Town Hall Tower

The Old Town Hall in the Moravian city of Brno is one of the oldest and best-known buildings in the Old Town. The core of the building, including the 63-meter-high tower, dates to around 1240, after the city had been granted its rights. Over the centuries the complex was expanded, including the addition of a chapel in 1424. An architectural highlight is the late Gothic entrance portal, created in the early sixteenth century by Anton Pilgram. It is adorned with the Brno coat of arms and a statue of Justitia. The crooked middle turret draws particular attention; according to legend, it is the result of an unpaid wage owed to the master builder. In the passageway leading to the inner courtyard, you will find the famous Brno Dragon. Although the legend tells of a slain monster, the sculpture is in fact a crocodile, presented to the city in 1608 as a political gift from the Hungarian King Matthias II. Since 1935, the building has no longer housed the city administration and now serves as a cultural and information center.