What is there to see at the Prague municipal house? How to get to the municipal house? What are the hours and prices? In this article, let’s find out together everything you need to know to best visit the Prague Municipal House, one of the highlights of the Czech capital.
Are you ready? Let’s get started
Prague Municipal House tickets and iMucha exhibition
Discover the work of Alphonse Mucha with this permanent exhibition. Visit the Prague Municipal House and its halls.
You can cancel up to 24 hours before your visit.
Prague Municipal House: description
The Prague Municipal House (Obecní Dům) is a splendid Art Nouveau building built at the turn of the last century. With its 1240 rooms, stuccoes, allegorical statues and decorations by some of the greatest Czech masters, it can undoubtedly be called one of the most beautiful buildings in the city.
The building, now used for the celebration of a variety of ceremonies, seminars, parades, exhibitions, dance evenings and whatnot, once served to house the municipal assembly and the mayor of Prague, as well as seminarians and the military.
The building stands in the heart of the Old Town, in close proximity to the Royal Court Palace.
Within the Municipal House, a must-see destination for all tourists who happen to be in Prague’s neck of the woods, there are now also restaurants and bars. Sipping coffee in these lounges where the fate of a people has been decided many times is a unique and truly impressive experience.
Municipal House Prague: history
The Municipal House has an undisputed historical importance for the people of Prague. Indeed, it was in these very opulent halls that the people declared their independence from the Austro-Hungarian oppressor. It was October 28, 1918, and Bohemia became an independent land.
Held once again among these rooms was the meeting between Havel, just before he was elected president of the Czech Republic, and representatives of the now-devastated Communist government.
What to see at the Prague Municipal House: the halls
As we have seen, there are indeed many rooms that wind through the interior of the building.
All are characterized by their undisputed beauty, but some of them are perhaps more interesting than the others.
The center of power: the Hall of the Mayor
The Hall of the Mayor is certainly one of the most interesting of all that can be observed. This was where the first citizen of Prague had his offices.
In charge of the decoration of these rooms was Alphonse Mucha himself, the unforgettable master of art nouveau.
The room cannot fail to impress quite a bit because of its wall paintings on which pleasant stained glass windows are grafted.
Thedécor consists of furniture of some importance and richly decorated and embroidered fabrics.
The predominant colors are black,orange and blue, and the atmosphere is one of solemn composure.
The largest room: the Smetana Hall
The Smetana Hall hosts periodic musical events in the present day.
For example, thePrague Symphony Orchestra performs here and 1,200 people sit here enraptured by its notes.
Thearea is really extensive, so much so that the hall occupies almost the entire square footage of the central area of the Municipal House.
In this hall there are niches and balconies that allow one to keep an eye on the bustle of the city at all times.
The allegories of the Grer Hall
The Grer Hall, at least in its original design, was built with the intention of hosting meetings of the municipal assembly.
Any visitor who were to step into this ancient hall would probably be enchanted by theallegory frescoed on its vault.
It somehow connects life, death, and the ars poetica.
Venues and restaurants
As we have already mentioned inside the palace there are also various dining outlets. These are, of course, level businesses, in many cases run by professionals of a certain caliber.
One of these restaurants,Art Nouveau, specializes in French cuisine, but the chefs are also happy to prepare international dishes when necessary.
To date such an establishment is commonly referred to as one of the finest on the globe.
There is also no shortage of a prestigious tavern, the Plzen. Here the cost of a meal is certainly a bit more affordable and the ambience loses some of its formality. An American bar and an arcade complete the offer.
Prague Municipal House: useful information
Ticket prices for the Prague Municipal House
Tickets or the price of admission to the Prague Municipal House vary depending on whether or not special events or concerts take place. General admission costs about 200 CZK per person and tours start at 12:30 p.m. most days. Tours run on an hourly basis, but the building may be closed during events, exhibitions, holidays, etc. To visit City Hall and the iMucha exhibition, click here.
Tickets for Prague Town Hall and iMucha exhibition
Discover the work of Alphonse Mucha with this permanent exhibition. Visit the Prague Municipal House and its halls.
You can cancel up to 24 hours before your visit.
Prague CoolPass: access to more than 60 attractions and discounts
Buy the official Prague tourist card and get access to over 60 attractions for free or at a discounted price.
Prague Municipal House opening hours
The Prague Municipal House is open daily, Monday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
| Month | Opening days | Opening hours | Closing hours |
| January | daily | 10:00 | 19:00 |
| February | daily | 10:00 | 19:00 |
| March | daily | 10:00 | 19:00 |
| April | daily | 10:00 | 19:00 |
| May | daily | 10:00 | 19:00 |
| June | daily | 10:00 | 19:00 |
| July | daily | 10:00 | 19:00 |
| August | daily | 10:00 | 19:00 |
| September | daily | 10:00 | 19:00 |
| October | daily | 10:00 | 19:00 |
| November | daily | 10:00 | 19:00 |
| December | daily | 10:00 | 19:00 |
Length of visit
How long does the visit to the Prague Town Halllast? To visit the town hall and its halls, you need at least 1 hour. If you also want to visit the astronomical clock tower located immediately across the street, however, plan at least 1 1/2 hours.
Municipal House Prague: where it is located and how to get there
Municipal House Prague is located at Náměstí Republiky 5, 111 21 Staré Město, Czechia and is easy to get to. You can do so by subway or by streetcar:
- Subway: stop Namesti Republiky (yellow line B)
- Streetcar: Namesti Republiky stop.
Prague City Hall: frequently asked questions
Tickets or the price of admission to the Prague Municipal House vary depending on whether or not special events or concerts are taking place. Full tickets cost about 200 CZK and tours start at 12:30 p.m. most days. Tours run on an hourly basis, but the building may be closed during events, exhibitions, holidays, etc.
Yes. It’s worth it! The architecture, decorations, and art you encounter inside the structure and its halls are truly extraordinary. For many tourists, Prague City Hall is one of the most interesting attractions in the Czech capital.
Daily, Monday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
In the morning at 10 a.m. or in the late afternoon from 4 p.m. onwards. Avoid the 12-3 p.m. time slot, which is the most heavily traveled by tourists visiting Prague.
The visit to the municipal house takes approximately 1 hour.
Considering the location in the city center and in a historically significant building, be prepared for higher than normal prices if you choose to dine in the restaurants or sit at the bar or cafeteria. The bar downstairs is the first American bar so it might be worth a try if you are interested. The Smetana Hall is home to the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. If you want to enjoy a good orchestral concert while in Prague, you can book tickets here.
You can purchase tickets to the Prague Civic House and the iMucha exhibition by clicking here. If you would like to visit more attractions instead, you can opt to purchase the Prague Card, which entitles you to free and discounted admission to several places of interest in the Czech capital.
Tickets for Prague Civic House and iMucha exhibition
Discover the work of Alphonse Mucha with this permanent exhibition. Visit the Prague Municipal House and its halls.
You can cancel up to 24 hours before your visit.
