Forgotten gems around Prague. Take a trip to places you haven’t been before
Autumn is merciful to us this year. Before the values on the thermometer definitely drop from double digits to freezing units, then go ahead and go on a trip!
You can relax on a walk along a proven trail, but what if this time you change direction and include an interesting architectural gem or a view? If you think you’ve exhausted all the ideas during the recent lockdowns, don’t despair.
We have prepared for you a guide to non-traditional places around Prague, which you may hear for the first time.
Pečky
About fifteen kilometers from Kolín lies the town of Pečky, with a population of 5,000, which hides several unusual architectural treasures. The journey here takes less than an hour by train and the first stop awaits you immediately upon arrival: a functionalist reservoir.
At the end of the 1920s, the cultural monument solved problems with the quality of drinking water, chemical pollution in baking factories. However, the architect of the reservoir is still not known, he is considering the local builder František Uhr, in whose estate several designs have been preserved, but also František Jand, who is responsible for similar buildings in Kolín and Poděbrady.
When you enjoy the magnificent water reservoir, just connect about 500 meters to come across a unique world. The Jubilee Church of Master Jan Hus from 1913–1916 is one of a total of two churches on the planet, built in the spirit of Cubism.
The second and similarly forgotten one is called Bethlehem Chapel and is located in Prokopská Street in Prague’s Žižkov. In it there is a pulpit and bars by Emil Králíček, the author of the famous Prague cubist lamps.
From the outside, Hus’s evangelical temple looks like many other churches that one commonly sees in cities. Upon entering, however, he reveals an early cubist, of which few people know.
Its complex concept is unique – Cubism focuses mainly on the secular environment, especially housing. The construction period is also interesting, in which the project was finally completed in the First World War.
American compatriots from the United States made an unprecedented amount of five thousand dollars for the implementation. The unique interior combines two most modern styles of its time – Art Nouveau and Cubism. The architect Oldřich Liska is behind the design of the entire building, including the equipment, which has been preserved to its original condition to this day.
You can see the original stained glass windows, floors, pulpit, organ, benches and the unique table of the Lord in the shape of a chalice, the concept of which Liska overtook the time by at least thirty years. The chandeliers are based on the forms of mineral crystals, and the cubist morphology even carries plates for lyrics. The church can be visited all year round by prior e-mail agreement.
Dolní Břežany
Dolní Břežany in the district of Prague-West plays the current string. It is only twenty kilometers from the city center, which makes them an ideal destination for a bike trip.
The modern town has undergone a major transformation in recent years, which has been reflected in the significant cultivation of public space and services. Experts even consider Dolní Břežany to be a successor to the highly rated Litomyšl.
In 2017, the Březanský cemetery from the Sendler – Babka studio was added to the architectural yearbook, a year later the sports hall from Sporadical and the Hotel Clara Futura from Barbora Škorpilová from the mimolimit studio also received a number of awards.
The Březan sports hall from 2016, belonging to the local primary school, looks like a visitor from space. The metal rounded surface reflects the surroundings and has a polluting effect due to the fact that one cannot look out over the roof.
Nearby, next to the bike path, there is a lookout Kamínek by architect Eliška Formánková. It grew up here four years ago on a hill, which became a by-product of the remaining soil from the construction of a neighboring bypass.
At the instigation of the mayor of Zlatníky, Jiří Rezek, a gazebo was built, named after a quarry. Today it serves as a lively meeting place for Zlatničany and Dolnobřežaňáky, who look out of the church in Zlatníky from Kamínek (in the introductory photo).
Libčice
The large area of the former screw shops in Libčice nad Vltavou is located only twenty-five kilometers from Prague in the direction of Mělník. Eight years ago, it was revitalized by the Hoffman architectural studio, which also won him the National Architecture Prize.
The complex from 1872 houses the very cool companies such as the manufacturer of wooden furniture LUGI, children’s furniture and small wooden buildings Devoto, and the Danish company Gubi also has a showroom here. In addition to them, you can visit the Arto.to Gallery of Contemporary Art, which is also supported by the Hoffmans together with the art historian Terezia Šimáčková.
It currently exhibits works by Petr Veselý, and you may like them so much that you rent the space for your event. Commercials are filmed here, weddings are held and corporate Christmas parties are held.