Lužánky (originally Augarten) is the largest city park in

Brno Brno ( , ; ) is a Statutory city (Czech Republic), city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava (river), Svitava and Svratka (river), Svratka rivers, Brno has about 403,000 inhabitants, making ...

and the oldest municipal park in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. The park is located in the Brno-střed District and covers an area of .

History

The oldest mention of Lužánky comes from the 13th century, when a burgess from Brno called Niger donated his meadow to the Herburský Monastery. During the 16th century,

Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

took over the site and established an ornamental garden, mainly used for spiritual exercises and meditation. In 1786, during the rule of Emperor Joseph II, the Jesuit monastery was abolished and the land was donated to the city of Brno to create the new municipal park, one of the first in

Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...

and the first ever built in the Czech lands. In 1792, early

fireworks Fireworks are Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large numbe ...

were set off here. The current appearance of the park was designed by gardener Antonín Šebánek in 1840. Lužánky Park was declared a National Monument in 1849. Later, in 1958, it was given a title of a Czech Cultural Monument.

Facilities

In the year 1885, a pavilion, designed by Viennese architect Ludwig Förster in a Renaissance Revival style, was built in the park for the purpose of hosting balls, concerts and parties. The park contains many fountains, sculptures and statues. The most significant present monument commemorates the founder of Lužánky, Emperor Joseph II. At the southeastern corner of the park are tennis and volleyball courts available for visitors.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Luzanky Brno Parks in the Czech Republic