czech-slovak-rep-south-moravia.pdf
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South Moravia
You get the feeling South Moravia would be perfectly happy declaring its independence
from the Czech Republic. So strong and confident is the region’s ability and desire to keep
its culture alive that metamorphosis into a separate buffer state between Bohemia and
Slovakia would be a powerful way to reinforce a potent sense of identity.
The most overt demonstration of this robust identity comes during the summer festival
season, when communities from Telč to Moravské Slovácko dress up in traditional garb and
sing and dance their way to a profoundly authentic display of ‘living history’ – all the while
mellowed by wine from the local vineyards on the southern border with Austria. Since 1989,
Moravian wine has been improving with every vintage, and as a drawcard for travellers,
wine tourism now competes with the alluring World Heritage chateaux at nearby Lednice
and Valtice. Further west, the untainted Renaissance perfection of Telč is equally spectacular
and also demands your attention.
Nature steps up to the mark with the incredible cave systems of the Moravian karst
(Moravský kras) and the vertiginous clifftop locations of the chateaux at Pernštejn and Vranov,
two of the Czech Republic’s most spectacular castles.
Finally, there’s Brno, the cosmopolitan heart of the region, where communist-era Trabants
jostle with post-EU Audis amid an elegant display of galleries, museums and theatres. And
after the theatre, expect the busy chatter in the bars and cafés to be not about distant
Prague, but more often about what really matters in Moravia.
HIGHLIGHTS
Experience big-city life, Czech style, without
Prague’s tourist commotion, in cultured and
bustling
Brno
( p295 )
Explore the fascinating Jewish heritage of
picturesque
Mikulov
( p321 )
Be surprised by the fascinating functionalist
architecture of
Zlín
( p329 )
Soak up the unblemished Renaissance
perfection of the gorgeous town square in
Te lč
( p313 )
Lose yourself in the cinematic canvases of
Mucha’s sublime
Slav Epic
in quiet
Moravský Krumlov
( p310 )
Telà
Zlín
Brno
Moravský
Krumlov
Mikulov
294
SOUTH MORAVIA
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SOUTH MORAVIA •• Brno
295
BRNO
pop 385,000
With flashy Prague being the city at the top of
many travellers’ must-do list, Brno, just 210km
to the west, could be forgiven for developing
a slight inferiority complex. But in reality the
people of Brno are perfectly OK with their
city’s lot as the Czech Republic’s second city.
Despite having a population of less than
400,000, Brno behaves like the cosmopolitan
capital it is (ie of Moravia), and stately boul-
evards and parks give it an almost Parisian
air. This vaguely Gallic ambience is further
enhanced by a population with contagious
enthusiasm for caffeine, chat and culture,
which they energetically bring to life in the
city’s cafés and bars.
Brno has an after-dark reputation for keep-
ing its top button firmly done up, but spend
a few hours in a local pub and you’ll soon see
that traditional Moravian reserve melt away.
Maybe it’s because they don’t have to share
their old town with legions of tourists.
And even if Brno’s historical hub is small
change compared with the architectural
overachievement that is Prague, the city can
stand alone with an array of excellent galler-
ies and museums, a brooding castle fortress
and a robust confidence in the relevance and
importance of surrounding Moravia, comfort-
ably away from the sometimes myopic focus
of the national capital.
History
The present-day suburb of Líšeň was a Slav
fort, Staré Zámky, at the time of the Great
Moravian Empire. Around AD 1000 a settle-
ment was founded on the Svratka river, where
the suburb of Staré Brno now stands.
In the 11th century the Přemysl princesses
built a castle on Petrov hill. By the middle of the
13th century the town around it had acquired a
defensive wall. At this time another castle was
built on Špilberk hill. During the reign of John
of Luxembourg, Brno became an important
centre of arts and trade. In the late 1300s it be-
came Moravia’s capital for the first time. Most
of Brno’s monasteries date from that time.
