- Address: 110 00 Praha 1-Nové Město, Czech Republic
Contrary to the existing opinion, Prague is rich not only in architectural sights , kept in the Gothic and Baroque style. There are no less interesting buildings here, which reflect the elegance and richness of the Art Nouveau style. Most of them are concentrated in the central part of Prague on the promenade of Masaryk, which stretches between the bridges of the Legionnaires and Yiraskovs.
History of the Masaryk waterfront
Until the nineteenth century, several mills and leather processing workshops were located on this territory. In the 20th century, in the place of the modern promenade of Masaryk in Prague, profitable houses with a height of several floors began to be built. In 1903 the plots called Žofína and Smetanovým nábřežím were merged into one embankment, which was named Františková.
From 1912 to 1948, the place was called Rigbrow. In 1952, the territory of the National Theater was annexed to it. At the same time, the Vltava bank in Prague was renamed the Masaryk embankment in honor of the first president of the Czechoslovak Republic, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk.
Architectural features of the Masaryk waterfront
This popular tourist destination is attractive because it is located along the Vltava coast. Besides the picturesque nature , the promenade of Masaryk in Prague is known for its architectural sights, decorated in such styles as:
- neo-renaissance;
- Art Nouveau;
- Gothic;
- neo-Gothic;
- neo-baroque;
- secession;
- eclecticism.
Here you can find constructions from Jiri Stibral, Kamil Gilbert and Joseph Phantom. Many houses are decorated with sculptural groups, on which Ladislav Shaloon worked. In particular, they decorated the building of the Goethe Institute. In modernist buildings on the promenade of Masaryk in Prague, there are figures of birds and animals - elements characteristic of this architectural style. Every house here you can see sculptures of fairy-tale heroes, children, young men and Apollos. Some of them are completely naked, others are covered with clothing, as if flowing in the wind.
The facilities on the Masaryk embankment in Prague abound with elaborate architectural details. Here you can see the pediments with gilded ceramic balls and mosaics, huge figures of bronze birds, lions and knights, richly decorated lancet windows.
Sights of the Masaryk waterfront
Due to the variety of architectural styles and richness of decoration, almost every building on this street can be called a masterpiece. Walking along the promenade of Masaryk in Prague, it is impossible not to notice such attractions as:
- The building of the National Theater, built in the style of the Neo-Renaissance in 1868-1881;
- The modernist building of the Goethe Institute, designed by Jiri Stibral;
- the house of Joseph Phantha, in which the singing society "Verb" is located;
- Dancing house , aged style of deconstruction;
- Shitkov water tower, erected in the XVI century.
You can also look at all these interesting objects from the opposite bank of the Vltava, from the Legionov and the Yiraskov Bridge.
How to get to the waterfront of Masaryk?
A popular tourist destination is in the central part of the Czech capital on the right bank of the Vltava. It will not be difficult to get to the Masaryk quay from other parts of Prague. There are many tram stops along the way, including Národní divadlo, Palackého náměstí (nábřeží) and Palacky Square (waterfront). They can be reached by routes Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 17, 18, 25, 93, 98. Not far from the waterfront is the metro station Karlovo náměstí, which belongs to line B.