One of the three reservoirs under Žlutý Kopec will officially open to the public this summer. The first guided tours will take place on July 18th, followed by further tours on selected Saturdays and Thursdays. Photo credit: Z. Kolařík / MMB.
Brno, Jul 12 (BD) – The first reservoir under Žlutý Kopec will soon be open to the public. In Autumn 2019, an entrance was built to allow access to the reservoir, but has so far only been used for operational purposes. The idea to open the reservoirs to the public for tourism and film purposes has been under discussion for more than two years, and is now becoming reality.
A visit to the reservoirs, which were declared a national monument in 2019, will prove a unique experience, with vaults rising meters high, resembling a giant underground cathedral. According to Brněnské Podzemí, the reservoirs have even been compared to Istanbul’s “Basilica Cistern”.
The first of the historic reservoirs was built in 1872 to improve the quantity and quality of Brno’s water supply, and is still in good condition, despite being nearly 150 years old. For the construction of the first reservoir, only bricks were used, which were fired directly in Brno, and the reservoir was made impermeable with a clay cover. The reservoir was supplemented with another similar one at the end of the 19th century, and two decades later by a third reservoir consisting of two concrete tanks. The reservoirs remained in operation until 1997, when they were disconnected from the water supply network.
The idea to open the reservoirs to the public, and to use them for film purposes, has been around for a long time, but the lack of a safe and practical entrance was a major obstacle. Before the new entrance was built, the main entrance was a hatch and a steep ladder, which would be unsafe and impractical, and, according to the head of the Brno Film Office, Ivana Košuličová, deterred otherwise interested international and domestic film producers. In order to welcome visitors, the reservoirs also needed to have emergency exits, and meet the fire safety requirements.
The first guided tours will take place on Saturday, July 18th, with further tours taking place on selected Saturdays and Thursdays: July 30; and August 1st, 6th, 20th, 22nd, and 29th. The Saturday tours will take place between 10am and 4pm, and between 2pm and 6.30pm on Thursdays. More information on the tours can be found here, and tickets can be bought at TIC Brno from July 15th.
