A Historical Walk in Brno, Czechia

Hello everyone. During our visit to the Czech Republic, we wandered through a very intriguing city. We passed by some of the most interesting spots in the city and felt the medieval atmosphere. We started our walk from the city center, at Moravia Square and our first stop was St. Thomas Church, founded in the 14th century and originally part of an Augustinian Monastery. We were in one of the main transportation hubs of the city, where we could see Brno's main public transportation options. Modern trams are running throughout the city, but you can also spot some older trams. Trams are definitely the number one mode of transportation here. However, I believe that a tourist doesn't need to use public transportation in Brno because most of the main tourist attractions are within walking distance. The city center is surrounded by boulevards built in place of the old city walls.

After walking a bit we encountered a modern sculpture in front of us. It's hard to understand what it symbolizes, but the name of the sculpture might give us a clue about the sculptor's thoughts. The sculpture is called Justice or Law so perhaps the person in this tense position is trying to lift a large cube that represents the weight of the challenges in the path of achieving justice. At least that's how I interpret it, but I know it's not there by chance.

Next we saw the building of the Supreme Administrative Court of the Czech Republic. Despite being the second-largest city in the Czech Republic, Brno plays an important role as a judicial center. In addition to this building, you can find the Czech Constitutional Court and other judicial institutions just 200 meters away. When we looked at the beautiful Baroque façade of St. Thomas Church, we saw a relatively new sculpture placed there in 2015. This sculpture has sparked mixed reactions among locals. It's called Allegory of Courage. I’m not sure why courage or why it's an allegory, but people take pictures with it and it is considered interesting.

We then proceeded toward one of the city's main shopping streets. There was a bank building and some small shops, but as we walked further, we came across stores like Nike, Adidas and Hilfiger. I must say, there is a large area for shopping here and you can find nearly all the major brands. There’s no need to travel to Europe or the U.S. for shopping, as many companies around the world distribute these brands products everywhere.

We continued our walk and headed towards Freedom Square in the city center. This street was quite noisy. We could hear the sounds of motorcycles, scooters and of course, trams, which are all part of city life. To our left was another Catholic church. We encountered yet another large church in Brno. Unfortunately, we couldn't fully appreciate the beauty of this Gothic cathedral as it is currently under restoration. This building is St. James Church. There used to be a giant cemetery here. Later chapels were built, the church expanded and the cemetery was removed. In the 15th century a large tower, 94 meters high, was constructed and in the 19th century, the church was rebuilt, coming to us in its present form. We can now see its current condition. Once the restoration is complete, it will likely be quite impressive. Any Gothic cathedral built during the Middle Ages was never considered a project that could be completed within the lifespan of those who initiated its construction. This was true for kings, architects and workers, as the average lifespan back then was around 40-50 years at best and cathedrals could take 100, 200, or even 300 years to complete. As you can imagine, after building for 200 years, starting a new reconstruction in the 101st or 102nd year was inevitable.

We moved from here to Freedom Square. People are sunbathing and sitting comfortably here. I think it would be a great idea to place hammocks or loungers here. These structures could be movable instead of being fixed in the square. Similar to the green chairs in Paris, there could be wooden loungers here. This would be quite nice with a view of the fountain and the magnificent square facades. Freedom Square has an unusual triangular shape, which is unconventional yet interesting. The statue here is a plague column established at the end of the 17th century. You can also see a large hive here, which is a relatively new attraction in the city, established in 2010. Although it seems to have a military atmosphere, it is actually an ordinary clock, but it is Brno's clock. You can get the trophy hive here at 11 am. When we arrived, it was just after 12, so the tourists here had decreased and only people resting around were left.

If you happen to be in Brno, especially during the winter when there are fewer tourists, you can come here and get the trophy hive. This is one of the most important souvenirs you can take from Brno. As far as I understand, you can reach into one of the hives and take one. It seems like a really good idea, but I don't know why the clocks have such a shape.

The next building we saw was the House of the Lords of Lipa. The building was built in the Gothic style but has been reconstructed many times. It is said that some of the most influential people in the city lived here. Today, it has a Neo-Renaissance appearance that it gained in the 19th century.

When we turned left, we saw the building called the Four Fools. I'm not joking. That’s their name. Their faces look quite interesting. I think buildings and statues like these create a really pleasant atmosphere in the city and make it more cheerful. Jokes made through stone, granite, or limestone are really great.

On our right was the Sberbank building. Interestingly the first floor of the building used to host the offices of Sberbank, but now it's closed. We can still see the sign in place. In July the weather in Brno is perfect, sunny and 24°C, so walking around is truly a pleasure.

We arrived at one of Brno's most important monuments, the city's oldest building the Old Town Hall. This building was constructed in the 10th century. Like most buildings, it has been rebuilt at various times. Until 1935, the city administration was located in this building, city council meetings were held, court decisions were made and honorable guests of the city were welcomed here. Medieval documents, seals, money and even prisoners were kept here. There is an interesting design here and to me, it looks like a playful touch of city architecture. One structure is tilted and this design was intentionally made. It's quite amusing.

