Lights, History, Action!
Vodojemy, in Brno’s Žlutý Kopec district, is located a short distance west of the city centre.
The attraction consists of three underground water reservoir tanks that date to the late 1800s and early 1900s. The city waterworks stopped using the tanks in 1997 and they sat abandoned for several years.
There was a plan in 2014 to demolish them. However, after some photos of the tanks were published in the media, public interest saved them from demolition and the Czech Ministry of culture declared the site a cultural monument.
Many film studios saw the opportunities for unique and memorable settings in the reservoirs, so it was also the interest of the film industry that had a hand in saving the tanks.
From that point on, an extensive restoration of the tanks was undertaken and the oldest of the tanks was opened to visitors in 2020. Between 2020 and 2024, more work was done; the work included the addition of a reception building with a ticket desk and public washrooms as well. In March of 2024, all three tanks were opened for visitors.
As each tank comes from a different period of time, they each follow different architectural philosophies and are an interesting comparison to each other.
The Vodojemy complex also makes a great addition to Brno’s growing selection of underground attractions, some of which I’ve written about in this existing article.
Let’s take a look at Vodojemy:
A Tale of Three Tanks
Tank 1 dates to 1874 and was designed by British architect, Thomas Docwry. As such, it’s appearance is evocative of British designs of the time.
The primary building material is fired red bricks. Tank 1 is distinctive for its arched ceilings and counter-arched floors. It was capable of holding more than 9.5 million litres of water.
Tank 2 dates to 1894 and was designed by Czech engineer, Emil Procházka.
Like Tank 1, Tank 2 uses fired red bricks as the primary construction material and has arched ceilings. However, the design of Tank 2 is simpler than the older tank in some ways. The most visible of the design simplifications is the flat floor, as opposed to the counter-arched floor in Tank 1.
Tank 2 had a capacity of 8.5 million litres.
Tank 3 was completed in 1917 and is a very interesting study in how construction methods changed. There are no bricks in the constrcution of Tank 3, rather there are over eighty cast concrete pillars supporting it.
Tank 3 is the largest of the tanks and is split into two sections, with a combined volume of 15 million litres.
Because of its size and construction method, sound echoes impressively in Tank 3 and really adds something to the overall atmosphere of it.
Paying a visit and Learning More
The water tanks are not difficult to get to either by public transport or on foot.
Three trolley bus lines run along Tvrdého street, which goes past the reservoirs. Two lines run from Komensky square (Komenského náměstí) in the centre while another runs from Mendel square (Mendlovo náměstí), which is a bit nearer the reservoirs. There is also a tram line that gets you to within a ten minute walk of the attraction.
As this attraction is underground, you can expect lower temperatures than what is outdoors, so a long sleeve shirts and long trousers are a good idea. Also, strong shoes with waterproofing are a must here. This is particularly true for Tank 1, as there is typically water present in the low points of the floor.
You can buy tickets for self-guided tours, or tours with a guide. If you are the self-guiding type, there are audio guides that you can download to your smartphone either at the site, or through the official website.
This link will take you to the official website of Vodojemy, which is available in Czech, English and German. There, you can find more extensive information about the history of the site as well as ticket prices, opening hours and practical considerations when visiting.
This link will take you to the dedicated page for Vodojemy at the official Brno tourism website. You can buy tickets online through that portal, or at any Brno tourist information office in the city.
As a last note, there are sometimes special light and sound shows, or other events, that take place at Vodojemy. If you wish to just see the tanks as they are, with regular lighting, enquire ahead of time to make sure your planned visit doesn’t coincide with any special events.
Beyond Prague 