7 Prague motels that may take you a journey by time

The most astounding factor about Prague could also be that it’s nonetheless right here. Located on the epicenter of the 2 World Wars within the twentieth century, the Czech capital one way or the other survived intact. This exceptional preservation could be seen on a stroll by the historic districts, particularly Staré Město, Nové Město, Malá Strana, Vinohrady, and Hradčany.

This time capsule has additionally been a boon for motels. Today, historical past followers and artwork aficionados can keep inside buildings that vary from the thirteenth to the twenty first century.

In 1284, Augustinian monks established a monastery in Malá Strana, underneath the gaze of Prague Castle. There they lived, prayed, and brewed for hundreds of years whereas wars, fires, revolutions, and restorations swirled round them. Rescued from extreme neglect within the 2000s and meticulously renovated, the Augustine joins seven monastic buildings—brewery included—to carry the Middle Ages into the fashionable day.

Beneath the boutique sheath, the monastic spirit pervades, in unique vaulted ceilings, picket beams, iron fixtures, inside gardens, and angelic frescos in areas like the Refectory Bar. In reality, Augustinian friars nonetheless reside right here, administering the hooked up St. Thomas Church. Father William Faix leads resort visitors on a tour of the monastery, church, and library.

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The Italian Renaissance arrived in Prague within the 1500s and turned golden under Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II. Images and names all through town echo this period—the golden beehive, the golden sun, the golden tiger. The Golden Well is one other. In reality, it belonged to Rudolf, and his gold-nosed astronomer Tycho Brahe lived right here.

Brahe impressed the title, too, legendarily timbering the nicely with manufactured gold after the Virgin Mary revealed the alchemical secret. The entrance gate, a wall on the second ground, and ceiling of the Tycho de Brahe suite additionally date to the period, and the palatial feeling permeates the 5 buildings. The rooftop restaurant, the Golden Terrace, shares Rudolf’s view of Prague, and lots of rooms look onto the Royal Gardens.

The gilded opulence of the baroque period recast many Prague buildings through the seventeenth and 18th centuries, together with this resort in Malá Strana. Originally a Renaissance constructing, it went full baroque within the late 1600s, including a gabled façade, increasing its house, and erecting a tower—all seen right this moment. Confiscated by the communist regime, the constructing took a number of renovations to shine but once more.

And shine it does, providing the chance to steep and sleep in baroque grandeur. The suites and areas drip with wealthy, purple materials; glimmering, golden trim; decorative stucco, crystal, and Italian marble. Several rooms include unique wooden beam ceilings stuffed with history-faded pictures of fruit, animals, flora, and symbols, whereas others embody vaulted ceilings embossed with clamshells. 

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It’s becoming that any belle epoque resort in Prague carries a French title. So a lot of the period’s design was pushed by Czech artists in Paris, particularly Alfons Mucha, the “father of Art Nouveau.” Another was Luděk Marold, who additionally utilized his skills to this 19^th-century mansion of Antonín Chmel, a Prague ham magnate. His Parisian sketches grasp all through, however the stunners are the ceiling frescoes and woodwork within the Belle Epoque and Marold suites.

The constructing itself is a piece of belle epoque artwork, too, and boasts interval mosaics, decorative stucco, chandeliers, vaulted ceilings, iron fixtures, plus a library you’d half anticipate Marold to stroll into. The breakfast terrace, overlooking the Nusle Valley, affords an excellent perspective of the constructing’s elegant pilasters, undulating stonework, and rounded tower.

Prague roared through the 1920s earlier than crashing into the Great Depression within the ’30s. In this sober actuality, artwork deco glam surrendered to Functionalist austerity, as depicted on this comparatively plain 1935 building close to Karlovo Náměstí constructed by architect Oktáv Koutský for a commerce union. Step inside, nonetheless, and uncover a number of treasures of the day. 

Chief amongst these are the traditionally protected mosaics that impressed the resort’s title, that are instantly underfoot. They rejoice the wedding of artwork and business with pixelated imagery that unusually evokes Eighties-style video video games. Bookending the previous stage within the resort’s café are additional mosaics depicting the goddess of artwork and god of commerce. Alongside are unique home windows harking back to Mondrian work, whereas a grand twin staircase results in the rooms.

After bombs opened a crater in Wenceslas Square throughout World War II, the communist authorities stuffed with a luxurious resort. Foreigners have been inspired to remain right here, however with greater than hospitality in thoughts. Below, a secret nuclear bunker contained a listening station for bugged rooms. Today, this Cold War Museum is open to all, whereas the resort atop hosts vacationers—microphone free.

And it’s a good-looking one, too, constructed by Czechoslovakian architect Antonin Tenzer and adorned by his artist friends. Built in marble and travertine, it incorporates a number of gems of the social realism model, together with 4 monumental statues on the facade, a circular marble and red oak staircase, etched glass, ceramic cladding, and coffered ceilings.

The first step inside this resort in Josef carry a breath of contemporary, architectural air to history-heavy Prague. Sunlight floods the glass and steel foyer, sandwiched between an epoxy, terrazzo ground and full ceiling mirrors that appear to broaden the dimensions. In the again, pure inexperienced bursts ahead from the fuzzy interior garden, whereas Moustache and Baleria armchairs gird inverted pyramid tables. The centerpiece, a glass-and-steel staircase, swirls downward.

All comes care of famend Czech architect and designer Eva Jiřičná, whose work has graced Victoria and Albert Museum, Prague Castle, and the New York Historical Society. Her imaginative and prescient continues all through the rooms and customary areas, one way or the other attaining the trick of feeling each minimalist and splendid on the identical time, demonstrating why Josef is a member of Design Hotels collection.

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