Vodojemy Žlutý kopec Water

Welcome to the historical part of Old Brno. You are standing right in front of a place that may appear at first glance, but beneath your feet is a fascinating world of technology and history. In front of you, the Yellow Hill is spread out. It is a place where the need for basic human survival, i.e. access to clean water, meets the ambitions of a growing 19th-century city. Stop for a moment, take a breath and perceive the atmosphere of this space which has been hidden from the eyes of ordinary bystanders for decades and which now welcomes each of you.

Let us now look together at how this mutually originated and why this place is so important. Everything started in the year of the thousand eight hundred sixty-nine, when the project for the construction of the new water pipeline in Brno was officially accepted. The city was growing sharply at the time, becoming an industrial centre, and the need for reliable water supply was critical. The first major milestone was the completion of the first brick water tower in the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty-two. This project was named architect Thomas Docwry, who proposed a solution corresponding to technical progress at the time.

This set of three underground tanks was not created at once. It was a process that lasted several decades and reflected the development of building materials and the needs of the city. While the first tank was created in the second half of the nineteenth century, the second was built at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The third, the last of the three, came in the second decade of the twentieth century. All these buildings had one common purpose. They served as a huge water supply for a lower pressure zone in the city. Think of it as a giant tank that maintained constant pressure and ensured that water flows into the people's houses without interruption, even if there were fluctuations in the supply from the main sources.

Now that you're standing in this area, pay attention to what surrounds you. Even when you're on the surface, it's important to realize that the most interesting lies deep underground. If you are able to enter space, notice the fascinating difference in materials used at different times. The first two waterjams are a masterpiece of the brick trade. They are decorated with red-burned bricks, which are supplemented with a special clay-tight cover. This detail was crucial at the time, so that the water would not escape into the surrounding terrain and that impurities would not penetrate the tanks from the outside. It's a fascinating example of how the watertight areas were dealt with before the concrete.

However, if you move to the third water tower, you will see a completely different approach to construction. Here, they no longer dominate red bricks, but concrete. The third watercourse consists of two concrete tanks. This transition from brick to concrete is essentially a materialised history of construction. You can see the development here in one location from traditional masonry to modern materials of the twentieth century. It's a technical record of how engineers' thinking changed and how the boundaries of possible water management shifted.

Whoever worked in these exact areas and who checked the water levels every day remains a secret in many ways. Historical figures that would be directly linked to the operation of these tanks are not listed in the records as well as large politicians or generals. And that's where the beauty of this place lies. It is a monument to thousands of unknown hands, workers, theatricians and technicians who have made sure that Brno could prosper and grow. Without these silent heroes and their precise work with bricks and concrete, the city could not function as we know it.

Here we come to the part that may interest you the most. Imagine that these vast underground spaces have been fully operational for nearly a hundred and thirty years. It was the heart of the city's water duct, quiet and cold places where millions of gallons of water accumulated. Everything changed in the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-seven, when the watercourses were finally shut down. Newer technologies and more modern water distribution have made these tanks redundant. But after many years of silence and oblivion, their rebirth began.

In the year two thousand and nineteen, waterholes were officially declared a cultural monument. This was a crucial step because it was recognised that it was not just the old water tanks, but the unique technical space that had its historical value. The highlight of this revived history is the year two thousand twenty-four. It was this year that the entire reconstructed area was made available to the public, including the third water tower that was previously less accessible. It is an incredible feeling to know that today we can enter into premises that have been closed for decades and have served only technical personnel.

Now try to imagine the contrast. On one side the noise and bustle of modern Brno, on the other side the silence and cold underground vaults of red bricks. It's a place that teaches us humility before the techniques of the past. We often forget that every modern city is based on an infrastructure that is invisible but absolutely necessary. Vodojemy Žlutý kopec is such a reminder.

We now invite you to further explore. Go through the area in peace, feel the space around you, and if you have the chance, step into the depths of these underground spaces. Follow the details of the brick wall, look for traces of old pipes and feel the cold of concrete in the latest part. Let yourself be consumed by the atmosphere of the place that once fed the city water, and today it feeds us the knowledge of our ancestors and their ability to create things that have lasted centuries.

Thank you for coming through the short history of the Yellow Hill Falls. We hope that you are interested in this trip to the underground of Brno and that you are leaving with a new look at what lies beneath the surface of the streets we walk on every day. We wish you a pleasant rest of the day in our beautiful city and enjoy every moment you spend in this unique technical space. Goodbye.