Culture of Brno. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Brno offers its guests to visit numerous attractions of the city. Here you will find many interesting and exciting excursion routes. Spielberg Castle is, without a doubt, an important historical object. The beautiful building made in the baroque style is located on a hill. Nowadays the beautiful castle hosts the exhibition of Historical Museum, which tells visitors about the most important events in the history of Brno. The past of the castle is rather grim and dark. Until 1858 it remained the main prison of the Austrian Empire. Here were languished freethinkers, who had been brought to the castle from many different countries.

Church of St. Peter and Paul is one more interesting destination of excursions. The first temple on the site of the modern church was built in the 12th century. Right after the opening a crypt was transported to the church. Nowadays the crypt is known as the main religious artifact of the church. The tower of the church is the location of an old clock. There is also an interesting story connected with this clock. Every day the clock alarms the noon exactly one hour earlier. This custom is the memory of an important event that took place in 1645, when the church bell ringer noticed Swedish invaders on the outskirts of the city. He started ringing the bell and his alert warned the townspeople. The city was saved thanks to his wit and attention.

Freedom Square is a perfect place for unhurried walks. You will be amazed by beautiful old buildings located near it. Yet several centuries ago the square was the main place of meetings of merchants and artisans. Nowadays you will see cozy restaurants and cafes instead of outlets and stalls. A visit to St John's Church is an obligatory part of excursion program of any tourist. The walls of the church keep a beautiful organ, the age of which is more than one hundred years. The sight is very popular among young couples because starting from ancient times St. John has been considered the patron saint of all lovers. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Capuchin monastery is one more striking monument of the Middle Ages. The monastery is famous for Tomb of mummies located in its territory. The monastery was built in 1651; later monks from the Capuchin Order were buried in its territory, as well as representatives of some noble families. If you are interested in natural attractions, do not forget to visit the Moravian Karst. Here travelers get a unique opportunity to ride a boat along an underground river, see caves of the wondrous beauty, as well as deep canyons and caves.

The capital of South Moravia is full of mysterious and mystical places – though, just as in any major city of the Czech Republic. Among them, Kostnice (ossuaries) in the St. Jakub church stands out in a special way. It is a truly interesting place, especially from a historical point of view. And it sure is a mystical one as well. The place is given a special atmosphere by the soundtrack (musical accompaniment). It seems logical that nervous people are prohibited from entering such places. Mincmistrovský sklep, which is located next to the new Ratusha, is also striking with its mystery. The underground museum tells about money made in the 13th century.

10-Z bunker is a great place to dive into the history of the city. The shelter was built in 1959 in case of nuclear war and was once one of the most secret places in the whole of Czech Republic (this lasted till 1993). Approximately 500 people can hide here. Under the Cabbage Market (Zelný trh) – that is, where such is not expected at all – you can find Labyrinth, one more dungeon. This very atmospheric place with a lot of decorations is combined with historical items. There are several rooms here that will be interesting for any tourist, including the alchemist’s shop.

Interesting villas are also preserved in Brno. The Jurkovičova villa is a very unusual one. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century and named after the architect. Another feature of the villa is a beautiful park constructed around it. The Villa Tugendhat is notable for being the only building in the capital of South Moravia included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Lovers of constructivism will like the villa – it was built in this precise style. Another homestead which you should make a point of duty to visit is called Villa Stiassni. This work was done by the architect Ernst Wiesner. The building was constructed in the year 1929. The villa served at various times as a weaving factory, a country house for the top Czechoslovakia officials, and then it became a property of the president. Today it is open for tourists to visit.

You should definitely take a walk through the Namesti Svobody. The most famous landmark here is the astronomical clock. It is worth exploring Morový (Mariánský) Sloup, constructed in honor of the “victory” over the plague. Fans of unusual places for walks will definitely enjoy a walk through Židovský hřbitov. Its peculiarity is that it is even listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which means it is worth finding out why. Another historical place is the Slavkov u Brna city, formerly known as Austerlitz. Large battles took place here, the most famous one of which was in 1805. An excursion here includes a visit to, the museum with historical exhibits, the castle where Napoleon established his headquarter, a walk through the heights of Pratzen, as well as watching a demonstration of the battle layout.