Gems from a collection on the UNESCO World Heritage List
The museum’s grandest pieces are the Praga automobiles from Emil Příhoda’s collection. Mr Praga – Emil Příhoda’s nickname – started collecting vehicles in 1957, and today, his collection of over 90 examples is preserved on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Almost half of the collection – 40 vehicles – are on display here in Pilsen. Alongside the four president’s cars, you’ll also discover an ambulance from the TV show Sestřičky (Nurses) and vehicles from the films Divided We Fall and Cutting It Short (Musíme si pomáhat, Postřižiny).
Diabolical motorcycles
The museum also features an enormous collection of motorcycles from Petr Hošťálek. Some interesting pieces include a Chinese military bike complete with a sidecar and several surviving Hurikans. With their advances in technology, these motorcycles made during WWII surpassed the bikes of their day by multiple generations. Another eye-catcher is the devilish motorcycle Vincent HRD, nicknamed the Widowmaker. This was the first production motorcycle to reach 200 km/h, and it carries the reputation of being the most dangerous motorcycle ever made.
The bicycles of champions
Another section of the museum holds a collection of historic bikes from Stanislav Cink. Here you’ll see the bike used by Jan Řehula to train for the Sydney Olympics, where he won a bronze medal. The bike that carried Roman Kreuziger to the UCI Road World Championships title makes for another unique display piece.
Exposition dedicated to the liberation of Pilsen
Part of the exposition is dedicated to the liberation of Pilsen. Here you’ll see historical vehicles from the American army, which are still drivable to this day, as well as clothing from the year 1945. There’s also a replica of the grandstand used during the military parade on Republic Square during the city’s liberation by the American army. You’ll also see a bust of General Patton, under whose leadership Pilsen was liberated. The Allies’ journey from landing in Normandy, through the Battle of the Bulge, and all the way to western Czech Republic is mapped out in the Patton Memorial Museum in Pilsen.
When are museum tours held?
Tours of the Depo Moto Art museum on the industrial grounds of DEPO2015 are held every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Tours must be booked in advance and tickets can be purchased on the website GoOut. The tour length is max. 75 minutes and has a limited capacity of 40 visitors. The museum space is not heated, so we recommend dressing accordingly.
