Prague Art Nouveau and Cubist Architecture historic tour
Description
This tour was named in July 2017 by the Week's Portfolio Magazine one of the five best architecture tours in Europe.
Art Nouveau has many names: Style Moderne, Style 1900, Style Métro, Style Mucha, Jugendstil, Sezession, Mouvement, and Ligne Belge. At the turn of the century, enthusiasm for this style circled the globe, and it was happily accepted by the artists of Prague, where it can be seen in the architecture among the Gothic and Baroque buildings of the city. With the beginnings of national revival activity in the city, the Art Nouveau movement linked itself to the city's changes. The Main Train Station, the magnificent Municipal House, and the entire district of Josefov (the former Jewish Ghetto), all contain examples of Art Nouveau and are considered some of the most beautiful structures in the city.
On your tour, you will be able to see the more common characteristics of Art Nouveau: intricate floral patterns in ironwork and mesmerizing, fairy-tale women with long hair. In order to further appreciate the style, you'll learn how the drastic changes in culture, from entertainment to modern conveniences, affected both the lively designs of buildings and their inner works. Buildings such as Prague's Municipal House are beautiful outside, but also are the first water, central heating, and power systems in the city.
Art Nouveau is not simply a new design style, but a pre-war standard for modern comforts and elegant surroundings for upper-class elite who traveled the world via ocean liners, drank cocktails, corresponded with telegrams, and read the latest fashion magazines. As a result, Art Nouveau is common in hotels, trendy bars, and train stations.
During the tour, you'll learn how to identify other forms of Art Nouveau, including gingko biloba leaves for facades, intricate light fixtures, and odd typography for building signs. You'll visit the enchanting Lucerna bar, which was once owned by Vaclav Havel’s family, and the elegant Grand Hotel Europa, both examples of Czech optimism for joining a modern Europe.
Throughout the walk, we'll also see examples of Prague’s Cubist and Rondocubist architecture, including The House of the Black Madonna (created by Josef Gočár in 1910 as an elegant department store) and the Legion’s Bank.
Location Map
Highlights
- Guided tour by a historian
Exclusions
Terms & Conditions for This Tour
These are the key terms that apply to tour bookings. They form part of your contract with 1860 Travels — see the full Terms & Conditions for the complete text.
Pricing, Inclusions & Exclusions
- Prices are per person unless stated otherwise, and may change at any time until your booking confirmation is issued.
- The Inclusions and Exclusions listed on this page are specific to this tour — anything not listed under Inclusions is excluded from the price.
- Prices exclude local taxes, charges, gratuities, food and beverages, and transfers unless expressly stated otherwise. Gratuities are entirely at your discretion.
- Children under 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Student and senior (60+) pricing requires valid ID at the time of booking and on the day of travel.
- Group tariffs may be available for parties of 10 or more — contact us for a quote.
Amendments & Cancellations
- Amendments to this booking can be made by contacting us at least 96 hours before the departure date.
- Cancellation notice must be received at least 1 week before departure, otherwise a 100% cancellation charge applies.
- Theatre tickets, dining products, and overnight tours cannot be amended or cancelled unless otherwise stated at the time of booking.
- For health or pandemic-related cancellations, options may include a travel credit voucher, rebooking on flexible dates, or a full refund, subject to the specific product's conditions.
- If you miss a coach tour through no fault of 1860 Travels, no refund will be issued; a discounted rebooking rate may be offered as a gesture of goodwill.
Refunds & Compensation
- If a venue cannot be visited during the tour due to unforeseen circumstances, a partial refund of the admission value may be issued at our discretion.
- No refund is given for non-operational air conditioning or washroom facilities on an assigned vehicle.
- Refund requests cannot be accepted more than 30 days after the tour's completion.
- Approved refunds are processed within 15–20 working days via the original payment method.
- Third-party tours where 1860 Travels acts as an agent are non-refundable and subject to the supplier's own terms.
Payment
- Full payment is required at the time of booking unless otherwise specified.
- We accept Visa and MasterCard and charge no service fee, though your card issuer may apply its own charges.
- Customer payments are held in a dedicated client money trust account until your booking is completed or cancelled.