This predominantly Catholic town sided
with King Sigismund in the Hussite Wars; the
Hussites twice tried to take it but failed. In the
mid-15th century Brno sided with an enemy
of the Czechs, Matthias Corvinus (Matyáš
Korvín). Later in the 16th century Brno turned
Protestant and joined the unsuccessful anti-
Hapsburg rebellion by the Czech Estates. In
the ensuing Thirty Years’ War, the town was
able to defend itself against the Swedes from
1643 to 1645.
Botanist Gregor Mendel (1822–84) estab-
lished the modern science of heredity through
his studies of peas and bees at the Augustinian
monastery in Brno.
After the Brno–Vienna railway was com-
pleted in 1839, Brno developed into a major
industrial centre. As the most important town
in the Czechoslovak state after Prague, it ac-
quired a university and, in the 1920s, some
major exhibition buildings. Brno is one of
Europe’s leading venues for trade fairs.
Orientation
The town is dominated by Špilberk castle, on
the hill of the same name; vying for attention
are the spires of the cathedral of SS Peter &
Paul on Petrov hill.
Brno’s main train station
(hlavní nádraží)
is just south of the town centre. Opposite the
station is the beginning of Masarykova, a main
pedestrian thoroughfare that leads north to
triangular náměstí Svobody, the centre of
town. The bus station
(autobusové nádraží)
is
800m south of the train station, via the Galerie
Vankovka (Map p298) shopping centre and
Tesco department store.
Brno’s Tuřany airport is 7.5km southeast
of the train station.
MAPS
SHOCart’s GeoClub 1:15,000
Brno plán města
is recommended.
Information
BOOKSHOPS
Geokart
(Map p298;
%
542 216 561; Vachova 8) Stocks
maps and travel guides.
Knihkupectví Literární Kavárna
(Map p298;
%
542
217 954; náměstí Svobody 13) Has English-language titles.
CULTURAL CENTRES
British Council
(Map p298;
%
545 210 174; www
.britishcouncil.cz; Solnični 12) UK newspapers are available.
EMERGENCY
Tourist Police Station
(Map p298 ;
%
974 626 100;
Bartošová 1)
INTERNET ACCESS
Internet Centrum
(Map p298; 1st fl, Masarykova 22-24;
per hr 45Kč;
h
8am-midnight)
296
SOUTH MORAVIA •• Brno
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SOUTH MORAVIA •• Brno
297
BRNO
0
1 km
0
0.5 miles
Laundromat@Bar Pod Balony
(Map p298;
%
736
277 570; Hybešova 45; per hr 50Kč;
h
10am-1pm Mon-
Fri, 2pm-1am Sat, 2-11pm Sun)
surrounded by the streets Cejl, Francouzská,
Příkop and Ponávka – that can be dangerous,
especially at night.
Sights & Activities
CITY CENTRE
From the main train station, Masarykova leads
to Kapucínské náměstí. At No 5 is the
church of
the Holy Cross
(kostel sv Kříže, Map p298) and
the adjoining and gruesomely compelling
Capuchin monastery
(Kapucínský klášter).
The monastery’s ghoulish attraction is a
dry, well-ventilated
crypt
(krypta; adult/concession
40/20Kč, English text additional 40Kč;
h
9am-noon & 2-
4.30pm Tue-Sat, 11-11.45am & 2-4.30pm Sun, closed Dec &
Jan)
with the natural ability to turn dead bodies
into mummies.
Up to 150 cadavers were deposited here
prior to 1784, and the desiccated corpses in-
clude 18th-century monks, abbots and local
notables, from a nameless 12-year-old min-
istrant to hard-working chimney sweeper
Barnabas Orelli, still wearing his boots. In
a glass-topped coffin in a separate room is
Baron von Trenck – soldier, adventurer, gam-
bler and womaniser – who bequeathed loads
of cash to the monastery. At least he got his
own room!
A
B
C
D
K n í n i à k y
11
S a d o v á
To Obora Camping (2km)
LAUNDRY
Laundromat@Bar Pod Balony
(Map p298;
%
736
277 570; Hybešova 45;
h
10am-1pm Mon-Fri, 2pm-1am
Sat, 2-11pm Sun) Self-service washers and dryers, a bar
and internet access. Charges 70Kč per load.
