Brno - A Czech Republic Secret
A walking tour of this mini-Vienna shows its architectural diversity
Not far from Prague, Brno has a vibrant history, charm and a strong scent of Viennese pastry. Its historic buildings show the influence of Vienna, only an hour or so away
During the Thirty Years War, Brno was saved from starvation, local legend has it, by a clever sexton who tolled the noon Cathedral bells at 11 AM on August 15, 1645, misleading the city's besiegers who had decided to end the siege if the city didn’t surrender by noon. The same Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul still rings the noon bells at 11.
The Cathedral crowns the hilltop in the oldest part of the city, which dates to 1091; the earliest, Romanesque part of the cathedral was built only 78 years later, taking its Gothic form in the 14th century. From the tops of its two towers are views of the city and surrounding countryside.
Below it, down a set of stairs on Josefska street, look for the Capuchin Monastery. You can actually meet the 18th-century architect of the Dominican monastery, now the town hall. Its crypt’s atmospheric conditions cause bodies to mummify, and among these is the architect, Moric Grimm (no pun intended). The last resident was laid there in 1784.
Cabbage Square
Return to nearby Cabbage Square (Zelný trh), named for the produce markets still held there every weekday morning. On one corner is the 1736 Reduta Theatre, where Mozart and his sister played as children. Inside is a stunning modern lobby and loggia with opera costumes. Opposite in a Renaissance-style palace is the Moravian Zempske Museum, dedicated to the culture of the Czech provinces.
In the center of the square, the preposterously baroque Parnas Fountain was sculpted by Johann Fischer von Erlach and finished in 1695. On the north side, the statue of the Holy Trinity was completed in 1743.
Around the square, look for buildings dating to the 14th century, with Gothic or Renaissance facades (such as the Goose on a String Improvisational Theatre). On the corner of Radnikova is a fine Art Nouveau façade with inserts of two classic heads.
Freedom Square
Nearby Freedom Square (nam Svobody) offers an eclectic collection of buildings. At the narrow end of the square, the building with sgraffito walls is a former palace dating from the 16th century. Originally Renaissance, the top floor is from 1897 and the frescos from 1936-38. Diagonally across the street, four stunning caryatids highlight a 1901Art Nouveau façade; through its doorway is an arcade.
Farther down the street, the white glass-faced KB Building was designed in 1928 by Bauhuslav Fuchs. In spite of some façade changes about 1980, it looks much like its original design, one of the first to use the curtain wall in commercial architecture. At the far end, follow Rašinova street to find the Bata store, designed by Milic Kopsieva and built in 1935. True to its original design, it features brass and glass show islands at the entrance. Beyond, on the right, the Avion Hotel is another Bauhuslav Fuchs masterpiece, built in 1928 for an unusually narrow lot.
Don’t leave Brno without seeing the incredible Tugenhat House, designed by Mies Van der Rohe in 1930. Cubist in spirit, open and graceful, it opens living space to the outside, bringing plants inside via its conservatory and the eye outside through its vast openings of glass. It is a knock-out.
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