Unseen Makers – between Bohemia and Saxony

Brutalism, reimagined

Prague may be famous for its medieval skyline, but the city’s post-war architecture between 1958 and 1989 tells an equally compelling story. In this period of “creative tension” between official doctrine and modern trends, internationally recognised architects designed exceptional buildings in concrete, steel, glass and aluminium – from department stores and bridges to cultural landmarks and the iconic TV tower. Today, you can explore these often misunderstood brutalist and late-modern gems on themed guided walks – or simply wander through the city on your own and discover these buildings as part of everyday Prague.

Masters of high craft

Prague is a city shaped by masters of high craft, from medieval stonecutters and clockmakers to today’s glass artists and restorers. At its heart stands the Old Town Astronomical Clock, the world’s oldest astronomical clock still in operation, whose newly created digital twin lets you see the precision of its medieval mechanism up close inside the Old Town Hall. Gothic towers across the city, above all the Old Town Bridge Tower on Charles Bridge, considered one of the most beautiful Gothic gateways in the world, rise above the streets as monumental showcases of medieval stonemasons’ skill. Inside St Vitus Cathedral, stained-glass windows designed by leading artists across the centuries reveal a different face of this virtuosity in glass and colour. Today, the cathedral’s long-awaited new organ is being crowned with a contemporary glass “jewel”: hundreds of hand-blown crystal elements created by Bohemian glassmakers and inspired by Bohemian basalt columns, forming a sparkling necklace for the cathedral. The same living tradition continues in studios across the city: just a few steps from Charles Bridge, on Kampa Island, Janecký Studio of world-renowned glass sculptor Martin Janecký offers a contemporary take on this craft, with hot-glass sculptures shaped from the inside of the bubble using his signature sculpting technique. Whether you watch the clock strike the hour, climb a tower or visit a working studio, Prague invites you to experience high craft as something living – not locked in a display case.

Meet the Bohemian Spirit

For centuries, Prague’s Bohemian spirit has attracted extraordinary minds from all over the world. The Baroque Library Hall in the Clementinum – often described as one of the most beautiful libraries in the world – is closely linked with this tradition, holding works by Johannes Kepler, echoing the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and recalling the era when Albert Einstein was developing his ideas on relativity in Prague. In Café Louvre, where Kafka, Rilke and Einstein once discussed their thoughts, guests today still find small paper notepads and pencils on every table, ready for their own ideas and sketches. From cafés and bookshops to theatres, galleries and guided walks that bring these famous stories to life, Prague invites you to meet the Bohemian spirit not as a cliché, but as a living, everyday force – curious, creative and just a little bit rebellious.

Plan your 4 day Unseen Makers Journey

Spend four days between Bohemia and Saxony and get a first taste of the Unseen Makers. You can fly into Václav Havel Airport Prague and then continue to Chemnitz, or spend a few days in the Czech capital first and travel on from the city centre. Regular long-distance buses (including FlixBus) connect Prague’s main bus and train stations with Chemnitz in about three hours, and there are also train connections via Dresden from Praha hlavní nádraží to Chemnitz Hbf. Whether you arrive by plane, train or coach, it is easy to combine both cities and experience the Unseen Makers on both sides of the Bohemian–Saxon border. 

We suggest to start in Prague with its iconic Astronomical clock, Charles bridge and St Vitus cathedral and the master craftsmen behind them, then dive into the city’s post-war concrete landmarks. Continue on to Chemnitz to experience its Eastern modernist cityscape and finish your trip surrounded by German Expressionism and industrial culture.