Brno

Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic, is located on the confluence of the Svratka and Svitava rivers in south-eastern Czech Republic. Since the granting of royal privileges in 1243, Brno has been one of the most famous Moravian cities, often called the Metropolis of Moravia, and known primarily for its cultural monuments. The centre of the city is dominated by the gothic cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul.

Another of the main landmarks of Brno is the Spilberk Castle from the 13th century. Even from a distance, this hill can be seen overgrown with greenery and the mammoth fortress at its peak. Also worth mentioning is the Stará radnice (Old Town Hall), which is the oldest secular building in Brno. The historical core of this building was founded around 1240 and is surrounded by a series of legends. It served as the town hall from 1373 to 1935.

The historical centre of Brno also consists of Masarykova ulice (Masaryk Street) and the two main squares - Zelny trh (Cabbage Market) with the Parnas fountain, and namesti Svobody (Freedom Square) with a plague column. Perhaps the most beautiful panoramic view of the city of Brno is provided from Cernopolni ulice (Blackfield Street), where visitors can also find one of the most significant buildings of functionalist architecture, the Tugendhat villa. Brno is also an important centre for education in the Czech Republic, with a total of 26 faculties in universities and institutes of higher learning.

Tugendhat Villa

One of the most famous functionalist buildings in the world, the Tugendhat villa in Brno is the work of the German architect Ludwig Mies van de Rohe. The design for the Tugendhat family villa, established in 1929-1930, is recorded in the history of modern architecture for its originality and uniqueness. Evidence of this is its recent inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In the years 1983 – 85, it underwent reconstruction. After this, it served as the „exclusive representational space of the city of Brno“. In January 1994, it came under the administration of the Museum of the City of Brno and since that time, on the basis of photographs from 1930, it has been gradually furnished with replicas of the original property. After the completion of the currently ongoing reconstruction, the villa will once again be open to the general public.

Exhibition and trade fairs Brno (BVV)

The premises of the Brno exhibition centre in Pisarky were built for the exhibition of contemporary culture held in 1928 and became part of modern Czech architecture. The high quality covered exhibition areas are a great benefit of the exhibition centre, which is unique in the Czech Republic in that it makes it possible to arrange significant international trade fairs of a technical focus. During the year, a great number of international trade fairs are held in the exhibition centre, among the most famous of which are the Strojirensky veletrh (Machinery Trade Fair), Invex – trade fair for information technology and the Spotrebni veletrh (Consumer Trade Fair).

Grand Prix Brno

In close proximity to Brno is the Masarykuv okruh (Masaryk Circuit), the site of many races for automobiles and motorcycles, 5403.19 m in length. The peak of the season every year is the Grand Prix CR for road motorcycles held at the end of August.

The Grand Prix of the Czech Republic has become a premier sports event, watched on all continents of the world thanks to television broadcasts.

Brno Reservoir

The reservoir was built in the years 1936-1940 on the Svratka River, also called Kninicska. It has a maximum depth of 19 metres; the lake is 10 km long and up to 800 metres wide. In addition to supplying potable and utility water, it is a popular recreation area, particularly for fishing and cycling. The range of activities is expanded by regular boat traffic along the Brno-Veverska Bityska route, which is in operation annually from April to October.

Worth mentioning in the immediate vicinity of the Brno reservoir are the zoological gardens, established in 1953 and covering 65.6 hectares, the Veveri Castle, the pilgrimage site U tri krizu (At the Three Crosses) and the Podkomorske lesy National Park.

Airport

In the middle of 1926, operations began at the airport in Turany and the city became part of the air transport network. At present, the airport is used primarily for charter flights.

Brno - photos