Mucha Museum

The Mucha Museum in Prague is dedicated entirely to the work of Alphonse Mucha, the Czech painter and graphic artist who became one of the defining figures of Art Nouveau. It was the world's first museum built around his art, and its collection remains one of the most rewarding stops for visitors interested in Prague's cultural heritage.

Who was Alphonse Mucha?

Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939) rose to fame in Paris after designing theatre posters for the actress Sarah Bernhardt. Their flowing female figures wrapped in floral ornament defined a visual language that came to be known as "le style Mucha." Beyond his advertising posters, Mucha produced oil paintings, pastels, drawings and decorative panels, and in his later years devoted himself to a monumental cycle of paintings, the Slav Epic.

From Kounice Palace to Savarin Palace

The museum first opened its doors on 13 February 1998 in the Kounice Palace on Panská Street, an initiative of the Swiss entrepreneur Sebastian Pawlowski. Its core holdings came from — and still include — a large part of the Mucha collection assembled by the Czechoslovak tennis player Ivan Lendl, close to a hundred original works.

As visitor numbers grew, the original rooms became increasingly cramped. In 2025 the Mucha Foundation moved the exhibition to the much larger Baroque Savarin Palace on Na Příkopě, right in the heart of Prague. The new interiors were designed by architect Eva Jiřičná, pairing the palace's 18th-century grandeur with a modern presentation of Mucha's visionary art.

What can you see inside?

The exhibition brings together around 80 works — oil paintings, drawings, pastels, sculptures, photographs and personal belongings — arranged across four thematic sections: "Mucha and His Homeland," "Le Style Mucha and Art Nouveau," "Mucha the Visionary," and "The Slav Epic."

Highlights include the painting Princess Hyacinth, the Seasons cycle, Zodiac, and the poster of Sarah Bernhardt as Gismonda that launched Mucha's Paris career. Visitors can also see early oil paintings, preparatory studies for decorative commissions, and material reflecting Mucha's interest in Freemasonry. A dedicated section covers the Slav Epic: four of the cycle's twenty large-format canvases are shown as reproductions, accompanied by an interactive double projection revealing details from the originals.

Where is it and how do you get there?

The museum stands at Na Příkopě 10 in Prague 1, a few minutes' walk from Wenceslas Square and the Old Town. Na Příkopě is one of the city centre's main shopping streets and is easy to reach from anywhere in Prague — the nearest metro stations are Můstek and Náměstí Republiky (lines A and B), both just a short walk away.

How much time should you set aside?

A visit typically takes one to one and a half hours, including time for the Slav Epic projection, which pairs well with the reproduced canvases on display. The museum works well combined with a walk through Wenceslas Square and the Old Town, both directly around the corner.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same Mucha Museum as before? Not exactly the same building — since 2025 the exhibition has been housed in the new Savarin Palace location on Na Příkopě, after moving from its original home in the Kounice Palace on Panská Street.

Will I see original Slav Epic canvases? Four of the cycle's twenty canvases are displayed as reproductions with an accompanying multimedia projection; the original paintings are shown periodically at other venues in the Czech Republic.

Where does most of the collection come from? A large part of the core collection comes from works of Mucha originally assembled by the Czechoslovak tennis player Ivan Lendl.

What's the easiest way to reach the museum by public transport? The metro is most convenient — Můstek and Náměstí Republiky stations (lines A and B) are both just a few minutes' walk from Savarin Palace.