Operas and theaters to visit Czech Republic

It owes its name, "Theatre of the States", to the Bohemian States that subsidized its construction in 1783. It was largely financed by Joseph II and displays a very elegant neoclassical style. Prague's oldest theatre owes its fame to the fact that it hosted the world premiere of Don Giovanni under the baton of its creator W.-A. Mozart (who had already conducted The Marriage of Figaro here). Today, the building is perfectly rehabilitated and it is a real pleasure to attend a show in the neobaroque decorated hall. This theatre is also famous for having been the site of the first Czech-language performances during the period of the "National Revival", when the official language was German. Today, ballets and operas are performed there, mostly from Mozart's repertoire. The theatre is curiously located between two long squares: Ovocný Trh, the former fruit market, and Uhelný Trh, the former coal market. In the space between these two squares lay the old city of St. Gallen, a Romanesque town built at the foot of the Old Town walls around 1225. Also in front of the facade of this theatre, on Ovocný Trh Square, there is a small ice rink accessible to all in winter (only skates can be rented for a fee): one of the most beautiful attractions in Prague in winter for those who love romantic clichés!

The theatre on one side and the Slavia café on the other end Narodni Street at the Vltava River and the Legion Bridge. The first, a huge neo-Renaissance vessel, is a manifesto of Czech nationalism at the end of the 20th century (built from 1863 to 1881). Josef Zítek, a professor at the technical college and architect, is in charge of the project. Built thanks to a popular subscription, it had a dramatic start as it was partially destroyed by fire only nine days after the inauguration. Fortunately, we were able to rebuild it on the same subscription! Like that of the Municipal House, the interior decoration of the national theatre was designed by all the great names of the time: Tulka, Aleš and Hynažs, decorator of the stage curtain. Thanks to its modernity and quality equipment, the theatre remained intact for nearly a hundred years, until 1977. It then closed its doors until 1983 for renovation work on the building and its immediate surroundings, including the Legion Bridge (most Légií), which extends Národní, built to facilitate access to the National Theatre. The centenary was celebrated on 18 November 1983 with a performance of Libuše de Smetana. Opened in 1884, the large Slavia café just opposite has become since the opening of the theatre the great meeting place for Prague's intellectuals, and has preserved a sublime Art Deco interior architecture and large bay windows overlooking the Vltava and the castle.