Raw Brno

🍻Brno and pubs / bars / restaurants just go together.

🤔Today I will give you advice on some companies, which from my point of view are students and poor travelers, very accessible and are in the center of Brno.

At the wooden eagle (U dřevěného orla) - located underground with lots of alleys and rooms decorated with paintings of eagles, the staff is very helpful and there is a large selection of food and drink. The big (in) advantage is that almost all drinks cost the same. The bar is located on Orlí Street and a little closer to the Cabbage Market has a second branch, U dřevného vlka (U dřevěného vlka), which operates on the same principle.

U Třech čertů (At three devils) - this company also has two establishments, but they are further apart. One is not close to the Cabbage Market and the other not far from Svobody Square. In addition to great beer, you can enjoy traditional Czech cuisine here.

Beer Exchange (Pivní burza) - even this pub will not disappoint with an interesting concept and has two branches. One is located between Malinovsky Square and Svobody Square and the other on Veveří Street. It is unique in that the price of beer here fluctuates as on the stock exchange according to purchases. You can see the current price either on the TV or on the built-in tablet. Prices can change in a few seconds and it's quite fun.

Photos: zomato.com, drevenyorel.cz, restu.cz, matyhochalka.cz

What's at the end of this street? 🤔

⛪️It is the "Red Church", ie officially the Czech Brethren Evangelical Church of John Amos Comenius. The was completed in 1867 and was marked as a "monument to the liberal spirit" of the village and also became the first large non-Catholic prayer house in . The church is 45 meters long and the tower is 50 meters high. In keeping with Protestant tradition, the is austere and simple. Thanks togood acoustics, concerts are often held here. 🎤🎹

In 2011, the church was also briefly involved in the street art project Dead drops. This was done using a USB flash drive, which was walled up in the wall and a random passer-by could upload any data to it.

Photos: Pavel Gabzdyl, cs.m.wikipedia.org, commons.wikimedia.org

🪨Another place in that you can visit is the Hády quarry. In addition to the beautiful view of , there is a two-kilometer nature trail and the Lamacentrum ("farm" with animals) 🦙- but it is currently closed. In the quarry, it is common to find "messages" composed of stones on the ground. ♥️

Limestone mining in 4 consecutive quarries has been going on since the Middle Ages. Today, it is a valuable ecological area with rare species of plants and animals. Some parts are even protected.

photos: Pavel Gadzbyl, lamacentrum.cz

Now that we have a lockdown in the Czech Republic, but we can go into , then I have a few for you. 💪🍁🍃

1. Mariánské údolí
It is located in the Líšeň district, which can be easily reached by public transport. If you decide to walk around these five ponds, you may come across mills, castle ruins or even caves.

2. Ostrá horka lookout tower
This lookout tower is 19 meters long and has a beautiful view of , Pálava and the Moravian Karst. Although it is located in Soběšice ("outside Brno"), it is not difficult to get here by car or bus from Brno.

3. Brno Dam
The dam was built during the economic crisis and was to employ as many people as possible. Today it is used mainly for recreational purposes.

Photos: janza.cz, kudyznudy.cz, Alik.cz

What would you name this statue? 🤔
This statue is also one of the more discussed in . And no wonder. If you look at the second photo, you will find out why it has nicknames like "executor and washing machine". It is no coincidence ...

👩‍⚖️👨‍⚖️The statue, designed by Marius Kotrba, stands before the Supreme Administrative Court and is supposed to represent a man who is struggling with a heavy block symbolizing justice. ⚖️If you are looking for a statue, it is located directly opposite the statue of Jošt moravský.

Photos: Pavel Gabzdyl, turistika.cz

Heyy 👋 Is the Christmas atmosphere already breathing on you or do you not realize that Christmas is coming in 12 days? 🧑‍🎄 For me this year I still belong to the second team. 😢

🎊However, Brno is trying to tune in this atmosphere as best as possible, despite the current situation. 🌟For example, this beautiful wooden star, which is supposed to help tune this atmosphere. At the moment, you will find the star on Svobody Square and from Saturday it will move to Jakubské Square.

Photos: TIC Brno, gotobrno.cz

🙏If you are looking for where to go for the Bethlehem Light or where to go for the Christmas Mass, which takes place on December 24 from 22:00. I have one tip for you.

