complete the day in the quarter between shopping and cafés. In the night, try one of the numerous concerts organized in the Czech capital.

Sunday in Prague: Petrin Hill and Wenceslas Square

On Sunday, begin early in the morning with Charles Bridge; You will thus avoid the crowd. Visit the Modern Art Kampa museum and then take the funicular to go up Petrin hill There you will find Strahov Monastery. Spend the afternoon in the New Town (Nové Mesto) walking along Wenceslas square and making detours to admire the cubist street light or the commemorative plaque dedicated to Jan Palach.

Other Interesting Sights

chihie — 2010-03-18T10:59:51Z

Other monuments to see in Prague: Vyšehrad graveyard, Powder Gate, Muncipal House, ...

Vyšehrad quarter**

Quarter situated at the south of Prague Quartier on a hill. The Vyšehrad castle stands at the top and includes a graveyard where famous people (Dvořák, Čapek, Neruda, Mucha, Smetana) are buried.

Open from Monday to Friday, 8 am-3 pm.

Powder Gate**

This huge gothic gate was built in 1475. It is now one of the few remnants of the fortifications that once surrounded the Old Town.

Open daily from May to October, 10 am-6 pm.

Municipal House **

The Municipal House of Prague is one of the most beautiful Art Nouveau-style building in Czech Republic. It houses the beautiful Smetana concert hall.

Open daily, 10 am-6 pm.

Loreta Capuchin Monastery**

Built after the defeat of White Mountain in 1626, the Loreta Capuchin Monastery is the symbol of the baroque style of Counter-Reformation.

Open from Tuesday to Sunday, 9 am-12:15 pm and 1 pm-4:30 pm

Church of Our Lady before Týn**

The Church of Our Lady before Týn is a gothic building of the 14th century but inside it has been changed to baroque style. Closed for renovation.

The Klementinum **

The Jesuit College of Prague, the Klementinum, is the second biggest building in Prague. Baroque-styled, it is famous for its library and its astronomical tower.

Open from May to October, from Monday to Friday: 2 pm-7 pm, Saturday and Sunday: 10 am-7 pm.

Open in March, April, November and December, from Monday to Friday : 2 pm-6pm, Saturday and Sunday: 11 am-6pm.

Old New Synagogue**

The Old New Synagogue was completed in 1270 in gothic style. It is Europe's oldest active synagogue.

Open from April to October, from Sunday to Friday, 9:30 am-6 pm.

Open from November to March, from Sunday to Thusrday 9:30 am-5pm, and on Friday 9:30 am-2 pm.

St Agnes of Bohemia Convent**

St Agnes of Bohemia Convent is the oldest Gothic building in Bohemia. It was changed to baroque and then Renaissance style.

Open daily 10 am-6 pm.

Karlova Street**

Karlova Street is not a monument but its various buildings and decorations make it one of the more prestigious places in Prague.

Cubism in Prague

2010-03-17T09:33:30Z

Among all European cities, Prague only assimilated deeply enough the cubist art principles to be at the origin of such a cubist architecture. Cubist architecture inspired also for furniture and daily objects. Ephemeral and deeply Czech movement, the cubist architecture preceded the Art Deco style and the modernist architectural movements.

The result is amazing. The Czech cubist architecture is at the origin of unique buildings as the Black Madone House of Josef Gočár (1912) or the houses at the foot of Vyšehrad hill due to Josef Chocol.

Vyšehrad

2010-03-17T09:33:28Z

Cubist houses of Josef Chochol in Vyšehrad

Down to Vyšehrad, bordering the Vltava, cubist houses were built by the Czech architect Josef Chochol (1880-1956). His teacher was Otto Wagner in Vienna. He had a cubist period particumarly interesting.

At 3, Libušina Street, he built a cubist house with a facade emblematic of the cubist art in Prague. It is Kovařovič house presented in the introduction page.

A bit further at 16 Rašinovo quay, he designed a building less typical but which belongs to cubism because of its various prismatic shapes.

Finally, a few steps further, at # 6,8 and 10, the « three families » house groups three cubist style houses in a single building.

Nové Město

2010-03-17T09:33:27Z

Cubist buildings in Nové Město

In the New Town of Prague (Nové Město), it is possible to admire architecture combining all the imaginable styles from the end of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century styles (plus a few mistakes from the communist period).

With its cubic style, the Diamant House calls the curioius tourist's attention. Situated 4 Spálená Street, at the Lazarská street corner, this house is decorated with sculptures which prove the interest of M.Blecha for the babylonian civilisation.

The Adria Palace bordering the national avenue is more recent (1923-1925). Built for the count of the Adriactic Insurance Company, this palace is emblematic of the rondocubist style. Rondocubism is a variation typically Slavic of Cubism characterized by the use of red and white and also of massive shapes.

Staré Město

2010-03-17T09:33:26Z

Cubist fountain in Staré Město

Cubist architecture is extremely rare in the Old Town of Prague (Staré Město), and that makes sense... The fountain at the end of Mánes bridge is an example...

Prague's Left Bank

2010-03-17T09:33:24Z

Cubism in Malá Strana and Hradčany

Situated near Prague Castle, in Hradčany, Hofman and Stach houses have been built by Josef Gočár (1880-1945), one of the major representatives of the Czech cubism and rondocubism. They are to be discovered in a less tourist part in the surroundings of Prague Castle: 4 and 6 , Tychonova Street.

In Malá Strana neighborhood, cubist architecture is rare. Nevertheless we can mention the Decastellův House at 26, Karmelitská Street.

Map of the Cubist Prague

2010-03-17T09:33:23Z

To discover the cubist architecture of Prague, a small map can prove useful...

For people who come to Prague to discover this unique architectural heritage which is the Czech cubism, it is recommended to take a Prague map and good shoes. The map below indicates the main cubist buildings in the the centre of Prague.

Agrandir le plan

Prague Airport

2010-03-17T09:33:22Z

Arrival in Prague by plane : information about Prague Airport

Prague Ruzyně International Airport: practical advice

Situated about 15km away from Prague, Prague Ruzyně international airport is a modern airport, bright and nice, if we can say so about an airport. In all cases, it is practical.

Flights coming from or going to Schengen countries are treated at the Terminal 2. More Info: see Prague Airport website

Tourist information about Prague et the Czech Republic

As soon as you pick up your luggage, you will find a tourist information point (closed in the evening), very useful to get some first advice and a map of Prague.

An information desk can also give you some advice about the local transports (tickets, transport pass, bus lines...) Outside, you will find of course car rentals, taxis, accomodation booking agencies, cash machines...

From the airport to Prague centre

The cheapest way consists in taking the bus and then the metro :

Buy your « 75min » ticket before leaving the airport (more practical, in particular if you do not have czech change) at the transport information desk,
At the Terminals1 & 2 exit, go to the bus stop,
Take bus #119...
Get off at the terminus Dejvická where starts the metro line A
From there, you are only 10 min away from the center by tube (using the same ticket as for the bus)
The whole journey lasts about 45 min and you can find buses from 4 am to midnight.

Else, you can take a taxi, but unluckily the journey is quite expensive from the airport and abuses are frequent.