Slovanské náměstí

Slovanské náměstí is a green square in Brno's Královo Pole district, centred on a rectangular park lined with a tree avenue. The place works both as a neighbourhood park and as a hub for a cluster of streets whose names all point in the same direction.

Why is the square called "Slavic Square"?

The name Slovanské náměstí was chosen to honour the Slavic nations, and that theme carries straight into the surrounding street grid. Streets meeting at the square — alongside Husitská and Skácelova — are named after individual Slavic peoples: Ruská (Russian), Charvatská (Croatian), Slovinská (Slovenian), Bulharská (Bulgarian), Srbská (Serbian) and Těšínská (Cieszyn/Silesian). That is not a coincidence: the whole neighbourhood was laid out as a coherent district, and the street names were meant to underline this shared Slavic identity. The square itself briefly carried a different name — from 22 November 1930 until 1939 it was known as Masarykovy sady, before reverting to its original, Slavic-themed title.

How did the park at its centre come about?

The park occupying the middle of the square was laid out in 1913, at a time when this part of Královo Pole was being developed as a new residential neighbourhood known as Na Slovanech (previously called Na Devadesátce). The landscaping was designed by Hamburg-based landscape architect Leberecht Migge, whose plan was later partially reworked by architect Josef Kumpán. The park is rectangular and spans two elevation levels, following the gentle slope of the terrain. Its defining feature is a set of regularly planted linden avenues, which give the space the orderly, representative look typical of early 20th-century garden design.

What building dominates the square?

The square is presided over by a monumental former Czech elementary school building, constructed in 1912-1913 to the final design of architect Antonín Blažek. In the pre-war years the building was considered one of the prides of Královo Pole, standing out from the surrounding development through its scale and architectural detailing. It still houses a primary school and a grammar school today, meaning the site has kept its original educational function uninterrupted for well over a century.

Why is it worth a look?

Slovanské náměstí is a good example of a square conceived as a whole from the outset — park, school and street network all built around a single unifying idea. For visitors exploring Brno beyond the historic centre, it offers a glimpse of early 20th-century suburban planning: regular tree avenues, civic buildings with a representative character, and street names chosen to express the identity of the people who settled there.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Slovanské náměstí located? The square is in Brno's Královo Pole district.

Where does the square's name come from? It honours the Slavic nations, a theme echoed in the names of the surrounding streets — including Ruská, Charvatská, Slovinská, Bulharská, Srbská and Těšínská.

When was the park at the square created? The park was laid out in 1913 as the new Na Slovanech residential neighbourhood was being built, designed by Leberecht Migge and later modified by Josef Kumpán.

Has the square always had the same name? No — between 1930 and 1939 it was called Masarykovy sady, before reverting to Slovanské náměstí.

What building dominates the square? A monumental former Czech elementary school built in 1912-1913 to a design by architect Antonín Blažek, today home to a primary school and a grammar school.