Museum sights in Brno
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Špilberk Castle
Špilberk Castle may lack fairy tale good looks, but it has been a crowning feature of the city's skyline for centuries. Founded in the early 1200s, the castle was lived in by the Czech kings before being transformed into a military fortress in the 18th century. In this form the castle became 'home' to enemies of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
For great views climb the Špilberk Castle Lookout Tower and admire the rather impressive chime (in the second courtyard), which musically sees in the hour from 10:00 to 18:00.
A multinational band of rebels was incarcerated in the so-called Prison of the Nations. The prison closed in 1853 but was reopened by the occupying Nazis in WW…
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Mendelianum
At Mendlovo náměstí, in part of the Abbey of St Thomas, the Mendelianum is a museum devoted to the father of modern genetics, botanist Gregor Johann Mendel (1822-84), who opened up new realms of possibility in this area with his pioneering work on the humble garden pea. He was a former abbot of St Thomas.
Mendel's work went largely unnoticed until after his death, when it was discovered that he had identified the principle of inheritance that governs how characteristics are passed on through the generations.
Take tram 1 from the train station to Mendlovo náměstí, and the museum is through a gate into a garden, second door on your right.
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Brno City Museum
Špilberk Castle houses the Brno City Museum, which hosts permanent exhibitions on the history of construction, Brno's monuments and architecture, plus a fine arts gallery. Especially interesting is the section on the castle's past as a prison and the exquisite and colourful Brno Law Book and Bibles made for Arnošt of Pardubic (Arnost of Pardubice), who was appointed the first Archbishop of Prague in 1364.
(In the early days of Prague's Charles University, his support was vital when he ordered all monks to study there, thus raising the educational standards of the institution.)
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Technical Museum
Brno's new Technical Museum is worth a half day of anyone's time. Highlights are cool retro Tesla televisions and stereos, and the wonderful 'Orchestrion', a huge wind-up forerunner to the jukebox with mini drums and cymbals crashing in perfect unison. Don't miss the Panoptikon on the first floor; this huge wooden stereoscope allows up to 20 viewers to look at 3-D images from antique glass slides that are changed on a regular basis. Catch tram 13 to Králove Pole.
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Leoš Janáček Memorial Museum
A short walk from the old town is the small Leoš Janáček Memorial Museum dedicated to the composer. Janáček was born in Hukvaldy (North Moravia) but lived in Brno from childhood until his death in 1928. Janáček is the least known of the 'big three' Czech composers, the others being Smetana and Dvořák. All were exponents of 'musical nationalism', incorporating folk music into their pieces.
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Biskupský yard Museum
In a courtyard on the right of the Moravian museum is the Biskupský yard Museum, with the largest freshwater aquarium in the country, plenty on Moravian wildlife, lots of model mushrooms and a sleepy section on the history of money. How's that for a diverse series of exhibitions?
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Moravian Museum
On the southeast (uphill) side of the square is the former Ditrichstein palace (Ditrichštejnský palác), which now houses the Moravian Museum. Exhibits straddle the intellectual gulf between extinct life and the medieval village.
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Museum of Prison Life
Some of Špilberk Castle's casemates (kasematy), the dark corridors beneath the bastions, are now a Museum of Prison Life. The last entry to the museum is 45 minutes before closing time.
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Applied Arts Museum
The second branch of the Morovian gallery, the Applied Arts Museum, focuses on the evolution of arts and crafts from the Middle Ages to Art Nouveau and also holds regular, temporary exhibitions.
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Ethnographic Museum
Showcasing Moravia's obsession with tradition, the Ethnographic Museum gives a comprehensive insight into the region's traditional culture from the 18th to 20th centuries.
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Archaeological Museum
North on Masarykova, Orlí leads to the Měnín gate (Měninská brána) built around 1600 and now housing a small Archaeological Museum.
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