A short wander away, Zelný trh unfolds as one of the city’s most atmospheric market, anchored by the theatrical grandeur of the Parnas Fountain. Constructed in 1695, the Baroque masterpiece presents allegorical figures representing the ancient empires of Babylon, Persia, and Greece. Nearby stands a statue of a young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, commemorating his performance at the Reduta Theatre at just 11 years old. The statue’s near-nude form, at once delicate and slightly startling, is widely interpreted as a nod to artistic innocence though in Brno, ambiguity often feels intentional.
What makes Brno truly compelling is not simply its history but its ability to live comfortably alongside it. Candle-lit cafés spill onto historic squares, experimental cocktail bars hum within centuries-old buildings, and university energy lends the city an unmistakable creative pulse. The result is a destination that feels both deeply rooted and refreshingly current.
Prague may forever hold its reputation as the grand dame of Czech cities. But Brno—unpolished, witty, and quietly confident is its effortlessly stylish cousin who knows all the best stories and none of the crowds. This Czechia’s second-largest city 200 kilometres southeast of Prague reveals itself through strolls along cobbled streets where medieval spires, avant-garde architecture, and eccentric local lore exist in effortless harmony. Once the political and cultural hub of the South Moravian region, the city offers an interesting blend of history and modern architecture.
Rising dramatically above the city from Petrov Hill, the Cathedral of St Peter and Paul dominates Brno’s skyline with its distinctive twin spires and an unexpectedly ornate Baroque interior that rewards slow, reverential exploration.
Yet it is the cathedral’s timekeeping, and not its architecture that fuels its mystique. Unlike churches that mark midday with a noon bell, this cathedral's rings at 11am. The ritual traces back to 1645 during the Thirty Years’ War, when Brno stood as the only Moravian city resisting Swedish forces. Legend holds that Swedish commanders vowed to abandon their siege if the city remained unconquered by noon. In a moment of tactical theatre, Brno’s defenders rang the bells an hour early, prompting the Swedish retreat and securing the city’s place in folklore. The 11 am ritual also plays out at the Freedom Square, the main square, with a black phallic-shaped granite structure in the middle, which is in fact a functioning Chronometer. At precisely the same hour every day, a glass marble shoots up inside it; if your hand happens to be inside one of the four slots, you can catch the ball and keep it as a souvenir!