In Prague 5, extensive gardens and historic architecture meet contemporary art. Its cultural attractions offer a variety of experiences: a sala terrena with original paintings, gallery spaces for temporary exhibitions and an independent centre for contemporary art give your stay different focal points. There is also an open-air summer cinema and a monthly guided tour of MalostranskĂ˝ Cemetery. This lets you tailor your cultural stay to whether you are especially interested in historic sites, exhibitions or art in public spaces.
Gardens and historic architecture
Zahrada Kinských covers 22 hectares. Bertramka offers a different historical setting: the former estate is in the Classicist style and surrounded by a beautiful park. Its garden includes a sala terrena with original paintings from 1700 and 1780, which serves as a concert hall. Here, architecture, garden and paintings form a shared cultural focus.
Letohrádek Portheimka also tells a specific story of construction. Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer built the summer residence for his family in 1728. Today, the gallery spaces on the ground and first floors host temporary exhibitions. If you want to see a particular exhibition, check the current programme in advance: the exhibitions change.
Another chapter of history takes you to the southern slope of PetĹ™Ăn. On 27 March 1826, Count Rudolf KinskĂ˝ bought from entrepreneur AntonĂn NovotnĂ˝ the plots of the former vineyards Brabcovny, Ĺ tikovny, PeldĹ™imovky and PlaskĂ©. The plans called for a villa and an extensive English-style park. The date, the named vineyards and the planned ensemble give this project a clear historical context.
Letohrádek Kinských houses, among other things, an ethnographic exhibition by the National Museum. This offers a different way to explore cultural history than the changing exhibitions at Portheimka: here, the focus is on a National Museum exhibition; there, on the changing programme in the gallery spaces. When planning, it is therefore worth choosing between the two venues according to your exhibition interests.
Contemporary art, cinema and cemetery sculpture
MeetFactory is an independent, international, multifunctional centre for contemporary art. Two galleries provide space for critical engagement with the local and international art scene. MeetFactory’s open-air summer cinema runs from June to September at Zeď and is free of charge. At Letnà kino Kinská, the screen is on the rear façade of Letohrádek Kinských. The two cinema listings therefore differ in their details: the season and admission are specified for Zeď, while the specific screening location is described for Letnà kino Kinská. Check the current programme of seasonal events before visiting.
A visit to Malostranský Cemetery also offers its own cultural theme. A guided tour with commentary takes place there every month. At the same time, the cemetery has become a veritable gallery of cemetery sculpture from the period. The tour and the sculptures draw attention to two different aspects of the same place: interpretation on site and the cemetery’s artistic design. If you would like to join the tour, check the current date.
Choose a focus for your stay
For a visit focused on historic architecture, Bertramka and Portheimka offer different themes: a Classicist estate with a park and sala terrena on the one hand, and a summer residence built in 1728 with temporary exhibitions on the other. Those who prefer contemporary art will find galleries at MeetFactory with a local and international focus; the cinemas complement the cultural offerings with seasonal or location-specific details. For an outing focused on sculpture and cemetery history, MalostranskĂ˝ Cemetery is a destination in its own right. The specific tour dates and exhibition programmes will help you tailor your visit to the content you are looking for.
Discover more destinations: Motol, Prague 12, Komořany, Prague 2, Vinohrady, Zbraslav, Prague 8, Prague 7.
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