Czech - Brno
Albania
Czech Republic
Official Name
Brno. Another word with a lack of vowels! As far as I know, a weak 'e' as in 'set' is added between 'r' and 'n'. The German name Brünn is easier to pronounce and quite famous, since Brno was an important town within the Austrian monarchy. The city is famous as a trade fair town and venue for Grand Prix races.
Location
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| Brno |
In the southeast corner of the Czech republic, some 180 km as the crow flies south-east of →Prague and only 100 km north of Vienna. Brno is located in the centre of Moravia - the Eastern part of the Czech republic.
Population
Brno has around 387,000 inhabitants and therefore it is Czech's second biggest city and by far the biggest city in Moravia.
Orientation
The town is surrounded by mountains except for the lowland in the south. There, the small river Svratka crosses the city, although it's quite away from the city centre.
Some hills can be found in the middle of the city, which predestined the place to have a huge castle built on top of one of the hills. The historical city centre itself is quite unusual. There is a distinctive outer ring road and - strange enough - some bigger squares, but the streets inside the ring are rather chaotic and do not show a certain scheme. The bus terminal is around 1 km away from the city centre in the south-east of town. The main train station can be found between the city centre and the bus terminal. Some tunnels connect the terminal with pedestrian zones on the other side of the road. There's a tram station in the middle of the road in front of the station. The tunnels do not really leave a good first impression. When walking along the pedestrian zone Masarykova northwards, it takes around 5 minutes to get to nám. Svobody (Liberation square) - one of the biggest central squares in Brno. Almost all places of interest gather around the square. The vast hrad Špilberk (Spilberk castle) towers above the city on a hill in the west and cannot be missed. It takes around 10 minutes to walk there from the central square. Thanks to the castle and the twin-towered Katedrála sv. Petra a Pavla (St. Peter & Paul-Cathedral) it's quite easy to orientate.
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| View from the old city hall: Left: St. Peter & Paul-Cathedral, Middle: Spilberk castle and St. Michael Church, right: St. Jakob Church |
All sights in Brno are accessible on foot but it takes some time. A walk through the entire city centre including the castle takes around 2 to 3 hrs - of course without going to museums. Attention: The whole seems to be in transition - there are construction sites everywhere. Some tram lines are not working. It didn't look like it will be finished in the near future (as of April 2004).
History
The area around Brno had been populated a long time ago. However, the city's history started around the year 1000 A.D. In present-day Staré Brno (Altbrünn, old Brno), a first settlement next to a ford at the Svratka river was founded. The Spilberk (Spielberg) castle was mentioned first in 1277, and eversince the history of the castle was strongly connected to the history of the town. Brno played an important clerical role after the 14th century. At first, a Cistercian monastery was founded. Later on, Augustinians (predominantly Dominicans) and Capuchins decided to build monasteries in Brno.
In 1349, the city was chosen as residence of Moravian lords, but it wasn't before 1641 that Brno became the capital of Moravia. Since 1560, the Spilberk castle belonged to the city. Brno was heavily fortified and therefore could even resist attacks from Hussites in the 15th century, Swedish troops in the 17th century and Prussians in the 18th century. The latter besieged the city for a long time but weren't successful. Nevertheless, only 5000 people lived in the city after the 30 years' war.
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| The marvellous Spilberk castle |
Only Napoleon could make it to Brno. Not far from Slavkov u Brna, better known as Austerlitz and only 20 km away from Brno, Napoleon managed to defeat the united armies of Austria and Russia in 1805.
In the 19th century, during the Habsburg reign, Brno was widely industrialised. Many textile and machine factories started business. Already in 1839, the railway line from Vienna to Brünn aka Brno was completed. Gasworks and tram lines were established, and so Brno became a progressive city. Around the same time, the Augustinian monk Mendel researched on plants and put forward first laws of heredity - an epoch-making theory which started genetic science.
To make things complete, some institutes of technology and universities were founded in the 19th century. Another boom was produced by building trade fair facilities in 1928. Since 1959, annual mechanical engineering fairs are held in Brno. Starting in the 1990ies, the city hosts the Czech constitutional court and a modern technology park. As mentioned above, the town is in transition - many buildings and bigger parts of infrastructure are being renewed or redesigned. As a matter of fact, Brno is an imortant and highly dynamic place with growing importance for the middle of Europe.