L e s n á
1
9
K r á l o v o
P o l e
À e r n á
LEFT LUGGAGE
Train station
(Map p298; per day 26Kč,
h
closed
11pm-4am) Located on the ground floor.
Bus station
(Map p297;
h
5.15am-10.15pm Mon-Fri,
from 6am Sat & Sun)
P o l e
¤ a b o v å e s k y
P o n a v a
18
H u s o v i c e
17
J u n d r o v
2
16
10
8
15
13
2
MEDIA
Metropolis
A free fortnightly events magazine (in Czech)
featuring cinema, theatre and club listings.
K o h o u t o v i c e
V e v e å í
Z á b r d o v i c e
To Auto Motodrom
19
Brno CZ (6km)
S t r á n i c e
MEDICAL SERVICES
Lékárna Koliště
(Map p298;
%
545 424 811; Koliště
47) Twenty-four-hour pharmacy.
Úrazová hospital
(nemocnice; Map p298;
%
545 538
111; Ponávka 6)
4
1
INFORMATION
14
3
Penzion Na Starém Brnê........(see 6)
3
Pek
aås
Russian Consulate General.......
1
B3
Pisárky
6
Tourist Information Office.....(see 6)
See Central Brno Map
12
5
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
7
Botanical Gardens....................
2
C2
T r n i t á
To Airport
(5km)
Velodrom
Brewery...................................
3
C3
20
MONEY
KB bank
(Map p298; cnr Kozí & Kobližná); branch
(Map
p298 ; náměstí Svobody 21) Exchange and ATM services.
À e r n o v i c e
Church of the Assumption of the
N o v ý
Virgin..................................
4
C3
EATING
L í s k o v e c
Exhibition Grounds...................
5
B3
Haribol...................................
15
C2
K o m á r o v
Mendelianum..........................
6
C3
Mitrov Summer Palace.............
7
B3
DRINKING
Cabbage Market & Surrounding Area
Opposite the monastery a lane leads into the
sloping square of
Zelný trh
(Cabbage market,
Map p298), the heart of the old town and
where live carp were sold from the baroque
Parnassus fountain
(1695) at Christmas. The
fountain is a symbolic cave encrusted with
allegorical figures. Hercules restrains three-
headed Cerberus, watchdog of the under-
world, and the three female figures represent
the ancient empires of Babylon (crown), Persia
(cornucopia) and Greece (quiver of arrows).
The triumphant woman on top (arrogantly)
symbolises Europe. The square has been the
best place in town to buy fruit and vegies since
the 13th century, and smart shoppers still
flock to it. However, the fountain’s grotesque
design remains an acquired taste.
On the southeast (uphill) side of the
square is the former
Ditrichstein palace
(Ditrichštejnský palác), which now houses
the
Moravian museum
(Moravské zemské muzeum;
Map p298
%
542 321 205; Zelný trh 8; adult/concession
36/18Kč;
h
9am-5pm Tue-Sat)
. Exhibits straddle
the intellectual gulf between extinct life and
the medieval village.
Planetarium..............................
8
B2
Alterna..................................
16
C2
Š t ý å i c e
POST
Post office
Main (Map p298; Poštovská 3/5; 1 block east
of the main square); branch (Map p298; Nádražní; by the
train station;
h
24hr)
Technical Museum...................
9
B1
Mersey Music Club................
17
B2
Villa Tugendhat.....................
10
C2
Stará Pekárna ........................
18
C2
4
Zoo........................................
11
A1
ENTERTAINMENT
S t a r ý
SLEEPING
Radost Puppet Theatre..........
19
D3
B o h u n i c e
L í s k o v e c
Hotel Omega.........................
12
C3
H o r n í
Park Hotel..............................
13
A2
TRANSPORT
H e r š p i c e
Pension BVV..........................
14
B3
Main Bus Station....................
