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SpotlightThe Mánes Exhibition Hall – an icon of functionalist architecture
The functionalist Mánes Exhibition Hall, located on the right bank of the
Vltava river between the bridges Jiraskův most and Most Legií, is one of
only two buildings in Prague that were expressly designed to house art –
the other one being the famous Rudolfinum gallery. Martin Pavala, the
chairman of the supervisory board of the Czech Art Foundation, which owns
it, explains that the art gallery’s history started in 1930. More
SpotlightThe House of the Black Madonna – home of the only surviving Cubist café in the world
Nestled between busy Wenceslas Square and Prague’s number one tourist
destination, Old Town Square, the House of the Black Madonna houses a small
museum of Cubism as well as the only surviving Cubist café in the world
– the Grand Café Orient, which was renovated between 2002 and 2005. More
SpotlightThrough Emperor Rudolf’s water tunnel under Letná
The Habsburg Emperor Rudolf II left a deep mark in Czech history. Various
legends and myths surround the 16th century ruler who made Prague his
imperial seat and whose diverse interests made the city a centre of
Renaissance arts and sciences. One monument from his time is hidden beneath
the surface of the earth – a water tunnel carved deep into the rock of
one of Prague’s hills. More
SpotlightThe Museum of Decorative Arts – a must-see destination for fans of Czech design
Lovers of Czech applied arts and design will find a veritable treasure
trove of interesting items, ranging from glass wares to clocks and metal
works, in Prague’s Museum of Decorative Arts. Located right across the
street from the well-known Rudolfinum palace, the museum is housed in a
stunning Neo-Renaissance building. It was one of the last in Prague to be
designed in that style. The architect was Josef Schulz, who also was behind
the Czech National Museum. More
SpecialStage managing Prague Castle - Zdeněk Lukeš remembers Václav Havel
When Václav Havel came to Prague Castle, it meant a complete upheaval not
only of the old system of governance, but also of the way things were run
at the historical seat of the president itself. One of those who has been
at Prague Castle since the very outset of that period is architect and art
historian Zdeněk Lukeš, who worked closely with Václav Havel on
revamping the castle and shared in the exuberance of the early
administration. Speaking here with Christian Falvey, he recalled working
with Mr Havel in the Civic Forum, the first post-Communist political
movement. More
SpotlightPrague’s Ladronka park offers something for everybody
In today’s Spotlight we don’t have to travel too far. Just a
forty-five-minute tram ride uphill from the centre of Prague takes us to
one of the largest parks in the city. Not long ago, its greenery was
untended and the historic building in the middle of it was inhabited by a
commune of squatters. But after a recent facelift, Ladronka, as the park is
called, now offers something for everybody. More
SpotlightPrague’s Malá Strana cemetery: a burial ground that’s dying out
Cemeteries across the country will soon fill with flowers and burning
candles when on All Saints Day people visit the graves of their loved ones.
But in Prague, there is one burial ground where few visitors are expected.
The Malá Strana cemetery was only in use for about a century, and it now
stands out as a unique monument in the middle of the dynamically developing
district of Smíchov. A group of local enthusiasts have now got together to
save this unique part of the city’s heritage. More
SpotlightSt. Martin in the Wall
I had never really been inside or had a proper look around, but I was sure
the small church of St Martin in the Wall would have an interesting story,
if for no other reason than its ancient appearance and peculiar name. Just
off the central Národní třída is a classic Prague alleyway that’s
tucked away from the shopping boulevard, neatly dividing the centuries from
one another, and there you’ll find it. One of the oldest churches in the
city, St Martin in the Wall is one of those relatively few landmarks whose
story can transport you all the way back through the ages to the beginnings
of the Czech metropolis. More
SpecialA tale of two brothers, and the building of a nation
For the occasion of September 28, I’m here at a place that some people
actually call the real centre of the Czech Republic. Not the geographic
centre to be sure, but certainly the focal point for much of the Czech
Republic’s rocky modern-day history. It’s a statue of a man on a horse
(which people call ‘the horse’ when they arrange one of the hundreds of
meetings that take place here each day). But it’s of course the man on
the horse that has overseen everything over the last hundred years from the
declaration of Czechoslovak independence to the various political
demonstrations that gravitate here today. Above me is of course Saint
Václav, or Wenceslas, from which the surrounding square takes its name,
and his likeness has adorned this place for at least three hundred years,
in different incarnations. Legend has it that when worse comes to worst for
the Czech lands he will come un-petrified, and ride away to quash their
enemies – a disconcerting prophesy when one considers the parades of
Nazis and Communists that the statue saw come and go. But even in that,
there is a good point to be made: this symbol of Czech statehood is
indomitable; the legacy of St. Václav rides on through the ages, now for
about the 1,076th year. More
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