The beating heART of the Czech Republic

With its stunning national parks, picturesque small towns and fairy tale castles, the Czech Republic is on the wishlist of culturally curious travelers from around the world. Visitors enjoy the country's art festivals and UNESCO World Heritage Sites - a treasure trove that's now available to those who can't make the journey in person.

The HeART of Czechia is a new digital collection on Google Arts & Culture that showcases the country's magnificent art, architecture and design scene. Our 19 partners - including the National Gallery in Prague, the Mucha Foundation, the National Museum, the DOX Centre for Contemporary Arts and Villa Tugendhat - have curated 80 stories. Viewers will be able to find over 30 Street View sites and 20 ultra-high-resolution images.

Discover the art scene

Would you like to learn more about Cubism, the early 20th-century avant-garde art movement? Or maybe step inside the Dox Center, the ​​largest independent institution focusing on contemporary art? Don't miss the Gulliver Airship, an imaginative structure for cultural events and everyday exploration.

Contemplate the work of the famous 19th-century illustrator and graphic artist Alphonse Mucha. Get to know his magnum opus "Slav Epic," captured for the first time in ultra-high resolution, or browse his stylized theater posters featuring the famous French diva Sarah Bernhardt.

There's also an exhibit on surrealist painter Marie Čermínová, known as Toyen. She was one of the most important Czech artists of the 20th century, and depicted the world of the dream, the subconscious and fantasy.

• A white woman's face with white lilies on her long orange hair, surrounded by a halo reading "Sarah Bernhardt" on a background of ornamental patterns.

  Alphonse Mucha: The famous poster of Sarah Bernhardt, from the collection of the Mucha Foundation.

• Painting of big, colorful flowers scattered around a road.

  Flower Union, a flower decoration for the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union, from the National Gallery Prague.

• Painting of a Slavic priest asking the gods for help against a blue, starry night.

  Alphonse Mucha: "Slav Epic, Cycle 1: Slavs in Their Original Homeland," from the collection of the Prague City Gallery.

• An artistic composition of multicolored stripes: blue, red, black and white.

  "The Cathedral" by František Kupka, an iconic piece inspired by the architecture of a Gothic cathedral, from the collection of the Museum Kampa.

• A painting of a green meadow with women gathering fruit from the trees and three male horsemen in the background.

  "Girl's Dream": a fairytale-like painting by Jan Preisler, from the collection of Olomouc Museum of Art.

Enjoy beautiful architecture

A few hours from the capital of Prague, in the scenic city of Brno, Villa Tugendhat stands as a monument of modern architecture. Designed by the famous architect Mies van der Rohe, it's not only an iconic building in the context of Brno's modern development, but also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Learn about the story of the villa, its technical equipment, the materials used in its construction, and take a walk inside.

• Exterior of Villa Tugendhat during spring, with a green lawn outside

  Villa Tugendhat from the side, with a view of the gardens

• Interior of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, with tapestries hanging on the walls

  Street View panoramic capture of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague

• Red- and white-striped coffee pots made in Cubist style with angular handles

  Coffee service with flat handles by Pavel Janák, from the collection of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague

• A huge structure resembling an airship built over the roof of the DOX Center for Contemporary Art

  DOX Centre for Contemporary Art with the Gulliver Airship "hovering" above it

• Glassmaker Martin Janecký at work, making a male head

  The glassmaker Martin Janecký in his workshop in a former Baroque stable in the center of Prague, from the collection of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague

Get a closer look at Czech design

The Czech Republic could surprise you with the variety of shapes and colors of its design scene. Take a tour through 1900s Art Nouveau, or see a six-branch chandelier or Vlastislav Hofman's lidded copper container. Marvel at glass artworks and get to know Martin Janecký, who shares his own story of being a glass artist. Or ponder how the simple concept of a chair could be approached from so many different perspectives.

Curious for more? Keep on exploring Czechia's beautiful art, design and architecture scenes on the Google Arts & Culture website or our Android or iOS app.

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