Freedom Square, Brno

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Many major world cities have very famous squares. Think Trafalgar Square, Times Square, Tianamen Square etc. and not to be outdone Brno has an absolute beauty. It is the Namesti Svobody (Freedom Square) which is large and traffic free except for a couple of tram lines. This makes it a lovely place to wander round or sit and enjoy a drink at one of the numerous watering holes as you indulge in a bit of people watching. As the title suggests, you really cannot miss it, it really is the heart of the city and I would suggest it would be impossible to visit and not end up there sooner or later.

The square, originally known as Lower Market, is dominated by the large column in the Northwest Corner (pictured). This is a monument to victims of the plague. If you look closely on the ground near the centre of the square you can also see the remains of the old Church of St. Nicolas which once stood here. More recently, during the Velvet Revolution, an estimated 80,000 people gathered here which must have been an impressive sight.

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Small and friendly Christmas market take place every year at Freedom Square. People come to have hot wine or medovina (spirit from honey) and talk to friends. Hot wine is only for 20 Kc (0.8 euro), which is very good price :-)
In the shops you can see or buy some handicrafts or gloves, etc.

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Namesti Svobody (Freedom Square) is the main square in Brno. There are situated many shops, restaurants, pubs, exchanges ... It was built in 13.century and there lived always rich people. The view point is Plague pillar, golden decorated and recently repaired fountain.
Recent style of the square is always discussed, because old house stands just next to new modern house. Just have a look, what is your opinion.

Dum panu z lipe / Schwartz-palace is certainly the most beautiful house with a renaissance-facade in Brno and you will find it in Namesti Svobody Nr.17

It is a shopping-centre today and has also a great cafe with a garden !
When you click on my picture, you may see the fine engravings, reliefs and paintings on the facade !

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You may click here in order to see a map
of the very centre of Brno / Brünn:

www.multimap.com
Brno centre

Dum panu z lipe / Schwartz-palace is where
Zameenizka meets Ceska namesti
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Right in the centre of the city and cut in two by the tramlines that come up from the main railway station.

Once filled with old Czech shops and stores and the "interesting" Sputnik diner, but now being created into a disaster of western consumerism....

Here was a great place to buy a smazeny syr from the little stand and eat it whilst watching folk dancing in the square and that sort of thing... now you can sit in McDonalds and watch everyone playing with their mobile cellphones. Progress? Pah!

This palace with its beautiful facade will you find near to Freedom Square.
Regarding to our guide it is one of the oldest buildings in Brno and it's proper name is "Palace Schwartz".
Inside there is a modern shopping area.
It's facade reveals an allegory with Moravian symbols.

Unfortunately they blemished it with a commercial banner as you see on my photo.

Take a closer look and walk inside the building , already the entrance-gate is worth your attention !
When you click on my picture, you may also see the fine engravings and decorations of that beautiful facade and the 4 great sculptures that seem to hold the roof of the entrance-gate.
ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo
Just walk inside as well and you will see great arcades and various shops, cafes and restaurants, all combined to a modern shopping-centre inside of historic walls.

The architecture of this "house of the four Karyatiden" was a big scandal first, when it was built in the 1920s.
These 4 men seem to work hard all day in order to hold the balcony of the building on Namesti Svobody / Freedom-square.
This lovely building is opposite of the Schwartz-house.

Today nobody cares a lot for these naked men at work, and the house is in posession of a foreign bank.

Nýmost Svobody is one of the most imposing squares in the historical city centre. In the past it was called Lower Market, and in medieval times was surrounded by houses owned by important people and Moravian noblemen.
The original appearance of the square changed following the extensive building alterations that took place at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, when a number of buildings were rebuilt in the neo-Renaissance style. The dominant feature of the square is the baroque Plague Column dating from 1679 with the statues of Sts. Rosalie, Stephen, Sebastien, Roche and Carlo di Boromeo.