The National Technical Museum Expands to Plasy, Vyšší Brod, and Chomutov

Last year, the Centre for Architectural Heritage in Plasy marked a significant achievement by celebrating ten years since its permanent exhibition opened. For this year’s eleventh season, the NTM has arranged enriched and expanded exhibitions as well as new displays. One notable exhibition focuses on traditional crafts and builds on the topic from the CSD’s permanent exhibition called Heating – the heart of the home. This particular exhibition, named Heating – the evolution of heating systems, explores the changes in heating methods in the Czech regions. It ranges from simple open fires used in homes to modern heating solutions like stoves, cookers, and central heating systems. With the help of items collected from the National Technical Museum and the Museum and Gallery of Northern Plzeň Region in Mariánská Týnice—dating back to the 19th and 20th centuries—visitors can dive into the fascinating history of this everyday subject through various interesting sections.

Another exciting new exhibition titled Two Centuries of Engineering Art showcases the exceptional achievements of Czech engineers and the valuable historical pieces from the NTM’s architectural collection. Though some of these pieces are already part of the central permanent exhibition, the new display emphasizes the transformation “from foundations to roof.” While the new exhibition showcases items that may lack roofs—and many even lack foundations—they represent the pinnacle of “high-tech” architectural art. This includes various fascinating pieces, such as a detailed model of a section of the weir at Miřejovice from 1908 and a model of a tunnel-boring machine used for building the Ejpovice railway tunnels, which is a whole 106 years newer.

To the trains in Chomutov

This summer, the NTM Chomutov Railway Depot will showcase not onlyunique exhibits from the railway collection but also spotlight the efforts of museum staff whose primary goal is to preserve technical heritage for future generations. The NTM railway collection is recognized as the largest state railway collection in the Czech Republic. This season, railway history enthusiasts can also look forward to taking rides on historic museum trains. The next excursion featuring the NTM’s historic steam train is planned for Saturday, 16 May, taking passengers from Prague to Brandýs nad Labem for the ‘Audience with Emperor Charles’ event.
During the Railway Depot’s seasonal opening, visitors can explore most of the National Technical Museum’s railway collection, which is noted as the largest public collection of rail vehicles in the Czech Republic. Traditionally, visitors are especially drawn to steam locomotives, such as the remarkable express steam locomotive “Albatros” 498.106, which set a speed record for steam engines while with the Czechoslovak State Railways in August 1964. Also noteworthy are the majestic first post-war locomotive 534.0301, which was delivered by Škoda Works on 22 December 1945, and the historic tram steam locomotive “Gartenau”, crafted in Linz in the year 1887. Visitors can see a variety of diesel and electric locomotives, salon cars, passenger cars, and even historic handcars.

Postal Museum in Vyšší Brod

The recently opened NTM branch in Vyšší Brod is situated within the grounds of a beautiful Cistercian monastery. In the spacious exhibition halls, visitors can explore the History of the Postal Service and discover how postal services have evolved over the years. The exhibition showcases the history of postal transport using a fascinating collection of carriages, carts, and sleighs, along with the exhibition Stamps from Around the World. Younger visitors will find both educational and enjoyable activities at the Children’s Postal Playground. The Postal Museum officially became part of the National Technical Museum due to a government decision made on 1 January this year. Furthermore, the branch in Vyšší Brod will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. The Postal Museum located in Prague, at Vávrov Mill, will also unveil a new exhibition starting Wednesday, 3 June.