Author: Michaela Kadlecová
In collaboration with the Rekola bikesharing service, we have prepared a pink cycling route for you again this year, this time spanning just under eight kilometers. The route leads from Braník to the city center, passing by some of the buildings that will be open to the public during the Open House Prague festival on the weekend of May 18–19, 2024. At the end of the article, you’ll find a discount code that will grant you two 30-minute rides on pink bikes for free during the weekend. So hop on a bike and explore the city from a different perspective!
The starting point of this year’s route can be found in the renovated Neo-Renaissance complex of the Braník Brewery, home to the House of Dance Art. The successful reconstruction of the dilapidated complex has given new purpose to the former brewery building. During the weekend, you will have the opportunity to see introductions of stage technology and costumes here. On Sunday, there will also be rehearsals of artistic ensembles in the halls.
Continue along the popular cycling path downstream of the Vltava River for a pleasant four-kilometer ride until you reach the floating boathouse of TJ Tatran Praha, which you can thoroughly explore as part of a guided group tour. On both days, there will also be an exhibition of photographs and project documentation to view. Did you know that the boathouse was created from an abandoned boat of the German army, which transported tanks and heavy machinery during the Second World War?
Right next door, you’ll find another building from the program – the historical boathouse of the Czech Yacht Club. Here you can see the boat storage on the ground floor, the historical clubhouse with a porch on the first floor, and last but not least, the attic apartment of club founder J. R. Ořovský, located on the second floor.
Along Rašín Embankment, passing by Vyšehrad, your path will lead you to the classicizing Art Nouveau Na Libušince Villa with Cubist elements, which will captivate you at first sight. It was designed by the renowned architect Emil Králíček, whom many people associate with the famous Cubist lamp. The garden, entrance hall, staircase, and terrace will be accessible here.
We also recommend a short stop at the Pod Slovany Garages, which represent a somewhat forgotten example of architect Oldřich Tyl’s work, whose name is often associated with the gem of functionalism, the Trade Fair Palace. Guided tours will take you from the courtyard to the vestibule and continue to the staircase up to the 4th floor and underground spaces. At the height of their glory, the garages offered first-class service to affluent clients.
Our recommended route concludes with the final stop at the Art Nouveau palace of the First Czech General Reinsurance Bank – today’s Goethe-Institut, which will unveil its beauties usually hidden from view. Gold and marble were certainly not spared in these interiors. It’s worth mentioning that part of its history includes serving as the Embassy of the German Democratic Republic. You’ll be able to stroll through the entrance hall, ground floor wings of the building, library, Art Nouveau staircase, ballroom, functional cellar sauna from the GDR era, balcony, and admire the views from the terrace. Additionally, during the festival weekend on May 18th and 19th, there will be a bike beautification workshop “Pimp My Bike” in front of the building (Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.).
For true enthusiasts, we offer an extension of the route by just under two kilometers to Smíchov, where on Sunday, the classical-empire style Eliška Pešková Creative House will be open. The recently renovated building from the 1870s by an original unknown architect, with a very successful reconstruction, will reveal a beautiful courtyard in the inner block, a theater hall, studio, club room, and basement workshops.
We’ve marked the entire pink route, including all the aforementioned buildings, on Mapy.cz, where you can also search for and save all the open buildings and spaces under the password “open house prague“.
Use the discount code OHP24 for two 30-minute rides for free for both new and existing app users! The code can be redeemed in the Rekola app on the weekend of May 18 and 19, 2024.
Above all, we wish you a pleasant ride, sunny weather, and a day full of experiences!
More Tips
In the festival program, you’ll also find other locations related to cycling. Explore the former Troja Brewery, which has been partially reconstructed under the direction of the architectural studio Atelier3M, and where you’ll find the bike rental and sales shop Kolovna. In Ruzyně, you can visit the showroom of ekolo.cz, an unusual building with a falling shape, constructed as an environmentally friendly structure. During the weekend, there’s also the opportunity to test electric bikes for free.
Cycling enthusiasts can then head to the Třebešín Velodrome, where track bikes are available for rent. In the banked turns of the concrete track, you’ll experience real adrenaline. Are you eager to be inspired by modern design? Visit the Karlín Palace, where the offices of advertising agencies and bike-related businesses bikero are opening up.
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