If you're planning a trip to Prague, don't miss out on the opportunity to visit its acclaimed National Museum. There are multiple exhibitions to explore in this vast and impressive building, from the sweeping account of prehistoric and medieval Prague to more specific sections such as a numismatic collection or a history of theatre.
1. Museum of Music
The Museum of Music is a fascinating venue for long-term and short-term exhibitions on music and musical instruments. It includes a permanent exposition titled “Man - Instrument - Music” which showcases musical instruments as astonishing testimonies of art and craft skillfulness, but also as fundamental mediators between man and music.
The long-term exposition has an impressive and user-friendly display of old, modern, familiar and bizarre musical instruments. From opulent clavecimbles inlaid with mother of pearl to pianos in the shapes of giraffes, there’s something for everyone!
The museum is housed in a Baroque summerhouse 'America' which dates from 1717-1720. It used to serve as a post office and police barracks before it became the headquarters of the Czech Museum of Music.
2. Museum of Decorative Arts
The Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague is one of the city’s most beautiful and prestigious museums. Its collection includes glass, porcelain, applied graphics and photography, furniture, woodwork and metalwork, textile fashion, jewelry, clocks and toys.
In recent years, the Museum of Decorative Arts has acquired suitable areas for depositing its valuable collections and modern specialised workplaces which take care of their administration. It also manages a public specialised library and an expanded museum shop.
This museum is a must-see for all lovers of art and culture. Its main building is located at the heart of the historic centre of the city, designed by Josef Schulz.
3. Museum of Prints and Drawings
The Museum of Prints and Drawings holds a collection of over 155,000 graphic works. This includes Renaissance and Mannerist prints, as well as etchings by Rembrandt.
Among the highlights of this section is the Sylvan Landscape with Five Bears by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The collection also has drawings by Bartholomaeus Spranger, Roelandt Savery and Joris Hoefnagel.
Another highlight is the collection of Early Netherlandish painting, as well as Italian paintings from the 15th century to the 18th. Other notable paintings include those by Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Giorgione and Palma Vecchio.
4. Museum of Natural History
The Museum of Natural History is a great place to visit when you’re in Prague. It houses some incredible exhibits and offers a unique insight into the world of animals and minerals.
The museum is also home to one of the best natural history exhibitions in Europe, showcasing over 1,500 different objects including the skeleton of a fin whale.
Founded in 1818, the National Museum was originally focused on natural science. This is partly because Count Sternberg was an expert in botany and mineralogy but also because Emperor Joseph II of Austria pushed the natural science slant in the 19th century.
The National Museum was originally housed in Sternberg Palace in Hradcany, then moved to the Nostic Palace in Na Prikope Street in 1846. However, as the collection grew, it needed a bigger venue and so it got its current building on Wenceslas Square in 1891.
5. Museum of Photography
One of Prague's most popular attractions is the National Museum, which features an extensive collection of artifacts. This includes historical pieces that showcase Czech culture and history, as well as modern art.
The museum's main building, situated on Wenceslas Square, is a Neo-Renaissance monument. It is the largest museum in the Czech Republic, and it boasts a wide range of exhibits that span natural science to specialized fields of sociology.
The museum was first established in 1818 by Kaspar Maria Sternberg, a renowned German art collector. It was then largely devoted to collecting artifacts related to natural sciences, and a preponderance of manuscripts and items from a time prior to the 19th century were displayed here.
