Brno - Tour of the city 2

During the tourist season, from May to September, every Wednesday there are regular tours of the city with a tour guide (at 10.00 and 14.00). The groups meet at Radnická Street 8 by the information centre. The tour, which lasts about 2-3 hours, covers: the Stará radnice / Old Town Hall (1) (tower open from April to September), Denisovy sady/Denis Gardens (2), the Cathedral of Sts. Petr and Pavel (Sts. Peter and Paul) (3), Zelný trh/Cabbage Market with the baroque Parnassus fountain; the Holy Trinity Column; the Reduta Theatre (4), the Kostel Nalezení sv. Kříže (Church of the Discovery of the Holy Cross) (5), náměstí Svobody and its Plague Column; Kleinův palác/Klein Palace; Dům pánů z Lipé/House of the Lords of Lipá (6) (viewing terrace with lift open year-round), The Church of St. Jakub (St. James) (7), Church of St. Tomáš (St. Thomas) (8) This tour can also be arranged for different days, but only on prior arrangement. The tour service can also provide a lunch, dinner or transport for the group, and individual tours can be arranged according to the requirements of the client.

Maybe you were unaware that...

• When you say ‘castle’ in Brno, Špilberk is the only one that springs to mind. But Brno once had three of them. The first of these is surrounded by a veil ofmystery as its appearance and position are unknown, even though it was of fundamental importance in the history of Brno. It is mentioned by Kosmas (1045-1125) in his chronicle, which is considered to be the very first written record of Brno.
• Why do the noon bells on Petrov ring at eleven o‘clock? Many tourists who are on a tour of Brno scratch their heads over this one and cannot understand it. The reason for this was the siege of the city by the Swedes in 1645. They were convinced that they would conquer the city within the space of one week, but nothing came of this. The army had been standing before the city for four months, and so General Torstenson made the decision to make his final attack on 15 August and, before the clock had struck noon on Petrov, he must have taken the city. If not, he would retreat. An innkeeper who had served the Swedes overheard this plan and immediately went to tell the city defenders. In the morning battle commenced, and as the Swedes were just managing to break through the fortifications and enter the city, General de Souches leader of the defending forces, sent the bell ringer to ring midday at the cathedral of St. Peter. It was eleven o’clock when the noon bell rang. The Swedes stopped fighting and had gone before night had fallen. Brno was saved and since that time the noon bells have always rung at eleven o’clock.