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A Look at Prague’s Premier Entertainment and Culture VenuesBerlin will always be revered for its fabulous art galleries, France is held by many as the museum capital of the world, and London is definitely noted for its impressive theatre community. However, very few cities in the world can claim to be as well-rounded in all three of these cultural areas as Prague, Czech Republic.
Already known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Prague is also recognized for having some very entertaining performance theatres, being well-versed in art, and for keeping up on its fantastic historical museums. In tribute to this amazing city, let’s take a look at 10 favorite Prague museums and theatres, as well as 5 of their famous art galleries.
Already known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Prague is also recognized for having some very entertaining performance theatres, being well-versed in art, and for keeping up on its fantastic historical museums. In tribute to this amazing city, let’s take a look at 10 favorite Prague museums and theatres, as well as 5 of their famous art galleries.
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10 Favorite Museums of Prague
National Technical Museum
Prague City Museum
The Czech Museum of Fine Arts
The Pedagogical Museum of J.A. Comenius
Jewish Museum in Prague
The Villa Mueller
Museum of Military History
Czech National Museum
Mucha Museum
Franz Kafka Museum
National Technical Museum: Dedicated to Czech technology over the years, The National Technical Museum was opened in 1908 and is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. It is the largest institution in the Czech Republic dedicated to keeping the country’s technology artifacts and books of historical importance. And speaking of books, there are more than 250,000 of them in the main section alone!
But there are also plenty of big displays as well. In fact, 15% of the total museum’s exhibits are considered large in nature. A Railroad Museum was opened to house more than 100 railroad vehicles and this has been a favorite ever since its inauguration in 2001.
Many different types of cars, bikes, and planes can be seen throughout the grounds of the National Technical Museum as well. It’s usually not too crowded either, which means visitors won’t have to fight through mobs of people to see what they want.
Prague City Museum: Many people will marvel at the actual building of the Prague City Museum long before they ever step foot inside. This off-white, neo-renaissance structure sprawls out across a lush green lawn and beckons people to enter its walls.
Once inside, people can definitely enjoy the artwork as well. There is one exhibit which takes people through a giant time loop by showing the history of Prague from the Prehistoric times all the way up to the days when Prague’s small, independent burgs united in 1784.
But the best display is by far the cardboard model of Prague that was constructed by Antonin Langweil. This lifelong university servant made an amazingly accurate depiction of the city from 1826-1834. The detail is astonishing with trees, broken windows and models of more than 2000 real buildings that are right-on. This cardboard version is so good that it is currently used to locate buildings that no longer exist.
The Czech Museum of Fine Arts: Prague is already a city considered to be one of the most artistic communities in the world due to its historic Bohemian School art style. The Czech Museum of Fine Arts only adds to this billing as it offers an excellent look at the region’s most fascinating works.
The museum was originally housed at Nelahozeves Castle outside of Prague but later moved to Old Town Prague. The museum showcases a vast array of paintings, sculptures, prints, and drawings by renowned Czech artists in addition to people from other countries too. This museum of fine arts has an impressive collection of Czech Modernism works from the country’s famous Surrealist Period. These Surrealist pieces represent the feelings of the 1940’s through geometric abstraction.
The House of the Black Madonna is also another must-see location at this museum. There are plenty of Czech Cubist Architectural pieces in this exhibit including the “Czech Cubists” one, which is an excellent representation of what this style is all about.
The Pedagogical Museum of J.A. Comenius: This is one of the oldest museums in the whole country of the Czech Republic as it was built in the 1880’s. This near-ancient building honors the great John Amos Comenius who many call “The Father of Modern Education”.
The Pedagogical Museum’s main attraction is called “J.A. Comenius and Czech School”. It is basically a model 19th century classroom and a timeline of textbooks and educational tools from that point up till now. The display also shows Comenius’ greatest achievement in that he was the first to put pictures into educational textbooks. It also expounds upon his old arguments that children should be educated very early on and women should be included in formal education, too.
Comenius exhibits aren’t the only ones here though as there are more than 150,000 items throughout the museum. The vast library houses 25,000 of them itself, which should make for some great reading.
Jewish Museum in Prague: If museums were people then the Jewish Museum in Prague might have had the toughest life of them all. The museum was, at one point, shut down by the Nazis in 1939 and not reopened until World War II was over. The museum still didn’t receive the best of care until after 1989 when the Communist regime collapsed. Since then, the museum’s work has finally been allowed to shine through.
And the Jewish Museum in Prague is considered one of the brightest in the world. It has one of the greatest collections of Jewish artwork in addition to the 100,000 books and 40,000 exhibits it houses. Some of the displays even help trace the history of Jews in the area since the items are of Bohemian and Moravian decent.
