After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Prague burst onto the world travel scene and has been captivating tourists from around the world ever since... History and classical music are indelibly associated with the city, but I want to share a few tips for the itineraries of contemporary art lovers. They, too, have plenty of things to see and do in the “city of hundred spires”.

BEST CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUMS IN PRAGUE

Most visitors focus on the city’s rich history that goes back to 880 A.D. when the first settlement on the grounds of today’s Prague Castle was established, but Prague is home to several great contemporary art museums that are well worth a visit:

Veletrzni palac – Narodni galerie. Housed in a streamlined functionalist building that spans a full block in the Prague 7 district, the museum and its superb collection of 19th, 20th and 21st century art should make it onto your “must-see” list. The permanent collection includes the “who’s who” of the international art scene (from Klimt and Picasso to Kupka and Rodin) as well as the works by modern day Czech artists. The temporary exhibitions are usually well curated and draw large crowds, whether they cover the photography work of Annie Leibovitz or the experimentation of Katharina Grosse.

DOX Centre for Contemporary Art. Also found in Prague 7 (a former warehouse district that has found new life as a home for many creative agencies and street artists), DOX took over an old factory and now serves as a multi-functional space dedicated to rotating exhibitions of contemporary international and Czech art and design. As with Veletrzni palac, the building itself is worth a visit, too, especially thanks to the Hindenburg-like blimp that is permanently perched on the museum’s roof.

Sovovy Mlyny – Muzeum Kampa. Sovovy Mlyny won the Prague location lottery. It sits on the Kampa Island, right on the Vltava river and within a stone’s throw of the Charles Bridge. I encourage you to step away from the crowds and come here to explore. The museum is not hard to find. The entrance is guarded by the giant crawling babies created by David Cerny, one of the most prominent Czech sculptors of the 21st century. The courtyard houses more contemporary sculptures and inside, the museum is home to rotating exhibitions of works of Czech greats such as Jan Zrzavy and Adolf Born as well as the works of international artists, from Cecil Beaton to Manolo Blahnik (yes, the one of the shoe fame). For a small dose of cuteness, make sure you catch a glimpse of the yellow penguin flock lined up on the waterline.

CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERIES IN PRAGUE

Prague loves art, and the abundance of small art galleries is a clear proof. New experimental art spaces and artist studios have been popping up everywhere around town, giving new life to previously abandoned places. This includes Kasarna Karlin (former army baracks), the old Pragovka car factory that has become home to artist studios, or Campus Hybernska that is building a multifunctional, multi-purpose art space. These were recently covered by the NY Times article and I will cover them in a separate post later.

For now, I will share a few trusted standbys, places where I am sure to stop whenever I visit my hometown:

Galerie Zdenek Sklenar. A tiny space that packs a punch. Hidden in the corner of Salvatorska street in the Old Town, the gallery always shows great art. My personal favorite there were the sublime and amazingly contemporary paintings (and sculptures) of the nonagerian Karel Malich.

Galerie La Femme. Hidden in plain sight across the square from the Intercontinental hotel is this gem of a gallery that has a range of paintings, prints, drawings, etchings and sculptures of – you guessed it – mostly female forms and portraits. I have bought a few works there myself.

FotoGrafic. For full disclosure, this gallery is owned by a good friend and college classmate of mine which makes it a natural stop whenever I am in town. That said, I am always delighted by the variety and interesting ideas underlying the shows that this tiny space (a converted horse stable with exposed brick walls tucked away on a small side street in the Old Town) puts on. Stop by and chat up the staff. They are knowledgeable and passionate about the art.

MUST-DO MODERN ARCHITECTURE STOPS

Modern Prague gems also include architecture that lives outside the museums and galleries. Most people will instantly think of the “Fred and Ginger” house by Frank Gehry and Vlado Milunic which is definitely worth a stop, but there is lots more. Leaving Gehry behind, stop by the Manes exhibition hall on your way towards the Old Town and then head toward Narodni trida and duck into the Quadrio courtyard to see another piece by David Cerny – the rotating giant Kafka head sculpture. The instagrammer in you will rejoice. From there, head over to Dum u Cerne Matky Bozi (the Black Madonna House) to explore the unique world of Jan Gocar’s Czech Cubism. And most importantly, enjoy yourselves! Prague is a wonderful place to visit.