Smetana Hall All guidebooks about Prague will mention the Municipal House but the Smetana Hall inside the building gets much less coverage probably because it’s not a place that you can just walk into. Strange, when you think that the Smetana Hall was to be the beacon of the celebration of Slavic culture and the … Read More
Jan Palach Square – Namesti Jana Palacha If ever there was a place in the city that highlights why names of locations change over the years it’s the current Jan Palach Square. The names used here include it’s location, its function, a prince, an empress, two composers, a communist name and a memorial. It’s a … Read More
Top Prague Attraction – Municipal House At the turn of the 20th Century the Austro-Hungarian Empire was weakening. In Prague you could see this with different architectural projects that incorporated very Nationalist and in our case, Slavic designs. The name “Municipal House” might lead you to think that this was going to be some grand … Read More
Spanish Synagogue There was a Jewish community recorded as resident in what is now the Lesser Town in the mid-12th Century but following a devastating fire in that area in 1142 it’s thought that this community relocated to what would become the Old Town and they built a synagogue where the Spanish Synagogue stands today. … Read More
Boccaccio Ballroom Prague is well known for being one of the centres for classical music in Europe and it has some stunning venues to enjoy. Mostly these venues are in churches or palaces but there are other options and the Boccaccio Ballroom is one of them. What’s Special About It? This area was redeveloped in … Read More
St James Basilica If you have come from the Old Town Square and you’ve walked through the Tyn Courtyard then as you emerge onto the street at the far end (Mala Stupartska) you’ll see the church 30 metres to your left. The church, to be accurate it was made a “Basilica Minor” in 1976, has … Read More
Prague Lobkowicz Palace Classical Concert Venue It’s a question I’ve been asked many times. What is your favourite Prague classical concert venue? For large scale impact I have three favourites but for a small venue there’s only one, the Prague Lobkowicz Palace. Where is the Prague Lobkowicz Palace? Be careful, although this is the most … Read More
Wallenstein Garden and Palace The Wallenstein Garden takes it’s name from the adjacent Wallenstein Palace (now the home of the Czech Senate). As one of 4 or 5 families that supported the Catholic Emperor Ferdinand II during the 30 years war, the Wallensteins were gifted this land in the Lesser Town after the Catholics took … Read More
The Romanesque Saint George Basilica If you think that the construction of the Old Royal Palace and the associated All Saints Chapel was the first church, then the Saint George Basilica was second church in the Prague Castle complex. Built in the Romanesque style (monumental and plain) in the year 920 it stayed largely the … Read More
Explore the Klementinum The Klementinum is often mistakenly referred to as a building. In fact it’s a complex comprising a number of separate buildings, churches and chapels. At 20,000 square metres, only Prague Castle is larger by area so let’s explore. Why Visit the Klementinum? You would normally come into the complex for one of … Read More