Brno
Brno | |
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Clockwise from top: Liberty Square; Lužánky Park; Ignis Brunensis; Špilberk Castle; Brno Exhibition Centre; Villa Tugendhat; and Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul | |
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Flag Coat of arms Logo | |
Brno Location in the Czech Republic | |
| Coordinates: 49°11′33″N 16°36′30″E / 49.19250°N 16.60833°E | |
| Country | Czech Republic |
| Region | South Moravian |
| District | Brno-City |
| Founded | c. 1000 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Markéta Vaňková (ODS) |
| Area | |
| 230.18 km2 (88.87 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 225.71 km2 (87.15 sq mi) |
| • Water | 4.47 km2 (1.73 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 1,978 km2 (764 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 237 m (778 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 497 m (1,631 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 190 m (620 ft) |
| Population (2025-01-01) | |
| 402,739 | |
| • Density | 1,784.3/km2 (4,621.4/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 729,405 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 600 00 – 650 00 |
| Website | www |
Brno (/ˈbɜːrnoʊ/ BUR-noh, Czech pronunciation: [ˈbr̩no] ⓘ; German: Brünn [bʁʏn] ⓘ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 403,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic after the capital, Prague, and one of the 100 largest cities in the European Union. The Brno metropolitan area has approximately 730,000 inhabitants.
Brno served as the capital of Moravia from the Middle Ages until 1948, and remains the political and cultural hub of the South Moravian Region. Brno is an important centre of the Czech judiciary. The Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Supreme Administrative Court, the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office, as well as state authorities, such as the Ombudsman and the Office for the Protection of Competition, are all located here. Brno is also an important centre of learning and higher education, with 10 universities, 29 faculties and a student population of over 65,000, as well as more than 60 secondary schools throughout the city.
The Brno Exhibition Centre is one of the largest in Europe. The complex opened in 1928 and has a long history of hosting international trade fairs and expositions. The Masaryk Circuit has been hosting motorsport events since 1930, including the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix. Another local tradition is the international fireworks competition and drone show Ignis Brunensis, which attracts over a million visitors annually.
Brno's traditional symbols are two medieval landmarks which dominate the cityscape: the historic Špilberk Castle and its fortifications, and the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul on Petrov Hill. Another historic landmark is the Veveří Castle near the Brno Reservoir. The Villa Tugendhat, a seminal example of functionalist architecture, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List in 2001. One of the natural sights outside the city is the Moravian Karst. Brno is a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and was designated a "City of Music" in 2017.