Explore Brno - The 10 Best Attractions for First-Time Visitors

This visit to Brno was part of a press trip organized in collaboration with Visit the Czech Republic, but all thoughts and opinions are (as usual) my own.

I wake before the alarm even has a chance to ring. Outside my window at Kåltorget, the market is already alive in the pre-dawn darkness. Fruit, vegetables, flowers, and nuts from across the region are being carefully arranged on the stately stalls. An elderly lady with perfectly styled silver hair moves deliberately among the displays, inspecting each head of broccoli with care. With such a splendid selection, one can truly afford to be selective.

Brno feels so genuine and wonderfully off the beaten path that I’m grateful I woke early to watch the city stir from its beauty sleep. It’s not just a genuinely charming city—here, stunning architecture blends seamlessly with vibrant pub culture and a host of exciting cultural events, all within easy walking distance of the historic old town.

Brno is a lively city of 400.000 in the south of the Czech Republic, in the heart of Moravia. Located in the country’s sunniest region, wine plays a big role here. While beer remains the Czech Republic’s most popular drink, Brno welcomes you with numerous wine bars serving the region’s finest local vintages.

The easiest way to reach Brno is via Austria’s capital, Vienna—Prague isn’t the nearest major city. And the influence shows. Stately buildings line the tram-filled streets, dotted with inviting restaurants and cafés, while at Kåltorget, a slightly quirky statue of an 11-year-old Mozart stands proudly. Brno carries the scent of Vienna—but with a fresh, modern twist. The city offers a smorgasbord of experiences, from historic landmarks and underground passages to inventive, offbeat, and delightfully unexpected adventures.

Historic Brno

Brno was officially founded in 1243, but its strategic location between the Svitava and Svratka rivers has been inhabited for much longer. Despite centuries of wars, bombings, and invasions, many of the city’s beautiful historic buildings still stand. Modern architecture does appear in the old town, but far less prominently than in central Stockholm, allowing Brno’s historic charm to shine through.

1. Peter and Paul Cathedral

After an early visit to the cabbage market, I head up the small Petrov hill to the Peter and Paul Cathedral(Katedrála svatého Petra a Pavla). There has actually been a church on this site since the 13th century, but during the Swedish siege of 1643, it was burned down—hardly a moment a Swede would boast about. Just over a century later, the current cathedral rose in its place: a magnificent Gothic masterpiece that towers over Brno, watching over the city like a guardian angel in the morning mist.

Today, the Peter and Paul Cathedral is one of the Czech Republic's most famous historical buildings and has even earned a place of honor on the Czech 10-krona coin. A beautiful cathedral in a beautiful place that you should not miss if you are in Brno. Walk around the cathedral and take in the view, visit the beautiful interior or climb the stairs in one of the towers to take in the view.

2. Špilberk Castle

To get the best view of the Peter and Paul Cathedral at sunrise, I move on to the next high hill. Right at the edge of the old town of Brno, you will find Spilberk Castle. The castle was built in the 13th century as a royal castle, but over the centuries has been transformed into everything from a military citadel to a notorious prison. Today it probably feels more like a fortress than a fairytale castle. The most popular guided tour is to the casemate where you can visit the dungeons from the Habsburg era.

Even if, like me, you can’t visit the castle during opening hours or join a guided tour, you can always stroll around its grounds and take in the panoramic views of Brno from above. And honestly, it’s hardly a disappointment.

3. The bone house

At the other end of the old town, at St. James Church (Church of st. James), an inconspicuous little concrete staircase leads down to one of Brno's newest historical sights. One of the sights that made the biggest impression on me and also made me a little uncomfortable.

In an old city, history runs deep. So when plans were made to redevelop the block by the church in the early 2000s, an archaeological survey was carried out—just to be safe. What they uncovered was nothing short of astonishing. Beneath the square by the church lay the remains of over 50.000 people: a long-forgotten, massive burial chamber. Europe’s second-largest ossuary had come to light

The skeletons are mostly from the 17th and 18th centuries, a period when not only plague and cholera ravaged the city, but also many years of grueling war. Walking around down here in the bone house is both a little scary and incredibly fascinating. I can't help but almost want to hold my breath down here, just in case some tiny particles of plague remain in the confined air.

4. Old Town Hall

Right next to Cabbage Square, I pass through the surprisingly modern indoor market into its courtyard, where the city hall stands—one of Brno’s oldest buildings. Construction of the town hall began around the same time the city was founded in the 13th century, and after countless reconstructions and renovations, its white tower now rises proudly in the center of town like a regal queen. Climb the 63-meter tower for a panoramic view of Brno, or pause to admire two of the city’s quirkiest sights—the dragon and the Gate with the Curved Spire.

According to legend, the Brno dragon once terrorized local farmers, devouring their cattle—until they finally outwitted it with a cleverly poisoned Trojan treat. Today, the dragon hangs stuffed in the entrance of the town hall. Dragon or Nile crocodile? You can decide for yourself. Another theory suggests it was simply a forgotten gift from a foreign envoy—but let’s be honest, the first story is far more imaginative.

The other slightly quirky sight that you shouldn't miss is the pompous gate under the town hall tower and its curved phial. Legend has it that the city wanted to make a really grand gate for the town hall, but the poor artist commissioned to decorate the gate was never paid. As a bitter revenge, he therefore twisted the middle phial just before delivery. Before anyone discovered this, the decoration had already been set up and the artist had left town.

5. Nuclear shelter 10-Z

On the way from Spilberk Castle I pass by Nuclear shelter 10-Z. Once a top-secret place, now a very special hostel and museum. The old World War II shelter does not flaunt its heritage. After the war, the bunker was taken over by the communist regime and rebuilt to protect 500 people from a possible aerial bombing. Fortunately, the shelter never needed to be used, but was left untouched. As a time capsule of a bygone era of unrest in Europe.

