Masaryk District and Stiassni Villa in Brno

Masaryk District and Stiassni Villa in Brno

Take a stroll in the garden district and peek into the government villa which slept important guests such as Fidel Castro

The attractive residential district full of architectural gems that today carries the name of the first Czechoslovak president started to emerge in the late 19th century. The idea of individual housing connected with natural parks and gardens, which is, however, economically available to the middle classes, came to Brno from England.
The possibility of living in the extended city centre, yet in the vicinity of nature, became very popular with employees of various companies and white-collar office workers. Even the architects themselves built their houses in this district. Nearly every house you will be passing is considered significant and many are listed as protected monuments. One of the highlights of this stroll is the so-called Government Villa (otherwise known as the Stiassni Villa) built in 1927–1930 based on the project by Ernst Wiesner. The house’s colours and the L-shaped ground plan both carry Wiesner’s signature. The garden and park were designed by another significant architect of the Czechoslovak First Republic – Otto Eisler. Part of the renovated villa is now accessible to the public and is used as exhibition space.