Czech Republic’s 2nd largest city, Brno, is likely a destination you haven’t ever really considered visiting. You might not have even know much about it at all, with a survey on our Instagram channel showing many of our community hadn’t really heard of Brno. However, this guide aims to enlighten you about the highlights and show you why this Czech city might be worth a visit.
Brno is a university town located around 2.5 hours east of Prague, and 1.5-2 hours north of Vienna and Bratislava respectively. Like most uni towns, Brno has a great vibe, which is evident in the streets, squares and cafes. Visiting in summer, the happy and relaxed atmosphere of main squares, filled with locals lounging in deck chairs, was evident. The Czech locals definitely love a beer, with more being drunk than water, and at all times of the day (yes.. breakfast beers!). Brno had an incredible coffee culture, one of the better ones in Europe, which we have observed can often occur in university towns. The old town is charming and picturesque, though don’t expect Prague. Brno is much smaller, and outside of the old town you will find a lot of communist era buildings. Positively, Brno is very quiet in ‘peak Europe travel’ periods, a contrast to many of the crazy busy cities in summer. Read on for our Brno guide including some of the best things to do and our top coffee recommendations!
A few of the best things to do in Brno
Soak up the atmosphere in Brno Main Square (Namesti Svobody)
While not as opulent as some of the main squares in Europe, it is the perfect place to relax in the sun on a deck chair while you soak up the vibes. The main square has a few fountains, statures and photogenic buildings to check out, plus it is also home to a quirky clock tower. The Brno Astronomical Clock is not the best we’ve ever seen, but it worth seeing if around at 11am, where it releases a series of marbles every day. Locals and tourists clamour around to watch this spectacle and try and get the marble for the day. It’s random, but a unique Brno experience.
Visit the impressive Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul
This 12 century cathedral is located on the edge of the old town and is definitely worth visiting. This church is a fixture of the Brno city skyline, visible from almost all the view points around the city. The gothic cathedral has free entry, and is well worth looking inside. You can also climb the towers for excellent city views.
Climb up to the Spilberk castle and gardens
Another must do activity in Brno is visiting the Spilberk castle and it’s surrounding gardens. Located a short 10-15 minutes walk from the old town, there is free entry to the castle grounds and walls. The view from the gardens and city wall is impressive, and worth the walk up! If you want to enter the castle itself, which has ben transformed into a museum, you will need to pay.
Enjoy some of the Brno underground history at the Crypt, Ossuary & Labrynth
The Brno Crypt is a 17th century funeral basement for Capcuchin friars, where the bodies of people buried there have been turned into mummies. The Brno Ossuary was only recently rediscovered in 2001 underneath the Church of St James. Reminiscent of the Paris Catacombs, the Brno Ossurary holds over 50 thousand people. Located over 200 steps underground is the Brno Labrynth, home to 1000m metres of tunnels and passageways. As you can see, Brno has a whole underground history to explore. However, make sure you check the opening times if you wish to visit, as some days they are closed completely, as we found out during the visit.
Enjoy the excellent Brno coffee culture
One of the real surprises in Brno was the exceptional coffee culture, putting it right up there with other top European café destinations. True to our form, you know that many cafes were sampled during the visit. We have provided an extensive list of the best café’s to check out below, however one that all coffee lovers should not miss is QB Coffee Roasters. Located 3km out of town, you might need a taxi to get there, but it is definitely worth the effort! This cafe has a gorgeous garden and excellent coffee, one of our favourites in all of Europe!
Enjoy the best view of Brno at the Old Town Hall gate view point
Located in the heart of Brno Old Town is the Old Town Hall Gate. Pay your very affordable entry fee (90kc entry/3.5 euro) and climb a series of steps up to the best view in Brno. You’ll see the castle, cathedral and the old town streets all around you.
Visit the Zelny Trh vegetable and street market
The Zelny Trh Brno market is a ‘local feel’ market in the heart of the old town. Located in the gorgeous Kašna Parnas square, this market is definitely worth visiting. Shop from the local farmers from some budget friendly and fresh produce, or sit in one of the deck chairs and enjoy the vibe.
