CEITEC buildings in Bohunice, next to the recently finished complex of Masaryk University.

European Commision finally approved the project of CEITEC, a huge science facility to be built in quarters Bohunice and Královo Pole before 2014.

This is probably the best news for Brno this year. The 5+ billion CZK project will not only attract more scientists and research companies but also provide many new jobs for common fellas.

CEITEC is a project aiming to set up a Central European centre of scientific excellence in Brno together with local universities and research institutes (Masaryk University, Brno University of Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Institute of Physics of Materials, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and the Veterinary Research Institute). A laboratory will be outfitted with first-class equipment and facilities which will foster the perfect conditions for basic and applied research in the field of life sciences and advanced materials and technology. (source)

Traffic jam at Hradecká st.

Court order stopping the construction of “Dobrovského tunnels” beneath the quarters Žabovřesky and Královo Pole caused a sort of irony. The investors are supposed to improve the project due to the environmental regulation – but the order also means that both quarters will suffer from heavy traffic for few more months. According to the latest estimate, Dobrovského tunnels will open in May 2012. Hopefully.

Source: iDnes.cz.

If you rent a flat near Obilní trh sq., then you may study in this beautiful park.

If you are coming to Brno for the Erasmus or any other study programme, chosing the right quarter may improve your “Brno experience” a lot. I recommend these parts of the town:

• Veveří is the true student quarter of Brno, with many university buildings (mostly of the Masaryk university), cafés and well known pubs. This is the place where hipsters ride their fixed-gear bicycles to get to the lectures on time.
  The rents are slightly above average – but it is still affordable to rent a 2-bedroom flat (CZK 12,000 or €500, including heating, gas & electricity), or even bigger apartment and share it with several other people.
• Královo pole may be a good quarter for these who study University of Technology or University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences – both have most of their buildings located right in this area. Královo pole is a neat quarter with cafés, clubs and pubs too.
• Cejl has been a poor, underdeveloped quarter of Brno for the whole last century. It is still dirtier than the rest of the town and pickpocketing is more common there (according to a police spokeswoman I interviewed last year). However, you can reach the town centre (and most university buildings) by foot within 10 or 15 minutes. There are many bars, and what is most important – the rents are approx. 15-25 per cent lower compared to the rest of the town.

Also, you may appreciate some more tips:

• If you want to commute by bike, avoid suburbs located on hills – Brno is actually a quite hilly town.
• Suburbs also usually suffer from poor social and night life. You’ll be lucky to find a good club or pub.
• On the other side, these quarters are usually located next to nice, large and safe forrests, great for hiking, running, cross biking etc. Rents may also be lower (but not significantly).
• Many students have to travel around the town on some days to get to different labs, libraries, etc. Don’t feel shy to contact your Erasmus guide or friends to figure out in which part of the town you are going to spend most of your time, to find the right place for renting a flat.
• But finally, don’t overthink it. Brno is quite small. The public transportation is great – even after midnight! The town offers a good level of safety everywhere. And it is not hard to find a new apartment quickly.

Enjoy your stay!

Open air cinema at Dobrák swimming pool (source: Facebook group of the venue)

Almost every night until the end of August, you can enjoy Hollywood blockbusters as well as independent european art movies at swimming pool Dobrák in quarter Královo Pole.

You can download schedules for July and August – the documents are in Czech but they feature original titles. Foreign films will be screened in original language with Czech subtitles, the only exception will be dubbed Shrek. Czech movies won’t be translated to any other language.

Screenings start at 9:30 p.m. in July and at 9:00 p.m. in August – no matter if it rains. Entrance fee is CZK 80.

The event is organised by the Brno Cultural Center and electricity and gas company RWE.

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The council of quarter Královo Pole wants a new, modern railway station. Czech architect Petr Parolek (FA Parolli studio) came up with a beautiful project of a giant odonata:

Visualisation of a new railway station in district Královo Pole (source: denik.cz)

I think this is way amazing! Actually, it may be one of the most beautiful buildings in the Czech republic. However, as the piece of organic architecture would cost €27M+, the council has to solve the funding first.

Left-wing parties needed to buy some more voters, so there are no money left for modern infrastructure in Brno.

Socialist, communist and christian-democratic members of the Chamber of Deputies changed the national budget last night. They increased wages of some state employees but decreased the budget for infrastructure.

This means no good news for Brno. There are two tunnels being built under district Královo Pole right now and it seems that the works may take several more months or years, which means complicated transportation in/to quarters Žabovřesky, Královo Pole and Řečkovice.

