I have not travelled since returning from Banská Štiavnica. As my stay in Slovakia is rapidly drawing to a close, how best to spend what little time there is left to explore this part of the world has become more pressing.
Brno lies on the Inter European City line between Budapest and Hamburg, and is only 134 km, or 1.5 hours away by train from Bratislava.
On a bright crisp autumn morning, I bought a first class return train ticket (€18.80), and along with a horde of other travellers, boarded the DB train heading north. The silence in the first class carriages was a direct contrast to the buzz and noise in the crowded second class carriages, but perfect as a hideaway to watch the countryside slipping by. The train stops at Kúty and Břeclav before pulling in at Brno.
Emerging from the underpass plagued with cheap goods stores, Brno looked promising. The historical centre, its streets still paved in cobbled stones, reminded the visitors of its rich cultural history.
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| Vegetable Market (or Cabbage Market) |
There were a handful of stalls selling vegetables, fruit and flowers at the Vegetable Market, and as I did not have any Czech Kronoa (Kč) at the time, I decided not to approach the stalls. The centre of the Market is dominated by the Baroque Parnas Fountain which symbolises a cave made of natural stone decorated by allegoric statues. Whilst I was trying to orientate myself, an old man approached me and offered me a sheet of paper with all the tourist landmarks on a "voluntary contribution" basis. He spoke perfect English, with a pleasant manner, and wore a badge that declared him as a "Voluntary Sightseeing Advisor". Perhaps out of fear, perhaps out of suspicion, I declined to pay in whatever currency for a map that later I obtained from the Tourist Office at no cost.
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| Cathedral of St Peter & Paul |
The Cathedral of St Peter and Paul, perched on top of a hill known as Petrov, was my next stop. The twin spires of this Cathedral, together with the silhouette of Špilberk Castle form the famous Brno skyline. At 11 am, the car park outside the Cathedral was filling up for the morning mass. A little boy rushed up to an old couple, embracing his grandparents. The old couple looked across, beamed at me, and wished me dobry den.
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| Spelberk Castle etched in the skyline |
From the Cathdral, Špilberk Castle gleamed in the morning light. The hrad is accessible from a park. It is known as the "jail of nations" for its reputation as the most feared prison in during the Hapsburg monarchy. Later it was to serve as the Gastapo headquarters in Moravia. Its association with torture, brutality and bravery is recorded in the permanent exhibitions inside the Castle, as well as the casemates - the dark grim rooms in the fortifications that were once prison cells for criminals. Having had the freedom of roaming leisurely around art galleries in the world, I was treated to a Soviet style of visitor management in these exhibition rooms. In each room my ticket was checked and sometimes double checked by middle aged women who herded me around like a clueless foot soldier - Go straight down, then turn left, and if I happened to turn right, I was quickly corrected. I fled the oppressive regime with distaste. The ticketing system at the Castle was unnecessarily complicated, with numerous permutations that tested the patience of a simple girl like me.
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| View of Brno from the Castle |
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| View of Cathedral of St Peter & Paul from the Castle |
It was a refreshing change then to have a light lunch at a cafe near the Old Town Hall. The punters here were locals, checking their iPad and tablets, chatting to their friends and drinking coffee served by an attentive waiter. There were other eateries, but in a city where there is no visible divide for non smokers, I eschewed many other cafes where smokers could be seen puffing away in total abandonment.
