Art Museums
National Gallery Prague
Staroměstské náměstí 12, 110 15 Prague 1
National Gallery Prague, whose history can be traced back to 1796, ranks among the world’s oldest public collections of art. Six buildings, all precious in terms of architecture, showcase Central European masterpieces of the Middle Ages, extraordinary works from European masters such as Rubens, Gauguin and Picasso, Asian arts and, of course, creations by key Czech personalities of the visual arts.
Aleš South Bohemian Gallery
Hluboká nad Vltavou 144, 373 41
The Aleš South Bohemian Gallery (AJG) has been located in the former riding hall of the neo-Gothic Hluboká nad Vltavou château since 1956. Its collections include more than 19,000 works which represent a broad history of art. The basis of the AJG’s collection is comprised of 13th to 16th century Gothic art from southern Bohemia. Another, separate part of the AJG collection includes art from the 16th to 18th centuries with a focus on Flemish and Dutch painting. Also very important is the gallery’s collection of modern and contemporary art, which includes, among others, the artworks of Otto Gutfreund, Toyen, Jindřich Štýrský, Bohumil Kubišta and Josef Lada.
Arts and Theatre Institute
Celetná 17, 110 00 Prague 1
The mission of the Arts and Theatre Institute (ATI) is to provide comprehensive services in the fields of theatre and other arts, such as music, literature, dance and the visual arts. The ATI collects, processes and makes its theatre-related collections accessible to public. The institute is engaged in scientific research and education, and cooperates in the preparation of external exhibition projects. The ATI participates in a number of international projects, supports the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space and is the Czech seat of the ‘Culture’ category of the European Union's Creative Europe programme.
Brno House of Arts
Malinovského náměstí 652/2, 602 00 Brno
The Brno House of Arts (originally Kaiser Franz Josef-Jubiläums-Künstlerhaus) was opened in 1911. From 1946-1947, the building was transformed into its current functionalist style by the Brno architect Bohuslav Fuchs. The House of Arts currently has two exhibition buildings, four exhibition spaces and three studios for residencies of foreign artists.
Municipal Museum and Gallery Břeclav
Dukelských hrdinů 2747/4, 690 02 Břeclav
The history of museums in Břeclav dates back to the year 1928, which marked the founding of the Museum and Homeland Studies Association. The current institution, the City Museum and Gallery, was founded in 1995 and represents the most important art and history of the region. Museum expositions are devoted to topics such as the history of the House of Liechtenstein and Judaism in Břeclav. Visitors can also explore Slavic archaeology in the exhibition Great Moravian Paganism.
Center for Contemporary Arts Prague
Dukelských hrdinů 500/25a, 170 00 Prague
Since its establishment in 1992, the Center for Contemporary Arts Prague (CSU) has been developing rich cultural programs. In the framework of these programs, projects of valuable artistic quality are created and broader social and cultural contexts are monitored. The main projects of the CSU are: Galerie Jelení; an educational lecture program; Artlist.cz, which is the most extensive online database of Czech art; an international residency program and most recently, Galerie Cursor.
DOX Centre for Contemporary Art
Poupětova 1, 170 00 Prague
The name ‘DOX’ is derived from the Greek word ‘doxa,’ which means, amongst other translations, ‘a way of understanding opinions and beliefs.’ The DOX Centre for Contemporary Art focuses on art projects which demonstrate a critical reflection on current social issues and which include overlaps into other, ‘non-artistic’ areas and disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, history, sociology and political science. The reconstruction of this former factory building was designed by Ivan Kroupa, Martin Rajniš and Petr Hájek. It is a shining example of contemporary architecture worldwide.
The Gallery of the Central Bohemian Region
Barborská 51, 284 01 Kutná Hora
The Gallery of the Central Bohemian Region (GASK) is an institution devoted to the visual art of the 20th and 21st centuries. Gallery collections are displayed within thoughtfully and inspirationally composed expositions. For instance, the presentation of the permanent exhibition States of Mind / Beyond the Image is based on the diverse spectrum of a person’s emotional and mental life, as opposed to chronological or stylistic arrangement. A venue of education, GASK follows the mission of the Jesuit College at which it is based in the town of Kutná Hora.
