Špilberk Castle

Špilberk Castle is a historic castle and fortress on a hill above the city of Brno in the Czech Republic, originally built in the 13th century. It later became a Baroque fortress and served as a state prison before being repurposed as a museum.

The site features fortification works, courtyards and extensive underground casemates that reflect its transformation from royal residence to military stronghold and prison. Visitors come for the museum exhibitions, the surviving architecture and wide views over Brno.

Construction began in the medieval period in the 13th century, and the castle was substantially rebuilt into a fortress under Habsburg rule in the early modern era. Its use as a prison in the 18th and 19th centuries is a central chapter of its history, and later restoration converted it into a civic museum and cultural site.

Špilberk occupies a dominant hill in central Brno, within walking distance of the city centre, and is a visible landmark across the city.

• Museum and prison history: Converted into a notorious Habsburg-era prison in the 18th and 19th centuries and today houses the Brno City Museum with permanent exhibitions.
• Viewing point: Sits prominently on Špilberk hill and offers panoramic views across Brno and the surrounding Moravian landscape from its ramparts.

What to See #

• Casemates and prison: Underground casemates and prison cells that were used when the castle served as a state prison in the Habsburg period.
• Castle and fortress: The former royal castle and later Baroque fortress structures that now contain exhibitions on local history and the site's past uses.
• Brno City Museum: A city museum occupying several halls with displays on Brno's history, architecture and the castle's role through the centuries.