Who knew Brno is the second-largest city in Czechia?? Definitely not me; though, to be fair, I had never even heard of Brno before we started planning this trip.
While most people opt to visit Prague (we had originally planned to do the same, but it’s a long trek from Vienna and it ended up feeling like “too much”), Brno is a great choice if you’re in Vienna and want an accessible day trip.
Getting there from Vienna
We opted to take Flixbus because it was the cheapest option from Vienna to Brno. It was a straight shot (Brno was the first stop), and we got dropped off less than a kilometer from the main square.
We left our apartment early, without any caffeine in our systems, so once we got off the bus we made a stop at Costa Coffee. It was delicious and a really great way to start the day. (There’s a code on your receipt to access the washrooms; overall, we found far more free bathrooms in Czechia than in Germany/Austria/Slovakia!)
One of the reasons we’d chosen the bus (in addition to cost savings) was the fact it would get us into town early enough to make it to the Brno Astronomical Clock well before 11 am.
We took a scenic route to get there, stopping to see the Brno Dragon. The “dragon” is actually a crocodile and it points back to a famous legend. Apparently a dragon was terrorizing the city until someone tricked it into eating quicklime. It got thirsty, drank loads of water, and because of the chemical reaction, burst.
Medieval problem solving at its finest 😉
Okay, back to the famous clock (that does NOT look like a clock).
When the Swedes were invading in 1645 during the Thirty Years’ War, they promised to leave the city if they weren’t able to successfully capture it by 12:00 pm. The bell ringers decided they’d announce noon an hour early that day. The Swedes retreated and since then, the bells still ring at 11 am, not 12 pm, to commemorate the occasion.
There’s all sorts of physics and mechanics behind how the clock works and tells time, but of special interest to the kids was the chance to catch the (GIANT!) glass marble that gets released. There are four holes about shoulder height and one hole will randomly drop out a marble.
From research online, I knew getting there early was crucial and that locals often stake out a claim to the holes so they can get the marbles and, I presume, sell them to tourists like us. Indy had his hand in with a stranger but alas, no luck. The gentleman in the white sweater behind Indy is the one who was successful.
This was a bit of a letdown because Belle was spoken to rudely by someone who wasn’t actively trying to get a marble but then claimed to have been there first. It put a damper on the experience for sure, but I was relieved the rude woman didn’t have the “winning” hole.
After the bust at the clock, we walked to the Marian Plague Column in the Central Square. Literally every city we’ve visited so far has one of these!
From there we made our way up to the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul. It’s also tied to the Swedish siege story… the famous early bell ringing trick came from here.
Everything was so picturesque.
Oh look, there’s a wall to climb and a hint of danger. Sign me up, says Indy.
Of course there HAD to be some archway poses in Czechia, right?!
When we went inside the church, we learned there was paid access to the bell tower and both kids were keen. We try to climb a tall structure in every city. We qualified for the family rate which was about €12 total, I think? (They did take card!)
You walk through the interior of both bell towers to two different viewing platforms (both are SMALL) which offer great views of the city below.
Love those red roofs with terracotta tiles.
The lighting on the other side was horrible, but a kind stranger offered to take our picture.
I love these pictures of Indy looking out the various inset windows while we were walking down the stairs!
Then… we wandered the streets for a while.
These optical illusion cones in Dominikánská náměstí (they reminded me of Bugles) were such a cool find. They looked wide, but actually had very narrow openings. It’s just an art installation in the off-season, but in the summer they’re also water features!
The distortion messes with your head a bit!
Jumping off a stone bench. Why not?
I have no idea what/who this statue is meant to represent, but we thought it looked like a Minecraft character of some sort.
The statue of Jobst of Moravia (he was born/died in Brno and was King of Germany for a while) was fun! Everything looks a bit absurd which adds to the appeal.
The kids posing underneath for scale.
I had planned to go to the Ossuary under St. James, but when we arrived, tickets were already sold out for the day. It’s the second-largest ossuary in Europe (after Paris) and it holds the remains of around 50,000 people. It was only rediscovered in 2001, so people were just casually walking over all those bodies for centuries!!!!
