Two brick and one concrete water reservoir are unparalleled in Europe, reminiscent of the Istanbul Yerebatan cisterns, and their visit will take your breath away!
Brno's "must see" is located beneath an unassuming grassy area of the revitalized park on Yellow Hill and offers an experience you won't find anywhere else in the Czech Republic. This now unique technical monument served its purpose until 1997, and in 2019 it was successfully placed under heritage protection and gradually made accessible to the public. The complete reconstruction of the historical waterworks area took place from 2022 to 2023 under the leadership of architect Ing. David Prudík, aiming to make all three reservoirs accessible while preserving their authenticity, which was achieved. The complete trio of reservoirs was made accessible to the public in its authentic form on World Water Day in March 2024. Visitors preferring expert interpretation as well as individual tourists can explore the entire area, including the revitalized park, at their own pace, perhaps with an audio guide.
The Brick Reservoir 1 dates back to 1874, with a concrete bottom shaped like a trough, and the supporting system consists of walls, not pillars, as is the case in other reservoirs. The structure is made entirely of handmade bricks. Brick Reservoir 2 was built in 1894, and besides a flat concrete bottom, the entire structure is made of bricks that were already produced mechanically. Concrete two-chamber Reservoir 3 was completed in 1917, and its spaces give a mystical impression, primarily due to the echo that can be measured for a long 56 seconds. During its operation, all three reservoirs could hold up to 33 million liters of water.
Thanks to the project VodojeMyArt, today you can enjoy not only the architecture itself but also great concerts, performances, visual shows, and site-specific events. A permanent feature of Reservoir 3 is the light object Hole by Ondřej Doležal from Street Dog, created with the visual principle of an infinite mirror, and starting at 11:00, an audiovisual installation Critical Level by the SVITAVA – transmedia art lab (Jiří Suchánek and Petr Bradáček) is launched every hour on the hour.
Brno's underground is a phenomenon
If your visit to the Reservoirs on Yellow Hill is not enough, you can choose from seven other types of Brno's underground with a unique atmosphere. Each place is unique, judge for yourself: the network of medieval cellars Labyrinth under the Vegetable Market, Cellar under the New Town Hall with Brno legends, Ossuary at St. James, which has one of the largest collections of found remains in Europe, Bunker 10-Z under Špilberk, and Denis Shelter under Petrov, Tomb of the Capuchins with mummified monks, and you are also invited to the underground of Špilberk Castle.
www.vodojemybrno.cz
www.podzemibrno.cz
Reservoirs Yellow Hill
Tvrdého 15, 602 00 Brno
Tel.: +420 770 156 148
Email: vodojemy@ticbrno.cz
Tuesday-Sunday 10:00-18:00
