Old Town Hall

Brno's Old Town Hall is one of the oldest secular buildings in the city, with parts dating to the 13th century. The Gothic portal is a famous example of deliberate architectural mischief: the stonemason, angry at not being paid in full, twisted the central pinnacle of the doorway slightly out of alignment, and it has remained that way ever since. The defect is easy to spot once you know to look for it.

From the tower, which is open to visitors in summer, there are excellent views across the rooftops of the Staré Brno quarter and out to Špilberk Castle. Inside the building, a small permanent display covers the history of the hall and the city, and temporary exhibitions run through the year. The dragon and the legendary wagon wheel — another unusual artefact with its own story — are in the entrance corridor and can be seen without paying an admission fee.

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A story
The Old Town Hall's most celebrated decoration is a stuffed crocodile — known as the Brno Dragon — hanging from the ceiling of the entrance passage. According to local legend, the beast terrorised the city and was killed by a clever huntsman who fed it lime-filled hides that made its stomach explode. The truth is considerably more mundane: the crocodile was a diplomatic gift presented to Archduke Matthias in 1608 and donated to the city, but the legend has stuck for four centuries.