20
C3
TOURIST INFORMATION
Tourist Information Office
(Kulturní a Informační
Centrum – KIC; Map p298;
%
542 211 090; www.ticbrno
.cz; Old town hall, Radnická 8;
h
8am-6pm Mon-Fri,
9am-5.30pm Sat & Sun Apr-Sep; to 5pm Sat, to 3pm Sun
Oct-Mar); branch (Map p298; opposite the train station;
%
542 221 450; Nádrazvní 6;
h
9am-6pm Mon-Fri)
Sells maps and books accommodation.
In a courtyard on the right of the Mora-
vian museum is the
Biskupský yard museum
(Map
p298 ;
%
542 321 205; Muzejní 1; adult/concession 30/15Kč;
h
9am-5pm Tue-Sat)
, with the largest freshwater
aquarium in the country, plenty on Mora-
vian wildlife, lots of model mushrooms and a
sleepy section on the history of money. How’s
that for a diverse series of exhibitions?
In 1767 Mozart, aged 11, performed at the
Reduta theatre
(Reduta divadlo; Map p298; Zelný trh 4)
on
the square’s eastern side. Following sparkling
restoration, the theatre reopened in 2005.
Map p298 ). Ascend its
tower
(věž; adult/concession
35/30Kč;
h
10am-5pm Tue-Sun)
for great views of
Brno, or descend into its forlorn
crypt
(krypta;
adult/concession 15/10Kč;
h
same as tower)
.
The 14th-century cathedral was originally
built on the site of a pagan temple to Venus
and has been reconstructed many times since.
The highly decorated 11m-high main altar
with figures of SS Peter and Paul was carved
by Viennese sculptor Josef Leimer in 1891. The
Renaissance
Bishop’s palace
(Biskupská palác,
closed to the public) adjoins the cathedral. To
the left is the pleasant
Denisovy Sady
park, which
sweeps in a verdant arc around Petrov hill.
TRAVEL AGENCIES
Čedok
(Map p298;
%
542 321 267; Nádražní 10/12)
České dráhy
(Map p298;
%
542 221 507) In the main
train station; also sells bus tickets to Western Europe.
GTS International
(Map p298;
%
542 221 996; gts
.brno@gtsint.cz; Vachova 4) This youth travel agency sells
international air, bus and train tickets.
Petrov Hill & Cathedral of
SS Peter & Paul
From the top of Zelný trh, Petrská climbs
Petrov hill, site of the gargantuan cathedral
of SS Peter & Paul (katedrála sv Petra a Pavla,
Dangers & Annoyances
Several cases of pickpocketing are reported
daily. There’s an area just east of the centre –
Old Town Hall & Around
From the downhill end of Biskupská,
Starobrněnská turns right to the
former site of
298
SOUTH MORAVIA •• Central Brno
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SOUTH MORAVIA •• Brno
299
INFORMATION
Former Brewery....................................
27
B5
Saibady..............................................(see 44)
CENTRAL BRNO
0
200 m
Àedok....................................................
1
2
4
5
C6
Former Dominican Monastery...............
28
B5
B4
A2
A4
Spolek..................................................
54
55
56
C5
C1
B5
0
0.1 miles
British Council........................................
A3
C4
C5
House of the Four Mamlases................
29
U Staryho Billa......................................
A
B
C
D
Geokart..................................................
3
C4
Hudy Sport...........................................
30
C5
Špaliàek................................................
To Haribol
(100m)
GTS International...................................
Internet Centrum....................................
Leoš Janáàek Memorial Museum..........
31
32
Meeting House....................................
DRINKING
62
KB Bank.................................................
6
C4
Mênín Gate..........................................
33
C4
B3
Àernohorský Sklep................................
57
59
B4
KB Bank..................................................
7
B4
Minorite Monastery...........................(see 18)
Klub 7..................................................
58
C4
B4
Knihkupectví Literární Kavárna...............
8
B4
Místodr¢itelský Palace..........................
34
Livingstone...........................................
1
Laundromat@Bar Pod Balony.................
9
10
A6
Moravian Gallery................................(see 39)
Tyršûv
Lékárna Kolištê.....................................
D3
Moravian Gallery................................(see 34)
ENTERTAINMENT
Sad
44
13
Tourist Information Office....................
