Brno is the second largest city in the Czech Republic and I think ‘Prague’s little sister’ is an apt description. Brno is a young city full of life and trendy hotspots. That is not surprising, since almost 100,000 students live there. The nice thing is that this really makes for a very diverse city. On the one hand there are more than enough ‘old’ sights to admire, while on the other hand you can also visit plenty of new hotspots. So going out in Brno is really an experience. Check out all my tips for what to do and see in Brno!
Things to do in Brno – from cocktails to churches
As I said before: Brno really has something for everyone. There is more than enough to see and do in Brno to keep you entertained for a long weekend. I could easily stay in this city for a week, just to visit all the hotspots and nice restaurants. Fortunately, you can easily see the main sights in a day or two and the tips below will go a long way.
Visit the Cabbage Market (Zelny trh)
The most famous square of Brno is the Cabbage Market. A vegetable market has been held every day at Cabbage Market since the thirteenth century. This makes it one of the oldest daily markets in Europe. Our hotel was right on the market square and it was so nice to walk past the stalls every morning and see which products are in season. During our visit in mid-September, the stalls were bursting with plums. There are a number of bistro sets and beach chairs at the Cabbage Market. You can just sit here, whether or not you buy something to eat or drink. Tip: try the ice cream from Božský Kopeček, an ice cream truck at Cabbage Market. So good!
The labyrinth under the Cabbage Market
Underneath the Cabbage Market is a whole corridor system where people stored their fresh products in times gone by. By storing vegetables, fruit and other fresh food underground, the cold kept them longer. The labyrinth under the market can be visited and I loved seeing how cleverly they handled food centuries ago. Unfortunately, the labyrinth tour is only available in Czech. Fortunately, they do have an English audio tour, so you can follow the story well.
Visit Špilberk Castle
During a city trip in Brno you cannot miss Špilberk Castle. Located on a hill, the castle watches over the city. When in the seventeenth century the Swedes wanted to go to Vienna via Brno to take the city, they encountered fierce resistance in Brno. The Swedes believed they could easily take this modest Czech city. However, this was disappointing. Špilberk Castle proved to be an extremely good line of defense that they could not get through. Finally, after months of fighting, an ultimatum was given by the Swedish government to the Swedish army: if they had not taken Brno before noon the next day, they had to retreat. The Czechs then moved all clocks to 12:00 and the Swedes returned home too early. According to the legend.
Whether this story is true or not, it sure is entertaining. At this time, the castle is especially beautiful to walk through. Even if you don’t go inside, I advise you to walk upstairs. From the surrounding park and castle grounds you have a beautiful view of Brno.
Freedom Square and the Astronomical Clock
Freedom Square is the largest square in Brno and especially the buildings along the square are beautiful to see. The square itself is not particularly special, although there is a pleasant atmosphere. Certainly if you walk a little further you really come to the area where the nightlife in Brno takes place. On Freedom Square is the Astronomical Clock, a black monolith with four holes in it. Every day at 11 a.m. a glass ball rolls out of one of these four holes. If you catch this one, you can keep it. Trying to catch a marble is something you should definitely do in Brno. This is of course a nice souvenir as a memento of your city trip to Brno.
Ossuary
Just behind Freedom Square is the entrance to the underground ossuary. This place was discovered during road works in 2011. The bones of as many as 50,000 people were stored in the rooms under the Church of St. James. In the thirteenth century there was only one graveyard within Brno’s city walls and it soon became full. The solution to this was to open the graves some 10 years later and take out the bones. In this way, a grave could be reused indefinitely. You guessed it, the bones ended up in the ossuary. When the ossuary was discovered, they lay in huge piles in different rooms and it turned out that the second largest charnel house in Europe had been stumbled upon. Now the bones of some 2,500 people are on display. An impressive sight that really takes your breath away.
Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul
The Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul is an imposing structure that you literally cannot miss when you visit Brno. It stands head and shoulders above all other buildings in the city center and that is especially visible from a distance. Over the years, the ground around the church has been built up, so that up close you have no idea of its actual size. By the way, make no mistake: this cathedral is also popularly called the Petrov Church, because it is located on Petrov Hill.
View Brno city from the old town hall
For one of the best views of Brno, head to the Old Town Hall. The climb to the top is easy to do at 63 meters. If you like it, you can also read some information about the history of the building while climbing. You pay 75 Czech Crowns (€3) to climb the tower. Once at the top you can walk all the way around and admire the city from all sides. Opening hours differ per season.
The Dragon of Brno
I did a guided city tour through Brno and I quickly discovered that this is a city full of legends, myths and funny stories. The guide had so many nice anecdotes to tell, I could fill an entire article with that.