The Villa Mueller: Adolf Loos was one of the most influential artists in modern architecture and one of his crowning achievements is recognized at the Villa Mueller.
But the Villa Mueller isn’t some big, medieval castle like many other Czech museums. Instead, it is a modern, very artistic look at one of this great architect’s works.
On the outside, people will immediately notice the nearly all-white color, hard rectangular shapes, and layered design. Once inside, visitors get a futuristic approach to the year 1930, when the structure was built. The different shapes and colors immediately tell a person that this is no ordinary house.
There’s the green-tinted, polychrome corridor offset by the pure white doors. Then there’s the living room that is dominated by cherry red only to see bits of white and green around the area. Traveling to any room will reveal an amazing sense of architecture unlike most seen in the world.
Museum of Military History: This museum provides an excellent look at the history of the Army of the Czech Republic, the Czech military, and the Czechoslovak army. The Museum of Military History is not only a museum but also a scientific and book researching institution of the Army of the Czech Republic and the Board of Military.
This institution collects and stores items of cultural and military importance. The displays are split up among four different areas including the Military Historical Museum, the Museum of Aviation, the Army Museum, and the Military Technical Museum.
Inside, you’ll see the traditional tanks and weapons used by military personnel. You’ll also see some pretty cool planes and cars in the museum too.
Czech National Museum: While this museum is under one name, it actually is featured in many different buildings. Some of the smaller ones include the Czech Music Museum, Historical Pharmacy Museum, and the Ethnographical Museum.
However, the main draws to the National Museum include the Natural Science and National History buildings. One fascinating display features an evolutionary look at the Slovakians, Moravians, and the Bohemians. There are also some interesting things to be seen in the anthropology and zoological sections.
Science and history aren’t the only things to be discovered here though. Exhibits depicting the life and work of composer Antonin Dvorak are exemplified here in a large section as well.
Mucha Museum: For anyone who’s ever heard of, and admired Czech artist Alphonse Maria Mucha, the Mucha Museum is the place to go. For people who don’t know him, his story of legend began when he created an exceptional poster of Paris theatre icon Sarah Bernhardt for a promotion of one of her plays, Gismonda.
After receiving acclaim here, he began to weave his art work into the Paris scene as the Victorian era was dying out. It is in this that his art became a major driving force in the Art Nouveau style. Art Nouveau then began to uproot many of the more traditional late 19th century art that had been formed by the European academic style.
Mucha Museum is a comprehensive look at many of the works crafted by this trend-setting man. Alphonse Maria Mucha’s pastels, paintings, lithographs, drawings, statues, and photographs can be observed in the halls of this museum.
Franz Kafka Museum: A great site to visit for literature lovers, the Kafka Museum honors one of the greatest German language fiction writers of the 20th century in Prague-born Franz Kafka. However, it does it in a different way from other museums in the world that honor him.
The tradition for other Kafka museums is to simply present his literature in typical museum format. But the one in Prague seeks to use the documents first to open the way for a tour of Kafka’s life and thoughts.
There are two sections in the Kafka Museum. The first consists of an area called Existential Space which takes a deep, metaphoric look at Kafka’s life compared to the city of Prague. The other section contains eight lengthy papers that were written by Kafka experts. There is also a great shop in the museum where a person can purchase some memorable Kafka-related items.
10 Favorite Theatres of Prague
Laterna Magika
All Colours Theatre
Image Theatre
National Marionette Theatre (Puppet Theatre)
Karlin Music Theatre
Prague State Opera
Ta Fantastika
Theatre of Estates
Jiri Grossmann Theatre
Animato Theatre
Laterna Magika:For those who like to be amazed visually and not by words, there’s Laterna Magika which seeks to entertain people in nonverbal ways. Most notably, by the usage of dance, film, and light which create a simply stunning spectacle at times.
This theatre got its start at EXPO 58 in Brussels, Belgium. The success of this event spawned the construction of the theatre the following year in 1959.
Two of Laterna Magika’s top programs are its versions of Casanova and Wonderful Circus as they are fun to watch and easy to follow despite the fact that words are not present. Laterna’s rendition of Casanova tells the fulfilling, yet tragic tale of the seducer and lover to many women known as Giacomo Casanova. Wonderful Circus tells the story of two clowns on a journey following the beautiful Venus only to grow old in the process. Both plays are very entertaining and sure to be a great welcoming to what Laterna Magika is all about.
All Colours Theatre:All Colours is one of the famous black light theatres in Prague. For those who don’t know about black light theatre, it uses a black box and black lighting in order to create illusions.