Today you can go on a guided tour of the almost completely untouched bunker, or maybe even sleep overnight if you're up for it. Not something that attracted me, but it will definitely be an experience (or nightmare?) to remember for life.

If you want to see more pictures, I recommend that you visit Maria at Fantasy Dining, who visited inside the shelter.

Cultural Brno

In Brno, culture is a big part of daily life. So big, that every year the city spends about 30 million euros on museums, theaters, art, sculptures and festivals. Add to that the fact that Brno is a bustling cosmopolitan and intellectual university city, where a fifth of the city's inhabitants are students, and you find an innovative artistic melting pot. There are simply things happening in Brno all the time. It's no wonder that the Czechs themselves like to choose Brno over Prague for a weekend trip with a cultural focus.

6. The Cabbage Market, the Parnassus Fountain and Mozart

For hundreds of years have The cabbage market (also called the Vegetable Market) offered the townspeople the fruits, vegetables and flowers of the local farmers according to the season. During Christmas, when the vegetable season has come to an end, the square blossoms again into a cheerful Christmas market.

In the middle of the square stands a large fountain, which from a distance almost looks like it was created from expanding construction foam. The Parnassus Fountain is supposed to represent a cave with the hero of Greek mythology Heracles, fighting against the three-headed dog Kerberos. A very special fountain, which requires you to walk around to fully experience it.

Here at the Cabbage Market you will also find one of Brno's slightly more unusual statues. OutsideReduta Theaterin one of the corners of the square, there is a statue of Mozart. The statue is a memory of Mozart playing here as an 11-year-old. But this is no classicMozart statue. What meets you is a statue with the body of a boy, but with the full-grown Mozart's face and an angel's wing. A statue that’s bound to make you raise an eyebrow.

7. The "four villas" - Jurkovic Villa

On the outskirts of Brno, you will find the "four villas" - four family villas in different parts of the city with different characters and styles, which show what a wealthy family could look like in different eras. The most popular villa is the spectacular and unexpectedly modern Villa Tugendhat, designed by Mies van der Rohe. However, unfortunately this villa was closed when we visited, so we visited Villa Jurkovič instead.

"Villa Jurkovič isn’t a modern villa—it was built back in 1906 by architect Dušan Samo Jurkovič for himself and his family, in a flamboyant Art Nouveau style. The house almost feels like a beautifully decorated, asymmetrical gingerbread creation, with winding plants, ornate window bars, intricate ceiling details, and colorful murals all woven together. In my opinion, the villa is at its most enchanting from the outside, so take some time to stroll through the small garden before stepping inside.

8. Mährentorget and the equestrian statue

The Moravian Square (Moravské náměstí) is one of Brno's largest squares and here you will find not only the stately St Thomas Church and the palatial Moravian Gallary, but also the equestrian statue of Jost of Moravia. Not many tourists stop to wonder who Jost was—or why he’s on horseback. Yet I’ve probably never seen a statue that has made so many people giggle. From a distance, it may look like any ordinary statue, but it hides a rather cheeky secret. What is it? I won’t tell you, and (heaven forbid) I won’t show it in pictures. That’s a secret you’ll have to discover for yourself when you visit.

9. Freedom Square and the astronomical clock

The large triangular Freedom Square (Náměstí Svobody) with its grand buildings is both lively and slightly noisy. It's almost so messy that it doesn't feel like a square, but more like an intersection. Across the square, the trams rumble by, so you have to look out before you cross the square. The trams don't stop for anything.

At one end of the square stands another of the city's quirky sights - the astronomical clock. The statue itself does not look like a clock at all, but more like a black marble cucumber. The different parts move at different speeds, but it is impossible to get a grip on what the watch is actually showing. It is said that even the artist behind the astronomical clock couldn't read the clock, so I don't spend too long trying to figure it out. An interesting detail of the astronomical clock, however, is the glass balls that are released from the clock every day at 11 o'clock. From one of four holes, a ball is randomly released each day. But why 11 o'clock you might wonder?

The statue was erected to commemorate the retreat of the Swedes from Brno in 1645 during the Thirty Years' War. Another memory that you might not feel so proud of as a Swedish tourist in Brno. During the Thirty Years' War, the Swedes besieged Brno for several months. However, a Brno resident managed to secretly hear that the Swedes had been ordered to call off the siege at 12 o'clock the following day, if they did not manage to capture the city before then. The cunning Brno residents therefore rang all the city's clocks at 11 o'clock and tricked the Swedes into thinking that the time was up. Brno was spared and still today the city's bells ring at 11 o'clock instead of 12 o'clock.

And if you can’t bring yourself to rise at dawn to reach into one of the astronomical clock’s four openings to catch a glass ball, don’t worry—you can always purchase one at an official tourist office.

10. Let's meet under the clock!

Don't go too fast or you might miss it! The most famous meeting place in Brno is a tiny little old man sitting on a clock on Česká street. The small bronze statue is called Adam Čekač - "waiting Adam" and is only 20 centimeters high. When you wait here you are never alone, Adam makes sure of that. Perhaps Brno's smallest statue, but certainly not the least memorable.

So, what do you say—when will we see you at the clock in Brno? I have a feeling you’ll find me wandering these streets more than once!

Read more about the gastronomy in Brno i 6 restaurants and bars in the gastro city of Brno.

Do you want to read more about Czech Republic? Here you will find more articles about cities, nature, history and beer.

Have you been to Brno? What did you think were the most memorable places and sights?