Day trip Brno: Baroque Buildings and Mummies

Day trip Brno is highly recommended! The city is located 250 km southeast of Prague. The intercity train from Prague Central Station travels to Brno in two and a half hours. Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic, is a compact city with a delightful baroque centre: large squares, Gothic churches, elegant houses and plenty of outdoor cafes in summer to enjoy Czech beer. Shopping is also a pleasure. In the city centre you will find many well-known and lesser-known shops such as Benetton, Zara, Cottonfield and Tommy Hilfiger. The Vankovka shopping centre near the railway station is worth to check out.

Would you like to see Brno on a day trip from Prague? Find out here how to join the guided city walk.

Day Trip Brno: What to see?

Brno is a pleasant laid-back city and you will see relatively few tourists here. The city is worth a visit if only to see the mummies in the crypt of the Capuchin Monastery. You can easily see the centre in one day especially when you join a guided city walk. Dating from the 13th century, Spilberk Castle on a hill overlooks the city. Over the years it was a royal castle, fortress, and prison. Today, the castle is home to the Brno City Museum whose permanent exhibits focus on the history of Brno, the architectural history of the castle and its role as a prison. Worthwhile seeing is Villa Tugendhat, a masterpiece of modernist architecture, built in 1929 by the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. 

Leos Janacek Museum

Music lovers should pay a visit to the Leos Janacek Memorial Museum. Janacek (1854-1928) is often mentioned in the same breath as Smetena and Dvorak. All three were inspired by Slavic folk music. Janacek was a conductor, composer, music educator and founder of the Brno Music Academy. He composed operas, the most famous of which are: The Cunning Little Vixen, The Makropulos Affair and From the House of the Dead.

The Memorial Museum is the house where Janacek lived from 1910 until his death in 1928. The main attraction is Janacek’s original study, which also houses his piano. In the audio hall you watch video that gives a good insight into his life and his music.

Address: Leos Janacek Memorial, Smetanova 14
Opening hours: Wednesday to Friday 9 am-5pm, Saturday 10 am-5pm, Sunday 1 pm-5pm. closed on Monday and Tuesday

What time is it?

When you are walk the streets around the cathedral late in the morning and you hear the clock strike 12, the actual time is 11 am. The bell-ringer at the time of the Thirty Years’ War wanted to protect the city because he had learned that the Swedes were planning to attack by noon. He also knew that Swedish General Torstenson would call off the attack if he could not seize the city and the Swedish army would retreat in haste. Knowing that the city could not fight off Swedes, the bell ringer rang the cathedral bells an hour early, at 11, before the army could attack. Torstenson kept his promise and retreated.

Where to Eat in Brno

Pivnice Pegas is in a fourteenth-century building and a typical micro-brewery. Czech dishes like schnitzels and sausages feature on the menu. Non-meat eaters may like to go Haribol, Indian vegetarian cuisine. There thali tastes perfect. Various curries accompanied by rice and various types of bread and chutneys are served on a round platter.

Addresses
* Tourist information office, opposite Brno train station
* Capuchin Monastery, Kapucinske namesti 5, opening hours 10.00-16.00. 7 days a week
* Villa Tugendhat, Cernopolni 45, opening hours 10.00-18.00, 7 days a week
* Leos Janacek Memorial, Smetanova 14, opening hours 09.00-17.00, Sundays from 13.00-17.00 and Saturday 10.00-17.00
* Pivnice and restaurant Pegas, Jakubska street 4
* Restaurant Haribol, Luzanecka 4
* Vankovka winkelcentrum, Ve Vankovce sstreet 1