All Colours has dazzled many people with its performances of Concert in Black Light, Dreams, and Magical Universe throughout the years. Now it is using the play Faust to show what black light theatre represents. Faust tells the tale of a man who longs for the highest power and the life of an immortal. But he is forced to pay the price for his greed.
During the course of this story, viewers are taken on an enriched version of black light theatre complete with new state of the art equipment. They are also given original songs with both English and Czech words.
Image Theatre: Another popular Prague black light theatre, Image Theatre is one of the best places for one to get acquainted with the black light style as its shows take people on a journey from the darkness to an array of lights and fascinating colors.
This theatre’s style will really play tricks on people due to the fact that at one moment, an actor will be invisible and the next, they’ll be right in your face! In some shows, there is nothing but total darkness for a time before the stage bursts forth with colors.
But Image isn’t just about colors and darkness. There is also plenty of dancing, ballet, and mime action to enhance the experience. So basically, you can expect to be awed in Image Theatre’s original method of delivering black light.
National Marionette Theatre (Puppet Theatre): Prague’s puppet plays are among the best in the world due to the fact that there are plenty of master puppeteers that exude true craftsmanship through their work. With exceptional costumes and authentic 18th century stage sets, the National Marionette Theatre has few peers in the puppet performance world.
The National Marionette’s tall puppets do just as good of a job telling a story as do real actors. Most notably in the house specialty, “The Opera of Operas” – Don Giovanni. Originally composed by Mozart himself, this play does the great symphony justice through its marionette style of telling the story.
The Magic Flute is also a popular play shown at the National Marionette. This is another opera composed by Mozart and it shows the journey of a young prince named Tamino through a foreign land. In this land, he is forced to endure many trials, finds love, and is aided by a mysterious magic flute.
Karlin Music Theatre: Some people enjoy their favorite plays amongst a big crowd and Karlin Music Theatre delivers this. Seating almost 1,100, Karlin is the biggest theatre in Prague and offers a wide variety of musicals on its schedule.
Perhaps its large size can be attributed to the fact that it was originally built in 1881 to house circus acts. Then, near the end of the 19th century, it was rebuilt so it could house all different kinds of performances.
Through its history, the Karlin has offered comedies, concerts, operettas, and plays. Unfortunately, the Karlin was destroyed by the floods that swept through the Czech Republic. However, the Karlin has since been restored and has a newer look to it. And luckily, exceptional musical performances and singing acts are able to work in the building once again.
Prague State Opera: Fans of opera will love visiting the Prague State Opera as it is certainly never lacking in talented voices. Residing in a building originally constructed in 1888 for Prague German Stage, viewers will see plenty of character on the outside before ever stepping foot in the opera.
Eventually, the theatre reopened into what is now the Prague State Opera. It performs in the spirit of the German theatre style in which it was first opened in 1888. Since its inception, the Prague State Opera has featured numerous world-renowned acts in large part due to its last two directors in Daniel Dvorak and Jaroslav Vocelka.
Scott Joplin’s “Treemonisha”, Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide”, and Ruggero Leoncavallo’s “La Boheme” have all graced Prague State. There are works for more exceptional acts to perform at the building in the future, too.
Ta Fantastika: Though it hasn’t been around for as many decades as other famous theatres in Prague, Ta Fantastika has quickly become another respected theatre in the black light community.
Ta Fantastika has also become respected internationally, too as the group has toured around the world. Having only been open since 1981, few theatre operations have become as big in such a short amount of time as this one.
For anyone who is a lover of Alice in Wonderland or Gulliver’s Travels, Ta Fantastika is the place to see them. Alice in Wonderland is about how a young girl falls through a rabbit hole and is transported into a magical but sometimes dangerous world. Gulliver’s Travels takes people on a humorous journey involving Lemuel Gulliver’s adventures.
Shown in black light style, these shows rely heavily on the use of a black box which can easily play tricks on people’s eyes. However, you won’t hear a word out of the actors as the stories are told without words like Laterna Magika.
Theatre of Estates:The Theatres of Estates was built all the way back in 1780 by Count Nostitz and is Prague’s oldest theatre. This theatre is so aged that the Czech national anthem, Where is my home, was first performed here.
The spectacle of the Theatre of Estates is quite impressive as well. The rounded, five-storied interior is like something out of a movie (in fact it was a set in Amadeus) and features a variety of seating with a grand chandelier on the ceiling.
The general theme of performance here involves Mozart operas. This is due in part because there is so much history between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the building. His premiere of “Opera of Operas” – Don Giovanni was performed here. But there is also room for other works by different composers as well.
