Festivals and Events
-
Winter Festival
Classical music, opera and ballet in Prague’s most beautiful theatres and concert halls.
http://www.pragueexperience.com -
Marionette Theatre
A delight for adults and children of all nationalities.
http://www.prague-tourist-information.com -
Fabiofest
Now the largest film festival in central Europe. In cinemas all over the capital.
-
Witches’ Night (Paleni Cardojenic)
An ancient folk festival as everyone celebrates the end of the long winter.
-
Prague Spring Festival
A showcase for outstanding performing artists, symphony orchestras and chamber music ensembles.
http://www.festival.cz -
Dance Prague (Tanec Praha)
An international festival of modern dance.
http://www.tanecpha.cz/eng/onas -
Mystic Skate Cup
East European skateboarding talent competing for big cash prizes.
-
Ameropa
Top class chamber music played in some of the most beautiful venues in Prague.
http://www.ameropa.org -
Summer Shakespeare Festival
Performances of the Bard’s work in a courtyard of Prague Castle.
http://www.shakespeare.cz/index -
International Jazz Festival
Performances in various venues around the city.
http://www.jazzfestivalpraha.cz -
Strings of Autumn (Struny podzimu)
Traditional festival of classical music in the halls of Prague Castle.
http://www.strunypodzimu.cz -
Christmas Markets
Craft, food and gift stalls in Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square.
Theatre, Cinema and Opera
As can be seen from the list above, there’s a rich cultural life in Prague. Music is everywhere in the city, especially in the summer when the streets, churches, palaces, opera houses, concert halls and gardens are filled with the strains of classical music. Mozart had strong links with the city and the Czechs themselves produced four top-drawer classical composers. In addition, Prague boasts three splendid opera houses, three excellent orchestras and the international festivals outlined above. Even if you don’t understand Czech, the theatre scene is so diverse that there’s usually something worth catching aimed at an English-speaking audience. For instance, Prague has a strong tradition of mime and puppetry. As for film, many cinemas show movies in their original language and new Czech films often get a showing with English subtitles. You can get tickets from the box office (pokladna) of the venue concerned, although it might be easier to go to one of the city’s numerous ticket agencies. It will cost you more, but save a lot of hassle. Again, the English-language listings in Prague Post will be a useful starting point.
Museums and Galleries
Prague has a host of fascinating museums and galleries. The National Gallery is housed in six locations: the Sternberg Palace, St George’s Convent, the Convent of St Agnes of Bohemia, Veletrzni Palace, Zbraslav Castle and Kinsky Palace. The Sternberg is the main building, containing European art from the 14th to the 18th centuries. In the beautiful 14th century Old Town Hall, the City Gallery Prague has a permanent collection of 19th and 20th century sculpture, painting and graphics. The collection of the Prague Castle Gallery contains about 400 paintings and drawings from the 16th to the 18th centuries, including major works by Titian, Tintoretto and Rubens. The Czech Museum of Fine Arts can now be found in three sympathetically restored buildings in the Old Town district. The museum hosts temporary exhibitions of 20th century Czech art as well as retrospectives of foreign artists.
For Children
Prague can’t be said to be the natural venue for children, but there are activities to keep them amused:
- Petrin Hill – a funicular ride to the top of the hill and then a mirror maze, an observatory and donkey rides.
- Prague Zoo – open all year round and with a chair lift feature.
- Boat rides – on the Vltava river on a summer’s afternoon. For a half-day activity, take the boat to the zoo.
- Toy Museum – from ancient Greece to the present, exhibited at Prague Castle.
- Puppet shows – consult Prague Post for a list of shows suitable for children.
More details on www.myczechrepublic.com/prague/children_entertainment