⛪️This futuristic church of Blessed Mary Restituta is the youngest church in Brno and was blessed on September 12, 2020. The church is the work of architect Marek Štěpán. The circular floor plan with a diameter of 25 m is a symbolic return to community and family. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦The church is dominated by a thirty-one meter high tower with a carillon, which looks different from each side thanks to the floor plan of an equilateral right triangle. The bell tower itself is in the spirit of yellow-red shades, which were chosen because of the contrast of the sky blue and are intended to symbolize earthly life, fire and suffering. 🌈

💰The church was built with donated money from believers from the Czech Republic and abroad.

Photos: cs.wikipedia.org, echo24.cz, ct24.ceskatelevize.cz, cirkev.cz

👀Halouzek's Nativity Scene has also been part of Christmas in Brno since 2009. It is one of the largest nativity scenes in the Czech Republic and is even the second largest of its kind in the world! 🌍

This nativity scene is made up of 115 life-size wooden figures. These are newly renovated this year and shine on the entire Dominican Square. Children can even take pictures on a wooden horse. 📸

Photo: kambrno.cz, blesk.cz, gotobrno.cz

Christmas markets
My God, I can completely smell mulled wine and potato pancakes. 🤤😍

Every year since the beginning of December, Brno has hosted Christmas markets with stalls scattered throughout the center. They are on Svobody Square, Dominikánské Squate, Moravské Squate and Zelní trh. In the stands you will probably find everything you can think of. From spices and delicacies to candlesticks and cutters to clothes. It is therefore a good place to buy souvenirs or Christmas presents 🎁

But what plays a key role here is food and alcohol (what a surprise😅). Here you will find dishes such as potato pancakes, crawfish, chives, dumplings, various sweets and everything. 🍴However, there are interesting stalls from drinks, where in addition to traditional soft drinks and mulled wine, you will find a warm "Christmas" drink with almost any alcohol. The most popular is apple “juice” with, for example, vodka, plum brandy, Jägermeister and many other types of alcohol or red wine with rum. 🍷🍹

♻️And what is a big plus, drinks are not placed in disposable cups! A deposit of € 2 is paid for the cup and you can return it or keep it as a souvenir before leaving the markets. You can also come to the stand with your own mug.

🎸But markets are not just about food and drink. There is also an accompanying program in the form of concerts, theater or dance performances. 🎠🎡There are also carousels, a nativity scene, a mini zoo or workshops for children.

😭This year, the markets are going on, but because of Covid-19, they are far from happy. There are far fewer stalls and there is a complete lack of stalls with food and drink.

So hopefully you will visit them in full parade next year.🤞

Photo: munimedia.cz, Petr Olša, brnenskydenik.cz, žít Brno

You may have noticed yesterday's story (photo 3) and wondered where it is. 🤔 It is right on the main square of Freedom. And just as Prague or Olomouc have an astronomical clock, so do we, just a little different.

🕰 These clocks are 6 m long and were introduced in 2010 on the occasion of the 365th anniversary of the resistance of the city of Brno during the Swedish siege during the Thirty Years' War. 🇸🇪As a reminder, anyone can catch a ball at 11:00 (photo 2), which falls out in one of the holes every day. And why 11? Because according to legend, Brno resisted the Swedes for so long that they decided to leave if they did not conquer it by 12:00. However, the smart people in Brno struck at noon at 11 o'clock, so they got rid of them with trickery. ⚔️- But it's not true.

I think you can guess what the clock is called. 😅And you ask how we know what time it is from these hours? We don't know. 🤷‍♀️But the last picture shows instructions on how to try it (I'm just sorry in Czech).

Photo: Pavel Gabzdyl, brnenska.drbna.cz, blesk.cz, archiweb

🏫The old town hall from the 13th century is located next to the Cabbage Market and since 1935 has been used only for cultural purposes. In addition to visiting the 63 m high tower, from which there is an amazing view of Brno, concerts, festivals, theater performances or a summer cinema take place in the courtyard.🎺🎭

Do you notice anything strange in the first photo? 🤔 (I noticed after 3 years) 😅
Like the whole of Brno, our town hall is shrouded in several legends. And one of them is just dealing with the crooked violet above the portal.
Master Antonín Pilgram was to receive a certain amount for the position of a unique portal. However, the councilors did not pay him, so he left the middle of the seven violets crooked to take revenge. It is therefore distorted just like justice in Brno. 👨‍⚖️He then went to Vienna, where he participated in the construction of St. Stephen's Cathedral.

