Villa Tugendhat Visit

After our final brunch with John and Katie, we all went to see Villa Tugendhat.  Claudia and I went back in October 2009.  Then on January 1, 2010 it closed for renovations.  It reopened again on March 6, 2012.  It's amazing what two years and €5.9M (+$7.4 million) can do.  Since this is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Brno I guess they just had to renovate it.

Everyone has to wear shoe covers.

The house looked great.  Around 80% of the original features were preserved.  It's nice to see the house in such good shape considering all of the wear and tear it has endured over the years.


During WWII the house was occupied by the Nazis.  In 1945, during the country's liberation, the Red Army used the living space as a stable for their officer's horses.

After the war, it was a private dance school and then a rehab center for children with spinal problems until the end of the 60s.  The city of Brno has owned the villa since 1980.


In 1992, the deal which split Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic was signed at this table.



The house is very cool.  I'm sure it must have been unbelievable back in the 1930s.  It is well worth a visit.