Brno

Brno is the second largest city in the Czech Republic by population and area, the largest Moravian city. Brno is the seat of judicial authority of the Czech Republic – it is the seat of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Supreme Administrative Court, and the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office. It is the seat of a number of state authorities, including the Ombudsman, and the Office for the Protection of Competition. Brno is also an important centre of higher education, with 34 faculties belonging to 14 institutes of higher learning and about 83,000 students.


The most visited sights of the city include the Špilberk castle and fortress and the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul on Petrov hill, two medieval buildings that dominate the cityscape and are often depicted as its traditional symbols.


Another architectural monument of Brno is the functionalist Villa Tugendhat which has been included on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.


There are many museums and galeries in Brno – the Moravian Museum founded in 1817 is the largest and the biggest museum in Moravia. There is also a significant Technical Museum. The permanent expositions of the Technical Museum in Brno show the advance of science and technology, accompanied by various realistic models and restored machines. Short-term exhibitions of many different points of interest are also often held here.


The historic city core was declared an urban conservation area. One of the natural sights nearby is the Moravian Karst which is also a big turist attractive location.


Another cultural monument of the city is the Brno Exhibition Center - large exhibitions and fairs are traditionally held in the extensive area from 1928. Brno is also known as the venue for major motor races held in the nearby Masaryk Circuit, this tradition dates back to the 1930s. Brno is also a wine-growing village within the Velkopavlovice wine-growing subregion.


There are several legends connected with the City of Brno; one of the best known is the Legend of the Brno Dragon. It is said that there was a terrible creature terrorizing the citizens of Brno. The people had never seen such a beast before, so they called it a dragon. They trembled in fear of the dragon until a brave man decided to kill the monster by tricking it into eating a carcass filled with lime. In reality the dragon was a crocodile, the preserved body of which is now displayed at the entrance of the Old Town Hall.