The interior of the church was lovely and we made time to walk around the exterior to find the hidden statue of the Indecent Man pointing his naked butt in the direction of St. Peter and Paul’s cathedral. Apparently both churches had been competing to build the highest tower. St. James won and so this was a stonecutter’s way of essentially sticking out his tongue (or, in this case, bare bum) at the other church.
Who knew medieval humour could be so funny?!
I really like light and bright church interiors like this.
After we looked at all sorts of statues, we did some wandering.
A post box!
More climbing for Indy!
A teeny, tiny figurine (called Waiting Adam; it’s the smallest statue in the city) mounted on a clock!
Earlier in the day (right after we learned tickets for the ossuary were sold out) we made reservations for the Labyrinth under the Vegetable Market.
In days gone by, homeowners would dig below their property for cold storage. These tunnels date back to medieval times and were used for storing food, brewing, and hiding valuables. These days, they’ve been restored into a network of corridors you can explore.
It was reasonably priced (something like €25 for our whole family), and we took a guided tour in English. It was a lot of fun. The rooms are staged with props, and it’s highly interactive.
Here’s Indy pretending to be bitten by a rat. Thankfully NO LIVE RATS WERE SPOTTED or I might have died. I jump so high if I see A MOUSE and have never actually seen a living rat and would love to get to the end of my life and still be able to say that.
Moving on…
There was lots of cool history about wine making in the area, none of which I feel like typing out right now. But it was informative and interesting.
There were other kids on the tour, but whenever the guide asked for volunteers, Indy was the only one willing to participate.
This was an old Czech drunk tank! They would lock people inside to sober up, and they reckoned it could fit 8 grown men. In that case, they’d all have to sit back-to-back with their legs through the slats. Our guide said his record with a school group was fitting SIXTEEN kids inside.
Candles were expensive, so most light in these underground cellars would have come from a stick of wood (ON FIRE!!!!) held between their teeth. I can only imagine how many faces got burned that way.
One adult tried making sparks with flint but was unsuccessful. The only other volunteer was Indy, who got it to work on his first try.
Something we’ve come across multiple times now is the concept of humiliation as a form of medieval punishment. In this case, people would be shackled in the square with their crimes displayed on a board around their neck. Indy, apparently, has been singled out for selling stinky meat at the market. Tsk, tsk.
Brno has really leaned into the underground theme. We visited 10-Z Bunker, a former Nazi air-raid shelter later converted into a Cold War nuclear bunker. It could hold around 500 people and was designed to be completely self-sufficient.
It was self-guided, but highly interactive, which the kids loved. I had to chuckle at the sign at the entrance that reassures passers-by that in case of a nuclear attack, entrance into the bunker is free. Phew. Thank goodness for that!
They had crates full of gas masks to try on. You could handle everything which really made the experience come alive for the kids. A bit like my experience with the Vienna Crime Museum, I’d say this spot is a bit rough around the edges (read: displays aren’t highly polished and professional), but it’s really neat and feels authentic.
I read online that it’s also a hostel and you can spend the night!
There was also a heartbreaking (highly informative) display about women imprisoned in Gulag camps.
I had thought of trying to visit one last underground site (Žlutý Kopec, the water tanks), but it would have required quite a bit of walking. It would also have been the priciest option for the day. It’s primarily a really cool photo op, but if I ever make it back to Brno (unlikely), this would definitely go on my list!
In the end we just wandered around Špilberk Castle. I didn’t have any desire to pay to go inside, but the grounds were free and the kids, as per usual, found ways to make it interesting.
The castle dates back to the 13th century and later became one of the harshest prisons in the Habsburg Monarchy.
More statue poses!
Feats of strength…
Holes in a wall? Sure, I’ll climb! This kid does NOT stop moving.
Since it’s at the top of the hill, the castle provides some great views of the cathedral on the way down.
We had packed a lunch (and snacks) which we ate off and on throughout the day and the kids had to extend their McDonalds In Every Country streak so got a little something at the Golden Arches… but we also ended up stopping at a grocery store for a few more supplies. That was a good thing because our bus ended up being an hour late.
It was just after 10 pm by the time we got home (and we were up before 6 am to catch our train) so it was a long day, but we’ve visited yet another country and I thought Brno was charming.
Your turn.
- Have you ever visited a place you’d never even heard of before and ended up loving it?
- What’s the most unusual museum (or underground site) you’ve ever visited?