11
B5
Moravian Museum...............................
35
B5
Brno State Philharmonic Orchestra.....(see 32)
Tourist Information Office....................
12
14
C5
New Town Hall.....................................
36
B5
City Theatre..........................................
60
B2
To Obora
Camping
Tourist Police Station............................
13
C1
D3
Old Town Hall....................................(see 12)
Janáàek Theatre...................................
61
C3
(10km)
Úrazová Hospital..................................
Palác Åíkovský z Dobràic......................
37
B4
Kino Art................................................
62
A1
55
Parnassus Fountain...............................
38
39
B5
A4
Mahen's Theatre..................................
63
64
D4
B5
To Villa
60
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Pra¢ákûv Palace...................................
Palace Cinemas.....................................
31
Tugendhat
(600m)
Applied Arts Museum..........................
15
A4
Red Church..........................................
40
A3
Reduta Theatre.....................................
65
C5
Archaeological Museum.....................(see 33)
Schrattenbachûv Palác.........................
41
C4
A4
Scala.....................................................
66
67
B3
C3
Augustinian Monastery......................(see 22)
Špilberk Castle......................................
42
Theatre Booking Office........................
Biskupský Yard Museum.....................(see 35)
Brno City Museum.............................(see 42)
SLEEPING
SHOPPING
2
45
Capuchin Monastery..........................(see 23)
Hote & Pivnice Pegas............................
43
B4
Galerie Vankovka.................................
68
D6
Cathedral of SS Peter & Paul.................
16
B6
B3
Hotel Amphone....................................
44
C1
Tesco Department Store......................
69
D6
Church of St James...............................
17
Hotel Continental.................................
45
A2
Church of St John.................................
18
C4
Hotel International...............................
46
A4
TRANSPORT
Church of St Joseph.............................
Church of St Mary Magdalene.............
19
C5
Hotel Pod Špilberkem...........................
47
A5
Àeská Tram Stop..................................
ÀSA Office...........................................
70
A3
20
C5
Hotel Royal Ricc....................................
48
B5
71
C5
Church of St Michael............................
21
B5
Traveller's Hostel..................................
49
C4
Avis....................................................(see 46)
Church of St Thomas............................
22
23
25
B3
Bus Station of Tourbus & Student
Church of the Holy Cross.....................
C5
EATING
Agency............................................
72
74
75
D5
D5
B4
Sady
Osvobození
Moravské
70
City Art Gallery....................................
24
D4
Àhajovna..............................................
50
B5
Ceské Dráhy Travel Agency.................
73
D6
nám
To Radost Puppet
Cubist House........................................
A5
Bambus................................................
51
C4
B3
DPMB..................................................
Theatre (100m)
Ditrichstein Palace..............................(see 35)
Pizza okNo............................................
52
Taxi Rank.............................................
Ethnographic Museum..........................
26
B4
Rebio...................................................
53
C4
61
22
14
3
Moravské
34
nám
40
the brewery
(Map p298), now reinstalled to the
delight of local drinkers in bigger and better
premises at the
current site of the brewery
(Map
p297) near Mendlovo náměstí.
From Starobrněnská, Mečova runs left to
abut the back wall of the
Old town hall
(Stará
radnice; Map p298;
h
9am-5pm).
At Mečova 5, about
5m up the wall, is what looks like the
face of
a man
. The well-lubricated urban legend goes
that a Brno councillor who plotted with the
Hussites to surrender the town in 1424 was
overheard by Borro, Emperor Sigismund’s
court clown, while a prisoner of the Hussites.
Borro escaped and told the story, and the
councillor was sealed alive in the wall.
The original, early-13th-century building,
which became the town hall in 1343, has been
incorporated into today’s structure. A peculiar
sight by the entrance on Radnická is a Gothic
portal with a crooked middle turret, made by
Anton Pilgram in 1510. According to legend,
he was not paid the agreed amount by the
council and, in revenge, left the turret (above
the statue of Righteousness) crooked.
