According to old maps, behind the church of St James was one of the oldest wells in Brno – the so-called Golden Well. In a 2001 survey, the well was actually discovered in the bifurcation of Kozí and Běhounská streets.
The first mention of the well on Jakubské náměstí (St James’ Square) dates back to 1358. By the end of the 15th century, the well was known as ‘Golden’ and was the subject of lengthy disputes between the city and the nearby Herburian monastery. At the time, the forerunner of the Spranz Café, the Golden Well Inn, also prospered near the well. The last mention of the well comes from the 1870s, when it was probably buried.
The well was established at a depth of 11 metres on a hexagonal oak wreath. It is bricked with larger stones, and the upper part is brick lining. The diameter of the well varies. At the level of the square, it is almost 2 metres wide; at the bottom it is only 1.6 metres. As usual, several archaeological findings, mostly ceramic fragments, were revealed during the extraction of the well. Stones from the lining of the upper part of the timbering were pulled out from the bottom of the well. These were used again to repair the masonry. The water level was captured at a depth of 6.5 metres. A surprising peculiarity was noted: the temperature of the inlet water was around 38°C. According to the workers who participated in the cleaning of the well, this was a very pleasant fact. The high water temperature was caused by heat leakage from a nearby steam pipeline.
During the reconstruction of Jakubské náměstí, the Golden Well was again incorporated into its original location. Everything was successfully solved by architectural design, based on which the well again serves as a source of drinking water. Today it is part of the space in front of a popular Brno sweet shop.