Prague - National Theatre

Prague's National Theatre features a full season of performances of opera, ballet, and drama, which are held in the National Theatre building, as well as the Theatre of the Estates, and the Theatre Kolowrat.

The National Theater building was built with money collected by the citizens of Prague and was intended as a symbol of Czech national identity, to promote Czech language and culture. From the time the idea for a national theatre came about, it would take another 37 years until the time the theatre opened. The theatre presented its first performance on June 11, 1881. Two months later, large sections of the National Theatre were destroyed by a fire caused by builders still finishing up the project. Collections were again taken and the building under went construction and opened once again in November of 1983.