Magická Jeskyně

Useful Information

Location:	Petřínské sady 417/5, 118 00 Praha 1. (50.0814, 14.4002)
Open:	All year daily 14-19. [2023]
Fee:	Adults CZK 100, Children (6-18) CZK 50, Children (0-5) free. [2023]
Classification:	Grotto
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Magická Jeskyně, Petřínské sady 417/5, 118 00 Praha 1, Tel:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

2005	Magical Cavern opened to the public.

Description

Magická Jeskyně (Magical Cavern) is a mill, which was transformed into an artwork by the Prague artist Reon Argondian (NEE Jan Zahradnik). In a way it is a typical grotto, however, grottoes were created in the 19th century and are no longer fashionable. Except for a few notable exceptions. This is one of them, a cave located in the fantasy realm of Argondia, with walls protruding treelike structures, oil paintings and sculptures. All the walls look like cave walls, but more colorful than any natural cave.

Reon Argondian was born in Prague 1948, and under the communist he was not allowed to become artist, so he learned potter. In 1968, he organized an internship at Ceramica C. Morelli in Bellaria (Rimini), Italy. At that time this was possible, but a few days later Russian tanks ended the Prague Spring of Alexander Dubček. After some studying and first exhibitions, he settles in the Forest of Quenecan in Brittany between 1971 and 1995. After the end of the Cold War he returns to his hometown where he continues work on his fantasy paintings and finally open his home and gallery to the public in 2005.

The house is the home of the artist. It is located on Petřín, a small hill in Prague, which is covered by forest. Some say it's outside Prague, but actually it's in the middle of the city, only 500 m from the Moldova river. The park has a popular viewing platform which is a copy of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and it is home to the Štefánik observatory. The mill is in the middle of the park, so you may walk uphill from the river, or use the funicular to the Nebozízek station.