Things to see and do Brno

Since the place Zelný Trh, by borrowing small rue Petrská (in the Southwest of the place), one reaches the hill of Petrov, on which the cathedral of Brno is drawn up. Surrounded by the complex of the palaces of the bishopric (Biskupský Palác), the church is surmounted by impressive romantic arrows, quickly become symbols of the town of Brno. Built on the campsite of the first castle of the city and a basilica of romanesque style (and perhaps even of a temple dedicated to Venus), this church, Gothic in the beginning, were set fire to by the Swedes in 1645. It was rebuilt in baroque style, then refitted in Gothic style in XIX^e century. Inside, one from the start is crushed (it is the goal besides) by the main altar, high with 12 m and is decorated, in particular, of the statues of saint Pierre and holy Paul, carved by the Viennese Josef Leimer in 1881. The very high stained-glass windows, behind the altar, absolutely superb, are extremely coloured and rich person of thousand details. This part of the building which surrounds the altar enjoys a major and hot light, contrasting with the rest of the building cream color. Perhaps this interior hides a secrecy: specialists are checking the assumption according to which the cathedral would still preserve the bones of saint Constantine, the pere of Christianity in Central Europe. One will be able to climb at the top of a tower to admire the city. Or to go down in the crypt from XII^e century.

From Zelný Square, it can be reached by taking the two streets leading north, Mečová or Radnická. The building grew around a medieval house from the 13th century and was consecrated as the town hall in 1343. It was expanded over the centuries, according to administrative needs and conflicts, until 1935, when the municipal administrative functions were relocated. The building is dominated by a beautiful Renaissance tower with a panoramic gallery, where you can contemplate the city. The entrance from Radnická Street is through a beautiful Gothic portal designed in 1510 by the Viennese sculptor Anton Pilgram. In the entrance corridor, you will see the "Brno Dragon" (Brněnský Drak) on the ceiling... this is actually an Amazonian crocodile, given to the city by Archduke Matyáš in 1608 and which, according to legend, colonized the city's waters. It has since become the mascot of Brno.

When you enter the tourist office through the main door of the old town hall, you will probably notice the twisted stone tower that adorns the Gothic portal. This is a mischief of the famous medieval architect Anton Pilgram, who was commissioned by the city of Brno to build the entrance to the town hall. But when the work was finished, the stingy notables refused to pay Pilgram. Pilgram decided to teach them a lesson by giving them a little surprise in the final version of their building..

Špilberk Hill, which rises to the west of the city centre, dominates the city without overwhelming it. Many visitors start by climbing the hill to get a bird's eye view of Brno before exploring the city. Although the slopes of Špilberk are now forested, they were once left bare to facilitate the defence of the fortress built on top. The first Gothic castle (enveloping type) dates from the 13th century. In the 15th century, the Luxembourg family ruled over the whole of Moravia from here. But there are few traces of this fortified residence. It was completely remodelled in the 18th and 19th centuries. Over the centuries, the site was attacked, without success, by the Hussites, the huge Swedish army (in 1645) and the Prussians. In 1805, Napoleon took possession of it without fighting, a few days before the Battle of Austerlitz. In 1809, Špilberk was taken again and its outer defence system dismantled. The fortress was later used as a prison and it is to this sad function that Špilberk still owes its reputation today. It was first used as a detention centre by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It became the most famous prison of the empire and a symbol of the struggle of the various nations of the empire for independence. One of the most illustrious guests was the Italian poet Silvio Pellico, who wrote his collection of pamphlets De mes prisons.

St. Thomas Abbey is built in an area where Brno's oldest foundations have been found. The present Gothic church, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, was built in 1323 as the main building of a Cistercian monastery. The museum pays tribute to the work of the monk-researcher Gregor Johann Mendel (1822-1884), who conducted his experiments on peas here, making him (only after his death) the founding father of the theory of heredity and the most important precursor of genetics. The complex also includes an experimental garden and a cultural center. In 2022, to mark the bicentenary of the researcher's birth, a comprehensive exhibition on his work was inaugurated in the abbey, presenting it in a playful and interactive way. Facsimiles, photographs, enlarged microscope views and hands-on workshops provide an insight into the workings of dominant and recessive genes and, above all, how they are passed on from one generation to the next, something Mendel discovered in his own time.

The architecture of this abbey is unique in Moravia, and its grey bricks are unusual to say the least. Inside, don't miss the Baroque altar (1762), the giant late-Gothic chandelier and the gold-plated tabernacle. The basilica is also home to the country's oldest (^13th century) wood painting, depicting a highly venerated black Madonna (Černá Madona).

Adjacent to the museum dedicated to Mendel, you can also visit the abbey's brand-new museum, which opened in early 2022. It offers a complete tour of the Augustinian abbey, including the Baroque library with its 4,000 books (a further 23,000 are hidden in secret passages!), followed by the abbey treasury and its magnificent liturgical artefacts. The tour continues with a complete collection of well-preserved tunics and religious vestments from various periods. One room will of course be dedicated to Mendel, but will leave aside his discoveries, well detailed in the museum dedicated to him, to focus instead on the research of his time and his life in the abbey, with numerous personal objects in support. Among the beautiful pieces on display is a Rubens, which belongs to the Augustinian order and was previously exhibited in Prague. A fascinating exhibition.

