BRNO CITY TOUR

ESN MUNI Brno - Orientation Week Spring 2019

Drahí Tour Guides,

tento dokument je taký zlepenec pár odstavcov o histórii nášho Brníčka a miestach v centre.
Samozrejme nechcem, aby ste chodili po meste s papierom a čítali ovečkám z neho slovo od slova, je to
skôr na inšpiráciu, čo všetko sa dá spomenúť.

V každom prípade by som najviac chcela, aby ste si predstavili, že prichádzate do Brna vy – čo by
ste chceli, aby vám super cool ľudia z ESN povedali? Kde je najlepší kebab? Kde si dobijem SIMku? Ktorá
večierka je otvorená do noci? Pokojne to urobte osobné! Ocenia to všetci 😊

EN: Dear Tour Guides,

this document is a put-together-something about the history of some of the places in the city
center of Brno. Of course, I do not want you to walk around reading this from the paper, I just put it
here to show you that you can also include a few facts from history, like an inspiration.

In any case, what I wish now is you to imagine that you come to Brno – what would you want
these super cool people from ESN to tell you? Where is the best kebab? Where can I top up my SIM?
Which store is open until late hours? Make it personal! Everyone will appreciate 😊

CAPUCHIN SQUARE

This relatively small square in the historic center of the city offers one of the best views of the
towers of Cathedral of St Peter and Paul. It is also possible to see the balconies of Biskupský dvůr (the
Bishop’s Courtyard) and a group sculpture that was part of the Mercury fountain created in the 1690s by
Ignác Jan Bendl. A terraced facade and Baroque sculptures mark Kostel Nalezení sv. Kříže (the Church of
the Discovery of the Holy Cross), which is a part of the monastery. The area beneath the square holds
one of the most famous sights in Brno – a Baroque Capuchin crypt, built by architect Mořic Grimm, in
which members of the Capuchin Order, benefactors of the Order, and other prominent people were
buried. The last bodies were buried here around 1780. Counts of Sinzendorf, former owners of Veveří
Castle, and Baron Trenck, the infamous leader of paramilitary troops of pandurs, are among those who
were laid to rest here. The system of ventilation holes in the pillars of the church, the fresh air flowing
from it, and a suitable composition of soil served to naturally mummify the corpses.

The roof of a building on the corner of Masarykova Street and Capuchin Square features a
remarkable sculpture of three crowing roosters. It is a reminder of the pub called U Tří kohoutů (The
Three Roosters) that was on this site at the end of the 18th century.
CATHEDRAL OF ST PETER AND PAUL

The cathedral – nicknamed Petrov, like the hill – dates back to the 11th and 12th centuries,
when a Romanesque chapel was built on the top of a hill. At the end of the 12th century, a small church
with an apse and a crypt was built there, and in the 13th century it was expanded into a Romanesque
basilica, the remains of which were discovered during an archaeological study of the cathedral at the
end of the 20th century; the site is now open to the public. The church was then rebuilt in the early
Gothic style and made a provost church and a collegiate chapter. The artist behind the 18th-century
Baroque interior was architect Mořic Grimm. The current main altar was created at the end of the 19th
century. The ‘Kapistránka’ pulpit located on the left side of the hall is a remarkable piece of art; it is
named after the Franciscan friar St John of Capistrano, who preached in Brno in the second half of 1451.
The bells on the cathedral towers ring at 11 am instead of at noon in remembrance of a legendary trick
that Jean-Louis Raduit de Souches played on the Swedish army as it lay siege to Brno. As the story goes,
Swedish general Torstenson claimed he would abandon the siege if his army failed to conquer the city
before the bells started to ring at noon. For this reason, de Souches decided to have the bells ring one
hour earlier.

DENIS GARDENS

The terrace at the top of the Denis Gardens offers a view spanning from Spilberk Castle to the
north-west, across Staré Brno (Old Brno) to the Brno Trade Hall located in the south-west, and south to
administrative buildings including the AZ Tower skyscraper. When the weather is good, you can even see
Pálava Hill almost 40 km to the south. This city park stretches between the city centre and Husova Street
across the slopes of Petrov Hill. Originally called Františkov, the park was renamed in 1919 as a tribute to
the French historian Ernest Denis, who contributed to the establishment of Czechoslovakia. The park
features a colonnade with a fountain and an 1818 obelisk to commemorate the end of the Napoleonic
Wars. In the 1960s, the park was a highly frequented place thanks to a café with a dance floor on the
terrace. The park’s current appearance is the result of an extensive renovation, completed in 2003. On
the south-eastern side of the gardens, there is a cross to commemorate Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to
Brno in 2009.