Gallery of Fine Arts in Cheb
nám. Krále Jiřího z Poděbrad 16, 350 46 Cheb
GAVU, the Gallery of Fine Arts in Cheb, manages a collection of 19th to 21st century Czech art, as well as an extraordinary collection of Gothic sculptures from the Cheb region. GAVU presents its collections in permanent and temporary exhibitions within its main building¾the Baroque palace in Cheb’s main square. Since 2016 it has also managed the neighbouring Retromuseum, a museum of design and lifestyle from the period between the EXPO 58 World’s Fair in Brussels and the Velvet Revolution of 1989. The Retromuseum features a permanent exhibition and two temporary exhibition halls.
Gallery of Fine Arts in Havlíčkův Brod
Havlickovo namesti 18, 580 01 Havlickuv Brod
The Gallery of Fine Arts in Havlíčkův Brod was founded in 1965. Within a new network of regional galleries, it was assigned a special focus: modern Czech book illustration, drawings and graphics. The specialization was selected with the tradition of East Bohemian publishing houses in mind. Also within the gallery’s legacy is it’s support of an art competition held annually during the National Festival of Humour and Satire “Haškova Lipnice”.
Gallery of Fine Arts in Ostrava
House of Arts, Jurečkova 9, 70 200 Ostrava
The Gallery of Fine Arts in Ostrava (GVUO) has collections containing more than 23,000 art objects, including paintings, sculptures, graphics, photographs and new media. A foundational exhibit at GVUO is called Drawings from the Collection of František Jureček, which contains works by leading Czech artists such as Joža Uprka, Antonín Slavíček, Mikovláš Aleš and Felix Jenewein. The GVUO collections also include a painting of Judith by Gustav Klimt, as well as works by artists such as Hans von Aachen, František Kupka, Ilja Repin, Emil Orlik and Toyen. GVUO’s exhibition building, constructed in 1926, is one of the jewels of Ostrava’s architecture.
House of Lobkowicz / Lobkowicz Collections
Jiřská 3, 119 00 Prague
The art collections of the Roudnice branch of the Lobkowicz family belong amongst the oldest, most extensive and best-preserved private collections in Europe. The collections include tens of thousands of objects, including fine and decorative arts, weapons and armour, musical manuscripts, 65,000 rare books and 1.5 km of archival documents. The Lobkowicz collections were confiscated by Nazi and Communist regimes during the 20th century, but in the 1990s, the family reclaimed and reassembled their collections and made them available to the public. Exhibitions can currently be found at the Lobkowicz Palace at Prague Castle and at Nelahozeves Castle.
Kunsthalle Praha
Evropská 2758/11, 160 00 Prague
Kunsthalle Praha is a new, non-profit space for art and culture in the historical centre of Prague. Located in the converted building of the former Zenger electrical substation, the gallery is a dynamic international platform; an open meeting space for exhibitions, educational projects and social events. The mission of Kunsthalle Praha is to contribute to a deeper societal understanding of Czech and international art of the 20th and 21st centuries, and to offer an extensive programme for a wide audience which includes all generations.
Lidice Memorial
Tokajická 152, 273 54 Lidice
Lidice Memorial preserves the memory of the village of Lidice, which was destroyed by the Nazis after the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in 1942. The organization also manages the Ležáky Memorial, which cares for the memory of the hamlet of Ležáky; also decimated by the Nazis in 1942. Both memorials seeks to preserve the names of these settlements, as well as the names of those who called them home, as worldwide symbols of the victims of Nazism and inspiration for peace and friendship. The organization also manages a unique collection of modern art, founded in 1967 by Sir Barnett Stross. The collection consists of works by leading Czech and international artists such as Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter, Adolf Hoffmeister and Pravoslav Kotík.
