Kamenka in the 1930s. Source: Encyklopedie města Brna
Built illegaly in the 1920s by the poorest workers and turned into a hipster quarter in the 1960s, shanty town “Kamenná kolonie” is probably the most poetic neighborhood of Brno.
Kamenná kolonie belongs to the central district Brno-střed. It lies in an abandoned quarry, across the Svratka river from the exhibition ground. There are several dozens of very small houses with streets so narrow that the quarter is sometimes nicknamed “Sparrow’s nest”.
Kamenná kolonie today
Pros
- The place is beautiful and has an unique spirit.
- There’s a great free-thinking community in Kamenná kolonie.
Cons
- The houses can’t be really bought, as the land still belongs to the town. (But I am not 100% sure with this.)
- It’s not easy to rent a house or a room in “Kamenka”, as the quarter is really small.
- The place is surrounded with woods – well, not deep dark dangerous woods, but it’s still not really comfortable to go to Kamenná kolonie at night.
- No services or shops, except a bar and a vet.
- The people living in Kamenná kolonie are sometimes considered to be vagabonds – put simply, this stupid prejudice killed a young German expat earlier this year.
Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Antoni Gaudí and Přemek Podlaha got drunk together in Kamenka once upon a time.
So you said this place is cool and now there are 5 reasons why not to live there?
Be cool. If you are a young artist, anarchist, leftie, pot-grower etc., you’ll love living in Kamenka and your neighbors will love you. Otherwise you must to visit Kamenná kolonie at least once during your stay in Brno anyway! Walk through the streets, explore all the street art and sit down in the Duck bar, once awarded “the best pub in Brno” in local newspaper (to put it clear, it certainly isn’t the best pub in Brno).
Kamenka can be reached by the bike path leading through the banks of Svratka river – it may be a beautiful Sunday trip.
Old Fiat and Škoda parked in Kamenka
Map
Links
- A panoramatic picture showing Kamenka and the exhibition ground
- An article [CZE] and a gallery
- Gallery of pictures taken from the top of the quarry
- Gallery of pictures taken in the streets
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I live in Foz do Iguaçu,Paraná State, Brasil. Please I`m sourching,since a year ago I´m lokking for a village called Krimnianka, Volhynia,as my mother told me she was born in 1923. I could´d find anythig similar. Can you help me? I think it´s a village.She just could tell me only this name.Thanks if you can help me send me a site, links, where I can find it.
Teresa, I am sorry, but my knowledge of geography ends at the ege of Brno :-(
@teresa: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volhynia
It’s Ukraine.
May be close to Krymno, Volyns’ka, Ukraine ?
Try Ukrainian web sites…