The Travel Diary: Let’s go to Brno!

12/16/2021

Written by: Tereza Lysakova

Let's finally go to Brno! That's exactly what I told to myself recently, when I was booking a ticket for the gig I wanted to see there. Honestly, I have never been to Brno before (if I don't count passing through the bus station on my way to Moravia as visiting, and for sure I don't) and now I had a perfect excuse to finally visit and explore this amazing city, as well as the gig.

So I hope you'll enjoy my new post out of the Travel Diary series!

This City is a Must-see!

As recently suggested by the Time Out magazine [1], I certainly agree that Brno is a must visit city for a short European city break. There are countless of historical sights, nice restaurants to enjoy various cuisines and what more, especially for the cultural geeks, loads of cultural places with theatres and concert venues at almost every step throughout the city center. I was so surprised, how cultural this city actually is!

So where to start when visiting Brno? Not sure what your plan might be, but my first steps actually led to the hotel. And I was completely amazed! Staying at the eight floor of the super cool Design Sono Hotel was an amazing experience, where the whole city spreads before your eyes behind the glass windows of the hotel room. Definitely a good idea to ask for higher floors when booking this place to fully enjoy all the beauty this view brings!

For the linguist fans, Brno also has its own dialect and looking briefly to the online dictionary of this "Hantec" dialect before my trip, and as a true Praguer, I did not understand a word. The more surprised I was, that people in Brno actually speak this dialect. It briefly reminded me of Newcastle and its typical Geordie dialect, of which initially I did not understand a word either. So, why I am telling you this. In case you would actually happen to be in Brno and looking for a tram, keep in mind it is not a tram, it's actually a "šalina". So, when asking for directions of the "tram", don't make the same mistake I did. How foolish of me 😊. 

As you now know the word, I can continue. By "šalina", you can move basically anywhere within Brno, as all the sights are reachable by this transportation mean quite quickly and handy. Or you can walk, which is not that pleasant in late November, though. 

But back from the language window to the actual Brno sights! 

Places Worth Visiting

The first sight that really catches the attention when coming to Brno by coach, is the St Peter and Paul Cathedral on the Petrov Hill. Beautiful historical cathedral with a viewpoint with amazing sights of the whole Brno city. The view in late November afternoon with dusk slowly falling down and whole city lighting up is breathtaking. But be prepared, before reaching this coveted destination, you have to overcome loads of steps. Great training instead of gym, though 😊.

When fully satisfied by this historical gem, you can set off all the way down this hill and discover beautiful squares, secluded streets, cozy cafes, and restaurants downtown, it is really just a short walk towards the city center. If you like modern art, don't miss the Astronomical clock at the Náměstí Svobody. I really do like modern art, however of this particular object in question I have a bit mixed feelings, diplomatically speaking 😊.

But let's continue to see other fascinating sights! One of these is definitely the Špilberk castle. Situated at the very top of the hill of the same name, surrounded by beautiful trees and many winding paths, this place is a must go when visiting Brno, providing another wonderful viewpoint of the whole city from a different perspective than the previous ones. If you are lucky, you might even see ponies guarding this ancient fortress. And if you are even more lucky, or better say on time, you might hear beautiful chimes instead of the ordinary bells at the top of the hour. And what is way cooler, that it plays different songs! O sole mio or Naubucco are among these, just to mention a few among many others [2]. How cool is that!

Another must see object is definitely the Villa Tugendhat, an architectonic gem built in the modernism style by the famous architects Ludwig Mies van der Rohe between 1929-1930 [3]. Although, to book the inside visit is almost impossible, as the tickets are sold out way in advance. But once there, it is possible to visit at least the beautiful garden surrounding this UNESCO World Heritage sight, with, again, an amazing view of Brno. This time you will see the Špilberk castle right at the opposite side of the city.

Honestly, Brno really surprised me with all these architectonic treasures, but the true highlight was of course the longed-for gig 😊. Knowing my previous posts, you might actually guess, who played in the Sono Music Club this time. And in case you don't know my previous articles, make sure you read this one 😊. Yes, Glen played again in Czechia, after two years, and again, it was amazing! The whole show was full of energy and despite all the omnipresent restrictions, the atmosphere was fantastic and so was the whole show!

So long, Brno! But I'm sure, I will come again!


Images credit: Tereza Lysakova 

Share