The Municipal House in Prague is a quintessential example of the height of the Art Nouveau movement in Central Europe.
It’s located next to the old Powder Tower in the former location of the Royal Court Palace, and is the home of Smetana Hall. The building serves primarily as a concert venue and a place to hold special events. There is a large traditional Czech restaurant inside on the basement level, serving delicious and filling Czech specialties. Many rooms in the building are only accessible by private tour, and are truly worth seeing!
For those not familiar, Art Nouveau was a popular movement that made its way throughout all of central Europe at the turn of the twentieth century. The movement believed that art should be a part of everyday life, and it became infused in architecture, textiles, paintings, furniture, clothes, and jewelry. It was characterized by flower and leaf motifs, along with curving flowy lines and lovely ladies. Prague’s Art Nouveau master was Mucha, whose Sarah Bernhardt posters became famous world-wide.
I recently had the opportunity to tour the Municipal House in Prague and wanted to share some photos with you of some of its gorgeousness!
Enjoy!
fancy! <3