Another difficulties-facing project is the developement of a new railway station and the re-urbanisation of the southern centre. The budget cut may lead to postponing the whole project and therefore missing the money from European funds, at least according to news site Deník.cz.

The schedule of the outdoor cinema at Dobrák swimming pool is filled with great movies, both recent and old, so prepare CZK 80 (€3) and choose one of these flicks:

Don't miss Psycho (1960) on Monday, August 17!

• Sunday, July 12, 9:30 p.m. – Mamma Mia!
• Monday, July 13, 9:30 p.m. – 17 Again
• Tuesday, July 14, 9:30 p.m. – Gran Torino
• Thursday, July 16, 9:30 p.m. – Australia
• Friday, July 17, 9:30 p.m. – I Love You, Man
• Sunday, July 19, 9:30 p.m. – He’s Just Not That Into You
• Monday, July 20, 9:30 p.m. – Slumdog Millionaire
• Wednesday, July 22, 9:30 p.m. – How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
• Thursday, July 23, 9:30 p.m. – Changeling
• Wednesday, July 29, 9:30 p.m. – Angels & Demons
• Thursday, July 30, 9:30 p.m. – Seven Pounds
• Monday, August 3, 9:00 p.m. – Burn After Reading
• Wednesday, August 5, 9:00 p.m. – Milk
• Sunday, August 9, 9:00 p.m. – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Friday, August 14, 9:00 p.m. – Away We Go
• Sunday, August 16, 9:00 p.m. – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Monday, August 17, 9:00 p.m. – Psycho
• Wednesday, August 19, 9:00 p.m. – The Hangover
• Friday, August 21, 9:00 p.m. – Requiem for a Dream
• Saturday, August 29, 9:00 p.m. – Breakfast on Pluto
• Sunday, August 30, 9:00 p.m. – Limits of Control

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Královo pole means “King’s field” – so is it possible to live like a king there?

Semilasso is one of the cultural Mekkas of Brno. Every man and every woman has danced there at least once.

Quick facts

Before 1919, Královo Pole (also known as Königsfeld) was an independent town near Brno. Now it is one of its biggest and best-known districts (population: 28,251). Královo Pole is located in the norhern part of the town, 10-15 minutes of tram ride from main station.

The neighbourhood is home to some of the most valuable historical buildings in Brno, such is auditorium Semilasso and a former monastery of Ordo Cartusiensis.

Pros

• Lively atmosphere – there are several colleges (complete University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences and some faculties of University of Technology) and many clubs (incl. my favorite Fléda) in the quarter, as well as groceries opened until late night.
• Nice mix of old buildings and ultra-modern structures (often in one place, as in the case of the University of Technology). No matter if you prefer to live in a family house, a tenement building or a block of flat – you’ll get everything in Královo Pole.
• Affordable rents and prices of flats.

Former monastery is now serving as a university building - that tells a lot about Královo Pole.

Cons

• The quarter is affected by one of the biggest  civil engineering projects in the Czech republic, the ongoing construction of “Dobrovského st. tunnels” (highway tunnels going under whole Královo Pole, watch an animation for a clear idea). There is high amount of dust in the air around Dobrovského st. and Hradecká st. What’s more, some houses have problems with stability because of the project, so if you are buing a property, always ask a structural designer for a consultation.
• Parking problems and frequent traffic jams.
• There are some small parks, but no really huge area of nature.

Streets of Královo Pole are full of life all day long (it seems silly, but you can't say the same, for example, about the streets of Bystrc).

Shopping

There’s no large supermarket, but many small shops and a daily vegetable market at Slovanské sq.

Reader Mira noted that I had forgotten Tesco at Sportovní st. The same with the Interspar on the other side of the street. Allright, there are two large supermarkets!

Secret tip: try pretzels (CZK 5) from a bakery at Skácelova st.

Best restaurants

• I travel from the very other part of the town to a pub called “U srdcí” regulary. It’s an underground pub with excellent beer “Dudák” and underground, rock atmosphere.
• You can get the best kebab in Brno right in Královo pole!
• Many people like restaurant U hodného psa, with ultra-fat bulldog walking among the guests. I stay rather calm, but not disappointed.

Links

• Geotagged photos of Královo Pole at Flickr
• Machine-translated website of the district
• Facebook group “Královo Pole”

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Faculty of Information Technology has finished the restoration of the former monastery in quarter Královo Pole. The last restored building is a mansion built in the 17th century.

Interior of the mansion. Source: Jitka Vanýsková, VUT

The mansion is listed a place of national cultural heritage; its reconstruction was extremly careful and brought many historical components back to life, such as wall paintings and brick floors.

The unique place will serve as a Centre of Application Technology at the Faculty of Information Technology.