Visit Špilberk Castle in Brno: A Former Habsburg Prison

One of the top places to visit in Brno is Špilberk Castle, which is on a hill overlooking the city. It’s a great place for a walk, and there are lots of things to see for free. We also paid to visit various parts of the inside, too.

We took dog walks in the castle park and found it to be beautiful. The views from the fortifications were special, especially towards the cathedral and other spires of the city. Like many other castles we have visited in the Czech Republic, I found this interesting and enjoyable.

What to See For Free At Spilberk Castle

The castle is on a hill, which is a fantastic park for walks. There are many parts of the castle to see from the outside. We had quite a few dog walks around the castle and its fortifications. The park was large and had many walking routes.

The inner courtyard was free to enter, so you could get up close and personal with the castle and see its features. The inner courtyard also has a 15-bell carillon that plays periodically, adding to the vibe. You can also see the tower, guard posts and other features of the building.

I really liked walking around the main fortifications and the outside of the main building. The fortress walls were pretty formidable, and the views from these were great.

The gardens on the hill were also pretty, with lots of places to sit in the shade and crack open a bottle of local beer. They also had some horses who seemed to be used to maintain the grass. The gardens also had some decorative features.

The edges of the park and the battlements offer wonderful viewpoints over the nearby countryside and parts of the city.

Paid Areas of Spilberk Castle

The castle is one of the top attractions in Brno and is well worth visiting. Confusingly, there are many options for parts of the castle to see when visiting. So at the ticket office we hastily chose which to see.

We decided to visit the castle, the museum, the casemate, the Lookout Tower, and the Royal Chapel. All were informative and enjoyable.

The Story of The Castle & The Museum

The museum and story of the castle sections of the site were massive and covered lots of the site’s history. This included when the castle was used as a prison.

While travelling across Europe, the Habsburgs often had some involvement with historic sites, especially in Central Europe. The Habsburg dynasty was very influential between the 15th and 20th centuries and left its mark all over the place. With great influence, they got a few enemies over the centuries, and Spilberk Castle was their political prison.

The section on the prisoners held and punished here was fascinating and covered various groups over the centuries. It also included when the Nazis used the site.

The archaeology section was interesting to see, including how they built and grew the fortress. This also had some stonework and other artefacts.

Inside there were also some art galleries which had some fantastic historical paintings and some modern art too. We had a quick mooch through the galleries and stopped when something caught our eye.

Casemates

My favourite part of the site to visit was the casemate, a series of tunnels beneath the main building. You can access these via steps from the main courtyard, which take you into a moat before heading into the dark tunnels.

The casemates were built in 1742, which was the final stage of the castle’s conversion into a baroque fortress. Casemates were typically used to provide cover during attacks and also for storage. They look a bit like wine cellars I’ve visited.

The casemates at Brno Castle were long and dark, with stone walls. There were quite a few exhibits to see while exploring, including mock cells from when it was used as a dark, dingy prison. From 1783, Emperor Joseph II decided to use part of the casemates as a prison for the more serious offenders. Other exhibits here included torture methods and the beds used by those who were imprisoned.

Lookout Tower

If you like views, then the lookout tower has a 360-degree view of the city. The lookout tower, in its current form, is pretty new. The route to the castle from the main courtyard has some interesting rooms and staircases to see.

From the top, I spotted many of the places we had already visited and some spires that piqued my interest to find the next day.

Royal Chapel

The chapel and tower were part of the same ticket for us when we visited. Signs took you on a tour of both. The chapel was formerly used for defensive purposes and is now a stunning part of the castle to visit. You can even hire this as an event venue, apparently.

The chapel looked quite modern and had high ceilings and some impressive stained glass to see. Two things that piqued my interest were the decorative floor and the Moravian eagle on the wall. Inside, they also had information boards telling the story of the chapel. You can also see the chapel from above after climbing steps to a balcony.

Refreshments

There are a few establishments on Castle Hill in Brno, including bars and cafes. We had coffee and beer out on the hill a few times when walking the dog. We also took our own to enjoy while sitting on benches on the hill. Just outside the park are many places to eat or drink, too.