Prague is home to a wonderful collection of art museums showcasing paintings and sculptures from greats like Rembrandt and Peter Reubens to local legends such as Alphonse Mucha. The city is also home to the Lobkowicz Collections, which houses over 1,000 paintings and is one of the best collections of Spanish Renaissance artwork outside of Madrid and Vienna.
I absolutely love art museums, so visiting one while in Prague was at the top of my must-see list. As I am interested in Renaissance and Baroque paintings, I decided to visit the galleries at Schwarzenberg Palace & Šternberský Palace, two museums that are part of the Narodni Galerie Praha (National Gallery Prague). At Schwarzenberg Palace, the permanent exhibit is called “Old Masters” in reference to the collection of artworks from greats like El Greco, Peter Reubens, Rembrandt, Hans Holbein, Jan Gossaert, and many others. Across the street in Šternberský Palace, one finds more paintings from the old masters, along with a rare collection of Russian Christian icons and a series of 14th and 15th centuries Italian paintings belonging to Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria.
If I had more time in Prague, I would have visited the Convent of St. Agnes of Bohemia. This museum, also part of the Narodni Galerie Praha, showcases a collection of splendid altarpieces and medieval paintings. Alas, so many museums, so little time!!
Standing before this altarpiece was one of the biggest wow moments of my trip. This is the Göttingen Altarpiece with the Passion of Christ painted by Hans Raphon. Today, only 13 of the estimated 41 panels exist. The left panels show the events leading to Christ’s death, while the right panels depict the moments afterward. The middle panel portrays the Crucifixion of Christ.
Visiting the Museums
The galleries at Schwarzenberg Palace & Šternberský Palace are well curated with a wonderful selection of artwork, sculptures, and altarpieces. Another point of interest is that as these museums are housed inside palaces, some of the galleries have masterfully painted ceilings.
How much time do you need to visit the museums? I visited the galleries at Schwarzenberg Palace on a Saturday morning, and there were a handful of guests but no crowds. It took me about 90 minutes to visit all three floors but I was going at a leisurely pace and really taking the time to admire the paintings. As for the Šternberský Palace, I went early in the afternoon and was the only person in the museum. That museum took less than an hour to visit as it is only a handful of galleries.
To get to the museums, one can either walk or take public transportation. Since I wanted to explore Prague and cross the Charles Bridge, I opted to walk, and that journey took about 30 minutes from my hotel by Old Town Square. After crossing the bridge, the walk became an adventure of climbing hills and stairs—lots of stairs (a bit over 200 steps)!!
For those unable to navigate stairs or steep hills, Tram 22 will be the best option for getting to the museums.
A perk about visiting these two museums is that they are located in Hradčany Square, which is just west of Prague Castle. The square is lined with historic palaces and homes, contains a small park, and provides beautiful views of Prague.
The Narodni Galerie Praha charges a basic rate for each museum plus reduced admission for those of a certain age or those who are members of certain organizations. The back of the Narodni Galerie Praha ticket provides a map showing the location of each museum along with the closest metro stop. Of course, you can always walk or take one of the Prague trams.
Visitors to the Narodni Galerie Praha can receive a 10% discount on basic admission if they purchase tickets for two or more exhibitions. Guests can also purchase a 10-day pass, which provides considerable savings if one plans to visit 4 or more museums.
The Schwarzenberg Palace is accessible with both elevators and wheelchair-accessible restrooms. The Šternberský Palace is not accessible as the only way to reach the galleries, located on the 3rd floor, is via a set of stairs. The National Gallery also offers special services for those with visual and hearing impairments.
The museums have a handful of gallery attendants, and while some keep their distance, others follow you around. Fortunately, I had read about this in several reviews prior to my trip, but if one is not aware, it can be a bit unnerving.
The museums require visitors with bags larger than 50 × 30 × 20 cm or longer than 40 cm to be checked-in in a cloakroom. There are no fees for storing your items.
Resources
If you love art and museums, these are my recommendations based on experience and my tour guide’s suggestions.
Narodni Galerie Praha: https://www.ngprague.cz/en
Mucha Museum (museum dedicated to Czech artist Alphonse Mucha): https://www.mucha.cz/en/
Lobkowicz Collection in Prague Castle: https://www.lobkowicz.cz/en/lobkowicz-palace
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