Another legend is about six treacherous councilors who wanted to secretly open the gates during the Hussite wars. However, they were betrayed and executed. The head of the main traitor Haas was impaled on a stake as a warning and displayed at the town hall, according to which a statue was carved and placed in the back entrance of the town hall. In reality, however, it is a Gothic mascaron. 🗿

🕘In normal operation, it is open every day from 9 am to 1 pm and from 1:30 pm to 6:00 pm. The tower is also poorly visited every day from 10 am to 10 pm. Admission is around 75 CZK (around 3 €).

Photos: Pavel Gabzdyl, ticbrno.cz, cs.wikipedia.org

📜The first written mention of Brno dates back to 1091, but the origin of the name of the city is not entirely clear, and therefore gives a lot of space to legends.🤔

1️⃣ According to the German 🇩🇪word "Brunnen" = well. When there were 7 wells next to each other in the original settlement.
2️⃣Two vagabonds came to Brno and in the morning they were very cold, so one declared "I'm cold! Brr!" 🥶and the other replied "Well (in czech = no), me too" and so BRNO was born. 😅
3️⃣The original settlement stood in a muddy place near the wetlands and the name originated from the Old Bohemian word, which means muddy.

Which is your favorite? 🤔

🏠Vila Tugendhat is in my opinion a monument that is definitely worth a visit if you like architecture and modern history at least a little. I don't like either one very much and I enjoyed it anyway. 😅

This villa is the only modern architectural monument in the Czech Republic, which has been inscribed on the UNSECO World Heritage List since 2001. 📜

The villa was designed in 1928 by the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for the Tugendhats. It is exceptional for several reasons:
• one of the few undestroyed buildings in Europe by this famous architect
• It was already incredibly changing in its time
• a very progressive and timeless construction for its time
In addition to the building as such, the interior is also considered very exceptional. The building also includes beautiful large gardens, where concerts, swing events or film screenings are held in the summer. 💃🎞

This Villa also served as a model for Simon Mawer's novel The Glass Room. It is also filmed and as a theatrical play you can see it in Brno City Theater. 🎭

You can order a tour of the villa with a Czech and English interpretation at www.tuhendhat.eu and the ticket price is 350-400 CZK (13-15 €) depending on the type.

Photo: Vila Tugendhat, ckasa.cz

🤩29 days until Christmas!
And it is already beautiful for us in Brno. As every year, we have a dominant observation wheel here, which measures 33 m. 🎡And you can ride it on Moravské náměstí for 100 CZK (around 4 €) from 27 November. 🎄That should also be lit by both trees, which are already in place (this year my favorite is the one on the Cabbage Market - photo 3). Another Christmas attraction is the Christmas šalina. 🚋
The only thing that will be different this year is the number of stalls at the Christmas markets. 😢The city is trying to distribute them as much as possible in the center so that there are as few of them as possible. But we'll talk about Christmas markets.

What does it look like in your city? Are you ready for the most beautiful time of the year?

Photos: 1st and 3rd
2nd

Brno is sometimes a bit controversial when it comes to art. What do you see? 🗿 A normal statue of Margrave Jošt Moravský, which has been standing on Moravské náměstí since 2015. This eight-meter statue is supposed to represent courage. (There are also statues of justice, moderation, and foresight in the area.) You can see the courage of this statue in the second photo, where the same statue is from a different angle. 🤫🤭

In winter, you will find an ice rink and snacks around the statue. ⛸

Photos: desperado.cz, kudyznudy.cz, idnes.cz

🌲🌳If you love nature and animals in Brno, you have it at your fingertips. From the center by public transport, you can reach the Holedná field with an area of ​​only 330 hectares in a short time, which is located between 3 city districts. Here you will find a quiet forest, a nature trail and lots of animals such as fallow deer, mouflons or wild pigs in the paddock. 🦌🐗For example, if you consider yourself a rebel who doesn't follow the rules, you can feed fallow deer by hand. 🤫🤭 But if you are not a rebel, you can just watch the animals from a distance or take a pleasant walk.
There is also a newly built lookout tower with a height of 35 meters and is thus the highest lookout tower in Brno.👀

And how do you get here?
🚌You can easily take bus number 50 from the main railway station to the "Stará dálnice" stop.