Getting there / transportation
Brno is the second biggest city of the Czech republic, and so road and railroad connections are very good. There's even an international airport nearby. Some EuroCity trains pass Brno - among them a direct train from Berlin (less then 8 hrs) via →Prague (2hrs 45'), Bratislava (1hr 15') to →Budapest (4 hrs). From Vienna, it only takes 1 hr 45 minutes. Connection to other Czech cities is quite good as well. However, when heading for places in South Bohemia, e.g. →České Budějovice or →Český Krumlov, it's better to take a bus since railroad connections are rather bad.
Visitors to Brno should not miss a walk to the huge hrad Špilberk (Spielberg castle) west of the city centre. Originally constructed as a gothic fortress in the 13th century, the castle underwent several major reconstruction processes. In the 17th century, Spilberk castle was redesigned as a large baroque fortification system. Today, the castle lines up with other great Habsburg citadels such as →Terezín or →Petrovaradin (Novi Sad).
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| The casemates inside the castle |
The castle is atop a hill and surrounded by a beautiful park. By far the most interesting part of the castle are the casemates (underground prison), which was used as a dungeon since the 17th century. Here, the Habsburg monarchy's most dangerous and most feared criminals had been imprisoned. It was abolished in 1855, but until then the casemates of Spilberk were infamous and considered to be the fiercest gaol throughout the Austrian empire. However, the casemates became a tourist attraction already in 1880. Many things have changed since the prison was abolished. A torture chamber had been added, which actually never existed during the time as it was used as a prison.
The casemates consist of two levels, arranged in a big rectangle. It's possible to see a small part of the lower level and the entire upper level. Both levels are above the surface, but once inside, it feels like being a few meters below surface. A small part of the circuit is outside the building, but the rest leads the visitor through dark, cold and endless hallways. The atmosphere is a bit spooky - just imagine the screams of the poor prisoners starving in their cells. Entrance fee is 30 kč (students 15). The actual castle with its courtyards is above the casemates - just pass the casemates and walk through a long and narrow gate. Inside the castle there is the Muzeum Města Brna (City Museum), an observation tower (extra fee) and a restaurant.
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| Mary Poppins? Above the roofs of Brno... |
Another good idea is to simply criss-cross the old city centre. Many nice buidlings of several epochs can be seen. Hence buildings of many different styles stand next to each other, which is quite colourful. Unfortunately, old buildings have not been maintained at all in socialist times, and so some of the structures are in a desolate state. As in all other socialist countries, top priority was given to building countless new apartment blocks in the suburbs to create as much housing as possible instead of costly reconstructing historical buildings. Today Brno is trying hard to save as much as possible. The visitor will miss the homogeneity of smaller Czech cities, which doesn't mean that there's a lack of spectacular places. Among them, the Stará Radnice (old city hall) facing the northern side of Zelný trh (green square) should be mentioned. The square itself is still used as a market square. The tower inside the old city hall looks like a big green water tower and is easy to find.
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| In the old city centre (Joštova-St.) |
It's possible to climb the tower, which is not a bad idea, since you can overlook the entire old city centre (see panorama above). Admission fee is Kč 10. Add a handful of Crowns and you can visit some of the old rooms inside the city hall. The courtyard and the gothic portal are very interesting as well. The latter impresses by a funny detail (see photo below).
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| It probably disturbed the view... |
Other interesting places include the Moravské zemské muzeum (Moravian museum) near the train station and the huge black Katedrála sv. Petra a Pavla (St. Peter & Paul Cathedral). The history of this striking church started in the 11th century as a basilica, before it was transformed into a gothic cathedral during the 14th century. However, many details were changed until the 20th century. The size of the cathedral as well as the beautiful stained glass are very impressive indeed.
