Brno is the second biggest town in the Czech Republic and its population is about 400,000. It's a modern, industrial city, the seat of the Supreme Court

     Brno is the second biggest town in the Czech Republic and its population is about 400,000. It's a modern, industrial city, the seat of the Supreme Court and an important centre of education (Masaryk University and the Technical University of Brno). It is situated in South Moravia at the confluence of the rivers Svratka and Svitava. It has an international airport and it is also an important railway junction.
     The dominant of Brno is Petrov Hill with the monumental Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, which is the oldest church in Brno.The present neo-Gothic appearance comes from the 19th century. You can see the spires of the cathedral from a great distance.
     The Špilberk castle is situated in the centre of Brno on a hill next to Petrov. You can climb the hill and enjoy the view of Brno and its surroundings. The castle was built by the Czech king Pøemysl Otakar II. to protect the royal town of Brno. In the 17th century it became an important regional fortress and the Swedish army wasn't able to conquer it during the Thirty-Years' War. Then it was a prison for the people of the Habsburg Empire. Now there is a museum with many exhibitions, visitors can also explore the underground and in summer fireworks are launched from the Špilberk castle.
     In Brno there are many churches, monasteries and convents. In churches there are still ceremonies, but some of the monasteries and convents have been changed into museums, galleries or hospitals. The monastery next to the St. Thomas Church is now a place where are collections of the Moravian Gallery, and the Convent of St. Anna at Pekaøská street has been a hospital for a long time.
Many tourists visit the Old Townhall and the legendary Brno dragon (in fact, it is a crocodile). If you want to see the whole town, you can climb up the stairs of the look-out tower. The town council has its seat in the New Townhall at Dominican Square. Another attraction is the Capuchin crypt where more than one hundred mummies of capuchin monks can be seen.
     Brno's history is documented in many museums. The central building of the Moravian Museum is at Cabbage Market. An exhibition on the history of mankind can be seen in the Anthropos pavillion (there is for example  the stuffed mammoth). At the exhibition ground in Pisárky there are many exhibitions held during the year.
     In the evenings, people can go to theatres or cinemas. There are some well-known theatres in Brno, such as Janáèek Theatre or Mahen Theatre.
    Brno has a long industrial tradition. Engineering products are well-known all around the world and they are exhibited at the Brno International Engineering Trade Fair every year. The electrotechnical industry is also important. But some of the engineering factories in Brno have problems in present, so the situation in industry isn't what it used to be.
   Some old industrial parts of Brno are polluted, but the inhabitants of Brno have many opportunities for recreation and sports. There are many parks - the largest one is called Lužánky. Near this park is situated one of the most modern sport centres in our republic - the Boby centre. The most popular sports in Brno are football, ice-hockey, basketball or volleyball.
A popular place for recreation is the Brno Reservoir. Families like to visit the nearby zoo. Not far from the reservoir you can find the Masaryk racetrack, which every year tests the qualities of motorbike racers.


 Which part of Brno do you live in? What is it like there? What do you like and dislike in Brno?

population obyvatelstvo launch vystøelit (vzhùru)
the Supreme Court Nejvyšší soud monastery mužský klášter
education vzdìlání convent ženský klášter
confluence soutok townhall radnice
airport letištì whole celý
railway junction železnièní uzel look-out tower rozhledna, vyhlíd. vìž
church kostel town council mìstská rada
spire vìžièka monk; nun mnich; jeptiška
distance vzdálenost Cabbage Market Zelný trh
surround obklopovat stuffed mammoth vycpaný mamut
surroundings okolí engineering strojírenství, - ský
royal královský pollute zneèistit
fortress pevnost opportunity pøíležitost
conquer dobýt the Brno Reservoir Brnìnská pøehrada
the Habsburg Empire Habsburská monarchie racetrack závodní okruh
firework ohòostroj