ŠPILBERK CASTLE

Špilberk Castle was established in the 13th century by Přemysl Otakar II to protect both the
Czech lands and the town of Brno. An occasional residence of Moravian margraves, the castle became a
huge military fortress in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1783, as decreed by Emperor Joseph II, it was
transformed into a jail for serious criminals and soon also for political prisoners from countries
throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Špilberk was known as the harshest jail in Europe. Its famous
prisoners included Italian Carbonari, notably poet Silvio Pellico, and Václav Babinský, the famous Czech
bandit.
 After 1855, the castle served as military barracks. During both world wars, the castle again
functioned as a jail, as first opponents of the Austrian regime and later Czech patriots during the Nazi
occupation were imprisoned there. In 1962, Špilberk was added to the National Cultural Heritage list.

The castle walls offer an amazing view of Brno. The castle also serves as a cultural centre,
housing Muzeum města Brna (the Brno City Museum). Concerts, theatrical performances, and festivals
are often held there.

The castle’s large interior courtyard holds a fifteen-bell carillon, a lookout in the corner tower,
and the Baroque Holy Trinity chapel.

The Špilberk casemates are a popular place for tourists. Their vaulted passages are rich with
romantic as well as terrifying legends.

DOMINICAN SQUARE

Around 1228, Margrave Přemysl of Moravia donated the small Kostel sv. Michala (Church of St
Michael) and its surroundings to the Dominican Order so its members could build a monastery there.
The Moravian Assembly later held sessions there. In the 17th century, the church was seriously
damaged by the Swedish army. Its current Baroque form is the work of the local architect Jan Křtitel
Erna. The church was consecrated in 1679. Inside, attention is mainly drawn to its beautiful pulpit,
designed by Josef Winterhalder in 1747. The Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, modelled on the chapel
located inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, is located on the exterior south wall of the
church. The church is open to the public only when services are being held. There are ten Baroque
statues on its terrace.

Nová radnice (the New Town Hall) occupies the western part of the square. The former
Stavovský or Zemský dům (the House of the Estates or Municipal House) originally served the needs of
the Moravian administration. The municipal authority moved in in 1935. The site was declared a cultural
monument in 1958. Today, it is the seat of the Brno municipal government.

Through an entrance in nearby Panenská Street, visitors can enter the remarkable
Mincmistrovský sklep (Mint Master’s Cellar), which is situated under the square.

The current name of the square originated in the second half of the 19th century; previously it
was called Rybí trh (the Fish Market). In the 20th century, its name changed two more times: first to
Radniční náměstí (Town Hall Square) and then to náměstí Družby národů (Association of Nations
Square). It regained the name Dominican Square in 1990.

FREEDOM SQUARE

The triangular shape of the square, nicknamed Svoboďák, was determined by ancient trade
routes and by a stream (more precisely, a city sewer). This place, which was once called Dolní trh and
then Velké náměstí (Lower Market and Big Square), was first mentioned in records from the 13th
century.

Today it is surrounded by several remarkable buildings. One is the Renaissance Dům pánů z Lipé
(House of the Lords of Lipá), with mythological and biblical scenes and grapevine ornamentation gracing
its facade. Kleinův palác (Klein Palace) is a Renaissance Revival building with big cast-iron oriel windows
that reference the main trade of the Klein family, which once owned ironworks in Sobotín. Dům U Čtyř
mamlasů (House of Four Giants), with four giants carrying its weight, is another remarkable building,
built in 1902 and designed by Alois Prastorfer and Germano Wanderley. The functionalist facade of the
Komerční bank by architect Bohuslav Fuchs, which caused quite a stir at the time, is also worthy of
mention. Similar controversial reactions were caused by the shining facade of the Omega Palace from
2006 by the architects Tomáš Pilař and Ladislav Kuba.