- Have you ever seen a live rat?
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The interactive exhibits seem very cool!
My grandparents and aunt visited Czechoslovakia in the 70s. I know they went to Prague and also took a flight to the eastern part of the county on OK airlines, no idea if they visited Brno. Grandma’s parents were originally from eastern Slovakia, I’ve looked at the area on street view and the county side looks a lot like where they eventually moved to in eastern Ohio.
Oh, and to answer your question from a previous comment, I’d like to get a West Highland Terrier, I had one growing up and they have always been my favorite dog breed, but it’s also possible I’ll end up with a random mutt.
Aww. I hope your wish comes true. Terriers are SO adorable.
Wow, Brno looks gorgeous! And I love all the sights you visited. Gotta admire the passive aggressive sculpture. I am also getting a kick out of Indy being shamed for selling stinky meat. That photo of you and Belle is fabulous, despite the lackluster lighting!
The only Czech city I’ve visited besides Prague is Karlovy Vary. It’s a spa town, and I had a very weird massage experience there. Memorable, though! And the village itself is quite charming.
I heard of that spa town, I think.
I would LOVE to go to Prague at some point. I heard such wonderful things about it; just too much of a stretch for this trip, but gives me a perfect excuse to come back to Europe, right???
I know I’ve said this before, but it is amazing what you can pack into ONE DAY. I know that I’ve been frequently awed at the places that I go on my travels, and I’m not anywhere as exciting as Europe.
Especially in cities where there can be a treasure trove of unique things all within a stone’s throw of each other!!
So many thoughts!
1. Why have I never heard of Brno or Czechia? (took me 3 scrolls back to the top to spell it right)
2. Why can I find zero photos of those marbles on the interwebs?
3. It seems as if every city has an arched entrance gate area, multiple cathedrals and castles, ancient walkways and structures and more arches, multiple statues and public art. . . it’s all running together for me (but don’t stop posting!)
4. Did this trip happen before your train trip to Munich? You mentioned going “back home”, which I assume meant to your Vienna apartment. I must have read the posts out of order.
5. I was selfishly worried that we’d all lose touch once you began your Great Adventure but holy guacamole, you are so prolific and generous in your writing!
6. Indy must be a huge hit on all the tours —eager to try things, fun, and cute as all get-out.
7. Belle is a champion big sister and travel companion—all the fun poses, schlepping, fitting in school work, missing friends, lack of her own bedroom (I would have HATED that part at her age or any age, really).
8. You are taking great photos.
9. It was good to see John participating . . . I was beginning to wonder if the poor guy had to work all day, every day!
1. Czechia is still also called the Czech Republic; you’re likely more familiar with that title. I had never heard of Brno, either. But it’s the second biggest city (after Prague).
2. I never even tried finding a picture of the marbles. They were about the size of a golf ball!!
3. Yes, all the cities do end up looking so much alike!
4. Yes, I have posted things out of order, so this happened while we were still based in Vienna.
8. Awe. Thanks! It includes pictures from John AND Belle.
9. Alas, he has worked a lot, but thankfully was able to adventure on the weekends and in the evenings after work. He also did a few early morning hikes with Belle, including once to see the sunrise.
I’ve been to Prague, but not Brno. It looks really, really fun! Obviously the kids had a blast. I love all the interactive exhibits.
To answer your questions… we took a trip to Key West when Paul was young, and into his “pirate” phase. They have a shipwreck museum, all about pirates and treasure. That’s the only unusual museum that comes to mind. Also… you may remember (unless you’ve blocked it from your mind) that we have *whisper gently* pet rats. They’re so cute!!!
That museum sounds VERY fun. I know a certain boy in my household who would like that!
We went to Rothenburg in Germany and there was a museum of Medieval Crime. It had rooms of masks for people who were being shamed for committing crimes and other punishments similar to what you saw. Shame, shame!!
Your kids really look like they are having the TIME OF THEIR LIVES. And somehow Belle grew all the way up on this trip??
Czechia looks beautiful! A place I would never have thought to visit myself!
She is 15, Stephany.
FIFTEEN. A few more years and she will be graduating high school. It’s wild.
I would love to get to Prague one day, but Brno was a perfect day trip from Vienna and I’m so glad we got to dip our proverbial toes into the country.