1st photo: Pete Olša

As you will soon understand, we like festivities and festivals in Brno. And where else to organize them than in the very heart of the city. ❤️
Náměstí Svobody is the main square, which has a specific triangular shape thanks to the crossing of 3 roads in the 13th century. Since 1679 there is a dominant plague column. On the square we will also find a bronze fountain with verses by Jan Skácel and the Brno "astronomical clock", which we will talk about another time. Enough history.
🎉This square is almost never empty, because various events take place here throughout the year. We can name, for example, St. Martin's Day festivities, which would normally have been last week. 🍻🍷🌭🍕🎵For example, street food festival, sweet dreams festival, wine festival, beer festival, good food festival, music marathon and much more. In addition, various concerts take place here. 👙In summer, on this square you will also find sun loungers around the fountain, where you can enjoy drinks from the bar called "Na Brno dobrý", which means “Kinda good for Brno”. However, the biggest attraction is usually the Christmas markets, which we will talk about later.

A rather strange and not very attractive thing is that, in addition to cars, there are also slots across the square. 🤦‍♀️ So watch out!

Photos: gotobrno.cz, kudyznudy.cz, idnes.cz, centrumnews.cz

The sights, attractions and history are great, but let's say something very important for the Czechs. And that's beer! 🍺Perhaps everyone in the world knows that Czechs love beer and it is cheaper than water (it is true🤩). And it is no different in Brno.

The tradition of brewing beer in Brno dates back to 1243. The largest and most famous Brno brewery is which is located and brews beer on Mendel Square. ☀️In summer, this place can be smelled from a distance with hops and malt. You can also arrange an excursion in the brewery or simply go to their pub for tank beer. And if you don't want to be right here, there are a lot of pubs in Brno dedicated to this brand, which is an integral part of Brno's identity. 🚋Their beer is even tapped by ŠALINA PUB - a unique pub on the dormitories.

Although a lot of locals love this beer, it's not twice as good. 😅 That is why I also give you tips on other breweries from Brno and its surroundings, which are worth trying. 🍻

They are breweries Hauskrecht, Moravia, Lucky Bastard, Kos, Fagan, Pegas and more ...

Cheers in czech is “na zdraví”

Photos: starobrno.cz dopravacz.blogspot.com

Brno is a second largest city with an area of ​​230.18 km2 and lies at the confluence of the Svratka and Svitava rivers. Brno has a total of 29 city districts. The tallest building in the Czech Republic has also been located in Brno since 2013. Az tower is 116m at the highest point. 🏙

Officially, it has about 381 thousand inhabitants, but in reality the numbers are much higher, mainly due to students. 👩‍🎓👨‍🎓Brno is considered a student city with 34 public faculties and approximately 83,000 students. Students are mostly from the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
There are also many important institutions such as Czech Television or Czech Radio. 👩‍⚖️👨‍⚖️ Brno is also the center of the judiciary of the Czech Republic, as it has become the seat of both the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court, the Supreme Administrative Court and the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office.

In the picture on the right you can see the flag of Brno.

Did you know that in addition to classic attractions, Brno has a very interesting underground?

Just a short walk from the main square of Freedom you can find the second largest ossuary in Europe. ☠️The cemetery at the church of St. Jakuba has been used since about the 13th century, but due to lack of space, an ossuary was built in the 17th century, which was still expanding. ✝️This ossuary was discovered in 2001 and is estimated to have more than 50,000 remains. Under normal (non-covid) circumstances, the ossuary can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday almost all day and tours are available in 7 languages! The basic entrance fee is 140 CZK, but there are many possible discounts.

Another jewel of the Brno underground is, for example, the Labyrinth under the cabbage market, which is also in the city center. During this tour, you will learn something about how food and alcohol were stored in the past. There is also a tour of the alchemical laboratory on the route, which is almost one kilometer 6-8 meters below the surface. You can take this tour in 5 languages, also from Tuesday to Sunday.

In the underground you can also visit the Reservoirs on the Yellow Hill, the Mintmaster's Cellar or the 10-Z bunker.

