Municipal House

The Municipal House, Obecní dům, is the most complete Art Nouveau building in Prague and a monument to Czech national pride. It was built between 1905 and 1911 by the architects Antonín Balšánek and Osvald Polívka on the site of the old royal court, next to the Gothic Powder Tower at the edge of the Old Town, as a cultural centre for the Czech-speaking citizens of the city. Almost every leading Czech artist of the time worked on it, so it is a museum of its era: Alfons Mucha painted the ceiling and designed the furnishings of the circular Mayor's Hall, Jan Preisler, Ladislav Šaloun and others contributed paintings and sculpture, and the facade is crowned by a great mosaic. Its centrepiece is the Smetana Hall, the city's grandest concert hall, with seating for over a thousand and ceiling paintings by František Ženíšek, home of the Prague Symphony Orchestra since 1942. The building is woven into the nation's history: in January 1918 Czech deputies adopted the Three Kings Declaration here calling for independence, and on 28 October 1918 the Czechoslovak Republic was proclaimed from its balcony. The ground floor is open to everyone: you can walk into the famous cafe, with its chandeliers and mirrors, the French restaurant, the Pilsner pub in the basement and the American bar without a ticket. To see the halls upstairs you join a guided tour of about an hour, in English or Czech, which Prague City Tourism lists at 320 CZK for adults, with reduced and family prices; the box office is open daily from ten in the morning. A concert in the Smetana Hall is the most memorable way to see it.

What the tour shows: the guided tour climbs the grand staircases to the first floor and takes you through the Smetana Hall, the Mayor's Hall with Mucha's paintings of Slavic civic virtues and his designs for the furniture and fabrics, and a series of salons decorated by different artists, each with its own theme. Even the cloakrooms, lifts and light fittings are works of art. Tours have limited places and set times, so book through the official site or the information centre and do not assume you can join on the spot. Printed commentary is available in several other languages.

Eating and drinking: the cafe is a classic Prague experience for coffee and cake under the chandeliers, though prices reflect the setting. The basement Pilsner pub, decorated with ceramic tiles and murals, is a beautiful and comfortable place for a beer and Czech food, and a good find for beer lovers who want history with their pint. The American bar, also in the basement, is an Art Nouveau gem for an evening cocktail. Concerts in the Smetana Hall, especially by the Prague Symphony Orchestra, are the best value way to see the hall itself.

Fitting it in: the Municipal House is at Náměstí Republiky, at the start of the Royal Route that runs through the Powder Tower, along Celetná street to Old Town Square and on to Charles Bridge and the castle. Begin a first-day walk here with a coffee, then follow the route west. The Museum of Communism and the shopping streets of Na Příkopě are a few minutes away, and the Mucha Museum, for more of the artist's work, is a short walk south. Look out for open days around national anniversaries, when parts of the building can be seen for free.