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| The old sleeping room of the Capuchin monks |
Going all the way to →Egypt just to see some dried-up mummies is too much hassle? Then you may go to the Capuchins church in the Capuchins street between the Moravian museum and the main train station. In the vaults of the church, some mummified corpses, most of them monks and noblemen from around the 18th century, are on display. Unfortunately, explanations are poor and mostly in Czech only. Entrance fee is Kč 40, students pay half.
| Accommodation |
Moravian karst and Brno area, Brno-venkov |
The motel and restaurant for drivers is situated on the 207.5 km of the motorway D1 Brno - Olomouc, 8 km from Brno. | ||
Location
The motel and restaurant for drivers is situated on the 207.5 km of the motorway D1 Brno - Olomouc, 8 km from Brno.
Equipment and services
All rooms are equipped with a shower, WC, TV and wireless connection to the internet. Reception and currency exchange services are available. There are double to four-bed rooms, altogether 59 beds in the following composition: 4 double rooms, 9 three-bed rooms and 6 four-bed rooms. There is also an assembly-room with up to 200 seats and a seminar room. A flipchart, data-projector, Impression 880/ASK and a projection screen can be provided upon request.
Leisure opportunities
Trips to the surrounding areas, swimming opportunities nearby Slavkov, Mariánské údolí valley. Golf grounds close by.
Further information
24-hour opening.
The Napoleon´s Restaurant, a self-service dining room, Coffee bar, Snack bar, patisserie, exchange office.
Playground for children with equipment.
The plot of the building is fenced. Pets allowed with pre-approval (fee by a consent).
Parking possible inside the fenced area.
The prices are higher during the Brno Fair.
Dogs allowed for CZK 50 per night.
Stay possible also for one night without an extra fee.
| Accommodation |
Moravian karst and Brno area, Blansko |
A high-standard three-star hotel with over seventy-year tradition. It is located in the very heart of the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area. The main attractions are the Macocha Abyss and the underground limestone caves. Unique boat rides are offered to tourists down the underground Punkva River. | ||
Silvestr není k dispozici
Location
A high-standard three-star hotel with over seventy-year tradition. It is located in the very heart of the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area. The main attractions are the Macocha Abyss and the underground limestone caves. Unique boat rides are offered to tourists down the underground Punkva River.
Equipment and services
The hotel has 4 single rooms, 5 four-bed rooms, 2 three-bed rooms and 31 double rooms. An extra bed can be placed in some double rooms (a chair bed). All hotel rooms has their own bathroom with a shower (a bathtub in double rooms), telephone, radio and SAT TV. There is a hotel restaurant, night restaurant – piano bar, summer terraces, exchange office and other services. The hotel is equipped with an elevator.
Leisure opportunities and surroundings
Surroundings of the Landscape Protected Area offers a number of leisure activities. For the hotel guests, 33 different family trips to the surroundings have been prepared. The hotel is located close to the tourist paths crossroad and a nature trail. Nearby, there is also a stop of a tourist road train running to the Punkva River Caves and to the cableway station that will take you to the Upper Bridge of the Macocha Abyss. You may also appraise the bike rental in the neighborhood since the karst valleys have been close for cars. The distance to Brno is 30 km.
Further information
Two training rooms for up to 20 people offer enough space for closed meetings. For larger groups the evening restaurant for up to 40 people is available (possibility of a screen projection). The training rooms are equipped with a TV, video player, flipchart and overhead projector. The rental is CZK 1000 per day including the required equipment.
Baby bed can be lent free of charge. Pets are not allowed.
Internet in the lobby is accessible 24 hours, daily. Car park in front of the hotel, free for the guests.
| Accommodation |
Moravian karst and Brno area, Brno-město |
It is a newly renovated hotel situated in Brno from the beginning of the 20th century | ||
Silvestr není k dispozici
Location
It is a newly renovated hotel situated in Brno from the beginning of the 20th century
Equipment and services
All rooms are equipped with a shower, WC, TV and wireless connection to the internet. Reception and currency exchange services are available. There are double to four-bed rooms, altogether 59 beds in the following composition: 4 double rooms, 9 three-bed rooms and 6 four-bed rooms. There is also an assembly-room with up to 200 seats and a seminar room. A flipchart, data-projector, Impression 880/ASK and a projection screen can be provided upon request
Leisure opportunities
Trips to the surrounding areas, swimming opportunities nearby Slavkov, Mariánské údolí valley. Golf grounds close by.
