Insider Tips
Accommodation
Anybody Hotel – stays for role-play lovers; 10 rooms inspired by iconic American films
Bunker 10-Z – accommodation in a former nuclear bunker under Špilberk Fortress
BAM: Brno Architectural Manual
The Brno Architectural Manual brings architectural knowledge directly into the streets. Visitors can explore the city along nine suggested routes or create their own architectural itinerary. Markings on the sidewalks in front of buildings show the object’s code and website. Using a mobile phone, you can easily pull up information about each site.
BRNOPAS
This is a tourist pass that offers attractive discounts and free entry to Brno’s sights. There’s also an option to combine BRNOPAS with admission to Villa Tugendhat – handy if official tickets are already sold out.
DPMB: Brno City Transport Operator
12 tram lines, 12 trolleybus lines, 47 bus lines, and 11 night bus lines.
In Brno you will usually only need tickets for zones 100+101.
Prices: 20 CZK/15 min, 25 CZK/60 min, and 27 CZK/90 min.
Seniors 70+ travel free (note: an ID is required).
Tickets can be purchased from ticket machines, kiosks, via SMS, or directly on board (card payment only).
More information about paying by bank card is available on the DPMB website.
Night buses depart every night from the Main Railway Station.
Departure times (note: times may vary):
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On nights before a working day: 23:00, 23:30, 00:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, 4:30, 5:00
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On nights before Sat, Sun & public holidays: 23:00, 23:30, 00:00, 0:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, 4:30, 5:00, 5:20, 5:40, 6:00
Drinking Fountains
Map of public drinking fountains in Brno
IDOS Timetable Search
An online timetable covering almost all Czech public transport (urban transit, regional systems, long-distance buses) as well as international schedules. You can filter results (trains only, buses only, etc.) or limit the search to a specific Czech city.
Luggage Storage
Brno Tourist Information Centre
Daily 9:00–18:00, address: Zámečnická 2
30 CZK per item per day (max. 40 items).
A separate room; each item gets a number and must be picked up during opening hours.
Main Railway Station (lockers, 00:00–24:00)
Besides luggage storage, the information centre offers a rest zone with public Wi-Fi, power outlets, and toilets (10 CZK). Free brochures, leaflets, and city maps are available in English and German. Various souvenirs are also sold here.
Leisure Activities
Exit Game: The Treasure in the Labyrinth – an escape game in the labyrinth under the Cabbage Market (also available in English)
Ignis Brunensis – an international fireworks competition (27 May–21 June 2023)
Absurdia Museum of Illusions – an interactive experience center full of optical illusions, surprising perspectives, and visual tricks
Papilonia – a magical world of butterflies
VIDA! Science Amusement Park – a science center with a permanent interactive exhibition at the Brno Exhibition Grounds
Wellness & Spa Infinit Maximus – thermal baths, sauna world, massages, plus a free shuttle at the reservoir
Opening Hours
Supermarkets are open Monday–Sunday (with the exception of certain public holidays), usually 7:00–21:00.
Parks and Green Spaces
From spring to autumn, many locals spend their free time in the city’s numerous parks. The oldest, coolest, and largest is Lužánky (Auepark), just a few minutes from the city center. There’s a skatepark and two street-workout areas, tennis and volleyball courts, and joggers use the park year-round. But you don’t have to be active here—read a book in the shade of old trees, grab a vegan ice cream from a colorful ice-cream truck, or just lie down on the grass.
Close to Lužánky you’ll also find Tyršův sad and the slightly hidden garden with a café behind Villa Löw-Beer. Other recommendations: Björnsonův sad, Wilsonův les, Špilberk, Kraví hora, and the Holedná wildlife park. A perfect spot to hang out on summer evenings is the area in front of the newly renovated Janáček Theatre.
Public Toilets
Sports
Hangar Brno – one of the largest bouldering centers in Europe with 200+ problems – and if you’re lucky, you might even meet Adam Ondra here
Canoeing – in summer you can rent a canoe with all equipment right in Brno; transport to other locations/rivers is also possible (note: Czech may be needed) – more information
Bike Arena Anthropos – for cycling enthusiasts, more information; unofficial trails: Zamilec Trails
Laser Game – Sport Balkán offers Brno’s best laser-game arena plus bowling, squash, foosball, billiards, and darts – more information
Stroll Tips
City Gallery in the “Brno Bronx”
In this former working-class district – often called the Brno Bronx – twelve murals have been created in recent years. The designs are by well-known Czech artists, and the wall paintings were executed by the studio Malujeme jinak. You can find a map with all murals here.
Kamenná kolonie / “Kamenka”
A former workers’ colony that arose in the 1920s in an abandoned stone quarry. With around 130 houses, it’s the largest such colony in Brno. In the 1960s the workers moved to new flats and “Kamenka” became a bohemian quarter.
Tips: the viewpoint above the colony; DuckBar.
The Villa District of Černá Pole
A quiet walk through the first public park in the Czech lands and some of Brno’s most beautiful streets. Stroll past the functionalist Villa Tugendhat by the famous German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2001) to Schrebergärten Park, the first allotment-garden colony in the monarchy.
Tips: the garden behind Villa Löw-Beer and Café Löw-Beer, Kavárna Pole, Tři Ocásci, or the notorious pubs Traubka and Mýdlo.
You can find a clear map of the route here.
Swimming
A dip in an outdoor pool or a swim in a lake is simply part of summer! Among the most popular outdoor pools are Kraví hora, with a beautiful view of the city, and Riviéra, the largest outdoor pool complex in Brno.
If you prefer a lake, head to the Brno Reservoir (“Prýgl,” about 30 minutes from the city center). You’ll find beaches with changing rooms, toilets, snack stands, as well as sports courts and pedal boat rentals.
For a quieter, more natural experience, there is also a small swimming biotope in the Ořešín district – a hidden gem tucked in the woods, with refreshments right next to the biotope. You can get there on foot, by bike, by public transport, or by car.
Viewpoints
Špilberk Castle, the Old Town Hall tower, and the cathedral towers are the classic lookout points. You can also enjoy lovely views of Brno from rooftops, terraces, or various hills around the city. My two “insider tips” are the terrace on the 7th floor of the House of the Lords of Lipá (náměstí Svobody 17; free entry) and the terrace of the market hall at the Cabbage Market (Zelný trh).
If you prefer to take in the views in nature, I recommend these spots:
Bílá hora, Hády, Kamenná kolonie, and the lookout towers Holedná in Jundrov, Ostrá horka in Soběšice, and Babí lom in Lelekovice.
