Photo: Michal Klajban · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Brno
Czechia's relaxed second city: bone vaults, a modernist villa and student bars.
Czechia's second city and the capital of Moravia: a compact, easygoing old town under a castle and a cathedral on two hills, with crypts and bone vaults below the streets, a landmark modernist villa and a busy student bar scene. Cheaper and calmer than Prague.
Places to see
Ossuary at St JamesSight · Low vaulted cellars under the square beside St James, lined with bones and skulls neatly…≈ A$14
Freedom Square (náměstí Svobody)Sight · Brno's big triangular main square, ringed by grand fronts and cafes, with a plague column…Free
Cabbage Market (Zelný trh)Market · A sloping square of fruit, veg and flower stalls around a wild baroque fountain of rocks…Free
When to go
- Jan2° / -4°Some rainQuiet
- Feb4° / -3°Some rainQuiet
- Mar10° / 0°Some rainQuiet
- Apr16° / 5°Some rainBusy
- May21° / 9°Some rainBusy
- Jun24° / 13°Often wetBusy
- Jul26° / 15°Often wetQuiet
- Aug26° / 14°Some rainQuiet
- Sep
Staying and getting around
Good areas to stay
The old town and Petrov. Inside the old ring road: Freedom Square, the Cabbage Market, the crypts and the cathedral on Petrov hill, with cafes, bars and hostels.
Around the main station. Just south of the old town by the main railway station and the coach stops: handy for arriving and leaving, with cheaper beds; quieter streets are a few minutes into the centre.
Flying in
Brno-Tuřany (BRQ): Airport bus to the main station, about 25 min, ≈ A$2. Few flights; most travellers fly into Vienna or Prague instead (check).
Vienna (VIE): Direct coach from the airport, or a train via Vienna, about 2 h 10 min, ≈ A$25. RegioJet and FlixBus run coaches from the airport to Brno; book ahead for the cheapest fares (check).
Flewaway's estimate for the usual budget way into Brno; check times and fares before you fly.
Getting around
Mostly on foot. A single ticket is ≈ A$2. The old town is small and walkable, about 10 minutes from end to end, with Špilberk and Petrov up short climbs. Villa Tugendhat is a short tram ride north; trams run often (check).
Tourist tax
Brno's local accommodation fee: usually up to about CZK 50 a person a night, added at check-in; under-18s don't pay (check).
