-Europe.CzechRepublic.Brno-
I recently came across Brno several times in other bloggers’ page. Keywords like coffee culture, foodie, architecture was enough to pique my curiosity and check the location of this Czech city. I was surprised to learn that Brno is only 2 hours away from Vienna by train. I figured it was as good time as any to visit Brno on an extended weekend (3 days 2 nights) for a foodie weekend and Christmas markets in December.
Note: This post contains affiliate links where I may earn a commission from at no extra cost to you. I promise that I am only endorsing products I use myself and trust in. This support in turn helps me sustain this website to bring you more travel tips. Let’s win together!
Table of Contents
Getting to Brno
We took the RegioJet from Vienna Central Station to Brno Station which is located in the middle of the city center. The price is very reasonable to get from one country to the other – click link for transport hereÂ
Upon arrival we stepped out of the train station immediately to tram lines and bus stops. We planned to catch Tram no 9 or Bus no 67 to our Hotel but could not find the line immediately as there were many lines and many people. We then decided to take the 1.5km walk instead.Â
With the handy google maps we could navigate without problems – if you need an internet plan in a foreign country , I have used Airalo in many countries by now and can recommend it for its ease of use.
Getting around Brno
The Hotel we chose was within the city of Brno translate that as walking distance to the happening center of Brno. However we still bought the 24-hour public transport ticket and here is why.
We were there over the weekend and on non-work days a single 24-hour ticket can be used by up to 5 people travelling together. By 5 people I mean maximum 2 are above 15 years old and the rest below 15.Â
Usually Brno center is very walkable but we went ahead to get the ticket anyway because it started snowing , wet snow and that meant lots of sludge on the road which made it not comfortable for walking or dragging luggage. Â
Â
Frequently Asked Questions for the Public Transport
One 24-hour Brno (zones 100 + 101) for 90 CZK (Eur 3,70) which we used for both of us to get around.
No, it really is 24-hour count from the time purchased and activated.
It covers the city of Brno. You can check out the map here
We bought our ticket on the tram – there is a ticket machine on board. You can get both the single trip ticket and the 24-hour ticket on this machine. We were told that there is a machine near some tram stations but I did not actively look for one. Also could be available at some tobacco (Tabak) shops.
We only saw contactless payment on the tram machine. Payment via Visa, Mastercard, Google and Apple Pay.Â
What we saw in Brno
Our trip was a short one, arriving in the early Friday evening and leaving again at noon on Sunday. We focused our sight-seeing on the Christmas markets in the squares as well as some landmarks in Brno city center. On Saturday it started to snow as we were walking around , some parts were slippery especially the cobbled stone areas. We still managed to pack in seeing interesting places.
Moravian Square
The Equestrian Statue is a tourist draw by itself, installed on the Moravian Square in 2015. The statue features a knight with armor and shield on a horse with disproportionate long legs. If you see a queue of people waiting to go under the horse and look up , you should join it too. All will be revealed when you follow suit.
Dominikánské náměstà (Dominican Square)
The square with the New Town Hall in the background has a unique life-sized nativity scene on display. Made of wood there are 100-pieces to admire. The Christmas stalls surrounds the square with a festive feeling all around.Â
Zelný trh (Vegetable market)
This is a very large square that is usually housing the largest vegetable market in Brno. The market has been around for a long time , since 1190. The amazing thing is this market is still functioning. Other interesting details of the square is the Parnas fountain as you can see on the left of the picture above. See if you can find the Mozart statue around the square too. When you find it, there is the Reduta Theatre where Mozart once performed.Â
This is what you can see above ground but did you know that you can go underground and explore passages that have been around since the Middle Ages ?
Â
Old Town Hall
The Old Town Hall has a tower that can be walked up to the viewing platform to see the views of the city landmarks. There is a small fee to pay for the privilege. There is as well an information tourist center in the ground level. At the passage are symbols of legends in Brno; a “dragon” and wheel. The courtyard was hosting a small cluster of gourmet stalls from the restaurants in the city.Â
Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul
That impressive stained glass caught my eye as soon as I stepped into the Cathedral of St Peter and Paul. From the outside it already looks impressive sitting up the Petrov hill, with its two towers. The architecture is Gothic Revival and cuts an impressive impression in the city skyline making it a recognizable landmark in Brno. The cathedral rings its bells at 11am instead of the regular noon time, following the old tradition times back to the Thirty years War to fool invaders of the city.Â
Capuchin Monastery and Crypt
It is just interesting to read about the Capuchin monastery and its crypt where members of the order are entombed. The vents in the walls provided the right conditions for the bodies to be mummified naturally. There is a small entrance fee and you can download a guide on your phone with no extra costs.Â
Náměstà Svobody (Freedom Square)
Freedom Square seems to be the inofficial center of the city. Its a busy area with the main street, Masarykova running through it with shops on both sides. There are christmas stalls setup here on both sides and the Christmas tree is set up on the same spot as the first public tree in the Czech republic back in 1924. Talk about keeping with tradition!Â
Astronomical Clock of Brno
Well, this sure does NOT look like any other astronomical clock I have ever seen. Usually one thinks of the famous one in Prague – but this is nothing like that. It shows the time but during the short time we stood there looking , I could not figure out how to tell the time from it. At 11 daily it would play a melody and one of the slots will open up to reveal a glass marble that can be caught and kept as a souvenir.Â
Minorite Monastery and Church of St. Johns
This was an accidental find as we strolled in from the streets to this beautiful church. The interior is simply breathtaking from floor to ceiling. Only after checking about this church for this blog writeup, did I come across that the Loreto chapel is attached to the church and I missed it. If you do go, don’t forget to visit it.Â
Coffee culture in Brno
Brno is full of cafes , I put some of them on my list to try but we did not manage to go to an actual cafe. Partly it was due to timing as we had a coffee machine in the hotel which we used before we start our sight-seeing. The other part was the cafes came with a higher price and I wanted to go to one with good cake to go with the coffee as well but did not manage it.Â
Often we went for the reasonable priced coffee from these coffee stalls around Brno – Kofi Kofi. I can recommend it for coffee-to-go!
