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Destinations » Czech Republic » Brno Travel Guide
Brno is the second largest city of the Czech Republic (following Prague) and is the cultural and administrative centre of the South Moravian Region with a thousand years of history. It is a university town and the greater part of its inhabitants can speak English, to some extent at least.
Brno has not been well discovered by tourists and you therefore have an opportunity to see real life in the Czech Republic without crowds of tourists and overpriced services as is common in Prague.
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For more information please visit the Brno City Break page
While visiting the city centre, take some time for a quick meal and browse along the pedestrian shopping zone, which unfolds between námestí Svobody and the train station. Prices for goods are often cheaper here than in Prague, so you may find a better deal for the crystal vase or pair of earrings you were thinking of buying.
Food
You have a great opportunity to taste Czech cuisine in Brno. A typical Czech dish is roast pork with dumplings and cabbage or fried cheese with potatoes or chips. There are lots of restaurants which offer food and drink for €6, even those situated in the Brno centre. At midday, the bulk of restaurants provide their customers with menus for more attractive prices.
Drink - beer, wine and Kofola
To eat well you have to drink well. Traditional Brno's beer brand is called Starobrno; however restaurants also offer other brands such as Pilsner Urquel and Gambrinus. A pint of beer usually costs about €1, even in the city centre restaurants.
Another traditional Czech drink is Kofola, which tastes similar to Cola, but due to natural ingredients and liquorice it has an unmistakable and intriguing taste.
Aside from beer and kofola, Czechs also produce a high-quality wine, sometimes called "blood of Moravia".
Capuchin Crypt and Church
The church is situated on the Capuchin Square near the Cabbage Market. Next to the church stands the Capuchin Monastery. The front side of the church is decorated with the Baroque sculptures by Jan Adam Nessman from 1765.
The most interesting attraction is the Capuchin crypt which is located beneath the church. Due to the good geological structure of soil and system of air-holes, it was possible to mummify the corpses which have been preserved in the underground of the church to the present-day. Except for the members of the Capuchin Order, the builders Ondřej and Jan Křtitel Ern and baron Franz von der Trenck (a commander of the Pandur and Špilberk prisoner) are buried there.
Visitors can attend a permanent exhibition which includes a tour of the Capuchin crypt with mummies.
Spilberk Castle
Another dominant feature of Brno is Spilberk Castle. It was established around the mid-13th century by the Czech king Otokar II. of Bohemia. After a fire in 1578, it was transformed into the Renaissance building by Antonín Paris. During the Thirty Years' War the castle was turned into a Baroque fortress. In 1820 the fortress was converted into a prison, which was called the "dungeon of the nations" in the Austro-Hungarian Empire as it was the place of political persecution.
Today, the Spilberk castle houses The Brno City Museum. There are permanent exhibitions such as The Casemates (with a torture chamber and instruments of torture), Baroque Pharmacy and Lapidary. Another tourist attraction is a lookout tower. The public can also visit the north and west wing of the castle.
Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul
The cathedral is situated on the natural rock formation called Petrov. It is the dominant feature of Brno and creates the city's typical silhouette. From the former Romanesque basilica, which was built as a part of the former Brno Castle in the 11th century, it was turned into a Gothic cathedral in the 14th century. Between 1738 and 1748 it was transformed into the Baroque style by Mořic Grimm. The interior of the building is splendidly equipped with the sculptures by Ondřej Schweigl. There is the largest preserved fragment of the city walls under the cathedral.
Admission fee to the cathedral is free.
Admission fee to the cathedral's tower and treasure house: 35 CZK (reduced admission fee for students, children and elderly people)
Opening hours: from Monday to Saturday: 11.00 - 18.00; Sunday 11.45 - 18.00
Admission fee to the crypt: 25 CZK (reduced admission fee for students, children and elderly people)
Opening hours: Saturday 11 - 18.00, Sunday 11.45 - 18.00
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