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Brno

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Brno historic center

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Overview

Moravia’s capital city just keeps getting better and better. The thousands of university students here have always ensured a lively club and entertainment scene, but a wave of next-gen cafes, restaurants and cocktail bars in the past few years has put the city on the map and even invited positive comparisons with Prague. The churches and museums are great too. If you add in some daring modern architecture from the early 20th century, such as the Unesco-protected Vila Tugendhat, there's plenty to reward more than a transit stop.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Vila Tugendhat

    Vila Tugendhat

    Brno

    Brno had a reputation in the 1920s as a centre for modern architecture in the Bauhaus style. Arguably the finest example is this family villa, designed by…

  • Labyrinth under the Cabbage Market

    Labyrinth under the Cabbage Market

    Brno

    In recent years, the city has opened several sections of extensive underground tunnels to the general public. This tour takes around 60 minutes to explore…

  • Špilberk Castle

    Špilberk Castle

    Brno

    Brno's spooky hilltop castle is considered the city's most important landmark. Its history stretches back to the 13th century, when it was home to…

  • Cathedral of Sts Peter & Paul

    Cathedral of Sts Peter & Paul

    Brno

    This 14th-century cathedral atop Petrov Hill was originally built on the site of a pagan temple to Venus, and has been reconstructed many times since. The…

  • Church of St James

    Church of St James

    Brno

    This austere 15th-century church contains a baroque pulpit with reliefs of Christ dating from 1525. But the biggest draw is a small stone figure known as…

  • Parnassus Fountain

    Parnassus Fountain

    Brno

    At the centre of Zelný trh (Cabbage Market), the heart of the Old Town, is the curious baroque Parnassus Fountain (1695), a symbolic cave encrusted with…

  • Moravian Museum

    Moravian Museum

    Brno

    This natural history and ethnographic museum holds some six million pieces and is the country's second-largest. Exhibits straddle the gulf between extinct…

  • Old Town Hall

    Old Town Hall

    Brno

    No visit to Brno would be complete without a peek inside the city's medieval Old Town Hall, parts of which date back to the 13th century. The tourist…

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Day Trips

Here's why you should consider Brno for your next European city break.

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