Prague crowded for annual Museum Night

Dusk on Saturday belonged to almost 50 museums and galleries in Prague, which opened at 7 PM for the fourth year of what is called Museum Night. Their treasures were - for one night only - on display free of charge, or in some places for a symbolic admission fee, until as late as 1 AM. Around 170,000 people turned out.

Photo: CTK

The Museum Night sites ranged from the most prominent galleries in the centre like Galerie Rudolfinum, currently exhibiting the paintings of Neo Rauch, all the way to various places on the outskirts like for example Troja Chateau. Visitors had a chance to take guided tours or just question the tour guides present, like this one from the Spanish Synagogue.

"People are interested in this building, in the architecture of this building. They are also interested in the present days of Prague Jewish Community, about their services, which synagogues are active. They are interested in the history of Prague Jewish Community."

Photo: CTK

The exhibitions were joined by a number of accompanying events such as the saxophone trio or the Student Orchestra's performance of Dvorak's Ninth Symphony From the New World. Michal Lukes, the director of the National Museum, comments on the incredible number of culture lovers who flooded Prague.

Photo: CTK

"Last year we registered 160,000 so-called visitor entrances because we are not able to count the visitors themselves, but we can count how many people enter a specific museum and base our estimate on this. Anyway, Prague gets crowded. Four years ago, we started with eight to twelve buses. Now we have 40 of them, and it is still not enough, so we'll probably have to increase the number next year again. Luckily, the weather is nice so one can go on foot, as well."

At 11 PM, the queues were still almost 100 meters long, and keen visitors heavily outnumbered the capacities of the sites. Nevertheless, the atmosphere was great. Natasha and Paula are from North Carolina.

Photo: CTK

Natasha: "Well, this is unique in its own; it's amazing to have a whole cultural infusion in one night. I have not experienced anything like this, which makes it even more the better.

Paula: "We made a list, I know we want to go to the Military Museum next, which is a little bit out there, so we'll see what we have time for after that."

Although there was no way to see even a quarter of the museums, some of them might become an inspiration for rainy weekends. The newly opened Charles Bridge Museum, for example, will certainly be worth it.