Further information
24-hour opening.
The Napoleon´s Restaurant, a self-service dining room, Coffee bar, Snack bar, patisserie, exchange office.
Playground for children with equipment.
The plot of the building is fenced. Pets allowed with pre-approval (fee by a consent).
Parking possible inside the fenced area.
The prices are higher during the Brno Fair.
Dogs allowed for CZK 50 per night.
Stay possible also for one night without an extra fee.
| Accommodation |
Moravian karst and Brno area, Brno-město |
The hotel is situated close to the centre of Brno, not far from the railway station and the Brno Exhibition Centre. | ||
Silvestr není k dispozici
Location
The hotel is situated close to the centre of Brno, not far from the railway station and the Brno Exhibition Centre.
Equipment and services
The hotel offers 6 double rooms, 4 single room 17 standard apartments (about 45 sq. m) and 7 deluxe apartments (about 65 sq. m) – for 4 persons. The interior of all rooms and apartments is in a modern style with a bathroom, WC, air conditioning, telephone, minibar, SAT-TV, desk and a safe. There is a living room and a bedroom in all apartments, as well as a fully equipped kitchen. All rooms are equipped with broadband Internet connection. Further, the hotel offers rooms for disabled people and no-smoking rooms. There are several lovely lounges with a fireplace and a garden. Non-stop snack and drink service available.
Leisure opportunities
Variety of cultural activities, such as theatres, cultural monument sightseeing – the Špilberk Castle, the Tugendhat Villa, Museum of Decorative Arts.
Trips to surrounding areas: Lednice, the Moravian Karst, Slavkov u Brna - Memorial of the Battle of Austerlitz.
Further information
The secured garage parking with a direct access to the hotel will provide you with comfort and safety. Non-stop reception and information service. An extra baby bed is available upon request at a supplement of CZK 200 per night. Pets are allowed at a supplement of CZK 150 per night.
| Accommodation |
Moravian karst and Brno area, Brno-město |
The hotel is situated in a calm environment of the Kouhoutovický forest not far from the Brno Exhibition Centre | ||
Location
The hotel is situated in a calm environment of the Kouhoutovický forest not far from the Brno Exhibition Centre
Equipment and services
There are 16 double rooms and 2 apartments. All rooms are equipped with a bathroom, WC, TV and telephone. You can connect to the Internet at the hotel lounge. Most of the rooms have a view over a peaceful garden behind the hotel.
Leisure opportunities
A fitness studio is available to hotel guests
Further information
The hotel offers lounges with capacity of 40 or 12 people.
The restaurant offers seating for 45 people.
Prices during fairs and exhibitions are available on request.
The car park in front of the hotel is monitored by surveillance cameras.
Pets are allowed at a supplement of CZK 100 per night.
| Accommodation |
Moravian karst and Brno area, Brno-město |
In the calm location of the Brno reservoir amidst a beautiful countryside there is a unique hotel with exceptional architecture built in Nordic style. Using the non-traditional combination of stone, glass, metal and wood, the hotel evokes the atmosphere of Scandinavian buildings. The hotel lies 150m from the Brno reservoir and only a three-minute walk from the riverboat stop Sokolské koupaliště beach. | ||
Location
In the calm location of the Brno reservoir amidst a beautiful countryside there is a unique hotel with exceptional architecture built in Nordic style. Using the non-traditional combination of stone, glass, metal and wood, the hotel evokes the atmosphere of Scandinavian buildings.
The hotel lies 150m from the Brno reservoir and only a three-minute walk from the riverboat stop Sokolské koupaliště beach.
Amenities and Services
The hotel offers to its guests accomodation in sixteen two-bed and two three-bed rooms with the option of additional bed and one four-bed suit. There can be up to fourty-two guests sleeping in regular beds. With additional beds, our hotel accomodates up to fifty-four persons.
The standard equipment of each room is a TV-set, radio, telephone, a comfortable bathroom with a shower and toilet. The intimity of the rooms is enhanced by a separate terrace equipped with stylish garden.
