Brno and surroundings

Brno Circuit

Automotodrom Brno, also known as Masaryk Circuit, offers a large variety of events not only for cars and motorbikes fans but also for the general public. There are just a few high quality circuits in Central Europe and Masaryk Circuit is considered to be the best.Automotodrom (JSC) has been broadening its offer of services recently. For the last two years in – line skating has been available to the public. The high quality race track with perfect surface satisfies even the most demanding visitors. Besides this, Health Service and a cost-free Skate and Pads Rental are available. Both cars and motorbikes public rides are available and are one of the most popular services. Everybody can under particular conditions experience what it feels like being on a race track and test their driving skills. Masaryk Circuit has its exclusive place in the world-known championships of both automobiles and motorcycles. The most important one is Grand Prix of the Czech Republic that is hold annually. In the years 1999, 2004 and 2007 Automotodrom Company was awarded IRTA Trophy for the best organized Grand Prix by International Road Racing Teams Association.Various activities are offered for a whole family during the motorbike races. Ladies can relax in a beauty salon and there are also many activities for children to enjoy offered, such as play stations, spring board attractions and other attractions. Ladies can enjoy cost-free cosmetic services and manicure as well.

Villa Tugendhat

On Černopolní Street, from which there is a wonderful panorama of the city of Brno, we can find one of the pivotal works of world Functionalist architecture, and the most important European work of the German architect Mies van der Rohe. It is all the more valuable for the fact that this is his only pre-war work which has remained in its original state. Construction of the villa began in June 1929. The Tugendhats moved into the villa in December 1930, but were forced to flee from the Nazis in 1938. The Nazis confiscated the building and made use of it for their own purposes, and following the war the building was used by the liberating forces. From the 1980’s onwards, when the villa was reconstructed and given over to the City of Brno, it was used for several purposes. At present the house is managed by the Museum of the City of Brno, which has allowed the public to make visits. The Villa is situated outside the main tourist sights, and therefore we recommend that you go there by car, taxi or city public transport.

Trade Fair Brno

At the moment, the Brno Exhibition Centre offers more than 130,000 square metres of net exhibition area. Brno Exhibition Centre was first opened in 1928 and belongs to the true jewels of functionalist architectural style. Thanks to its continuous development the exhibition centre currently represents a modern exhibition area suitable for holding trade fairs, exhibitions, congresses, sports events, or concerts. The latest addition to the fairgrounds complex is the P Hall opened in June 2009, and offering over 10,000 square metres of net exhibition area.

Freedom square

The Freedom Square is considered to be the imaginary center of the city. First remarks about it come from the 13th century when it was named Forum Inferius, soon translated as Lower Square. In the Middle Ages rich townsfolk and nobles have build here their houses and thanks to this meaning of the square raised. New pestilential pillar was built here in 1679 and soon became it a dominant of the square. In 1869 the st. Nocholas church was pulled down and its last remainder perished after air raid in 1945. At the break of 19th and 20th century was the square extensively rebuild, many houses were razed or changed to Newrennaisance style. In 1901 tramway track was built across the square from the main station to the Moravia Square, which was in few years added by tracks from the Šilingr Square and Kobližná street. First of the tracks leaded in the north-south direction preserved till today. So far the last square reconstruction passed in 2006, when the complete square was newly pawed, new bronze public fountain with Jan Skácel’s verses was built, pestilential pillar was renewed, position of the former st. Nicholas church was marked and few new trees were planted. Ahead of the reconstruction underground collectors were built. In 2010 calendar clock was placed on the square.

St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral

The Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul is located on the top of this hill, known as Petrov, on the presumed site of the former Brno castle (including a chapel) that dates from the 11th and 12th centuries. After the castle`s demise the free-standing Romanesque basilica was rebuilt as a Gothic cathedral in the 13th century, further modified in the 15th and 16th centuries, and converted to the Baroque style in the 18th century. Its current neo-Gothic form dates from the turn of this century. Since 1777 the cathedral has been the seat of the Brno bishopric. The original church crypt from the 12th century is now accessible to visitors.