Jiri Grossmann Theatre:While many theatres in Prague are known for the classics, there are a few known for their originality. Jiri Grossmann Theatre is one such place and is a must-see for those who appreciate theatre.
While Jiri Grossmann is another non-verbal, black light theatre, it separates itself in certain ways. For starters, this is the only theatre that has its dancers and actors levitating right above its audience’s heads! And the audience is always encouraged to participate in the show as well.
Jiri Grossmann’s WOW show offers numerous surprises throughout despite being wordless. And the show is willing to travel to destinations picked by its clients. But for those who would rather just go for the theatre experience, Jiri Grossmann is right in the center of Prague and comfortably seats 300 people.
Animato Theatre:Yet another wonderful black light theatre in Prague, Animato has lived through some of the hard times seen by the city. Most notably, when it barely survived financially during the months around the time of the 1989 Czech revolution. And through it all, Animato’s core production team has somehow managed to stay together long enough to solidify 15 productions into the company’s schedule.
One of these productions includes its newest featured one, Rock Therapy. This show not only uses black light in its rendition but it also uses marionette and dance aspects. Rock Therapy is a product of the flower children, hippies, and contemporary rock where the focus of the contemporary rock happens to be The Beatles. The Beatles take one on a trip through the 1960’s and tackles some very important issues like the notion of war, murder, and even troubles in today’s society.
Held in Savarin Palace, the statues inside and beautiful art murals on the ceiling only enhance the effect of the plays such as The Beatles.
5 Favorite Art Galleries in Prague
National Gallery of Prague
Troja Castle
Stone Bell House
Zbraslav Castle
Golden Ring House
National Gallery of Prague: This gallery is extremely large and is housed in Stenberg Palace. The National Gallery of Prague is also very diverse in its artistic content.
Its displays are chronological in order as it begins with some European 14th century art. Then it proceeds into the 15th century with early paintings from the brushes of Italians. Moving on towards the late 15th and 16th century, visitors are treated to the fantastic paints of the Netherlands. Finishing out this gallery is paintings from the High Renaissance era of the 15th through 17th centuries made by Germans. And if this isn’t enough for you, there is also another great gallery to check out. It’s housed at the Covenant of St. George where many Czech sculptures and paintings await that range from the 18th century to all the way back in the middle ages.
Troja Castle: The grounds of Troja serve as an appetizer to the art inside. They consist of a variety of different gardens and red-roofed buildings that combine to make for some wonderful outdoor scenery. The main attraction is the center, three-part building though.
The main hall is adorned by murals from the great artist A. Godin and his equally talented son Isaac. Traveling up the staircase will lead visitors past the sculpting work of J.J. Herrmann. These sculptures include some eerie depictions of great gods and goddesses fighting the Titans for supremacy.
There is also plenty of other Czech and European art to be seen in this gallery, as well, if one is willing to make the trip.
Stone Bell House: Prague is known for its Gothic, medieval-looking structures but Stone Bell House might be one of the most interesting of all. Ground was broken on the house in the 13th century which may give credence to its archaic, yet enthralling look. Its mini cathedral-like windows are impressive to look at as is its different types and shades of stones.
Getting to the art gallery, the current main exhibit there provides a look at Frantisek Foltyn’s work of the 1920’s and 1930’s. His paintings are considered to be some of the best that Czech modern art has to offer.
Much of his work was said to contain social and literary elements that were captured through his brush strokes. As he moved on through the 20’s and into the 30’s, his style changed to more geometric abstraction. The exhibit also takes people through his organic abstraction period of the 30’s and back to realism in the 40’s and 60’s.
Zbraslav Castle: Another place where it is as much of a joy to see the actual structure itself as the artwork inside. Entrenched right on the banks of the Vltava River in southern Prague, Zbraslav Castle is a multi-colored manor nestled in a small clearing among woodlands.
Although it is associated with the National Gallery, Zbraslav is unto its own as it houses all of the non-European art of the collection. The large majority of these works are via Asia and there are more than 1500 works in this gallery that have been collected over 40 years. Of these 1500 pieces of art, most of them hail from China, India, Southeast Tibet, and Japan.
A person might forget they were in Prague when examining the Chinese Buddhas and large, painted Japanese scrolls. There are also some interesting writings done in Islamic and Chinese calligraphy. The gallery is topped off with some Neolithic burial vessels.
Golden Ring House:Many people who visit the gallery at the Golden Ring House will immediately notice the weird layout of it. This is due to the fact that it arose out of the joining of two side-by-side medieval houses. But a lift has since been installed so visitors can view the art inside more easily.