The town hall
tower
(adult/concession 20/10Kč;
h
9am-5pm)
, raised by 5m during repairs in
1905 so as not to disappear among the newly
built houses around it, offers magnificent
views. For another 30Kč you can also see the
town hall’s interior, including the
Crystal hall
,
Fresco hall
and
Treasury
.
The building is full of oddities. Hanging
from the ceiling at the entrance is the corpse
of a legendary
Brno
dragon
that terrorised
the city’s waterways. It is, in fact, an Ama-
zon River crocodile, donated by Archprince
Matyáš in 1608. Note also the
Brno wheel
,
made by an enterprising cartwright from
Lednice. In 1636 he bet a mate he could fell a
tree, build a wheel and roll it 50km to Brno –
all before dusk. He was successful, and the
hastily made and quickly rolled wheel has
been on display ever since. Unfortunately,
someone started the dodgy rumour that the
cartwright had received diabolic assistance,
and he died penniless when his customers
went elsewhere.
52
66
10
2
Komenského
Jakubské
nám
nám
67
17
24
32
43
63
75
3
57
26
6
4
39
51
Kobli¢ná
4
nám
41
46
Svobody
37
7
29
49
58
42
8
18
15
33
Dominikánské
nám
59
53
50
30
36
74
21
54
72
19
64
28
11
56
48
5
Minorite Monastery & Around
To the east of the main shopping street, Ma-
sarykova, is a brace of churches. The
church of
St Mary Magdalene
(kostel sv Máří Magdalény,
Map p298) on Františkánská stands on the
former site of a synagogue, and on Josefská
is the
church of St Joseph
(kostel sv Josefa, Map
p298), first consecrated in 1674.
Further north on Masarykova, Orlí leads to
the
Měnín gate
(Měninská brána, Map p298)
built around 1600 and now housing a small
archaeological museum
(
%
542 214 946; Měnínská 7;
adult/concession 25/15Kč;
h
9am-6pm Tue-Sun May-Sep,
to 5pm Oct-Apr)
.
47
Sta
rob
Zelný
25
trh
27
Pekaåská
20
38
65
5
To Mendel
35
71
Museum (600m);
Kapucínské
Penzion Na Starém
nám
12
23
Brnê (600m)
73
16
Anenská
1
Brno hlavní nádra¢í
(Main Train
Petrov hill
Station)
Denisovy
Sady
6
To Hotel
Omega (200m)
69
To Main Bus
9
Hybe
šova
Station (550m)
68
300
SOUTH MORAVIA •• Brno
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SOUTH MORAVIA •• Brno
301
15th-century
church of St James
(kostel sv Jakuba,
Map p298). It has a baroque pulpit with reliefs
of Christ dating from 1525. Also here is the
baroque tomb of the French Protestant Raduit
de Souches, who died leading the defence of
Brno in 1645. The church’s biggest drawcard
is a small stone figure known by its local nick-
name of ‘Nehaňba’ (‘The Shameless’). Look up
at the first-floor window on the south side of
the tower at the west end of the church; at its
top is the tiny stone figure of a man baring his
buttocks in the general direction of the cathe-
dral (you really need binoculars or a telephoto
lens to see him clearly). Local legend claims
this was a disgruntled mason’s parting shot
to his rivals working on Petrov hill.
are
three
branches of the Moravian gallery
(Moravská galerie) is surely it. Entry to all
three galleries is free on the first Friday of
the month.
Adjoining the church of St Thomas,
Místodržitelský palace
(Map p298 ;
%
532 169 130;
Moravské náměstí 1A; adult/concession 50/25Kč;
h
10am-
6pm Wed-Sun, 10am-7pm Thu)
hosts a variety of
changing exhibitions.
The second branch, the
Applied Arts museum
(Map p298 ; Uměleckoprůmyslové muzeum;
%
532 169 130;
Husova 14; adult/concession 50/25Kč;
h
10am-6pm Wed-
Sun, 10am-7pm Thu)
, focuses on the evolution of
arts and crafts from the Middle Ages to Art
Nouveau and also holds regular, temporary
exhibitions.
