The bohemian city of Pragueis often referred to as being one of the most culturally vibrant cities in the world. The wealth of art, design and architecture in Pragueis staggering. Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Cubist styles sit side by side, with the museums and art galleries bringing to life the eventful history of the city. To gain the best insight into this city’s culture on Prague city breaks, don’t miss out on these Top 5 museums:
1. Museum of Decorative Arts: Housed in a fin-de-siècle building which is itself a work of art, the Museum of Decorative Arts was founded in 1885 to display exquisite examples of European decorative arts that tread a fine line between fine and applied art. Only a fraction of the museum’s collection is exhibited, but the pieces on display are superb, including a range of beautiful Bohemian glass and ceramics.
- Address: 17 Listopadu 2, Prague 1
- Opening Hours: Tue – Sun 10.00 – 18:00
- Admission: Permanent and temporary exhibits: Full 120 Kč/Reduced 70 Kč;
Temporary exhibits: Full 80 Kč/Reduced 40 Kč
Free every Tuesday 17:00 – 19:00
2. Antonin Dvorak Museum: Hidden away behind wrought-iron gates, the Dvorák Museum is housed in an elegant, early eighteenth century baroque summer palace. The exquisite russet and cream villa was designed by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer, the architect responsible for some of Prague’s most beautiful churches. The building has had a varied existence (having served as a cattle market and also a restaurant), but in recent years it has been carefully restored and now contains a permanent exhibition of photographs and memorabilia of the life and work of Antonín Dvorák (1841 to 1904) from the Dvorák Society collection. The popular Hotel St George is right next to the Antonin Dvorak Museum.
- Address: Ke Karlovu 20, Prague 2
- Opening Hours: Tue – Sun 10:00 – 17:00
Admission: Full 50 Kč/reduced 25 Kč; Family 90 Kč
3. The Jewish Museum: Containing over 40,000 exhibits and 100,000 books, the Jewish Museum has one of the most extensive collections of Judaic art and culture in the world. The large number of exhibits is unique considering they are from a single territory, Bohemia and Moravia. The exhibitions of the museum are in six historic locations; the Maisel Synagogue, Spanish Synagogue, Pinkas Synagogue, the Old Jewish Cemetery, Klausen Synagogue and the Ceremonial Hall.
- Address: U Staré Skoly 1
- Opening Hours: Sun-Fri 09:00-18:00
- Admission: N/A
4. The Museum of the City of Prague: The museum’s permanent collection documents the history of the city from its foundation in the ninth century to the present day. The most famous exhibit is a 20-square-foot model of Prague constructed over an eleven year period in the early nineteenth century by Antonin Langweil, which provides visitors with a glimpse of the beautiful, inaccessible architecture that is hidden behind the high walls.
- Address: Na Porící 52
- Opening Hours: Tue – Sun 9:00 – 18:00
- Admission: Full:100czk Students:40czk Children: 40czk
5. The Museum of Military History: Housed in an impressive mid-sixteenth century Renaissance palace, the Museum of Military History contains Czech military memorabilia from the thirteenth century to the end of World War I. The collection includes scale models of battles and details of historic campaign strategy, as well as uniforms, weapons and the history of evolving military technologies.
- Address: Schwarzenberský Palác, Hradcanské námestí 2, Hradcany, Prague 1
- Opening Hours: Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00
- Admission: Full 50 Kč/Reduced 25 Kč; Family 90 Kč
About the author: Stephanie is the expert for Prague holidays at lowcostholidays.com.