And it is a good thing that it is more accessible as more people will be able to enjoy the works of the currently featured gallery from Jiri Prihoda. Prihoda has been a prominent sculptor and video artist during the last three decades. People have raved about his sculpture, Chapel, and the video project “Absolute Scale of the Human Body” which deals with the film Titanic Prihoda has also done plenty of architecture work and it may inspire people to spruce up their own dwellings. Some of his famous architecture includes the trendy Balcony View and the Family House.
National Technical Museum Prague City Museum The Czech Museum of Fine Arts The Pedagogical Museum of J.A. Comenius Jewish Museum in Prague The Villa Mueller Museum of Military History Czech National Museum Mucha Museum Franz Kafka MuseumNational Technical Museum: Dedicated to Czech technology over the years, The National Technical Museum was opened in 1908 and is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. It is the largest institution in the Czech Republic dedicated to keeping the country’s technology artifacts and books of historical importance. And speaking of books, there are more than 250,000 of them in the main section alone!
But there are also plenty of big displays as well. In fact, 15% of the total museum’s exhibits are considered large in nature. A Railroad Museum was opened to house more than 100 railroad vehicles and this has been a favorite ever since its inauguration in 2001.
Many different types of cars, bikes, and planes can be seen throughout the grounds of the National Technical Museum as well. It’s usually not too crowded either, which means visitors won’t have to fight through mobs of people to see what they want.
Prague City Museum: Many people will marvel at the actual building of the Prague City Museum long before they ever step foot inside. This off-white, neo-renaissance structure sprawls out across a lush green lawn and beckons people to enter its walls.
Once inside, people can definitely enjoy the artwork as well. There is one exhibit which takes people through a giant time loop by showing the history of Prague from the Prehistoric times all the way up to the days when Prague’s small, independent burgs united in 1784.
But the best display is by far the cardboard model of Prague that was constructed by Antonin Langweil. This lifelong university servant made an amazingly accurate depiction of the city from 1826-1834. The detail is astonishing with trees, broken windows and models of more than 2000 real buildings that are right-on. This cardboard version is so good that it is currently used to locate buildings that no longer exist.
The Czech Museum of Fine Arts: Prague is already a city considered to be one of the most artistic communities in the world due to its historic Bohemian School art style. The Czech Museum of Fine Arts only adds to this billing as it offers an excellent look at the region’s most fascinating works.
The museum was originally housed at Nelahozeves Castle outside of Prague but later moved to Old Town Prague. The museum showcases a vast array of paintings, sculptures, prints, and drawings by renowned Czech artists in addition to people from other countries too. This museum of fine arts has an impressive collection of Czech Modernism works from the country’s famous Surrealist Period. These Surrealist pieces represent the feelings of the 1940’s through geometric abstraction.
The House of the Black Madonna is also another must-see location at this museum. There are plenty of Czech Cubist Architectural pieces in this exhibit including the “Czech Cubists” one, which is an excellent representation of what this style is all about.
The Pedagogical Museum of J.A. Comenius: This is one of the oldest museums in the whole country of the Czech Republic as it was built in the 1880’s. This near-ancient building honors the great John Amos Comenius who many call “The Father of Modern Education”.
The Pedagogical Museum’s main attraction is called “J.A. Comenius and Czech School”. It is basically a model 19th century classroom and a timeline of textbooks and educational tools from that point up till now. The display also shows Comenius’ greatest achievement in that he was the first to put pictures into educational textbooks. It also expounds upon his old arguments that children should be educated very early on and women should be included in formal education, too.
Comenius exhibits aren’t the only ones here though as there are more than 150,000 items throughout the museum. The vast library houses 25,000 of them itself, which should make for some great reading.
Jewish Museum in Prague: If museums were people then the Jewish Museum in Prague might have had the toughest life of them all. The museum was, at one point, shut down by the Nazis in 1939 and not reopened until World War II was over. The museum still didn’t receive the best of care until after 1989 when the Communist regime collapsed. Since then, the museum’s work has finally been allowed to shine through.
And the Jewish Museum in Prague is considered one of the brightest in the world. It has one of the greatest collections of Jewish artwork in addition to the 100,000 books and 40,000 exhibits it houses. Some of the displays even help trace the history of Jews in the area since the items are of Bohemian and Moravian decent.
The Villa Mueller: Adolf Loos was one of the most influential artists in modern architecture and one of his crowning achievements is recognized at the Villa Mueller.
But the Villa Mueller isn’t some big, medieval castle like many other Czech museums. Instead, it is a modern, very artistic look at one of this great architect’s works.
