Virtuoso Life - July/August 2008 - (Page 55) the way the linked towers evoke the body language of Astaire and Rogers. A block north is the functionalist 1930 Manes Gallery, another favorite of former president ˇ Václav Havel. Rašínovo Nábreží 80 ˇ ˇ oversize, glass-faced clock. Námestí Jirího ˇ z Podebrad, Vinohrady Hodek Apartment House The best example of Prague’s brief infatuation with cubism is this five-story block designed by Josef Chochol in 1914, which exploits a sharply angled corner site to create a powerful composition of faceted planes. There are several other cubist buildings by Chochol close by. Neklanova 30, Vyšehrad Church of the Sacred Heart ˇ The Slovenian architect Jože Plecnik completed this strangely impressive temple in 1932, during the time he was adding grace notes to Prague Castle at the invitation of then-president Tomáš Masaryk. Two flared blocks of patterned dark brick alternate with classical white facades in a wedding-cake tier that incorporates an Villa Müller This stark monument to modernism is a late (1930) masterpiece by Adolf Loos, who declared that “ornament is crime” but enlivened his minimal interiors with richly grained marble, rare woods, and constant shifts of level. Newly restored with original furnishings, the villa is open for small guided tours by advance reservation (420/224-312ˇ 012). Nad hradním vodojemem 14, Strešovice Cathedral of Saint Barbara, Kutná Hora At the heart of a town that once rivaled Prague in wealth is one of the grandest monuments in central Europe. This cathedral, STAY » Set on the banks of the Vltava River and overlooking Prague Castle and Charles Bridge, the Four Seasons Hotel Prague keeps the cityscape in sight from many of its 161 plush and spacious rooms. Both the prospects and the eclectic cuisine are superb in the hotel’s Michelin-starred Allegro, which spills onto a riverside terrace in fine weather. Doubles from approximate $580, including breakfast. » Exclusivity is key at Le Palais Hotel Prague, where belle époque designs carry through all 72 rooms, some of which feature original ceiling frescoes. The 24-hour lobby bar with fireplace, restaurant with summer garden, and new Pure Spa all tempt guests to forgo the short walk into the city. Doubles from approximate $566, including breakfast. » Ascetic becomes aesthetic at the Mandarin Oriental Prague, housed within a restored fourteenth-century monastery. All 99 rooms offer pillow and linen menus, and many have vaulted ceilings or original parquet floors. With the holistic spa set in a former Renaissance chapel and the lounge in the cloisters, the experience is indeed divine. Doubles from approximate $597, including breakfast. LIFE IS A COLLECTION OF EXPERIENCES. LET US BE YOUR GUIDE. Please contact your Virtuoso travel advisor to begin your journey. INTRODUCING THE LUXURY COLLECTION’S 69 LANDMARK HOTELS AND 69 REMARKABLE DESTINATIONS INCLUDING THESE VIRTUOSO PREFERRED PROPERTIES EUROPE Hotel Goldener Hirsch Hotel Bristol Hotel Imperial Santa Marina Resort & Villas Vedema Resort Hotel Grande Bretagne Blue Palace Resort & Spa Hotel Cala di Volpe Hotel Romazzino Hotel Pitrizza Grand Hotel Florence Hotel Gritti Palace Hotel Pulitzer Convento do Espinheiro Heritage Hotel & Spa Arion Resort & Spa Hotel Marques de Riscal Mystique ASIA PACIFIC Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa THE AMERICAS San Cristobal Tower Hacienda Uayamon Hacienda Puerta Campeche Hacienda San Jose Hacienda Temozon Hacienda Santa Rosa The Atlantic Resort & Spa Princeville Resort The Resort at Singer Island THE US GRANT Ballantyne Resort The Phoenician
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