Národní třída is one of the most important streets in central Prague. It links the Vltava riverbank and the National Theatre with Jungmannovo náměstí, while also forming part of the boundary between the Old Town and the New Town.
At first sight, it may seem like a busy shopping and transport street. Look more closely, however, and Národní reveals several different chapters of Prague’s history. Medieval fortifications once stood along this line. During the nineteenth century, the area became an elegant boulevard associated with Czech cultural and national life. On 17 November 1989, the violent suppression of a student demonstration here helped trigger the Velvet Revolution.
Today, historic palaces, cafés and cultural institutions stand beside twentieth century and contemporary architecture. This mixture makes Národní třída one of the best places to understand how Prague has continued to change rather than remaining frozen in a single historical period.
Where is Národní třída?
Národní třída runs from Jungmannovo náměstí to the Vltava River. At its western end, it reaches the National Theatre and the entrance to Most Legií, the Bridge of the Legions.
The street lies along the historical division between two parts of Prague. The Old Town is on its northern side, while the New Town is generally on the southern side. This boundary is not accidental. It follows the approximate line of the fortifications that once protected the medieval Old Town.
The name is commonly translated as National Avenue or National Street. Although people regularly call the whole street Národní třída, its official name is simply Národní.
From medieval walls to a city boulevard
Before the foundation of Prague’s New Town in 1348, the southern edge of the Old Town was protected by walls and a moat. The fortifications lost much of their importance once Charles IV established the much larger New Town around the existing settlement.
Over time, the obsolete defensive zone was transformed. Trees were planted and the former line of the walls developed into a promenade known as the New Alleys. This created a broad route between the older city and the New Town.
The character of the area changed further during the nineteenth century. A chain bridge across the Vltava opened in 1841 near the site of today’s Most Legií. The street leading towards it became an increasingly important urban connection.
For much of the later nineteenth century, the avenue was known as Ferdinandova, after Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria. It developed into a prestigious boulevard lined with banks, cafés, shops and cultural institutions.
After the creation of independent Czechoslovakia in 1918, the street received the name Národní, reflecting its close association with Czech national culture. Its name changed again temporarily during periods of political upheaval, but Národní became the lasting designation.
Národní třída and the Czech National Revival
During the nineteenth century, the Czech lands formed part of the Habsburg Empire. Prague was a multilingual city, but Czech language and culture gained increasing public importance through the movement now known as the Czech National Revival.
Národní became closely connected with this process. Czech financial institutions, publishers, artists and cultural organisations established themselves along the avenue. Most importantly, the National Theatre was built at its river end.
The street’s name therefore refers to more than its geographical importance. It expresses its long association with Czech cultural identity and the creation of modern national institutions.
The National Theatre
The National Theatre is the most prominent landmark on Národní třída. Its golden roof rises above the riverbank at the western end of the street.
The theatre was built with money collected from people across the Czech lands and became one of the great symbols of the National Revival. Its foundation stone was laid in 1868, and the building first opened in 1881. Shortly afterwards, a fire caused extensive damage.
A new public collection helped finance its reconstruction, and the theatre reopened in 1883. The building was designed principally by architect Josef Zítek, while Josef Schulz directed the rebuilding and completion following the fire.
Today, the National Theatre remains an active venue for opera, drama and ballet. Even if you do not attend a performance, its exterior and lavish interior make it one of Prague’s most important nineteenth century monuments.
The Czech Academy of Sciences building
Opposite the National Theatre stands another monumental building with a richly decorated Neo-Renaissance façade. It was originally constructed in the 1850s and 1860s as the headquarters of the Czech Savings Bank and was designed by architect Ignác Vojtěch Ullmann. At the end of the nineteenth century, the building was considerably extended towards the river.
The building now serves as the headquarters of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Its position beside the National Theatre creates an impressive architectural entrance to Národní třída from the river.
Together, the two buildings represent the cultural and institutional ambitions of Czech society in the final decades of Habsburg rule.
Café Slavia
Café Slavia occupies a prominent corner opposite the National Theatre, on the ground floor of the Neo-Renaissance Lažanský Palace, designed by architect Ignác Vojtěch Ullmann. A café has operated here since the 1880s, becoming a popular meeting place for actors, writers, artists and intellectuals.
Its large windows offer views of the National Theatre, the Vltava and Prague Castle. During the communist period, Slavia was also associated with dissidents, including Václav Havel. Today, it remains one of Prague’s best-known historic cafés.
Topič House
Topič House is closely connected with the development of modern Czech publishing and art. Publisher and bookseller František Topič established his business on Národní in the late nineteenth century, creating an important centre for books, exhibitions and cultural life.
The present Art Nouveau appearance of the building dates from 1905–1906, when it was remodelled for Topič by architect Osvald Polívka, who also co-designed Prague’s famous Municipal House at Republic Square. Its richly decorated façade reminds us that Národní was not only a street of monumental institutions, but also a centre of Prague’s literary and artistic life.
