Městské divadlo Karlovy Vary, Theatre building in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic

Městské divadlo Karlovy Vary is a pseudorococo theatre built in 1886 to plans by the Viennese architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer, seating 700. Its sandstone attic carries the sculptural group "Muses", and two gryphons holding the city's heraldic shield sit beside the entrance stair on the west facade.

The first theatre on this site was a brick Schauspielhaus funded by Dr. David Becher, whose foundation stone was laid on 15 July 1787 and which opened a year later with Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. It was demolished in August 1884, and the present building by Viennese architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer opened in May 1886, costing nearly 600,000 Austrian gulden for 700 seats.

The theatre's ceiling and painted curtain were made by the young Viennese painters Gustav Klimt and Franz Matsch, with four genre paintings on social pastimes: Dance, Celebration, Chess and Hunting. The fresco above the proscenium is by Gustav's younger brother Ernst Klimt.

The venue is centrally located and easily accessible by public transport from most areas of the city. Advance ticket reservations are recommended, particularly for popular productions, to secure a seat.

The ceiling paintings in the hall — Dance, Celebration, Chess and Hunting — and the painted curtain were made by the young Gustav Klimt and Franz Matsch, while the fresco above the forestage is by Klimt's younger brother Ernst. The sandstone Muses on the attic and two gryphons holding the city's heraldic shield flank the west entrance stair.