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Kinský Summer Palace – pearl of the Kinský Garden

Kinský Summer Palace. Former summer residence of a princely dynasty located in the beautiful Kinský Garden underneath Petřín in Prague. Ancient elements provide the construction with touch of nobleness and representativity. Musaion is nowadays visited especially due to the ethnic expositions of the National Museum. The emphasis on folk customs and traditions is replenished also with folk concerts in the museum.
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The history
Originally, there used to be vineyards of the Plasy Monastery in place of the present summer palace. The vineyards were purchased from the monastery by the Princess Růžena Kinská in 1799. Between 1827 – 1831 her son Prince Rudolf Kinský used the unused plots to build a gorgeous manor house. The classicistic summer palace and also the adjacent farm buildings were performed due to architect Jindřich Koch.
The Summer Palace
The dominating part of the construction is mainly its facade part of which stands in the foreground. Attention is in particular focussed on the balcony in the first floor which is fixed on precious Ionian columns. The overall ancient appearance is completed by the white facade of the summer palace. The summer palace also involves the adjacent Kinský Garden with plenty of pools and other decorative elements.
Kinský family leaving their summer residence
Kinský family used the construction as their summer residence until the end of the 19th century. Then they sold it to the city of Prague. In 1902 the summer palace was honored because significant collections were placed in there which had been gathered for the General Land Centenninial Exhibition and for the Ethnic Exposition. A few years later the Ethnic Department of the National Museum was built in the summer palace and later the object was declared a national monument. The collections were exposed here until 1986 when there was a costly reconstruction. After multiple reconstructions the monument was opened to the public in 2005. The summer palace was called „Musaion“ which stands for „Temple of Muses“.
Národopisné muzeum (Ethnic Museum) – Musaion
Currently the visitors can see here the ethnic exposition of the National Museum with the heritage of the folk culture of the Czech Republic. The expositions are dedicated to folk culture and traditions, you can also view numerous collections of folk costumes there. Besides the handicraft worshops the museum also focusses on arranging folk concerts and traditional exhibitions.
Opened to the public: Yes
Opening times:
Mondays: CLOSED
Tuesday – Sunday: 10.00 am –06.00 pm
Contact:
Mail-to: narodopis@nm.cz
Phone: +420 257 214 806
Entrance fees:
Basic: 70 Kč
Reduced: 40 Kč for seniors (over 60 years), ZTP card holders, children 6–15 years, secondary school and university students after showing their student cards
Family tickets: 110 Kč (max. 4 persons, max. 2 adults)
School groups: 30 Kč/person.
Other fees: Fee for taking pictures and recording … 30 Kč
Overview of other services:
Library and archive:
Library and archive study rooms will be closed to the public for operational reasons from 1. 2. 2011 util recall.
Museum shop: folk arts, traditional handicraft and hand-made products from leading masters, stylish souvenirs and postcards, popular and technical literature and CDs about folk arts, folklore and traditional culture.
Café: stylish café, in summer time with a garden with
For families with kids: there is a children´s corner equipped by drawing utensils in the building.
Dressing room: in the object´s groundfloor, for visitors free of charge.
Address:
Holečkova 98, Kinského zahrada 98
150 00 Praha 5
Connection:
Bus: 176, 510 – Kobrova station
Tram: 6, 9, 12, 20, 58, 59 – Švandovo divadlo station (the entrance to Kinský Garden is situated close to the traffic lights, the summer palace is located on the opposite side)
Metro: B – Anděl (then by tram Nr. 12 and 20 to Švandovo divadlo station)
Transport connection:
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GPS: 50°4’36.776″N, 14°23’55.446″E
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