Palace Adria
Palace Adria is hard to miss – its massive, almost fortress-like façade makes it one of Prague’s most distinctive examples of Rondocubist architecture. Built in 1922–1925 for the Italian insurance company Riunione Adriatica di Sicurtà, it was designed by Josef Zasche, with its characteristic façades created by Pavel Janák.
Decades later, the palace found itself at the centre of history. In November 1989, the Laterna Magika theatre inside became the headquarters of Civic Forum, where Václav Havel and other opposition figures coordinated their activities during the Velvet Revolution.
Café Louvre
Café Louvre opened on Národní in 1902 and quickly became one of Prague’s great intellectual cafés. Its famous guests included Franz Kafka and Albert Einstein, while writers, artists and philosophers gathered here for meetings and discussions.
In 1925, the café hosted the founding meeting of the Czechoslovak PEN Club, with writer Karel Čapek as its first chairman. Closed after the communist takeover in 1948, Café Louvre was eventually restored and today continues Prague’s historic café tradition.
Máj department store
Máj opened in 1975 on the corner of Národní and Spálená, designed by Miroslav Masák, John Eisler and Martin Rajniš of the SIAL studio. Its striking high-tech architecture was later recognised with cultural monument status.
After a major reconstruction, Máj reopened in 2024 with a completely new identity. No longer simply a department store, it is now a multi-level entertainment centre filled with restaurants, bars, games and interactive attractions – topped by giant moving butterflies by controversial Czech artist David Černý.
The Head of Franz Kafka
Behind the Máj building, beside the Quadrio complex, stands David Černý’s rotating sculpture of Franz Kafka’s head. It is not directly on Národní itself, but it is only a short detour from the street.
The sculpture consists of numerous horizontal metal layers that rotate independently. At certain moments they align to form Kafka’s face, only to break apart again.
Its constant movement can be interpreted in several ways, including as a reference to Kafka’s complex identity, his psychological world or the unstable reality of his writing. The work has become one of the most photographed examples of contemporary public art in Prague.
What happened on Národní třída on 17 November 1989?
Národní třída occupies a central place in the story of the Velvet Revolution.
On 17 November 1989, students organised a demonstration in Prague. The officially permitted gathering commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the Nazi repression of Czech universities and the death of student Jan Opletal.
After the formal commemoration, thousands of participants continued from Albertov through the city. The march remained peaceful, but security forces prevented the demonstrators from proceeding through central Prague.
On Národní třída, riot police blocked the crowd and violently attacked demonstrators. People were beaten, and many were injured. News of the assault spread quickly and caused widespread public outrage.
The event did not bring down the communist regime by itself, but it became the immediate catalyst for much larger protests. Students and theatres went on strike, Civic Forum was established, and enormous crowds gathered in the following days. By the end of 1989, communist rule in Czechoslovakia had collapsed.
The largely peaceful character of this political transformation gave it the name Velvet Revolution.
The 17 November memorial
A bronze memorial on Národní commemorates the events of 17 November 1989. It is set into the passage beneath Kaňka Palace, close to the place where the demonstrators were trapped and attacked.
The relief shows hands reaching out from the wall, with some forming the V sign for victory. The date 17.11.1989 appears above them.
The memorial is relatively small and can be missed when the street is busy. Flowers, candles and Czech flags are frequently placed here, particularly around the anniversary on 17 November. On that day, Národní becomes one of the main centres of public commemoration in Prague.
Why is 17 November a Czech public holiday?
The date connects two important events in modern Czech history.
On 17 November 1939, the Nazi authorities closed Czech universities following student protests. Nine student leaders were executed, and many other students were sent to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp.
Fifty years later, the commemoration of those events developed into the demonstration that helped begin the Velvet Revolution. The Czech Republic therefore observes 17 November as the Day of Struggle for Freedom and Democracy and International Students’ Day.
Is Národní třída worth visiting?
Národní is worth exploring because it brings together architecture, culture and political history within a relatively short distance. You can see the National Theatre, visit a traditional café, examine architecture from several periods and stop at one of Prague’s most meaningful modern memorials.
The street is busy and commercial, so its significance is not always immediately obvious. Allow time to look above the shopfronts, enter the passages and notice the plaques and architectural details along the way.
Národní is especially atmospheric around 17 November, although the anniversary also attracts large crowds. At other times of the year, the memorial offers a quieter place to reflect on the events that ended more than four decades of communist rule in Czechoslovakia.
Discover Prague’s New Town with us
Národní třída is an excellent introduction to Prague’s New Town. Its history connects the medieval city walls, the Czech National Revival, twentieth century architecture and the Velvet Revolution.
You can discover more stories from this part of the city on our Prague New Town Free Walking Tour. Depending on the guide and the route taken, Národní třída or nearby places may form part of the wider story of the district.
If you would prefer an itinerary adapted to your interests and schedule, you can also explore Prague with one of our private tours.
Practical information
Location: Between Jungmannovo náměstí and the National Theatre
Districts: Boundary of Prague’s Old Town and New Town
Metro: Národní třída, line B
Trams: Národní třída and Národní divadlo
Main historical site: The 17 November memorial in the passage beneath Kaňka Palace
Article by: Michal, licensed Prague guide and founder of Free Walking Tour Prague.