The Municipal House is the Art Nouveau jewel of Prague. There are 700 rooms, 40,000 works of art and 5,000 chandeliers. It was built in 1905-1912 in an opulent style inspired by France, and Alfons Mucha also contributed to the beautiful decoration. Yet this Art Nouveau gem also hides the oldest bar in Prague and the second oldest in Europe. Even today, you can admire the flawless art of mixology on the black marble countertop. Indulge in the sumptuous menu, desserts and cocktails that have been served here for a hundred years. With this building, the Czech-speaking people of Prague distanced themselves from the former Austro-Hungarian Empire and embraced the American ideals of freedom, democracy and equality. This was explicitly announced by the American Bar in the basement of the building, one of the oldest in Europe. One could taste the latest American novelty, the cocktail, and women were allowed to visit with no male escort without tarnishing their reputation. There was no other such establishment in Prague at that time. The right wing of the ground floor of the Municipal House still houses a gourmet restaurant where you can sample dishes from an original First Republic menu. On the left is a lavish café with cakes for which the Municipal House is famous, such as the cheesecake symphony with peach or the walnut cake. The American Bar is located in the basement of the building. It is the oldest bar in Prague and the second oldest bar in Europe. Six American flags flutter above the beverage shelves. What kinds of cocktails were served here? In the summer heat, the “Prince of Wales” cocktail was recommended, made of crushed ice, champagne, a drop of cognac and a slice of lemon. Ladies were offered the “Prince of Monaco” cocktail, which had the same ingredients with an extra drop of red wine. The interior of the American Bar is still black in the lower half, as per the Chicago style of the early 20th century. The bar counter with stools, leather armchairs and tables match the black-tiled walls, which feature paintings by Czech national artist Mikoláš Aleš. At the time of its construction, the Municipal House was already unique in terms of technology. It was air-conditioned by a unique mechanism with water drawn directly from two deep wells. It had, for instance, refrigerated cellars, ice makers, pipe mail and even environment-friendly utility water supply in addition to the drinking water supply. This solution still arouses considerable admiration today. The Municipal House has been written into the history of the Czech Republic twice. The first time, when the independent Czechoslovak Republic was proclaimed from the balcony above the entrance on 28 October 1918. The second time in November 1989, during the fall of the Iron Curtain, when representatives of the communist government met here with Václav Havel.