PHOTO GALLERY: Writer's cottage opens, secret spaces revealed, and butterfly jets take flight

The Presidential Residence, Lobkowicz Palace, the New Orangery at Prague Castle by Eva Jiřičná, Goethe Institute on the waterfront, the Čapkova Villa in Vinohrady, Clam-Gallas Palace in the Old Town, the building of the former electrical station on Bubenská 1 on the Vltavská, and the newly reconstructed premises of the Fanta building at Prague central station. These places were among the biggest attractions of the 10th-anniversary Open House Prague festival from May 13 to 19. More than 103,000 visitors passed through the buildings and accompanying programs, which is 20,000 more than last year.

Over 1,000 visitors attended the Hrabalovo Kersko festival, celebrating writer Bohumil Hrabal’s 110th birth anniversary. The festival featured tours of Hrabal’s cottage, which was fully booked for the weekend, and various events at the Kuba Forest Studio. Jana Kubová noted the enduring interest in Hrabal’s work, especially among younger generations. The festival included readings, musical performances, and exhibitions, continuing on Sunday with a performance by a local theater group.

Builders over the weekend installed two butterfly sculptures on the facade of Prague’s Máj Národní building ahead of the department store’s reopening in June. The installations, created by renowned artist David Černý, show butterfly wings affixed to two purple-blue World War II fighter jet models. The sculptures, commissioned by Amadeus Real Estate, pay tribute to Czechoslovak fighter pilots who served with the British Royal Air Force during World War II.