Town Gallery Litomyšl
Smetanovo nám. 110, 570 01 Litomyšl
The Town Gallery Litomyšl manages a collection of fine art from the 19th to the 21st century. One of its two galleries is located in the Renaissance ‘House of the Knights’ in Smetana Square, where short-term art exhibitions are held. The most important works of the Town Gallery can be found in a permanent exhibition within the magnificent Litomyšl Chateau. The exhibition presents works by leading Czech artists such as Emil Filla, Josef Čapek, František Tichý, Václav Boštík, Olbram Zoubek and more, as well as artists with a connection to the region, including Litomyšl-born Julius Mařák.
Museum Montanelli
Nerudova 13, 118 01 Prague
Museum Montanelli (MuMo) is a private, non-profit institution focusing on contemporary visual art. Its mission is to promote interest in and facilitate a deeper understanding of modern art across diverse groups of the public. MuMo’s program includes a wide range of activities, including exhibitions by Czech and foreign artists, ‘art as experience,’ contemporary dance performances, talks with curators and more.
The Moravian Gallery in Brno
Husova 18, 662 26 Brno
The Moravian Gallery in Brno is the second largest museum of art in the Czech Republic. It was founded in 1961 after collections from the Moravian Museum of Applied Arts and the Picture Gallery of the Moravian Museum were unified. It operates five buildings: Pražák Palace, the Museum of Applied Arts, the Governor’s Palace, architect Dušan Jurkovič’s personal villa and Josef Hoffmann’s birthplace in Brtnice. The gallery’s Brtnice location is shared with the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK), Vienna. The Moravian Gallery is exceptional for the wide range of artistic disciplines it covers. In fact, it is the only art museum in the Czech Republic that is concerned with painting, drawing, graphic art and sculpture from the earliest times to the present, as well as photography, applied arts, graphic design and architecture.
Mucha Foundation
Hradčanské náměstí 65/6, 118 00 Prague 1
The Mucha Foundation is an independent, non-profit charity that cares for Alphonse Mucha’s legacy and family collection. The foundation is a co-founder of the Mucha Museum, the first gallery in the world dedicated to the life and work of this renowned Art Nouveau artist. The Mucha Museum contains paintings, charcoal drawings, pastels, lithographs and personal memorabilia which offer brilliant insight into Mucha, who became famous through posters he designed for Sarah Bernhardt, a legendary Parisian actress of the late 19th century.
Museum of Art and Design Benešov
Malé náměstí 74, 256 01 Benešov
MUD*, the Museum of Art and Design Benešov, deals with art and design of the 20th and 21st centuries, mostly of Czech origin. The museum’s collections include works by leading artists such as Ladislav Šíma, whose name is also borne by the building’s ceremonial hall; Miloslav Chlupáč, a native of Benešov; Jiří David; Karel Nepraš; Daisy Mrázková; Dagmar Hochová; Libuše Niklová and Maxim Velčovský. The collections of MUD* were significantly enriched by a donation from the leading Czech art theorist Jiří Šetlík. MUD* creates a beautiful background for its art and for the loving community of Benešov in the social spaces of its café, library and garden, the latter of which is also a sculpture gallery under the open sky.
North Bohemian Gallery of Fine Arts in Litoměřice
Michalská 7, 412 01 Litoměřice
The North Bohemian Gallery of Fine Arts in Litoměřice was founded in 1950 and has been operating since 1956. Its founder is a territorial self-governing unit¾the Ústí nad Labem Region. The gallery, one of the region’s most important, is located in several Gothic houses united by Renaissance reconstruction. Gallery collections offer more than 7,000 objects, including paintings, graphics and sculptures. The main aim of the North Bohemian Gallery is to document fine Czech art from the 19th century to the present day. Nevertheless, the institution’s collection of naive art and art brut has wider, European significance.
Museum of Art in Olomouc
Denisova 47, 771 11 Olomouc
The Museum of Art in Olomouc was established in 1951 and is housed in three buildings: the Museum of Modern Art, the Kroměříž Archdiocesan Museum and the Olomouc Archdiocesan Museum, which was awarded the European Heritage Label in 2016. The Museum of Art has amassed ancient, modern and contemporary works which amount to 185,000 objects, including a rich collection that focuses on fine art culture in Central Europe. This particular collection is to be assembled in a new building called the Central European Forum Olomouc.
