Prague’s Design Soul: An Insider’s Glimpse
Maxim Velčovský, art director at Lasvit and co-founder of Qubus, is one of Prague’s most influential design voices. He grew up amid an extraordinary architectural panorama, where Gothic spires, Art Nouveau ornament and Czech Cubism sit alongside Functionalist clarity. The city reads like a living textbook, enriched by streets and façades that survived the war and remain remarkably intact.
Curated Culture & Creative Hubs
Design & Art Discoveries
Start at DOX Centre for Contemporary Art for rotating exhibitions, provocative installations and a gallery shop that highlights local makers. For modernist collections, Veletržní Palace offers Czech and international modern art in an evocative industrial shell. Visit Qubus Design Studio to see Velčovský’s approach to material and form, and pop into boutique galleries such as Artisème and the Museum of Decorative Arts for historic ceramics, glass and applied design that chart the city’s material ingenuity.
Taste of Local Life
For a meal with context, Kuchyň at Prague Castle pairs simple regional cooking with a view and a sense of ritual. If you want a genuine neighborhood atmosphere, pull up a stool at Lokál U Bílé Kuželky, a classic pub where Czech comfort food and conversation set the tone for understanding daily life.
Beyond the Cityscape: Green Escapes
When the streets feel full, retreat to Petřín. Its terraced lawns and quiet paths feel like a secret garden above the city, offering moments of calm and a vantage point for looking back at Prague’s layered skyline. For more open green space, Stromovka provides roomy walks and a slower pace.
Why Prague Inspires
Velčovský speaks of Prague as a teacher: its preserved history, unexpected juxtapositions and high craft standards shaped his eye and ambition. For creatives, the city is less about single landmarks and more about the ongoing conversation between past and present, where detail and context keep offering new prompts for work and reflection.