On the outside, people will immediately notice the nearly all-white color, hard rectangular shapes, and layered design. Once inside, visitors get a futuristic approach to the year 1930, when the structure was built. The different shapes and colors immediately tell a person that this is no ordinary house.
There’s the green-tinted, polychrome corridor offset by the pure white doors. Then there’s the living room that is dominated by cherry red only to see bits of white and green around the area. Traveling to any room will reveal an amazing sense of architecture unlike most seen in the world.
Museum of Military History: This museum provides an excellent look at the history of the Army of the Czech Republic, the Czech military, and the Czechoslovak army. The Museum of Military History is not only a museum but also a scientific and book researching institution of the Army of the Czech Republic and the Board of Military.
This institution collects and stores items of cultural and military importance. The displays are split up among four different areas including the Military Historical Museum, the Museum of Aviation, the Army Museum, and the Military Technical Museum.
Inside, you’ll see the traditional tanks and weapons used by military personnel. You’ll also see some pretty cool planes and cars in the museum too.
Czech National Museum: While this museum is under one name, it actually is featured in many different buildings. Some of the smaller ones include the Czech Music Museum, Historical Pharmacy Museum, and the Ethnographical Museum.
However, the main draws to the National Museum include the Natural Science and National History buildings. One fascinating display features an evolutionary look at the Slovakians, Moravians, and the Bohemians. There are also some interesting things to be seen in the anthropology and zoological sections.
Science and history aren’t the only things to be discovered here though. Exhibits depicting the life and work of composer Antonin Dvorak are exemplified here in a large section as well.
Mucha Museum: For anyone who’s ever heard of, and admired Czech artist Alphonse Maria Mucha, the Mucha Museum is the place to go. For people who don’t know him, his story of legend began when he created an exceptional poster of Paris theatre icon Sarah Bernhardt for a promotion of one of her plays, Gismonda.
After receiving acclaim here, he began to weave his art work into the Paris scene as the Victorian era was dying out. It is in this that his art became a major driving force in the Art Nouveau style. Art Nouveau then began to uproot many of the more traditional late 19th century art that had been formed by the European academic style.
Mucha Museum is a comprehensive look at many of the works crafted by this trend-setting man. Alphonse Maria Mucha’s pastels, paintings, lithographs, drawings, statues, and photographs can be observed in the halls of this museum.
Franz Kafka Museum: A great site to visit for literature lovers, the Kafka Museum honors one of the greatest German language fiction writers of the 20th century in Prague-born Franz Kafka. However, it does it in a different way from other museums in the world that honor him.
The tradition for other Kafka museums is to simply present his literature in typical museum format. But the one in Prague seeks to use the documents first to open the way for a tour of Kafka’s life and thoughts.
There are two sections in the Kafka Museum. The first consists of an area called Existential Space which takes a deep, metaphoric look at Kafka’s life compared to the city of Prague. The other section contains eight lengthy papers that were written by Kafka experts. There is also a great shop in the museum where a person can purchase some memorable Kafka-related items.
10 Favorite Theatres of Prague
Laterna Magika All Colours Theatre Image Theatre National Marionette Theatre (Puppet Theatre) Karlin Music Theatre Prague State Opera Ta Fantastika Theatre of Estates Jiri Grossmann Theatre Animato TheatreLaterna Magika:For those who like to be amazed visually and not by words, there’s Laterna Magika which seeks to entertain people in nonverbal ways. Most notably, by the usage of dance, film, and light which create a simply stunning spectacle at times.
This theatre got its start at EXPO 58 in Brussels, Belgium. The success of this event spawned the construction of the theatre the following year in 1959.
Two of Laterna Magika’s top programs are its versions of Casanova and Wonderful Circus as they are fun to watch and easy to follow despite the fact that words are not present. Laterna’s rendition of Casanova tells the fulfilling, yet tragic tale of the seducer and lover to many women known as Giacomo Casanova. Wonderful Circus tells the story of two clowns on a journey following the beautiful Venus only to grow old in the process. Both plays are very entertaining and sure to be a great welcoming to what Laterna Magika is all about.
All Colours Theatre:All Colours is one of the famous black light theatres in Prague. For those who don’t know about black light theatre, it uses a black box and black lighting in order to create illusions.
All Colours has dazzled many people with its performances of Concert in Black Light, Dreams, and Magical Universe throughout the years. Now it is using the play Faust to show what black light theatre represents. Faust tells the tale of a man who longs for the highest power and the life of an immortal. But he is forced to pay the price for his greed.
During the course of this story, viewers are taken on an enriched version of black light theatre complete with new state of the art equipment. They are also given original songs with both English and Czech words.