Under the nave of the Church of St. James lies the largest ossuary in Central Europe. It contains the bones of a 13th century cemetery which, once it became too small, were stored in three crypts under the church in the 17th century. But epidemics of plague and cholera caused many deaths and extensions had to be built in the middle of the 18th century. They were dug under the old cemetery. After a few years, the extensions being already full, the two ossuaries were connected by corridors and then, at the end of the 18th century, the whole was closed and sealed under large stone slabs. It was only in 2001 that archaeologists discovered it when the streets were dug up during the renovation of the district. After the excavations, the ossuary was completely redesigned and can now be visited freely. One can walk between the remains of more than 50,000 skeletons occupying the entire volume offered by the vaults where they were arranged in a very "artistic" way in conditions that ensure their proper preservation. Less impressive than the Parisian catacombs (which would shelter the bones of more than 6 million Parisians), the ossuary remains nevertheless striking by the quantity of skeletons piled up and the placements, sometimes hazardous, sometimes artistic in piles, pyramids, columns, etc.

A French speaking guide living in Brno, Patrik will help you discover the treasures of his region, whether you are alone, in couple or in group. Patrik is very pleasant to be with and has an excellent level of culture. He also has a good knowledge of Moravian wines and will be able to guide you to the best cellars in the region. A very good way to discover the best parts of Brno while enjoying the comments of Patrik, who knows the history of the city and the Czech Republic in general.

An absolutely unmissable visit to Brno, although not the easiest to organize. As the villa is a Unesco heritage site, guided tours that take groups of 16 people at a time quickly fill up. It is often best to book well in advance, sometimes several months before the scheduled date of the visit if it falls in the high tourist season. As soon as you know the dates of your stay in Brno, go to the ticket office to reserve your time slot. Please note that there is an extra charge for taking pictures and that heels are not allowed in order to avoid damaging the floors.

Built in 1929-1930 by the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for the Tugendhat couple, it is a functional work of art, unique in its kind, for its construction, its furniture and the arrangement of the space. An avant-garde architecture in its time and which melts in the decoration of a park which, if it lost of its surface, preserved the plan which emphasized the villa on the heights.

The visit lasts 1 hour or 1h30 depending on the tour you choose and will be more or less extensive. The long visit will allow you to see the boiler room and ventilation systems in the basement, huge engine rooms that seem disproportionate today but which were at the top of technology at the time.

In the common trunk of the two visits, we will penetrate on the floor the entrance and the rooms with the furniture of the time in the same vein as the house. But it is the reception room that is the highlight of the show. A bath of light and warmth is provided by the huge bay windows, which were already moved at the time by electric cylinders that allowed the heat produced by the magnifying glass effect to be evacuated. On the living room side, one dreams of sitting in one of the two rows of Barcelona armchairs, while on the office side, one is amazed by the play of light through the titanic onyx piece that separates the two spaces. The small reading room seems quite dark in comparison, but has some surprises in store for the bar! The kitchen, laundry room and drying room are also surprisingly large and modern for their time. The restoration work was perfectly carried out and, despite the damage caused during the war and then during the Soviet period, the villa has retained all its character and its capacity to seduce. The exit is through the park, from where you can still enjoy beautiful views of this unique building.

History and architecture enthusiasts can visit the former Špilberk Castle gaols. In the cellars, which were built during the last phase of the construction of the complex, you will come across mannequins in 18th century costumes and instruments of torture, all illuminated by a dim light. We quickly understand the role of this fortress which was the main prison of the empire. One can imagine the oppressive power of the Austrians in the 19th century and the rediscovery of the place by the Gestapo.

It dominates the square and was the main place of religious services of the former Dominican monastery. The first church dates from 1238 but was destroyed by the Swedes. Between 1658 and 1679, a baroque building was built in its place. The richly decorated altar dates from 1759 and is the work of Josef Winterhalter. In the basement of the church is another unexpected curiosity: an imitation of the grotto at Lourdes, built here in the 1950s by devotees of the cult of Mary.

This proud building is the most beautiful example of Gothic architecture in the city. Its construction, on the site of a 12th century Romanesque church, took place between the 14th and 16th centuries. Its tower, high and slender, has been rising into the city's sky since 1592. Various architectural elements and interior fittings were added. The most remarkable detail is a small statue of Cupid above the south window of the main tower. The interior, dominated by the superb late Gothic vaults, is surprisingly bright. One of the highlights is a stone pulpit dating from 1525. The main altar, neo-Gothic, is much more recent (1891). In the gallery are numerous tombstones richly sculpted in Renaissance or Baroque style. One of the local heroes, far from being Czech, rests here. It is the French Protestant Jean-Louis Raduit de Souches, who in 1645, during the Thirty Years' War, successfully organized the defense of the city against an imposing Swedish army. Serving the Holy Roman Empire, he remained at the head of the Moravian command before leaving for Hungary to fight the Ottomans in the 1660's. He died in a small Moravian village in 1682 and was buried in the Church of St. James in Brno, where one need only admire the decorative carvings of his grave to get an idea of the respect with which he was regarded. He became one of the most important historical figures in the city.

It is the cathedral of the Augustinian monastery (Klášter Augustiniánu), founded in 1350. The church was severely damaged during the Thirty Years' War and had to be rebuilt between 1665 and 1675 by J.-K. Erna, who designed the beautiful three-winged church with an impressive Gothic nave that can be seen today. Inside, don't miss the painting of the Black Madonna, patroness of the city.

This rectangular square, lined with baroque buildings, is located north of Zelný Square, to which it is connected by Mečova street. Its name comes from the former 13th century Dominican monastery that partially surrounded it.