National Theatre, Prague

The Narodni divadlo was built between 1868 and 1881 with money raised by public collection across the Czech lands - a deliberately national project at a time when Czech had no state, with the foundation stones brought from symbolic places around the country and the inscription Narod sobe, the nation to itself, over the stage. Two months after the opening it burned to the ground. A second collection raised the money again in six weeks and it reopened in 1883 with Smetana's Libuse, which is still the piece performed at national occasions. The building is neo-Renaissance by Josef Zitek and Josef Schulz, with a gilded roof and a set of interiors decorated by the generation of Czech artists known afterwards as the National Theatre generation - Ales, Zenisek, Hynais, Myslbek. It remains the country's principal opera, drama and ballet house.

What you actually see

• Narod sobe over the stage - the nation to itself, from the public collection.
• A rebuilt house - burned in 1881 and re-funded in six weeks.
• The National Theatre generation - interiors by Ales, Zenisek, Hynais and Myslbek.
• A working opera and drama house - Libuse still played at national occasions.

When to go

All year, in the season. An evening.

Honest expectations

The interiors are properly seen with a ticket or on a guided tour, which runs on limited dates. Performances are mostly in Czech with surtitles; opera varies. Tickets for premieres sell out.

Nearby

The Dancing House is downstream; Charles Bridge is upstream.