Things a retired person could do in BRNO
Freedom Square (Náměstí Svobody) forms the heart of the city. It's shaped into big reversed "A". Many cultural events take place here and there are always a lot of people here. It is closed for most cars and trams running through the middle. Also most of the interesting places in the city center are within 10 minutes walk from the Square.
?pilberk Castle (Hrad ?pilberk), ☎ +420 542 123 615 (
[email protected]), [29]. May?Sep 9AM?6PM, Oct?Apr 10AM?5PM. Formerly the major royal castle in Moravia, the seat of Margraves of Moravia (Moravian rulers), and once the seat of the King of the Holy Roman Empire (King Jobst of Moravia). Later it become a famous fortress which was for a long time used as one of the most feared prisons in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Many people have been tortured here from all around Europe, mostly during the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Currently it's the city museum with restaurant and there's a nice park around it, open for walks and beautiful sightseeing, the castle and the park are parts of the national cultural heritage of Czech Republic. Permanent exhibitions Kč 120, casemates Kč 70.
Petrov Cathedral, Petrov Street, [30]. Cathedral: 8:15AM?18:30PM; tower: May?Sep 12PM?6:30PM, Oct?Apr 12PM?5PM; crypt: Tu?Su 11AM?5PM. St. Peter and Paul Cathedral, known as Petrov forms a dominant silhouette of Brno skyline. (Petrov is the name of the hill which the cathedral is built upon, not the cathedral itself.)
Church of St. James, Jakubské náměstí. This church is doubtlessly one of the most notable churches in Brno, it's a big gothic church, it was founded in the 13th century and since 17th century it stayed unchanged (which is quite rare). Beneath the church, there is the Brno Ossuary, the second biggest ossuary in Europe (after the Catacombs of Paris). The ossuary is not yet opened for visitors, however, it's planned for year 2012.
Old Town Hall, Radnická 8 (between Náměstí Svobody and main station). See beloved Brno symbols the Brno Dragon (Brněnský drak) and the Wheel. Also notice the lopsided tower above the entrance. Legend has it that the city council stiffed the mason who built it and he made the crooked ornament in a fit of pique.
Moravian square (Moravské náměstí) is the biggest square in Brno, it's dominated by the
Church of Saint Thomas which is the last resting place of Jobs of Moravia, German King and Margrave of Moravia, the nearby former Governor's Palace offers permanent exhibitions of the Moravian Gallery. The square is located in the historical centre near the Freedom Square.
Denis gardens (Denisovy sady), it's one of the most beautiful parks in Brno, there is an obelisk and a colonnade, and it offers a nice view on the city, including the ?pilberk castle and the cathedral, also it is the oldest public park in the country which was founded by public administration authorities. It's located in the historical center, between the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul and the ?pilberk Castle.
Lu?ánky park (Park lu?ánky), the oldest public park in the country and the biggest park in Brno. There is an artificial brook with living fishes and a number of similar nice things. It's located north to the historical centere, about 15 minutes by walk, or 2-3 minutes by tram.
Tugendhat Villa, Černopolní 45 (tram stop ?Dětská nemocnice?), ☎ +420 545 212 118, [31]. The villa is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Designed by Mies van der Rohe, it is seen to be a classic example of Bauhaus architecture, and was also the location of the meeting which decided upon the Velvet Divorce that separated the Czech and Slovak republics in 1992. It is possible to visit the Villa by guided tour; tours are led hourly and must be booked in advance (see the Villa website at
http://www.tugendhat.eu/). The building reopened in March 2012 after an extensive restoration, to international acclaim (
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesi...ies-brno-moore).
Capuchin Monastery (Kapucínský klá?ter), Kapucínské náměstí 5, ☎ +420 539 002 163, [32]. 15 Feb?14 Dec Tu?Su 11AM?4:30PM, May?Sep also in Mo. The monastery 17th Century lies right in the city center. Tourists love to visit the church, because of its Baroque statues and a mummified monks exhibition in an underground tomb. Kč 60.
Veveri street (Ulice Veveří), it might sound strange that some street is actually interesting but on Veveří, there is a group of outstanding Art Nouveau buildings called Tivoli (tram stop Konečného náměstí), and a number of baroque and other beautiful historical buildings. Nearby, there is also one of three botanical gardens in Brno. It street goes from the historical center and leads to the north.
The Moravian Museum (Moravské zemské muzeum), Zelný trh 8, ☎ +420 533 435 220 (
[email protected]), [33]. Tu?Sa 9AM?5PM. It's the second largest and oldest museum in the Czech Republic. It was founded in 1817 by Emperor Francis I and, today, has collections with millions of objects from different fields of human history. Apart from the main building in Dietrichstein Palace at Zelný trh the museum has various branches: Kč 130
.
Bishop Courtyard (Biskupský dvůr), Muzejní 1, ☎ +420 533 435 282, [34]. Numismatic exhibition and Moravian fauna exhibition.
Anthropos Pavilion, Pisárecká 5 (bus stop ?Anthropos?), ☎ +420 543 248 391, [35]. Exhibition on the oldest history of the settlement in Moravia as well as on the whole European continent.
The Moravian Gallery, ☎ +420 532 169 111 (
[email protected]), [36]. We?Su 10AM?6PM. The second largest art museum in the Czech Republic. Mainly exhibits Moravian art and applied art thoughout history. Most recommended is its exhibition of modern Moravian art. The gallery consists of three buildings: Admission to all three buildings Kč 300.
Pra?ák's Palace (Pra?ákův palác), Husova 18. Kč 120.
Museum of Decorative Arts (Uměleckoprůmyslové muzeum), Husova 14. Kč 150. edit
Governor Palace (Místodr?itelský palác), Moravské náměstí 1a. Kč 140.
The Mendel Museum of Genetics, Mendlovo náměstí 1a (tram stop ?Mendlovo náměstí?), ☎ +420 543 424 043 (
[email protected]), [37]. Tu?Su 10AM?5PM. The most famous biologist in the history of genetics worked and died in Brno. This interesting museum commemorates his revolutionary research. Information in English available. Kč 60, admission free every last Wednesday in a month..
Museum of Gypsy Culture (Muzeum romské kultury), Bratislavská 67 (tram stop ?Tkalcovská?), ☎ +420 545 571 798 (
[email protected]), [38]. Tu?Fr, Sa 10AM?6PM. A museum dedicated to the Gypsy minority in Moravia. Kč 40.
Brno Zoo, U zoologické zahrady 147/46, ☎ +420 546 432 311, [39]. Daily 9AM-4PM. A great zoo set in a nice area with hundreds of animals such as polar bears, seals, tigers, chimpanzees and more. Kč 100.