Here is a list of cafes in Brno for your reference
Â
Â
Foodie paradise in Brno
An interesting tidbit I found out was there were many Vietnamese living in Czech Republic. Historically from the communistic times, Vietnamese were encouraged to apply as foreign exchange students and many had settled down in Czech after their studies and over time many more came over.Â
I found there were many Vietnamese restaurants in Brno and I was looking forward to having a meal in one. On our first evening we walked around and ended up in MÂY house close to Dominican Square. The following evening we ended up here again because the food was good and price reasonable.Â
Other food we tried:Â
Wokin – a fast food wok place on the main street Masarykova. I would rate it as good for a fast food place but did not find it to be cheap, rather on the higher side priced.
UGOÂ – a healthy snack food and juice bar : they have good and healthy bowls. I tried the chilli juice, pretty spicy aftertaste!Â
Monte Cristi Empanady – a small shop selling Empanadas.Â
I have to point out there are many Vegan-friendly restaurants in Brno too! Here are more restaurants in Brno.
Bar Scene in Brno
Something else that I had planned but did not get to do in Brno: was to experience one of the Bars here. Well, its not just any bar, but award winning ones with their mixology skills coupled with great ambience.Â
Our Hotel, Efi provided us a welcome drink to be redeemed in the Bar : and I tried their house beer, brewed onsite in their microbrewery. It was good but what do I know – I don’t usually drink beer. Brno itself has a famous brewery Starobrno.Â
Here is a list of bars you might like to visit in Brno.Â
Â
Watch a walk through Brno video
Just Pin It!
Related posts you might like...
I love Brno, I have visited many times and wrote many articles about the excellent food and drinks scene here, on my blog. I have never visited during the Christmas season, but I did experience the Easter markets in the city. I see that during Christmas there are so many more markets. I’d love to see the one in the Vegetable market, it seems so different with the cute looking wooden huts. I like that you’ve combined the markets with seeing some of the sights as well. Brno is such a beautiful city!
Thanks for this interesting post about Brno. I have not been there, but also read a lot of good things about the city: Vibrant, cool and yes, a good coffee scene. Unfortunately it takes around 7 hours by train from Berlin, where I live. So I would at least need 3 nights there. Christmas season is a good time to go there with all the wonderful christmas markets.
I can definitely recommend a visit to Brno because of all those things. I would love to try the bar scene for myself- I read that they are expert mixologist even for non-alcoholic drinks and they make them with less sugar!
We too have read about Brno in different blog posts. Coffee culture would be a big draw for us. Good to know we could do this as a weekend trip from Vienna. We would plan to walk around in Brno but a transit pass sure was a good idea when the weather turned. A good time to visit indoors and not miss great sights like the Cathedral of St Peter and Paul and the Minority Monastery and Church of St Johns. Both look lovely!
Brno is definitely walkable, which is what makes it attractive to me. I do love the smaller towns to the big cities because of it. I hope you include Brno when you do visit this region.
THE cathedrals have beautiful architecture. The stained glass windows and the interiors were beautifully made. I would like to catch the glass marble from that clock. I found the 11am bell ringing concept very interesting, I didn’t know that it was done to ward off invaders. I am going to read more about that now. Hope, I get to visit the beautiful city someday.
Wow! I did not realize there is a lot of things to see and do in Brno. I would love to visit the churches and ofcourse enjoy their food and coffee. The stained glass window of Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul looks really beautiful.
By the way, It’s interesting to know there are many Vietnamese in Czech Republic. 🙂
What a delightful exploration of Brno, Adele! Your vivid description and the carefully curated guide make me feel like I’ve strolled through the charming Christmas markets and historic sites alongside you. The emphasis on coffee culture adds a cozy touch, and your encounters with Vietnamese cuisine showcase the city’s diverse culinary offerings. The inclusion of practical details, such as transportation insights and must-visit places, makes this post not just a travelogue but a valuable guide for fellow adventurers. Can’t wait to experience Brno’s festive atmosphere and gastronomic delights myself, inspired by your captivating journey!
So glad to hear you felt you were there with me! It was just a great weekend trip with all the important aspects present in Brno – with that i mean food and coffee 😀 . I hope you get there soon and experience what I did
You got to see and do a lot during a weekend in Brno! The cathedrals are gorgeous! I hope they won’t put newly body in the Capuchin Monastery because it will be scary to see. Interesting to learn about the Vietnamese in Brno. I never heard about it. And how cute is it that there was a dog and an elephant at the nativity scene in the Dominican Square?
haha you and me both – I would not pay to see a fresh body in the monastery either! you are right about the nativity scene, what a keen observation you have !
I’m SO envious that you got to go to Christmas markets in Europe!! I’ve never been to the Czech Republic or heard of Brno, but I’d love to go there someday. I also love that you were inspired by other bloggers to go – how fun is that? And now I’m inspired to go because of your blog (and if I do, I’ll blog about it, ha! 🙂 ).
Christmas markets are a definite must-do if you are in Europe in December. Bloggers are a constant source of travel inspiration, (we) are so inspiring 😉 I hope you do go and do write about it.