Enjoy the parks and green spaces around the edge of Brno
Brno has a lot of green spaces and parks around the city. One of our favourites was Park Moravské náměsti. In summer it was filled people relaxing, sunbaking and enjoying the vibe. If you want to stop and slow down a little, this makes a good spot to do so.
Where to find the best coffee in Brno
As mentioned above, Brno is home to an exceptional café scene. The coffee culture in the town was as good as any in Europe, and some of these cafes were not only providing great brews, they had quality vibes as well. This list below is extensive, but not exhaustive. These were some of the cafes we tried and recommend. Note that there is a lot of excellent places, however most are 1-3kms out of city centre. Brno is very walkable, and you can easily walk or get a cheap taxi there.
- QB coffee roasters: Our top pick! Located 3km out of town, you need a taxi to get there,but it has a gorgeous garden and excellent coffee!
- Café Mitte: Our second favourite café, located in heart of old town. Home to a beautiful courtyard and great coffee!
- Rebel Bean Coffee Roastery: Located near train station in an industrial area, excellent coffee, and you can work on laptop there.
- Kimono: Another excellent café around 2kms of town that is situated in a cool area of Brno.
- Skog: A staple of the Brno café scene located in the heart of the old town. Skog is serving up excellent coffee, however be prepared that it’s a expensive and not laptop friendly
- Poppy Beans Coffee: Another great specialty coffee shop around 1-2kms out of town. The café has a lot of plants, a good vibe, and of course.. top coffee.
- A few other top cafes and spots to check out include Hrncek, Podnik, Stave Se, Coffee Fusion, Punk’d, Buchata C, Monogram Espresso Bar, Kafe Friedrich and Eggo Truck Brno.
Excellent restaurants to check out in Brno
Brno has a great food scene, filled with great local Czech food and a lot of Vietnamese (Czech republic has the highest expat Vietnamese population). See a few of our top picks below:
- Pivnice U Čápa: A little Czech pub packed with locals about 10mins out of heart of town.
- Try local Czech dishes at U Třech Čertů, Stopkova Plzeňská Pivnice or Lokál U Caipla
- Go Brno Vietnamese Street Food: Excellent Vietnamese food and very decent prices. Just off the main square.
- MonteCristi: Grab some cheap and tasty empanadas (2-3 e/4-6aud each).
A few other options include.. Kohout Na Vine (fine dining), Kafe Friedrich (good vegan options), Bistro Bastardo Brno (Mexican), Výčep Na Stojáka (popular standing bar), Domovina (Vietnamese), La Pinata (Mexican), William Thomas Artisan Bakery (bakery).
Where to enjoy the best views of Brno
Brno has a number of great view points, some from hills above the city, some from towers in the city. Our top 4 views in Brno would be the following:
- Old Town Hall gate: the best view in Brno. A small entry fee to get an incredible view.. sign us up!
- Denisovy Sady park: Located near the famous cathedral, this park has good views particular of Brno Castle.
- Tower of Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul: you can climb the towers here for excellent views.
- The gardens of Brno Castle: This is another free view. Climb up to the castle (around 15minutes) and you’re treated to excellent Brno views.
Thinking of staying in Brno – here’s a few things to know
Where to stay in Brno:
Overall, Brno is quite a small city, and it is very walkable. There is also an excellent tram network to get around. However, we recommend you are in one of 2 areas:
- The Brno Old town: Stay in the heart of the action. You’re close to everything. Great for first timers and short stays.
- The Luzanky area: Located a little north of the old town (around 10-15 mins) is a cool area filled with great cafes, restaurants and parks.
Good Accommodation options in Brno:
- Kalina Apartments
- Oltec Apartment Brno
- Design Apartments Lužánky
- Revitalizer – calm oasis in the center of Brno
- Treat yourself at Masarykova N°30
- Hotel Passage
How long should I stay in Brno?
Brno is quite a small town, and could be done in a rushed day trip. However, to properly enjoy the café and food scene, plus tick off some of the attractions, we would recommend a 1-3 night stay.
How to get to Brno:
Brno is located close to major cities reachable via train like Prague (2-3 hours away), Budapest (4-5 hours), Bratislava (1-2 hours), Vienna (~2 hours) and more. Brno also has an airport but train is definitely an easier route to visit. If you are road tripping via car through the area, it would definitely be an easy city to add onto your trip.
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