National Museum, Prague

Before you is the National Museum’s historic main building. Carved stonework across the façade gives the structure a ceremonial character. Josef Schulz designed this Neo-Renaissance landmark, a revival manner drawing on the grand forms of the Renaissance.

It opened in 1891, after a design competition drew 27 entries. The institution began in 1818, formed from private collections belonging to Czech aristocrats. Kašpar Maria Šternberg founded it, and historian František Palacký played a major part in shaping it.

Its holdings now exceed thirteen million objects, spanning natural history, archaeology, coins, art, music, and books. The museum’s researchers even identified Cooksonia barrandien, the oldest known vascular land plant.