We didn't enter the Romanesque-style courtyard; instead, we directly stepped into the city's oldest square. From here, we reached the Market Square, which is where modern Brno began almost 1,000 years ago. Not only is the market tradition preserved here, but there is also active trade. We also admired the facades of these stunningly beautiful buildings. As I walked, I started to understand why many people compare Brno to Prague. Some say that if you want to experience the real Czech Republic, its architecture, spirit, beauty and the absence of tourists, you should come here. Of course, ideally, visiting both Prague and Brno to experience this architectural delight would be wonderful. You can see that Brno is quieter and you can take in the beauty around you.

I want to draw attention to the center of the square. Here, there is a Baroque-style Parnassus Fountain made by a Viennese architect in the late 15th century. Interestingly, the etymology of the word Parnassus refers to the Greek mountain where Apollo and the Muses lived and this comes from mythology.

Then we arrived at another important building in Brno, significant for the entire Czech Republic: the Reduta Theater, the oldest theater in the Czech Republic and one of the first theater buildings in Central Europe. The important thing here is the statue of Mozart on this beautiful facade. The famous composer performed here when he was 11 years old, along with his sister. Even when he was only five years old, he went on tours with his father and his sister, who was a brilliant pianist. However, Mozart's talent was so high that it overshadowed his sister's achievements.

We continued our walk. Honestly, my mood was very good because of this beautiful sunny weather. Also I was in Bratislava 2-3 days ago, where the temperature was 34°C and I had to avoid the sun. Here the weather was perfect for both sunbathing and walking in the shade. Brno is quite close to the Slovak border and only an hour and a half away from Vienna. When you arrive in the city by train, you are immediately captivated and can't wait to stroll through the old streets. One of the most important things is the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul standing before us. The high towers of the cathedral truly overlook the city and look very beautiful. The towers are 84 meters high and it’s very pleasant to see this beauty while staying in the shade. I definitely recommend entering the cathedral. There are many small details, patterns, decorations and symbolic figures around the cathedral, so it’s absolutely worth walking around the entire cathedral and examining them. For example, there is an interesting detail here: these small statues that look terrifying are thought to serve the function of protecting the sacred place from evil spirits, just like on the facades of some Gothic cathedrals. Also there is an interesting fact: the bell of the main cathedral in Brno rings at 11 am, not at 12. This reminder is made to remind the city’s residents and visitors of how Brno was saved from being besieged by the Swedish army in 1645. The siege was very tough, lasting 112 days and it is said that the Swedish general swore that if he couldn’t capture the city by noon, he would withdraw his troops. The enterprising people of Brno began to ring the bells an hour early without waiting for noon. So, the Swedish general had to retreat without capturing the city by noon. After this event, the bells in the city ring at 11 am every day. It’s hard for me to believe that a general could be so principled about time and say, We’ll wait until noon. But according to the legend, the people of Brno tricked the Swedes by ringing the bells and the city was not taken.

Those who visit Brno and those who have been to Prague but haven’t seen Brno or other Czech cities might think that Brno is similar to Prague. However, Brno is really quite a quiet place and there aren’t many tourists here. We moved forward about 15-20 meters, saw the street and the perspective and then shifted to a new view. There was a Skoda Octavia in front, followed by a Mercedes. The prevalence of Skoda here is incredible. It’s the number one car brand in the Czech Republic and there was a beer brand in front of us. If I’m not mistaken, Hanikin belongs to Germany, but I’m not very knowledgeable about beer. I had read that the Czechs are number one in the world in beer consumption.

We saw the most important castle in Brno: Špilberk Castle. This is the second-largest architectural structure after the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, rising above the city. I definitely recommend going to this medieval castle, which was built in the 10th century. It has a beautiful park and a large area; this area is open to the public. So, you won’t regret visiting. Also the views are quite beautiful.

I think a rather beautiful panorama opens up here and we can see the trams in all their glory. We also don’t see a large number of bike lanes. I think this is clearly because we are walking in the city center; placing bike lanes here might be quite difficult. Maybe they don’t need them. However, I didn’t see many bike lanes in other parts of the city either and I guess there isn’t such a thing. I want to share some information about Brno. From a negative perspective, the city is often associated with a bad environmental situation; there are large radioactive waste deposits about 20 km away, which isn’t very healthy. Also, the city isn’t always heated with the most environmentally friendly fuels; the boilers are filled with fuel and the air quality isn’t very good. However, there isn’t a major disaster situation here.

We watched the panorama of the New City. This area lacks high-rise buildings and generally consists of five or six-story buildings. Brno is known as a rather green city, surrounded by large forested areas. If you have the opportunity, it’s worth coming here. That’s all for now. See you.

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