We all know this. Lazy autumn (rainy) days, the sun setting down too soon and not enough time to enjoy a walk in the fresh air. But what if there was a solution?
Of course, there is! We prepared a few tips for nice walks/hikes which you can manage under 3 hours when you get spontaneous after your studies or if you have a free slot in your daily schedule.
Bíla Hora (White Hill)
White Hill (Bílá hora) is located above the former village of Juliánov, on the territory of the Brno-Židenice district. In the 90s of the 19th century, numerous workers' demonstrations took place here. The most important took place on July 18th, 1893, when the employees of the Brno textile factories demonstrated for universal suffrage and better working conditions. At the very top of the White Hill, they are commemorated by a memorial to the workers' movement from 1957. During World War II, the Germans began to use this area for war production. Nowadays, based on the search, it can most likely be assumed that inside the hill there is an extensive sandstone labyrinth of corridors, which is comparable in size to the spaces on Stránská skála.
From 1991 is this area renowned as a protected natural reserve. You can take tram No.8 from Main train station (Hlavní nádraží) in the direction of Líšeň to the stop Bělohorská or Líšeňská to start your walk.
Ostrá Horka lookout tower in Soběšice
The lookout tower Ostrá Horka is located in the southern part of Sobešice on the likewise named hill with an altitude of 405 m. The tower is 19 m high and freely accessible. To enjoy the view of the northern part of Brno, Pálava area or the nearby Moravian Karst, you will have to climb 90 stairs.
Access:
Not far from the lookout tower there is a stop Pánska Lícha of bus No. 57 (leaving directly from JAK dorms stop Štefánikova čtvrť), a yellow sign leads directly to the lookout tower - the optimal place for an afternoon walk during the week. If you want to combine visiting the lookout tower with a trip, you can search on Mapy.cz several hiking trails in the area. One of which is around 7 kilometres long and called the Lesnická Nature Trail north of Soběšice.
Stránska Skála
The best at last! :) For those of you who were lucky enough to join our notorious Tram Party, you might know that Stranska skála is one of the stops on the party way. However, since this happens after dusk, many people would probably not recognize this place during the daytime, but believe me, it's worth it!
Stránska skála (310 m) is the most morphologically significant island of Mesolithic Jurassic limestone on the southeastern outskirts of the city of Brno. The rocky outcrop is about 1.5 km long, 0.5 km wide and the thickness of limestone here exceeds 80 m. With its immense geological, paleontological, archaeological and botanical significance, Stránska skála was declared a national natural monument.
At the end of the war, underground spaces were built in the massif of the hill, where the military production of aircraft engines was transferred. After the war, some areas were taken over by civil defence. There are also several caves on Stránská skála, the longest of which has the character of a descending abyss, at the bottom of which there is an underground lake (not freely accessible). When the weather is clear, there is a nice view of the Líšeň and Vinohrady districts, the Hády plateau and partly also of the centre of Brno with the Petrov and Špilberk landmarks from the top of the hill.
How to get there
Just take the tram No.10 from the Main train station (Hlavní nádraží) to the stop Stránska skála from where the walk starts. To get back to the city centre it's best again to take tram No.10 from one of the stops Stránská skála - smyčka, Stránska skála or Podstránska. Special tip - during the weekend the tram No.10 is operated by a historic tram model.