Up the road, the third branch is inside
Pražákův palace
(Map p298 ;
%
532 169 111; Husova 18;
adult/concession 80/40Kč;
h
10am-6pm Wed-Sun, 10am-
7pm Thu)
; it focuses on the Czech modernist
movement and 20th-century art.
vital when he ordered all monks to study there,
thus raising the educational standards of the
institution.)
There is also an exquisite
baroque pharmacy
(adult/concession 20/10Kč;
h
9am-6pm Tue-Sun May-Sep)
dating from the mid-18th century. For great
views climb the
lookout
tower
(adult/concession
20/10Kč)
and admire the rather impressive
chime
(in the second courtyard), which mu-
sically sees in the hour from 10am to 6pm.
Discounted
combination tickets
(adult/concession
120/60Kč)
for the
kasematy,
lookout tower and
exhibitions are also available.
The castle is approachable only on foot, up
the hill through the quiet gardens.
Below the hill, on the corner of Pellicova,
there is a 1914
cubist house
(Map p298) by
František Uherka. From Šilingrovo náměstí,
Dominikánská runs north to a
former Dominican
monastery
(Dominikánský klášter, Map p298).
AHEAD OF THEIR TIME
The bells of the cathedral of SS Peter & Paul
disconcertingly ring noon an hour early, at
11am. Legend has it that when the Swedish
laid siege to the city in 1645, their com-
mander, General Torstenson, who had been
frustrated by Brno’s defences for more than
a week, decided to launch a final attack,
with one caveat: if his troops could not pre-
vail by noon, he would throw in his hand.
By 11am the Swedes were making head-
way, but the cathedral’s tower-keeper had
the inspired idea to ring noon early. The
bells struck 12, the Swedes withdrew and
the city was saved.
Dominikánské Náměstí & Around
From náměstí Svobody, Zámečnická leads
west to Dominikánské náměstí, a humble
square dominated by the
church of St Michael
(kostel sv Michala, Map p298), which has an
interesting, ornate main altar (1759) by Josef
Winterhalter and a massive pair of cupola-
topped towers.
Also facing the square is the 16th-century
New town hall
(Nová radnice) with its impres-
sive frescoes.
On nearby Minoritská (off Orlí) is the
church of St John
(kostel sv Janů, Map p298)
and the Minorite monastery founded in 1230.
(The Minorites are the only order in Moravia
still in their original quarters.)
OUTSIDE THE OLD TOWN
Near Špilberk Castle
Over Špilberk hill from the old town, on the
corner of Úvoz and Pekařská, is the
church of
the Assumption of the Virgin
(kostel Nanebevzetí
Panny Marie, Map p298), Brno’s finest late-
Gothic building. Inside is the oldest painting
on wood in the Czech Republic, the 13th-
century
black Madonna
(černá Madona).
Around the corner at Mendlovo náměstí, in
part of the
abbey of St Thomas
, the
Mendelianum
(Map p297 ;
%
543 424 043; www.mendel-museum.org;
Mendlovo náměstí 1; adult/concession 80/40Kč;
h
10am-
6pm May-Oct, 10am-4pm Wed-Sun Nov-Apr)
is a museum
devoted to the father of modern genetics,
botanist Gregor Johann Mendel (1822–84),
who opened up new realms of possibility in
this area with his pioneering work on the
humble garden pea. He was a former abbot
of St Thomas. Mendel’s work went largely
unnoticed until after his death, when it was
discovered that he had identified the principle
of inheritance that governs how characteris-
tics are passed on through the generations. A
tour of the abbey costs 60Kč extra.
Take tram 1 from the train station to Mend-
lovo náměstí, and the museum is through a gate
into a garden, second door on your right.
ŠPILBERK CASTLE
Špilberk castle (Map p298) may lack fairy-tale
good looks, but it has been a crowning feature
of the city’s skyline for centuries. Founded in
the early 1200s, the castle was lived in by the
Czech kings before being transformed into a
military fortress in the 18th century. In this
form the castle became ‘home’ to enemies of
the Austro–Hungarian Empire. A multinational
band of rebels was incarcerated in the so-called
Prison of the Nations. The prison closed in
1853 but was reopened by the occupying Nazis
in WWII. Baron von Trenck (see Capuchin
monastery, p296) died here in 1749.