Thanks to its comfort, our hotel can satisfy the needs of the most demanding clients.
Other Information
Room service, laundry, cloth cleaning, car rental.
There are 20 guarded car parking places available for our hotel guests.
Our restaurant offers a wide selection of delicious and tempting meals being a culinary experience that our guests will never forget.
Its capacity is fifty persons and is open from 7.00 until 22.00.
| Accommodation |
Moravian karst and Brno area, Brno-město |
The hotel is conveniently located, just 5 minutes walk from the city centre | ||
Silvestr není k dispozici
Location
The hotel is conveniently located, just 5 minutes walk from the city centre
Equipment and services
The hotel has 27 double rooms, 6 three-bed rooms and 3 four-bed rooms. All rooms have their own bathroom with a shower and WC. They are equipped with SAT TV, telephone, and most of them have a minibar. You can choose between our double or twin bedrooms. Rooms with a terrace with garden furniture or a kitchenette are also available.
Services offered: laundry, video rental, photocopier. You can borrow an iron or a hair dryer for free. Billiards.
Leisure opportunities
A sports centre 5 minutes walk from the hotel, tennis courts etc.
Further information
The hotel is located on a calm street, about 5 minutes walk from the city centre, close to the city park. There is a locked car park within the hotel area. Pets allowed for a supplementary fee. Baby bed can be lent for an extra charge.
| Accommodation |
Moravian karst and Brno area, Brno-město |
Equipment and Services
The hotel offers accommodation in luxury room with air conditioning. The price of accommodation includes breakfast in form of self-service buffet, free access to fitness studio with swimming pool, internet in the room and parking. The rooms have bathroom with bathtub and shower, air conditioning, TV with SAT and radio, minibar, safe, telephone with direct dialing, high-speed internet connection, hairdryer.
King Size Rooms have double bed.
Executive Rooms have also double bed, moreover they have a high-standard bathroom and bathrobes for use during your stay.
Accommodation is complemented by two restaurants, café, varied choice of bars, and sports facilities as squash, bowling, go-karts, sauna, massages, solarium or disco.
Leisure Opportunities
Gastronomy: Inspiration Restaurant offers meals of international and local cuisine. Breakfast is served in this restaurant. Next to it, there is an Italian Restaurant, Confectioner´s, Café and several bars.
Sports facilities in the hotel:
The extensive Fitness Centre 007 offers besides modern equipment and qualified team of trainers also the protein bar, swimming pool, solarium, whirlpool. You can do aerobic exercise, slide, body-step, yoga or Pilates. Squash with five air-conditioned courts, bar with a view of the courts, possibility to borrow rockets and balls. You can have fun driving Go-Karts on a 210 m long track with tilted turns.
18 MS KART INDOOR available with HONDA GX 200 a GX 270 engines. Possibility to arrange private parties.
Four Bowling Lanes, fully automated. Part of the bowling area is a bar for 64 guests which can be used also for private parties.
Billiard room offers one carom table and three pool tables. A part of the Billiard area are darts and American roulette.
Other Information
The hotel offers more than ten fully air-conditioned halls for congresses that can accommodate up to 1 600 people. From the largest Laser Show Hall equipped with latest technology, used for holding conferences, seminars, concerts, entertainment and sports events or beauty contests, through French dance Café de Paris with a ring boulevard, to Club Hall designed for various workshops, press conferences or chess championships.
| Accommodation |
Moravian karst and Brno area, Brno-město |
Hotel is situated close to the Brno Exhibition Centre and is within an easily accessible both from the larger city centre as well as from the feeder roads. It is 3 km from the crossing D1 EXIT 194 B (Prague – Olomouc and Vienna – Brno), direction to the Brno centre along Vídeňská street (watch out – Vídeňská street turns moderately to the left after 300 m). | ||
Location
Hotel is situated close to the Brno Exhibition Centre and is within an easily accessible both from the larger city centre as well as from the feeder roads.
It is 3 km from the crossing D1 EXIT 194 B (Prague – Olomouc and Vienna – Brno), direction to the Brno centre along Vídeňská street (watch out – Vídeňská street turns moderately to the left after 300 m).
