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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
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
SpotlightPetschek’s Palace, once the headquarters of the Nazi secret police
If you’re not looking for it then you’ll probably overlook the rather
nondescript building of the Ministry of Industry, near the top of
Prague’s Wenceslas Square. If, however, you are one of the few who read
Prague’s street-side memorial signs, you get the full impact of what the
dirty grey, rough-hewn building called Petschek’s Palace means to modern
Czech history: “In the time of the Nazi occupation,” it reads, “this
building housed the torture chambers of the Gestapo. Fighters for the
freedom of our country fought, suffered and died here. We will never forget
their memory, and will be loyal to their legacy. PEOPLE, BE AWARE”. More
SpotlightPrague’s Hanau Pavilion – pricey restaurant with interesting history and great city views
On the edge of Prague’s Letná plain, overlooking the Vltava and the Old
Town, stand several remarkable buildings from the Belle Époque when Prague
was hoping to become the Paris of the East. One of these structures is the
Hanau Pavilion, a church-like edifice of cast iron and bricks built to
demonstrate the dynamic development of Bohemian industry. Today as in the
past, its restaurant offers amazing views of the capital. More
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