National Theatre

The gold-roofed theatre the Czechs paid for twice

Area Nové Město
Type Theatre
Time needed 1h

The National Theatre sits on the Old Town bank of the Vltava at the end of Národní, with a gold-tipped roof and the inscription Národ sobě, the nation to itself, across the front. It was paid for by public subscription, opened in 1881, burned out within weeks, and was rebuilt with a second round of public money to reopen in 1883. That story is the reason Czechs treat the building as more than a theatre, and it is why the collection of art inside it is as good as it is.

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Getting there

Trams 2, 9, 18, 22 and 23 stop at Národní divadlo, directly outside. From the Old Town Square it is about fifteen minutes on foot, south-west through the lanes to Národní and then down to the river. Metro line B (yellow) to Národní třída is a five minute walk along Národní. Everything is flat; the only stairs are the ones inside the building.

What you see

From outside, walk round to the river side or onto the Legion Bridge for the view the building was designed for, with the roof, the loggia and the bronze chariots on the attic reading against the water. Inside, the foyer is the point: painted ceilings and lunettes by the painters of the Czech national revival, marble and gilt stairs, and busts of the composers and playwrights whose work the house exists to stage. The auditorium is a deep horseshoe of boxes under a large painted ceiling, and the front curtain is a famous painted composition of the people who funded the rebuilding. The Nová scéna next door, a glass block from the early 1980s, is part of the same institution and is startling next to the older building; whether you like it or not, it is worth two minutes of your attention.

What to pair it with

Charles Bridge is about ten minutes upstream. Slovanský ostrov and Střelecký ostrov, the river islands, are immediately next to the theatre, and the Dancing House is fifteen minutes downstream along the embankment.

When to go

The only reliable way to see the interior properly is to attend a performance, and opera and ballet are easier to follow than Czech drama if you have no Czech. Guided tours of the building do run, but on limited days and in limited numbers, so check before you count on one. Evenings are when the building is at its best, lit and in use. The theatre has a summer break, so a visit in high summer may find it dark.

What is hard about it

If you turn up in the daytime hoping to walk in and look around, you will usually get no further than the box office lobby. Tours are irregular and often booked. Tickets for performances in the main house can sell out weeks ahead for the better known operas, and the cheapest seats have genuinely restricted views of the stage. There is a dress expectation that is not formal but is noticeably smarter than a day of sightseeing clothes. Lifts are limited in an 1880s building, so ask about access in advance if stairs are a problem.

Common questions

How long do you need at the National Theatre?

Twenty minutes outside for the exterior and the river view, or a full evening for a performance. A guided tour, if one is running, takes about an hour.

Can you look inside without a ticket?

Not beyond the entrance area. The interior is seen on a performance night or on one of the occasional guided tours.

Is a performance understandable without Czech?

Opera and ballet are; the house usually provides surtitles for opera. Spoken Czech drama is hard going without the language.