Four sculptural installations are located in the square, very different in terms of the time of their
origin, design, and subject. The early Baroque plague column from 1689 is a reminder of plague
outbreaks in Brno. The circular grids of the two bronze fountains feature lines by local poet Jan Skácel.
The most controversial installation is the monument made of black granite: a clock from which small
marbles fall out every day at 11 a.m. A discrete line on the paving outlines the foundations of the
removed Church of St Nicholas.

MORAVIAN SQUARE

This square, sometimes called Moravák, encompasses both the area in front of Jan Křtitel Erna’s
Baroque Kostel sv. Tomáše (Church of St Thomas) and a park awaiting renovations. These two parts are
divided by a busy road with tram rails. The area in front of the church, with an adjacent Augustinian
monastery called Místodržitelský palác (the Governor’s Palace) that currently houses Moravská galerie v
Brně (the Moravian Gallery in Brno), features several interesting installations. The latest, and perhaps
the most controversial, addition to the square is an eight-metre equestrian statue of Jobst of
Luxembourg by sculptor Jaroslav Róna. Also called Courage, the statue offers a surprising and humorous
view when standing under the horse’s belly. The statue of Justice by Marius Kotrba in front of the
Supreme Administrative Court draws a lot of attention, too. It is a part of a concept based on the four
cardinal virtues by Plato which also features an oblong fountain standing for Temperance and a bronze
model of medieval Brno symbolising Prudence.

The park also consists of two parts, again separated by a road. The smaller eastern part is
dominated by a monumental memorial to the victory of the Red Army over fascism by Vincenc
Makovský. The bigger part of the park is today in a general state of neglect and is scheduled to be
repaired. From the end of the 19th century till the end of World War II, a building called the German
House was located there. After the war, the square was transformed and a pentagonal fountain was
built in its centre. Its tips were originally made of red asphalt, which was supposed to look like a star
from a bird’s-eye view.
JANÁČEK THEATRE

In the mid-1960s, this was the biggest and technologically best-equipped theatre building in
Czechoslovakia. Designed by architect Jan Víšek, this opera and ballet theatre featured all the necessary
artistic, social, and technical facilities. In addition to the stage and auditorium designed as an arena with
a circle of boxes above it, there are dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms, offices, workshops, and
warehouses, as well as a restaurant, a café, and a theatre club. The area in front of the theatre was
renovated in 2015 to serve as a relaxation area with a unique light fountain. The theatre is surrounded
by interesting sculptures, such as the group sculpture of the Mrštík brothers by Vincenc Makovský and
the statue of Leoš Janáček by Stanislav Hanzl.

Currently, the theatre is undergoing extensive renovations. The opera and ballet ensembles
have found temporary alternative venues, performing mainly in Mahenovo divadlo (the Mahen
Theatre). The renovated building of the Janáček Theatre, which seats almost 1,400 visitors, is set to
reopen in 2018.

ST JAMES SQUARE

On summer nights, this is one of the liveliest spots in Brno.

The square, often simply called Jakubák, serves as the centre of Brno’s social life, with its
pulsating, cosmopolitan atmosphere, enlivened by a number of gastropubs, restaurants, cafés, and bars
that attract both locals and visitors from all over the world. In summer, the area behind the church is
packed with people either standing or sitting on the pavement, and almost always enjoying a refreshing
beverage. Kostel sv. Jakuba (the Church of St James), with its 94-metre tower, is one of the most
valuable sites of the Late Gothic era in the Czech Republic. Its three naves, with majestic columns and
beautiful vaults, hold a number of Renaissance and Baroque tombstones of Brno citizens, including Jean-
Louis Raduit de Souches, who defended Brno during the Thirty Years’ War when it was besieged by the
Swedish army. Another architectural sight is the functionalist Kavárna Savoy (Savoy Café). From the
square, you can also enter the Brno Kostnice u sv. Jakub (the Ossuary at the Church of St James), the
second-biggest in Europe after the catacombs of Paris.

If you want to tell them a few urban legends, they are to be found here:

https://blog.foreigners.cz/brno-tales-and-legends/

https://barryaday.blog/2016/11/23/medieval-dragon-legend-and-brno-tradition/

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/brno-dragon