★★★★★ 5.0
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Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague
You know what's wild? You're standing in front of a building that was literally designed to make Czech artisans look BETTER than their Austrian rivals... and it worked! This gorgeous Neo-Renaissance palace from 1897 was built as a political weapon disguised as a museum – the Czech industrial elite funded it to prove they could match Vienna's decorative arts scene, blow for blow. See those intricate sgraffito patterns covering the facade? There are exactly 168 different motifs up there, each one representing a different Czech craft guild. Before this beauty went up, this spot was home to Prague's most notorious gambling den – the "Golden Peacock" – where supposedly half the Bohemian aristocracy lost their fortunes in the 1860s. Step inside and you'll hit that jaw-dropping main staircase... it's the ONLY one in Europe where every single banister is made from a different type of Czech wood – 47 varieties total! The locals know to visit Thursday evenings after 5pm when it's free AND empty – you'll have those 7,000 pieces of Bohemian glass practically to yourself.
Did You Know?
- The Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague was founded in 1885, making it a pioneer in Central Europe for the preservation and celebration of applied arts—a direct response to the 19th-century movement to elevate craftsmanship and industrial design to the level of fine art, inspired by the 1861 exhibition of Czech applied art at Prague's Old Town Hall.
- The museum’s stunning Neo-Renaissance building, designed by architect Josef Schulz and completed between 1897 and 1901, is itself a work of art, featuring an opulent interior with richly decorated ceilings, antique furniture, and a blend of historical styles—all located in Prague’s historic Jewish Quarter, adding layers of cultural and architectural significance.
- Among its half-million objects, the museum boasts one of the world’s finest collections of Delftware outside the Netherlands, including rare 17th-century pieces from the De Grieksche A factory and unique items like a pair of obelisks and a pyramidal flower vase—many acquired after World War II from Bohemian and Moravian castles, revealing how Czech nobility prized these Dutch ceramics.