TIC Brno is launching minibus sightseeing tours around Brno with the start of the tourist season, to take visitors to places they wouldn’t be able to get around on foot. This year, six themed routes are operating, including an English-friendly tour of some of the city’s historical villas. Photo credit: Pavel Gabzdyl
To open the new tourist season, TIC Brno is offering minibus sightseeing tours, allowing visitors to explore the city through six routes on a different theme. These themed routes include: Workers’ Colonies; Palaces of Industrial Aristocracy; Functionalism; Legendary Places of Brno Sport; Viewpoints, and finally an English-friendly tour of Brno’s Famous villas, which is the only one providing an audio guide in English.
The English-friendly route includes four famous villas. All were built in the first third of the 20th century and yet are very different: the Art Nouveau Löw-Beer (1904), Jurkovič’s Villa (1906), the modernist Vila Stiassni (1929) and the functionalist Vila Tugendhat (1930).
“Although the villas were built less than 30 years apart, each is completely different,” said Jana Janulíková, director of TIC BRNO. “Each of them is separately managed, so we have become a mediator who will connect these entities and offer a new, comprehensive and specific tourist product for fans of Brno and its 20th century architecture. Visitors will also get to visit the otherwise sold-out functionalist Villa Tugendhat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which normally has a waiting period of several months.”
The most famous villa of this quartet, Villa Tugendhat was built between 1929 and 1930 by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. It is characterised by its atypical construction, the use of rare materials in the interior and exceptional technical quality. Visitors will also visit the Art Nouveau Villa Löw-Beer, built in 1903 according to the plans of architect Alexander Neumann. The villa is linked by family history to Villa Tugendhat, built in its gardens. The Stiassni Villa, designed by architect Ernst Wiesner for the family of Jewish textile industrialist Alfred Stiassni, is an example of the individualist modernist style. Jurkovič’s villa, inspired by British and Viennese folk art, is in turn a world-class example of Art Nouveau architecture.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”611″ gal_title=”TIC BRNO TOUR VILLA”]Although these four famous villas were built less than 30 years apart, they all look very different. Photo credit: David Židlický
However, even if you don’t speak Czech you can still enjoy some of the other tours, such as the Viewpoints route, designed for lovers of beautiful panoramic views. Last year, this tour showcased the views of the eastern part of Brno, and this year it will tour the most beautiful landmarks of the western part, including Špilberk, Kraví hora, Holedná lookout tower, Mahenova hillside and others.
In the comfort of an air-conditioned minibus, tours are possible in all weather conditions. Rides depart from náměstí Svobody on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and last between 2 and 3.5 hours.
For more information about the tours and to buy tickets online, you can visit the official website of TIC Brno.