The Mayor's Hall by Mucha
A circular room Mucha decorated entirely: walls and ceiling of symbolic paintings about the Czech nation — the summit of Czech Art Nouveau.
Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Godot13 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dennis G. Jarvis — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ray Swi-hymn from Sijhih-Taipei, Taiwan — CC BY-SA 2.0
The Municipal House is the greatest thing Art Nouveau produced in Prague, and arguably in central Europe. It opened in 1912 on the site of the old royal court, decorated by the most important Czech artists of the day — foremost Alphonse Mucha, who did the entire Mayor's Hall. The façade carries a huge mosaic and a green dome, and above the entrance an ornate canopy glitters with gold. It is not a museum but a living cultural centre: at its core is Smetana Hall, the concert room that traditionally opens the Prague Spring music festival each year. There is a French restaurant, a coffee hall and an American bar in the basement, all with their original 1912 fittings — meaning you can drink a coffee inside an architectural masterpiece for the price of an ordinary coffee. The building carries political weight too: the independence of Czechoslovakia was proclaimed from its balcony on 28 October 1918, and in 1989 the negotiations between the communist government and the opposition that prepared the transfer of power were held here. The foyer and cafés are free to enter; the ceremonial halls above are seen on a guided tour or by attending a concert.
A circular room Mucha decorated entirely: walls and ceiling of symbolic paintings about the Czech nation — the summit of Czech Art Nouveau.
The main concert room, with a glass ceiling and a great organ — where the Prague Spring festival opens each year.
A large mosaic above the entrance, "Homage to Prague", beneath the green dome — look at it from across the street.
A café with its complete 1912 fittings — mirrors, brass and a marble fountain — the most elegant place in Prague for a normally priced coffee.
Náměstí Republiky 1090/5, Prague 1
Powder TowerThe Powder Tower is the gate through which Prague brought in its kings. Begun in1 minute walk4.5
Museum of CommunismThe Museum of Communism tells forty years of Czechoslovak history, from 1948 to 2 minutes walk4.1
House of the Black MadonnaThe House of the Black Madonna is the first Cubist building in the world, and th3 minutes walk4.5
The Jindřišská TowerPrague's tallest free-standing belfry: Gothic Jindřišská (1476) was built as St 4 minutes walk4.5
Estates TheatreThe Estates Theatre is a green-and-white classical building in the Old Town, ope4 minutes walk4.6To a large extent, yes: the main foyer, café and restaurant are free and hold plenty of original decoration. But the Mucha hall and Smetana Hall require a tour or a concert ticket.
Entirely: familiar classical programmes (Dvořák, Smetana, Mozart), tickets that are reasonable compared with Vienna or Paris, and no strict dress code. It is the best cultural value in Prague for one evening.
The Mayor's Hall here is Mucha's original mural work in its own setting; the museum shows his posters and paintings moved into a gallery. For admirers: see both, and start here — the impact is greater.
The guided tour runs about an hour. Add half an hour for coffee in the original hall and ten minutes for the adjoining Powder Tower. Two hours covers the whole group comfortably.