One of the stories that I found very entertaining was the one about the Dragon of Brno. If you have made the climb up the old town hall, you will undoubtedly pass the Dragon of Brno. This is because it hangs in the passage to the building. Centuries ago, the city of Brno was ravaged by a ‘dragon’. A mythical creature that attacked humans and animals. To kill the dragon, an animal skin was filled with poisonous lime. The dragon then ate it and died. Because people were completely unfamiliar with exotic animals at the time, it now appears that the ‘dragon’ is a crocodile. How the crocodile ended up in Brno is unknown and whether this story is entirely true is also questionable. However, it is entertaining and if you now walk past the town hall, you understand why there is a crocodile hanging from the ceiling.
I can wholeheartedly recommend anyone interested in these kinds of stories to take a guided city walk.
Eating and drinking in Brno
I already said it in the introduction: in Brno you can eat and drink really well. Admittedly, in the center you will find few typical Czech things. Personally I didn’t mind, since I don’t eat meat and therefore normally have hardly anything to choose from. In Brno, however, you will even find complete vegan restaurants. In addition, it is bursting with Vietnamese shops, something that also makes me very happy. I myself ate at Cà Phê Phố Cổ and I really thought I was in Vietnam again.
Drinking cocktails in Brno
Do you love cocktails? Then make sure that your next city trip goes to Brno. There are several super cool cocktail bars in the city center. In fact, one of the coolest cocktail bars I’ve ever been to is in Brno! Super Panda Circus is bizarre, over the top and full of surprises. Drinking cocktails here for an evening is really something you should do in Brno. More tips for eating and drinking in Brno will follow soon in a separate article.
Unique stay at the Anybody Hotel
It might be a bit crazy to say, but if you ask me what to do in Brno, I say that you should stay at the Anybody Hotel for at least one night. This hotel is an attraction in itself and if you have watched the 21st season of Wie is de Mol, which took place in the Czech Republic, then you have also seen this hotel pass by. One of the tests took place here.
I myself spent two nights in the Anybody Hotel. I spent the first night in the Roman Room and the second night in the Photography Room. You don’t know what you see the first time you enter the room. In the Roman room you enter a bar and start a voice over a story.
In the Photography room you first see a rack full of extravagant clothing and two nude photos on the wall. There are ten rooms in total, each with its own theme. The common thread is that you are challenged in every room to play games and start a conversation with each other. I won’t go into too much detail about it, because it’s a shame if the element of surprise is gone, but if you want to stay in a unique place, or would like to see where Wie is de Mol was filmed, then the Anybody Hotel is the hotel for you.
Tips for exploring the Brno area
If you have a few days to spend in Brno, it is definitely a tip to also discover the area. In the vicinity of Brno you will find one of the most beautiful places in the whole of the Czech Republic, just a 45-minute drive away. There are currently not many day tours offered from Brno to sights in the area. That is why it is most convenient to go on the road yourself by car. In addition, you also have complete freedom to choose where you want to stop. I always book my rental cars through Sunny Cars because you are always 100% all-in insured through them.
Punkva Caves
The Punkva Caves are without doubt one of the most beautiful natural attractions in the Czech Republic. This place will also be familiar to fans of Wie is de Mol: the participants also had to do a test in the caves.
A tour through the Punkva Caves takes about an hour and in that time you walk through beautiful stalactite caves and take an underground boat trip. I found the latter especially spectacular. You get into a boat and the skipper takes you through a cave system under the rocks in the semi-darkness. A unique experience that I will not soon forget. If you have enough time in Brno, I definitely recommend a day trip to the Punkva Caves.
Moravian Karst
The Moravian Karst is a karst area that also contains the Punkva Caves. In the entire area you will find about 1100 caves and numerous impressive gorges. One of the most beautiful is the Maccocha Gorge. You will visit the bottom of this gorge during the tour through the Punkva Caves. Do you want to see it from above? Then, after the tour, you can catch a cable car and admire the canyon from the top. There are a number of other caves to visit in the area. The Kateřinská Jeskyně cave is also beautiful.
Eastern and Southern Moravia
Brno is located in the Moravia region and from here you can easily discover the rest of the region.
Wine region Palava
Another tip for the Brno area is the Pálava wine region. This is also only a 45-minute drive away and you immediately imagine yourself in another world. The rolling hills are completely taken up with vineyards and in the small villages urban Brno is far away. Mainly Pálava wine and Riesling are produced. If it fits into your schedule, it is nice to spend a night in the region so that you can actually taste the wine. It is recommended to choose an accommodation in medieval Mikulov. The center of Mikulov is really beautiful and it is bursting with wine bars.
A city trip to Brno is really fun and versatile. If you have more time, plan a trip to nature or the wine region and discover that the Czech Republic is so much more than just Prague.