Castle and fort Spilberk

Spilberk Castle and fortifications The castle was built in the first half of the 13 th century on top of a hill bearing the same name. The original building often changed hands and the medieval part was later rebuilt. In the 18th century Spilberk was transformed into an enormous Baroque fort which also became a feared prison, with the casemates being particularly notorious. It became the place of grim, lenghty suffering for French revolutionaries, Italian carbonari, adherents of the Young Italy movement as well as Czech political prisoners. The prison was also a place of terror during the second world war. Since 1961 Spilberk has been a museum under the administration of Bmo city and is used for exhibition purposes. The former prison cells and casemates are also open for viewing.

Mahen’s Theatre

Mitrovsky Summer Pavilion

The Mitrovsky Summer House was built in the classical style, and was originally surrounded by a garden, an orangerie and a greenhouse. The house was built by Antonín Mitrovsky and subsequently changed hands often, until it ended up in the ownership of the city. During restoration work in 1962-1965 the original wall paintings were also restored. Today the Summer House is used for exhibition purposes.

Old Town Hall

Old Town Hall – The city administration was situated in this, the oldest secular building in Brno until 1935. The historical origins of the building go back to around 1240. Before 1510 the tower entrance was hoded-through to the courtyard which A. Pilgram decorated with a stone protal with reliefs of heralds and town dwellers. The original allegory of justice was replaced in 1660 by the present statue. At that time the city´s new coat of arms was added to the protal which Brno acquired in 1646. The portal closes the original Late-Gothic gate. The tower lies on early Gothic foundations, its roofing is a copy of the original renaissance roof. The town hall building was damaged during the Swedish wars and its repair, completed in 1660, was accredited to the Brno architect Jan Krtitel Erna.

Assumption of Virgin Mary Basilica

Augustinian Monastery and Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady.The Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady is a true jewel amongst Gothic architecture in Moravia. The widow Queen, Eliška Rejčka, established the Cistercian convent in 1323 next to the old parish church of Our Lady. This became known as Aula Sanctae Mariae, or the Queen’s Convent. In 1782 the Augustinian monks moved here from their original site next to the church of St. Thomas, which is today on Moravské Náměstí (Moravian Square).From this year onwards the Old Brno convent became their new home, and also the seat of an abbot.The Gothic Church of the Assumption of Our Lady differs from other monuments of its period not only by its complicated and unique ground plan composition, but also by the building techniques used in the construction of its unrendered brickwork alternating with carved masonry, which is unusual in this country. In the XVIII century the interior was baroquized; the baroque buildings of the Abbey were also completed at this time.In 1868 Johann Gregor Mendel was elected Augustinian abbot, and it was in this monastery that he discovered and formulated his theory of genetics.In 1987 the Old Brno church was elevated in status by Pope John Paul II, and from that time it has carried the title “Basilica minor”.

The Brno House of Arts

The Brno House of Arts of Brno was built in 1910 using Heinrich Rieds design as the Kaiser Franz Josefs Jubiläums-Kunstlerhaus in the Viennese Secession style, and was used by the Brno Austro-German minority as an exhibition hall.After Word War II, the exhibition hall has been taken over by the City of Brno, and the architect Bohuslav Fuchs reconstructed the building in the Brno functionalist style. Its mission remained unchanged – to mediate modern and contemporary art to the wider public. The House of Arts exhibition programme aims to present significant local representatives of contemporary art, and to inform the public about the latest achievements on the international scene, mainly in the related European context. An important role has been played by a cultural-political orientation to the so-called Eastern Art as well as to a thematic focus on photography and architecture. The exhibition programme also includes literary evenings, concerts, lectures and talks with artists. In cooperation with Masaryk Universitys Faculty of Education, regular artistic and educational programmes for schoolchildren are held together with the exhibitions.

Baroque Chateau Austerlitz

At the beginning of the 13th century a commandery of the Order of German Knighthood was built on the location of the contemporary Baroque manor. Slavkov is mentioned in their ownership for the first time in 1237. At the end of the l6th century, the Renaissance manor was built on the older foundations, which had a four-wing ground plan with arcades and massive square tower. During the course of the construction of the first stage of the manor, a park was being prepared in the style of French Baroque gardens under the leadership of Dutch experts in front of the western wing.