By Nina Heyn

I went to Prague to look at paintings in museums, but I found out that the best art there is not necessarily on the walls inside but on the ones outside. In other words, there is so much architectural beauty to be found in the city’s buildings, streets, and views that it surpasses the art in collections. Let’s start with museums, though.

Czech National Gallery collections are placed in several historical buildings in Prague. Works from the Middle Ages through the 18th century are collected in palaces that comprise the Hradčany Royal Castle complex. The castle grounds cover over 100 acres of a hilltop, housing various palaces, the Gothic Basilica of St. Vitus, medieval streets, fortifications, and gardens as well as the Czech senate and the presidential office. Modern art from the national collection is displayed in the Trade Fair Palace. Built in 1928, it was designed for trade exhibitions. On the outside, it looks like a gray monolith of an office building, but inside it is light and airy, with oval railings and moldings of the Art Deco style.

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