Freedom Square, Square in Brno, Czech Republic

Freedom Square, known locally as Svoboďák, is the main square in the center of Brno, Czech Republic. It has a roughly triangular shape, paved with light gray stone slabs and crossed by thin metal tram rails, and is lined with buildings of varied heights, including a modern green-paneled block and older pale facades with domes.

The square dates back to the 13th century, when it was a marketplace at the crossing of trade routes. Over the centuries it was rebuilt many times, and in 2006 it received its current look after a major reconstruction.

The square is a meeting point for locals, who often gather by the fountain or on the benches under the young trees. The bronze fountain is engraved with verses by the poet Jan Skácel, and people like to sit on its rim, especially on warm days.

The square is open at all times and is easy to reach on foot from the main railway station. Several tram lines stop right at the edge of the square, and the flat, paved surface makes it accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.

The square is home to a clock made of African granite in the shape of a bullet, installed in 2010 to recall the Swedish siege of Brno in 1645. Every day at 11 a.m., it releases a glass marble that visitors can keep as a souvenir.