Located next to the Charles Bridge, in the Old Town of Prague, is a museum dedicated to the life and works of a famous Czech composer, Bedřich Smetana, a influential figure known for his contributions to the Czech nationalist movement. Incorporating Czech musical aspects into his operas, his work culminated into the opening of the National Theatre in Prague in 1883 (which sadly happened to be an year before his death), with an opera composed by him on the historical founding of the city of Prague. Considered a founding father of Czech music, Smetana is very much-loved in his country.

Exhibits in the museum include letters, photographs and newspaper clippings related to him, as well as many of his possessions including his ear bone (Smetana, as ironic as it sounds, suffered from deafness)! You can even listen to scores of Smetana’s works placed on special music stands from conductor’s podiums, using a special laser baton!

Though the Smetana museum had been inaugurated in 1926, it only moved to this location, a beautiful neo-Renaissance style building previously occupied by the Prague Water Company, in 1936. It is now under the National Museum. The building also has sgraffito designs by famous Czech painters pertaining to the battle between the citizens of Prague and the Swedes on the Charles Bridge in 1648, a fitting place for Smetana’s works to be housed.