Amenities and Services
The hotel offers a comfort accommodation at the standard level of the Best Western hotels. Each of the hotel rooms bears a name of one of the generals who took part at the Battle of Slavkov in 1805. All rooms are equipped with a SAT TV, a direct distance dialing telephone, minibar, and a security access card system SALTO. Every room is equipped with a bathtub and WC. You will find towels, bath towels, bathrobes, hairdryer and all hygienic necessities at disposal for your comfortable stay. You can connect to the Internet through the hotel WiFi network free of charge in all rooms. There is also an Internet Room with a PC connected to the Internet for our guests.
Restaurant KAVALERIE in the ground floor of the hotel offers dining in a relax atmosphere of the stylish interior with a medieval cascade. The CAFÉ 1805 on the 5th floor of the hotel offers a splendid view of the city panorama and the Svratka River beneath the hotel. In the café, buffet breakfast is served both to hotel guests and the public. On the 5th floor, there is also a lounge with an oval table for up to 20 people, with a direct entrance to the terrace.
Leisure opportunities
Besides the comfort accommodation and excellent food and drinks, the hotel offers also massages and sauna.
Tennis and squash courts are in close vicinity of the hotel. The hotel is ready to arrange for various sports and outdoor activities in Brno and its surroundings on demand.
Further information
Restaurant KAVALERIE in the ground floor of the hotel offers dining in a relax atmosphere of the stylish interior with a medieval cascade. The CAFÉ 1805 on the 5th floor of the hotel offers a splendid view of the city panorama and the Svratka River beneath the hotel. In the café, buffet breakfast is served both for hotel guests and the public. On the 5th floor there is also a lounge with an oval table for up to 20 people, with a direct entrance to the terrace.
| Accommodation |
Moravian karst and Brno area, Brno-město |
The hotel is situated close to the city centre at the Lužánky town park. It can be reached also by public transportation, from the main train station by tram no.1, direction Řečkovice, to get off at Hrnčířská tram stop on Štefánikova street. | ||
Silvestr není k dispozici
Location
The hotel is situated close to the city centre at the Lužánky town park. It can be reached also by public transportation, from the main train station by tram no.1, direction Řečkovice, to get off at Hrnčířská tram stop on Štefánikova street.
Equipment and services
The hotel offers accommodation in newly restored and furnished rooms with capacity of 250 guests. There are 90 double rooms (it is possible to place an additional bed), 8 apartment rooms (with a kitchenette in four of them). All rooms have their own bathroom with shower, SAT TV, a direct distance dialing telephone. Rooms on the 7th floor are equipped with air conditioning.
Dining and catering is provided by the hotel restaurant. You can also to relax at the hotel night bar till late night.
The hotel offers a conference room taking up to 200 persons, and lounges for 8 to 50 guests to hold conferences, seminars, presentations, or other social events like balls, weddings, graduation, family celebrations, etc.
Leisure opportunities
The hotel cooperates with a sports centre located about 200 m from the hotel. Following activities can be arranged for: squash, tennis, bowling, billiard, fitness studio, aerobic, solarium, sauna, in-door swimming pool.
Further information
All given prices are in CZK per night, including VAT and breakfast, which can be served both as full waiter service or self-service buffet style.
Baby bed is available free of charge, on request when booking. Pets allowed for CZK 150 per night. A car park in front of the hotel with a security service during night hours. A fee of CZK 20 is charged for every drive out. You can book a garage for CZK 100 per day.
Price description - Pricelist
Higher prices are charged during important Brno fairs and exhibitions – information on request. These involve: Kabo-Styl, Invex, Engineering Fairs, Building Fairs, Grand Prix, Salima, Autotec.
No specific recommendation, because I've stayed outside the city. There are many pensions and hotels in town. Please note that Brno is a trade fair city and therefore all accommodations can be booked out - especially in February, April and September. There are camping sites out of town.
- www.brno.cz/ Official website of Brno with plenty of infomation. Good reading to start with. Comes in English, Czech and German.
Do you have or do you know a good website about Brno? Don't hesitate, let me know! After checking it, I would love to add it to the link list. You can submit a link by using the →contact form. Note that commercial websites will be treated differently.
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