★★★★★ 5.0
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Municipal house
You know that gorgeous Art Nouveau facade you're staring at? In 1905, the mayor literally FAINTED when he saw the final construction bill... it cost triple the original budget at 6 million crowns, enough to build three entire city blocks back then! See those mosaic panels above the entrance? That's actually the largest ceramic artwork in Central Europe, with over 200,000 individual pieces telling the story of Prague's history. But here's what kills me... before this beauty stood here, this was the site of the old Royal Court, where they used to execute nobles by beheading them with a special silver axe. Talk about a glow-up, right? Step inside and look up immediately... that glass dome you'll see weighs 40 tons and was installed WITHOUT any cranes, just an intricate pulley system that took 73 days. The Smetana Hall inside? That's where the Czech Republic declared independence in 1918, and where Dvořák himself premiered his final symphony. Oh, and locals know to sneak up to the hidden Mayor's Salon on the second floor around 3pm... the afternoon light through those stained glass windows is absolutely INSANE, and hardly anyone's there!
Did You Know?
- The Municipal House was the site of the proclamation of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, making it a birthplace of modern Czech statehood—visitors can still see a bronze plaque commemorating this historic event, and the building later hosted crucial negotiations between dissidents and communist leaders during the Velvet Revolution in 1989.
- Designed by Osvald Polívka and Antonín Balšánek, the Municipal House is a masterpiece of Art Nouveau, blending Neo-Baroque, Neo-Renaissance, and oriental influences, with lavish interiors decorated by over 100 Czech artists, including Alfons Mucha, Jan Preisler, and Ladislav Šaloun—kids can hunt for Mucha’s famous floral motifs and Šaloun’s dramatic sculptures throughout the building.
- Built on the site of the medieval Royal Court, where Czech kings once lived, the Municipal House’s location is steeped in royal history; its grand Smetana Hall, with a soaring glass dome and seating for 2,000, is one of Prague’s largest concert venues, and families can enjoy concerts, exhibitions, and even a historic café inside this living monument to Czech culture.