Sightseeing in Brno - what to see. Complete travel guide

Brno is an ancient Czech city that is rich in different traditions and customs. This place is also known as the largest winery center of the country. Brno has a long history and sometimes this place is called “the city of wrong time”. Such name is connected with an interesting historical fact. The city was attacked by Swede in the 17th century. The inhabitants of Brno tried to resist as much as they could. The Swedish troops laid siege to the city for several days and then told if Brno didn’t surrender till noon, they would go away. On that day the bells of the local town hall rang one hour earlier and Swedish troops went away. The city was saved. In the memory of that event Brno keeps the tradition of ranging “the wrong time” – each day on 11 a.m. the bell-ringer on the town hall tolls twelve times.

The town hall mentioned above is also known as one of the most notable sights of the city. The town hall hides the symbol of Brno – a stuffed crocodile. Why did such an exotic animal become the symbol of Brno? A crocodile first appeared in the city in the 17th century when it was brought there from Turkey. Local people were so amazed by the scary look of the unknown animal that they considered it a small dragon and decided to make that strong animal the symbol of their city. One more sight is Hrad Spilberk that has been the city’s main prison for a long time. While taking a walk in this fortress, you will hear many interesting stories from a guide, who will tell mysterious legends about real events that have happened in this prison.

St Peter and Paul Cathedral is a wonderful example of neo-gothic architectural style. Tall and thin spires of the church proudly tower above other buildings in Brno. Church of St John is one of the most visited places in the city. It traditionally attracts people by its rich décor and delicate hand-made ornament. The church is particularly popular among couples as there’s a belief this place brings luck and binds loving hearts for eternity. Moreover, there are numerous museums and galleries in Brno that will tell you a lot about the history of the city and will bring unforgettable memories. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

There is an ancient Capuchin monastery in the city, which was founded in the 17th century. There are a lot of amazing stories and legends associated with the monastery. Over the years the monks were buried in the monastery crypts, whose bodies mummified without any additional means in an amazing way. When these crypts were discovered for the first time, the monks looked as if they had gone to another world only a few hours ago. Modern researchers incline to explain this phenomenon by the fact that there is almost no natural air circulation in the crypts. Nowadays absolutely everyone can visit these mysterious underground caves.

In Brno you can see many interesting architectural monuments; the fine example of the Modernist style is the Villa Tugendhat. It was built in 1930 and today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it has a lot of unique features. At the moment of building it was one of the most technically equipped in the city, looking at the villa now, it is difficult to imagine that it was built almost 100 years ago. This luxury villa with huge windows looks very modern.

One more original place of interest is the Marketplace, as early as in the 13th century the vegetable market started working here. Local farmers sell fresh fruit and vegetables nowadays too; there are several interesting monuments on the market and nearby you can see beautiful historical buildings. Exactly on this square there is a wonderful Parnassus fountain, which was built in the 17th century and its main decoration is the sculpture composition depicting Heracles.

One of the most interesting cities’ museums is the Museum of Moravian land, it occupies the complex of several luxury palaces. Within the walls of historical buildings there is a many-sided collection of historical exhibits, where you can see also old cars, and collection of medieval weapon, and artworks as well as some curious collections of natural-science exhibits.

Brno lives rich cultural life, during the year there are several major festivals. Many tourists prefer to visit the city in the first summer days, because the parade of fireworks takes place at this time. Theatre and art festivals are held here one after another in summer, most of them are open air events.