Some of Špilberk’s casemates
(kasematy),
the dark corridors beneath the bastions, are
now a
museum of prison life
(
%
542 123 614; adult/
concession 60/30Kč;
h
9am-6pm Jul & Aug, closed Mon Oct-
Jun, to 5pm Oct-Apr)
. The last entry to the museum
is 45 minutes before closing time.
The castle itself houses the
Brno city museum
(muzeum města Brna; Map p298 ;
%
542 123 611; www.spilberk
.cz; adult/concession 100/50Kč;
h
9am-6pm Tue-Sun May-Sep,
9am-5pm Tue-Sun Oct & Apr, 10am-5pm Wed-Sun Nov & Mar)
,
which hosts permanent exhibitions on the his-
tory of construction, Brno’s monuments and
architecture, plus a fine arts gallery. Especially
interesting is the section on the castle’s past as a
prison and the exquisite and colourful
Brno Law
Book
and Bibles
made for Arnošt of Pardubic (Ar-
nost of Pardubice), who was appointed the first
Archbishop of Prague in 1364. (In the early days
of Prague’s Charles University, his support was
Náměstí Svobody & Around
Heading north, Masarykova leads to Brno’s
elegant and spacious main square, náměstí
Svobody, the city’s bustling central hub. On
the eastern side of the square is the
house of the
four mamlases
(dům U čtyř mamlasů; Map p298; náměstí Svo-
body 10).
The façade is supported by a quartet of
extremely muscled but clearly moronic ‘Atlas’
figures, each struggling to hold up the building
and their loincloths at the same time. Created
by Germano Wanderley in 1928, the building
has provoked a longstanding and robust de-
bate over whether the statues aptly reflect the
elegant face of the Moravian capital.
Náměstí Svobody dates from the early 13th
century, when it was called Dolní trh (Lower
market). Its
plague column
dates from 1680. On
the corner of the square and Kobližná is the
palác Říkovský z Dobrčic
(Map p298), also known
as the house at the red ox (dům U rudého
vola). At Kobližná 4, the
Schrattenbachův palác
(Map p298) has a niche containing a 1637
statue of the Madonna.
Showcasing Moravia’s obsession with tradi-
tion, the
Ethnographic museum
(Etnografické muzeum;
Map p298 ;
%
542 422 361; Kobližná 1; adult/concession
30/15Kč;
h
9am-5pm Tue-Sat)
gives a comprehen-
sive insight into the region’s traditional cul-
ture from the 18th to 20th centuries.
North of the square, Běhounská leads to Ja-
kubské náměstí and the monumentally austere
Church of St Thomas & Around
The church of St Thomas (kostel sv Tomáše,
Map p298), with a soaring nave in the purest
Gothic style, abuts a 14th-century
Augustinian
monastery
that today houses a branch of the
Moravian gallery
( below ).
Along Joštova, past the neo-Renaissance
assembly
(zemská sněmovna), stands the
Evangelical Comenius church (kostel JA Ko-
menského), better known as the
Red church
(Červený kostel, Map p298) for its red-brick
exterior; it was built between 1862 and 1867
to a design by H Ferstel. On the corner of
Husova and Komenského náměstí is the
Meet-
ing house
(Besední dům, Map p298), one of the
best works of 19th-century Danish architect
Theofil Hansen and now home to the Brno
State Philharmonic Orchestra. The name of
the building comes from its role as a social
rendezvous point for locals, a tradition still
being maintained in the 21st century with the
assistance of text messaging.
North of the Centre
A short walk from the old town is the small
Leoš
Janáček memorial museum
(památník Leoše Janáčka; Map
p298 ;
%
542 212 811; Smetanova 14; adult/concession 20/10Kč;
h
1-4pm Wed, 9am-noon & 1-4pm Thu & Fri)
dedicated to
Moravian Gallery
If proof were needed that the people of Brno
were pathological art-lovers, the fact that there
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