Cathedral of St Peter and Paul
On this pleasant, sunny fall day, I went for a walk in the city and visited many notable places that are definitely worth visiting for anyone coming to the city. I started today’s walk from the main station. The first place I visited is the beautiful Roman Catholic Cathedral, the Cathedral of St Peter and Paul (Katedrála svatého Petra a Pavla), also known as Petrov, on Petrov Hill. It has a long history. It was built in the 11th century, although at that time it was only a Romanesque chapel. Towards the end of the 12th century, it was rebuilt into a small church with a crypt, which was expanded into a Romanesque basilica in the 13th century. Later, it was rebuilt again in the Gothic style. The cathedral is clearly visible from the main station and from the Špilberk castle. It is beautifully lit up at night. The image of the cathedral can also be seen on the Czech 10-crown coin.
Old Town Hall
I walked down from the cathedral through the Vegetable Market to the Old Town Hall (Stará radnice). The Old Town Hall is one of the oldest buildings in Brno. It was built in the 13th century and functioned as a town hall until 1935. The town hall was moved to Zemské hill, but this old building remained as a cultural and information center. You can walk up to the 63 meter (~207 ft) high tower, where you have a beautiful view of the city. At the entrance of which there are the Brno wheel and the Brno dragon, which are connected to Brno legends.
According to legend, the Brno dragon once threatened people and their livestock and no one could stop it. One day a butcher had an idea and stuffed animal hides with caustic lime and sewed them together to look like a bountiful meal for the dragon. With this, they tricked the beast, successfully fed him the feast and defeated him. There is evidence for the legend, but the legendary dragon was actually a crocodile.
Freedom Square
The next stop on my walk is Freedom Square (náměstí Svobody). It is a triangular square in the downtown. It was established in the 13th century at the intersection of three major trade routes. On the square, you can find several old buildings with renaissance sculptures on its facade. Such is the House of the Lords of Lipá (Dům pánů z Lipé) with its grapevine ornamentations and biblical scenes, the House of Four Giants (Dům U Čtyř mamlasů) with the four mythical giants, the Klein Palace (Kleinův palác) the Renaissance Revival building and the specially illuminated facade of the Omega Palace give the space a unique atmosphere. There is a fountain in the square, around which there is a rest area with beach chairs in the summer. The Baroque plague column sculpture was also placed on the square, which was built in memory of the plague epidemics in Brno. In 2010, a six meter tall clock made of black granite was added to the square, which intends to shape a gigantic bullet to commemorate the heroic defense of the city against the Swedish army during the Thirty Years’ War. Due to its unusual appearance, the watch has received quite a few humorous nicknames and jokes about it over the years.
Various events, beer festivals and concerts are held on the square throughout the year. In winter, Christmas pavilions and events run from the Vegetable Market to Freedom Square and all the way to Česká. At Česká, you can also get on the Ferris wheel. At this time, the streets are decorated in capricious splendor, everywhere there is the smell of gingerbread and mulled wine. In this square, opposite the fountain, there is also my favorite restaurant, Zlatá Loď, where I often go. I also brought my friends here when they visited from Esztergom. Of course, I often go out to the square since then, after all, it is the center of social life here.
Park Lužánky
I walked from Freedom Square to Park Lužánky, a beautiful large park. In its atmosphere, it reminds me of the City Park in Budapest from my childhood, where I used to go with my grandmother, sister and cousin. It was established in 1786. It is the largest and oldest park in Brno. In its center is the Renaissance Revival pavilion, where concerts, balls and parties were held. The park is decorated with small lakes, fountains and sculptures. Visitors are welcome to come for different outdoor sports like jogging, exercising, play badminton, play tennis, play volleyball or walk. This is also a good place to have a picnic or have a barbecue with family and friends.
Pelíšek Cat Cafe
This long walk was refreshing. I walked a total of 5.1 miles (~8.2 km) in pleasant sunshine. Fortunately, it didn’t rain today. At the end of the day, I went to the Pelíšek Cat Cafe, where I drank iced coffee and elderberry lemonade. This is the first cat adoption cafe in the city. Cats can roam freely throughout the cafe area. People come here not only for the adoption, but for the cafe’s good coffee and desserts, as well as its special atmosphere. I also enjoy spending time with these lovely purring cats. It was a very pleasant day in this beautiful city and the walk was good.
“We need to give each other the space to grow, to be ourselves, to exercise our diversity. We need to give each other space so that we may both give and receive such beautiful things as ideas, openness, dignity, joy, healing, and inclusion.”
– Max de Pree