Prague’s passages

Prague’s passages

Internal life of Prague’s architecture

Discover the beauty, complexity and sophistication of Prague’s passages, which will allow you to take a look at the hidden face of Prague’s palaces. This “internal” architecture of Prague’s centre is a fascinating display of wonderful works by famous designers and it has a great impact on Prague’s unique appearance.
Prague’s passages were mostly emerging at the end of 19th century, mainly in the city’s centre. The passage of the Koruna Palace (50°05'02.0"N 14°25'29.0"E) in geometrical Art Nouveau style has a tower topped with a pearl crown and decorated with Atlas statues. In the Neo-Renaissance house at the corner of Perlová and Národní Streets, there is a mirror passage (50°04'59.1"N 14°25'18.0"E). Across from it there is the Adria Palace in rondo-cubist style. The Adria Passage (50°04'56.9"N 14°25'18.3"E) is famous for its underground theatre, e.g. Laterna Magika or the Za Branou Theatre. But the true mecca of passages is the Wenceslas Square. The Lucerna Palace (50°04'51.9"N 14°25'33.2"E) and its passages are inspired by Islamic art, so people used to call it the “bazaar”. In this passage you can, among other things, come across the provocative statue of the “inverted horse” from the controversial artist David Černý.   St. Wenceslas sits on the belly of a horse, which is hung from the ceiling upside-down. The Alfa Passage (50°04'57.2"N 14°25'31.2"E), recently renamed U Stýblů, has a magical atmosphere combining a modern palace with a medieval garden of a Franciscan monastery. The building of the contemporary Ambassador Hotel also includes a passage, which is also an entrance to the interesting interior of the Alhambra Revue. The Fénix Palace (50°04'48.8"N 14°25'42.7"E) on the Wenceslas Square, designed by Josef Gočár and Bedřich Ehrmann, is one of the earliest representatives of functionalist constructivism.