Image Theatre: Another popular Prague black light theatre, Image Theatre is one of the best places for one to get acquainted with the black light style as its shows take people on a journey from the darkness to an array of lights and fascinating colors.
This theatre’s style will really play tricks on people due to the fact that at one moment, an actor will be invisible and the next, they’ll be right in your face! In some shows, there is nothing but total darkness for a time before the stage bursts forth with colors.
But Image isn’t just about colors and darkness. There is also plenty of dancing, ballet, and mime action to enhance the experience. So basically, you can expect to be awed in Image Theatre’s original method of delivering black light.
National Marionette Theatre (Puppet Theatre): Prague’s puppet plays are among the best in the world due to the fact that there are plenty of master puppeteers that exude true craftsmanship through their work. With exceptional costumes and authentic 18th century stage sets, the National Marionette Theatre has few peers in the puppet performance world.
The National Marionette’s tall puppets do just as good of a job telling a story as do real actors. Most notably in the house specialty, “The Opera of Operas” – Don Giovanni. Originally composed by Mozart himself, this play does the great symphony justice through its marionette style of telling the story.
The Magic Flute is also a popular play shown at the National Marionette. This is another opera composed by Mozart and it shows the journey of a young prince named Tamino through a foreign land. In this land, he is forced to endure many trials, finds love, and is aided by a mysterious magic flute.
Karlin Music Theatre: Some people enjoy their favorite plays amongst a big crowd and Karlin Music Theatre delivers this. Seating almost 1,100, Karlin is the biggest theatre in Prague and offers a wide variety of musicals on its schedule.
Perhaps its large size can be attributed to the fact that it was originally built in 1881 to house circus acts. Then, near the end of the 19th century, it was rebuilt so it could house all different kinds of performances.
Through its history, the Karlin has offered comedies, concerts, operettas, and plays. Unfortunately, the Karlin was destroyed by the floods that swept through the Czech Republic. However, the Karlin has since been restored and has a newer look to it. And luckily, exceptional musical performances and singing acts are able to work in the building once again.
Prague State Opera: Fans of opera will love visiting the Prague State Opera as it is certainly never lacking in talented voices. Residing in a building originally constructed in 1888 for Prague German Stage, viewers will see plenty of character on the outside before ever stepping foot in the opera.
Eventually, the theatre reopened into what is now the Prague State Opera. It performs in the spirit of the German theatre style in which it was first opened in 1888. Since its inception, the Prague State Opera has featured numerous world-renowned acts in large part due to its last two directors in Daniel Dvorak and Jaroslav Vocelka.
Scott Joplin’s “Treemonisha”, Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide”, and Ruggero Leoncavallo’s “La Boheme” have all graced Prague State. There are works for more exceptional acts to perform at the building in the future, too.
Ta Fantastika: Though it hasn’t been around for as many decades as other famous theatres in Prague, Ta Fantastika has quickly become another respected theatre in the black light community.
Ta Fantastika has also become respected internationally, too as the group has toured around the world. Having only been open since 1981, few theatre operations have become as big in such a short amount of time as this one.
For anyone who is a lover of Alice in Wonderland or Gulliver’s Travels, Ta Fantastika is the place to see them. Alice in Wonderland is about how a young girl falls through a rabbit hole and is transported into a magical but sometimes dangerous world. Gulliver’s Travels takes people on a humorous journey involving Lemuel Gulliver’s adventures.
Shown in black light style, these shows rely heavily on the use of a black box which can easily play tricks on people’s eyes. However, you won’t hear a word out of the actors as the stories are told without words like Laterna Magika.
Theatre of Estates:The Theatres of Estates was built all the way back in 1780 by Count Nostitz and is Prague’s oldest theatre. This theatre is so aged that the Czech national anthem, Where is my home, was first performed here.
The spectacle of the Theatre of Estates is quite impressive as well. The rounded, five-storied interior is like something out of a movie (in fact it was a set in Amadeus) and features a variety of seating with a grand chandelier on the ceiling.
The general theme of performance here involves Mozart operas. This is due in part because there is so much history between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the building. His premiere of “Opera of Operas” – Don Giovanni was performed here. But there is also room for other works by different composers as well.
Jiri Grossmann Theatre:While many theatres in Prague are known for the classics, there are a few known for their originality. Jiri Grossmann Theatre is one such place and is a must-see for those who appreciate theatre.
While Jiri Grossmann is another non-verbal, black light theatre, it separates itself in certain ways. For starters, this is the only theatre that has its dancers and actors levitating right above its audience’s heads! And the audience is always encouraged to participate in the show as well.