PLATO Ostrava
Janáčkova 22; 702 00 Ostrava
PLATO is a city gallery for contemporary art in Ostrava which provides a background for everyone who wants to understand the world in a broader context. The world´s complexity and richness is reflected through art in an international context and at the highest possible quality. At the moment, the gallery operates within an area of almost 5,000 square metres in Ostrava’s former Bauhaus hobby market. However, in 2022, the definitive seat of PLATO will become the reconstructed, late 19th century Town Slaughterhouse, which is listed as a protected cultural monument.
Prague City Gallery
Staroměstské náměstí 605/13, 110 00 Prague 1
Prague City Gallery (GHMP) is one of the most important galleries in the Czech Republic. It collects, protects and professionally processes the art collections of the City of Prague, and its exhibition activities focus mainly on modern and contemporary art. Currently, GHMP offers exhibitions in seven buildings: Stone Bell House, the 2nd floor of the Municipal Library of Prague, Colloredo-Mansfeld Palace, the House of Photography, Villa Bílek, Troja Château and František Bílek’s House in Chýnov.
Regional Gallery of Liberec
Masarykova 723/14, 460 01 Liberec
The Regional Gallery of Liberec is the fifth largest gallery in the Czech Republic. Its beginnings date back to the period following the Second World War, but it became legally independent in 1953. From 2013 to 2014, the gallery moved to an exciting new premises in the building of the former town baths. The Regional Gallery is a museum of European Art, managing collections of more than 21,000 works from the Czech Republic and other European countries. Its exhibitions place special emphasis on art of the North Bohemia region and of Sudeten Germans¾ethnic Germans who lived in Czech lands before 1945. The gallery is proud to help its visitors understand the largely-forgotten identity of the Sudetenland.
Galerie Rudolfinum
Alšovo nábřeží 12, 110 00 Prague
Galerie Rudolfinum is one of the leading ‘Kunsthalles’ within the Czech gallery scene. It focuses on the presentation of contemporary, and especially international, art, such as works by Damien Hirst, Louise Bourgeois, Georg Baselitz and Arthur Jafa. In 2017, an interactive project by Galerie Rudolfinum and the Czech artist Krištof Kintera, Nervous Trees, became the most visited exhibition of the year in the Czech Republic with 161,824 visitors.
Sladovna Písek
Velké náměstí 113, 397 01 Písek
The ‘Playful Gallery’ is a space where children and adults play and create together; where they learn from each other, and where it is possible to freely cross the border between their respective worlds. The work of lecturers in exhibitions is key for the gallery, which finds inspiration in the ‘school by play’ approach of J. A. Comenius. Four floors full of interactive permanent and temporary exhibitions offer inspiration, creativity, experiences and knowledge through play.
Strahov Picture Gallery – Strahov Monastery
Strahovské nádvoří 1/132, 118 00 Prague 1
The picture gallery of the Premonstratensian Strahov Monastery, the foundation of which was laid as early as 1835, now contains more than one thousand five hundred paintings. The most valuable part of the Strahov Gallery collection is installed in the first floor corridors of the monastery building. Two hundred paintings present part of a collection covering various periods from the 14th to the middle of the 19th century. Furthermore, visitors can access the ground floor of the monastery building to see historic halls which include an exhibition dedicated to St. Norbert, the founder of the Premonstratensian Order. Also on the ground floor is the newly restored collection of works by the painter Jan Jiří Hering¾the largest collection of its kind. Hering created these early Baroque paintings in Prague for the Strahov Basilica in the years 1626-1630.
Vysočina Regional Gallery in Jihlava
Komenského 10 and Masarykovo náměstí 24, 586 01 Jihlava
The Vysočina Regional Gallery (OGV) manages more than 6,000 works of art. OGV is housed in two cherished Renaissance burgher houses in the historic centre of Jihlava. Its exhibition, collection, research and publishing activities focus primarily on art from the 19th century to the present day.
