The Municipal House, built from 1905 to 1911, is a showplace of Art Deco architecture inside and out. Starting with the coffee shop

the stairwells

the oldest bar in Prague

And extending to all of the many rooms large and small, which have been maintained, or restored, to glorious effect.

Above and below, details of the gallery decoration in Smetana Hall, the largest concert hall in Prague. Our guide explained that this room is used for a variety of purposes, including public meetings, private events, and ballroom dance classes.

The many smaller rooms represent diverse decorative styles. Below, a room featuring details of  Czech folk art.

The most beautiful of these rooms is the Lord Mayor’s Hall, every detail of which was designed by the great Czech artist Alfons Mucha.

Mucha was also a great patriot, and his art here, as elsewhere throughout the city, is an expression of his love of country and his dream of a free and prosperous future  for the Czech people.

Having gorged on beauty, and after a light lunch in the coffee shop, we headed for the Museum of Communism.