A Weekend in Brno

Hello dear friends! We had left our trip to Brno with wonderful moments. I wanted to share these memories with you. This place is a city in Moravia, the second capital of the Czech Republic.

As soon as we arrived in the city we first had breakfast. We ate at a small restaurant called Little Saigon and paid 28 euros for a breakfast for two. After that we went out to explore the city.

We started our tour from the train station; the city gates begin from here. Generally buses are used here and train stations are hardly used. Just ahead there's a futuristic-looking shopping mall.

To the right of the Central Train Station we were find a post office. There's an open door elevator inside, but unfortunately, it's not working right now.

Nearby there's an ancient building called Stara radnice with a city clock on top. Inside this building there are intriguing attractions like a carousel, which they call the dragon. According to legend this carousel was brought to the city and made from a tree, originally wooden. There's also a crocodile figure, oddly referred to as the dragon.

You can see one of the slightly tilted towers above. There are two legends about the leaning tower. According to the first legend, a giant bent it, the second, a more reasonable version, suggests the architect didn't receive full payment for the work and slightly tilted the tower, leaving his mark :)

Inside the City Hall, there's a small inner courtyard where the carousel and crocodile figure hang. There's also a shiny "Brno" sign.

There's a well next to it but it's closed off and filled with trash. There's also a non-working fountain there.

In the square, there's a historical vegetable market with an inscription stating it has been there since the 13th century. The main decoration of the market is a fountain called Sail symbolizing ancient empires.

The city boasts two theaters, a museum and a monument to a young Mozart who performed here when he was just eleven years old.

We've arrived at the capuchin center. Right next to it is a cathedral, and next to that is the Capuchin cemetery. The remains of 16 monks have been preserved here until today but the cemetery is currently closed.

In the courtyard there's an exhibition that represents a journey through time. We find broken stone steps and everything has a pretty neglected look.

If you have a 10 kron coin in your pocket you can see the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral. This cathedral is considered one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the Czech Republic and was built on the summit of Petřín Hill in the 14th century. There's a legend associated with the cathedral where people mistook the toll of a bell for noon when news of the end of the city's siege in 1645 arrived.

For 40 kron you can climb up a spiral staircase to an observation area. On the other side there's a corridor and small balconies. It's said that there are more balconies up there, but it was a bit disappointing overall. The view area wasn't exactly as promised but it was still wonderful. Just as we were beneath the dome we heard the toll of bells.

There's a small square and below it, a park area. This place looks much nicer. What I didn't like was the parking lot next to the cathedral. This parking lot has been set up on historical grounds and even the cobblestone pavement has suffered.

The wander around here quite unpredictably, going in and out of courtyards filled with different monuments and then you emerge onto a square that's already bustling.

Freedom Square is the city's main square and sits right in the center. The Four Foolish Houses are on the east side. The statue of Atlas trying to hold his straps and balcony has been nicknamed "the linden gentlemen" by the people. On the opposite side the "linden gentlemen's house" has a grand facade and an inner courtyard.

Brno City was founded in 1243, with its old name being Brünn. It currently serves as the administrative center of the South Moravian region and is considered the second largest city in the Czech Republic after Prague. The city's population is almost 380000.

Freedom Square leads to St. James Cathedral and is currently being restored. There's a tall equestrian statue of a knight beside it. In 2015 an equestrian monument was erected in honor of the ruler of the Moravian Duchy.

In the city center you'll also find a planetarium where you can learn more about the solar system and other interesting facts.

Nearby there's Spielberg Castle, which was built in the 13th century to protect the city. According to the information here, this castle survived the siege by the Swedish army in 1645. In 1820 it was turned into a civilian prison.

Also in the city there's the Museum of Romani Culture on Bratislavská Street.

Brno City offers plenty of opportunities to visit many fascinating places like squares, cathedrals, the planetarium and museums.

After walking at the city, we decided to take a car trip to the Moravian Karst Caves near Brno. These caves are situated within a large protected area and while there are many caves in the region, we chose the most popular ones. Our destination was the Macocha Abyss and we parked our car at the Punkevní Caves Park.

In the park there's an information center and a ticket booth. Here you can buy cave tour tickets and special train tickets that take you to the entrance. Alternatively you can reach the cave by walking along the 2 kilometer path through the protected area along the river.

The underground cave is enchanting with its beauty and impressive lighting. The temperature inside the cave is always a constant 8 degrees. Throughout you can observe numerous stalactite formations.

As part of the tour we also visited the Macocha Abyss, which is 138 meters deep. There's a legend about a stepmother pushing her stepson off the cliff here. After walking the route and reaching the bottom of the abyss, you board a silent electric motorboat. The second part of the tour involves a boat ride along an underground river, which can sometimes reach a depth of 40 meters. The route is quite interactive, and you might have to lean to avoid bumping into formations on the walls.

Exiting the cave, we were filled with impressive impressions. The tour was well organized, and the boat ride at the end added a special charm to the experience. The train ride costs 6 euros but you can also follow the route by walking.

After our cave adventure, we returned to the city center. It was a great trip. I would love to visit this city again someday.