Jiri Grossmann’s WOW show offers numerous surprises throughout despite being wordless. And the show is willing to travel to destinations picked by its clients. But for those who would rather just go for the theatre experience, Jiri Grossmann is right in the center of Prague and comfortably seats 300 people.
Animato Theatre:Yet another wonderful black light theatre in Prague, Animato has lived through some of the hard times seen by the city. Most notably, when it barely survived financially during the months around the time of the 1989 Czech revolution. And through it all, Animato’s core production team has somehow managed to stay together long enough to solidify 15 productions into the company’s schedule.
One of these productions includes its newest featured one, Rock Therapy. This show not only uses black light in its rendition but it also uses marionette and dance aspects. Rock Therapy is a product of the flower children, hippies, and contemporary rock where the focus of the contemporary rock happens to be The Beatles. The Beatles take one on a trip through the 1960’s and tackles some very important issues like the notion of war, murder, and even troubles in today’s society.
Held in Savarin Palace, the statues inside and beautiful art murals on the ceiling only enhance the effect of the plays such as The Beatles.
5 Favorite Art Galleries in Prague
National Gallery of Prague Troja Castle Stone Bell House Zbraslav Castle Golden Ring HouseNational Gallery of Prague: This gallery is extremely large and is housed in Stenberg Palace. The National Gallery of Prague is also very diverse in its artistic content.
Its displays are chronological in order as it begins with some European 14th century art. Then it proceeds into the 15th century with early paintings from the brushes of Italians. Moving on towards the late 15th and 16th century, visitors are treated to the fantastic paints of the Netherlands. Finishing out this gallery is paintings from the High Renaissance era of the 15th through 17th centuries made by Germans. And if this isn’t enough for you, there is also another great gallery to check out. It’s housed at the Covenant of St. George where many Czech sculptures and paintings await that range from the 18th century to all the way back in the middle ages.
Troja Castle: The grounds of Troja serve as an appetizer to the art inside. They consist of a variety of different gardens and red-roofed buildings that combine to make for some wonderful outdoor scenery. The main attraction is the center, three-part building though.
The main hall is adorned by murals from the great artist A. Godin and his equally talented son Isaac. Traveling up the staircase will lead visitors past the sculpting work of J.J. Herrmann. These sculptures include some eerie depictions of great gods and goddesses fighting the Titans for supremacy.
There is also plenty of other Czech and European art to be seen in this gallery, as well, if one is willing to make the trip.
Stone Bell House: Prague is known for its Gothic, medieval-looking structures but Stone Bell House might be one of the most interesting of all. Ground was broken on the house in the 13th century which may give credence to its archaic, yet enthralling look. Its mini cathedral-like windows are impressive to look at as is its different types and shades of stones.
Getting to the art gallery, the current main exhibit there provides a look at Frantisek Foltyn’s work of the 1920’s and 1930’s. His paintings are considered to be some of the best that Czech modern art has to offer.
Much of his work was said to contain social and literary elements that were captured through his brush strokes. As he moved on through the 20’s and into the 30’s, his style changed to more geometric abstraction. The exhibit also takes people through his organic abstraction period of the 30’s and back to realism in the 40’s and 60’s.
Zbraslav Castle: Another place where it is as much of a joy to see the actual structure itself as the artwork inside. Entrenched right on the banks of the Vltava River in southern Prague, Zbraslav Castle is a multi-colored manor nestled in a small clearing among woodlands.
Although it is associated with the National Gallery, Zbraslav is unto its own as it houses all of the non-European art of the collection. The large majority of these works are via Asia and there are more than 1500 works in this gallery that have been collected over 40 years. Of these 1500 pieces of art, most of them hail from China, India, Southeast Tibet, and Japan.
A person might forget they were in Prague when examining the Chinese Buddhas and large, painted Japanese scrolls. There are also some interesting writings done in Islamic and Chinese calligraphy. The gallery is topped off with some Neolithic burial vessels.
Golden Ring House:Many people who visit the gallery at the Golden Ring House will immediately notice the weird layout of it. This is due to the fact that it arose out of the joining of two side-by-side medieval houses. But a lift has since been installed so visitors can view the art inside more easily.
And it is a good thing that it is more accessible as more people will be able to enjoy the works of the currently featured gallery from Jiri Prihoda. Prihoda has been a prominent sculptor and video artist during the last three decades. People have raved about his sculpture, Chapel, and the video project “Absolute Scale of the Human Body” which deals with the film Titanic Prihoda has also done plenty of architecture work and it may inspire people to spruce up their own dwellings. Some of his famous architecture includes the trendy Balcony View and the Family House.
