Rudolfinum

Rudolfinum Review

Thanks to a thorough makeover and exterior sandblasting, this neo-Renaissance monument now has some of the cleanest, brightest stonework in the city. Designed by Josef Zítek and Josef Schulz and completed in 1884—it was named for then Hapsburg Crown Prince Rudolf—the low-slung sandstone building was meant to be a combination concert hall and exhibition gallery. After 1918 it was converted into the parliament of the newly independent Czechoslovakia until German invaders reinstated the concert hall in 1939. Now the Czech Philharmonic has its home base here. The 1,200-seat Dvorákova sín (Dvorák Hall) has superb acoustics (the box office faces 17 Listopadu Street). To see the hall, you must attend a concert.

Behind Dvorák Hall sits a set of large exhibition rooms, the Galerie Rudolfinum, an innovative, state-supported gallery with rotating shows of contemporary art. Four or five large shows are mounted here annually, showcasing excellent Czech and international artists. www.galerierudolfinum.cz.