Tickets for all attractions can also be purchased online at www.ticbrno.cz

Photos: ticbrno.cz

If you like nature and do not want to leave the city, a short walk from the center is the park Lužánky. 🌳The park can be easily reached on foot or by public transport. The park has 22 hectares and in 1786 was established as one of the first public parks in Central Europe.

Everyone will get their money's worth here. 🏃🏃‍♀️ For athletes there is an outdoor gym, various courts, jogging trails and also plenty of space for yoga. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦For families with children there is a playground, traffic playground or small fish in the creek. If he is careful, you will simply find a paddock with piglets. The park also hosts various festivals, balls and competitions.

🍽And if you don't like any of it, there are several restaurants and cafes. Barbecue facilities are also available in public, so you can have a barbecue here with friends and just sit on the grass. And what a barbecue without alcohol. In Lužánky you can easily enjoy beer, wine or even something harder until 10 pm. 🍻That is, unless there is a lockdown.

Photos: cs.wikipedia.org

If you know at least a little about the Czech Republic, you have certainly heard that we have a lot of castles. 🏰 And Brno is no exception. In the city center, of course on a hill, is the castle Spilberk. The first mention of this castle dates back to the 13th century. The castle served as an occasional seat of the Czech monarchs and later as a fortress and prison. Today, the Brno City Museum is located here. Apart from its rich history, Špilberk offers a relatively large number of activities. You can walk for free to the adjacent gardens or, for example, along the castle galleries. For a small fee you can have a tour of the castle, casemates, lookout towers or exhibitions. Occasionally there are also various events such as theater performances, concerts, festivals or special exhibitions. 🎭🎷 However, you can find more information either directly at the castle or at www.spilberk.cz

Yes, and let's not forget, there is an incredible view of the whole of Brno. So definitely do not miss this place. 😍

Photos: gotobrno.cz, svoboda-williams.cz

🚃 Let's talk about how you can travel around Brno. The infrastructure is quite good. In principle, you can get everywhere by public transport - bus, tram, trolleybus. And usually it's much faster than driving. On the other hand, if you love walking like me, you can just walk because everything important is very close to you. 🚶‍♀️If you know a little Czech language, I recommend you to download the application "Jízdní řády IDOS", where you will find the necessary connections in most cities, but also between them. Otherwise you will find lines on idsjmk.cz (there is a 🇬🇧version).

🌙 What I must also mention are the night buses called 'rozjezdy'. Every full hour (sometimes half) you will find all the night buses at the main station and choose where you have to go. This year, these "rozjezdy" celebrated 20 years of operation. Just remember that they are mostly used by drunk people. 😅 Everyone from Brno has some story fromy these buses.

Photos: picjumbo.com, brnenska.drbna.cz

When you come to Brno by train most probably you end up in this beatiful building (photo 1) in a centre of city. But don’t get fooled if you end up somewhere else because a) we got more train stations (this one is main) and b) they are working on this building all the time so trains need to use other stations. Even when we will build new one closer to bus station. 🤷‍♀️😅 Speaking about bus you have 2 places where you get depending on the company you are travelling with. If you travel with RegioJet or Flixbus you will arive on station of 3rd photo. Otherwise you will arrive to main bus station called Zvonařka.

Well, to be honest area around train station is not the best one in Brno. You can meet here a lot of drug addicts and homeless people. Mostly they are harmless but still, be careful.

Photos: cs.wikipedia.org

HELLO TRAVELLERS! 👋
We all know it well. Everybody loves these big and famous cities which are known all around the world. But did you think about what secrets are hiding other places? Let’s give them chance and explore these smaller cities and hidden gems of the world. If you want to start this journey, Brno is perfect for you. Brno as a smaller sibling of Prague has many beautiful things and places to offer without so many tourists. This city mix fresh young vibes with rich history of city.
So let me be your guide in Brno. I’ll show you everything you need to see and possibly you didn’t even knew you do. I keep it real so you know what to expect and nothing will surprise you.

Are you ready to fall for this city with me?
———————-
Because of amazing location it is pretty easy get here by 🚗, 🚌, 🚂 and from some locations even by ✈️.
It’s also close to other big cites. That’s why is Brno in Czechia also called “Prague countryside”, “Vienna north” or “last turn to Vienna”. 😅 Another near city is for example Bratislava.