Useful information for
visitors travelling to Brno - city located in the Czech Republic
and surrounding area
Location
Brno is the biggest Moravian city, and the second biggest city in Czech Republic.
Prague is the biggest one, of course.
Brno is situated about 2 hours by car South East of Prague and about 2 hours North of
Vienna.
How
to get to Brno
- By air
There are four ways to get to Brno by a plane.
Brno airport - Brno
international airport is small regional airport. Since April 2005 RyanAir is operating direct flights
between Brno and Stansted (London)
Vienna (Wien) international
airport in Austria Vienna airport is about 2,5 hours from Brno.
Prague (Praha) international
airport in the Czech Republic is about 3 hours from Brno. Convenient connection by
highway.
Bratislava international in
Slovakia airport It is a smaller airport, but some low cost airlines use it.
- By car
From Prague - use highway D1, the distance is 200km
From Bratislava - use highway D2, the distance is about 120km
From Vienna - use road no. B7, there are signs with BRNO name in Vienna, the
distance about 130km, in Austria usual road and in CZ speedway. Drive slowly in Austria
especially in villages. Austrian police is very severe.
- By train
More details about "How to get to Brno" and some
traffic information are here
The history of Brno started almost eight hundred years ago.
It's near the Moravian Karst with its characteristic limestone caves and underground
rivers. You
will find useful links there
Basics
Pivo - peevo - beer
the local beers
Cerná hora (Black mountain): major local brewery in nearby village established as
recently as 1530, so they should know what they are doing. The Black mountain has
disappeared - erosion?
Tas: 10 degrees - mineral sparkling outstanding fresh unsterilized lager beer.
Kern: sweet dark mixed beer.
Litovel: “Beer of this year” 1994. Popular locally, available at strength of ten
degrees (3.9% alcohol) or the stronger12 degrees (correspondingly slightly sweeter and
full bodied.)
Radegast: big name expanding “Czech made” beer.
Primus: mass - production Pilsen factory product at a budget - price. You can afford
better beer than this , I hope .
Pilsner Urqell - Prazdroj: Internationally rightly famous originally beer known to us in
its sterilized export form in green and gold bottles.
Rabin: marketed as Boskovice's own beer. Not widely available.
Kozel: the goat! crisp bite, refreshing!
Krusovice : smart packaging for the king of beers.
Budweiser Budvar , the real one from Ceske Budejovice (budweis).
Staropramen , if you want to support the big English brewer , Bass.
Starobrno, improving Brno beer.
Zubr - super - say no more.
Wines
Brno is about 30 kms North of a major growing wine region (see excursions).
Wine is widely available in pubs.
bílý - beely - white
cervený - sherveny - red
víno - vino - wine
If the flavour is too strong then try "strik - streek" - wine and Matonni or
sifon (sparkling mineral water) ; a pleasant drink..
The best wine comes from friends in the South in a variety of big plastic Coke and Fanta
bottles.
Specialities
Burcák - borchak - revolting looking partially fermented young wine must. Close your eyes
and taste this healthy drink. Its really good! Available in September & October only.
Svarzak - Mulled wine is popular in winter.
Spirits:
International Spirits widely available local, the more unusual drinks are :
Becherovka - herb drink, acquired taste.
Broskvová - peach vodka (peach means something else in Czech) sweet.
Fernet widely drunk with tonic - “Bavorák - bavorack”.
Slivovice - the local hooch. Get invited to the home of a Czech friend to sample this.
Produced in a co-operative only open in the season, you take along your own little blue
trolley of plums and collect you own demijohn of spirits later at a later date, at a
nominal fee (near hotel “Velen”).
Zelená - zellena - green chemical peppermint! You will try this only once!
Glossary
Prosím prosseem please
Na zdraví na-zdravy cheers
Dekuji dackooy thanks
Zaplatím zaplateem the bill
Pivo peevo beer
Hospoda pub
Hotel hotel
Ž women’s toilet
M men’s toilet
Dámy ladies
Páni gents
Malý malee small
Velký velkee large
Problems
Ice - “led’’ - ‘’lead” - in winter the different
climate results in sheet ice in the streets. You can finish up on your back even without a
drink.
Flats - Comfortable, convenient - district heating and hot water - double-glazing,
communal satellite system. Overcome the security system by prodding the button beside the
door: be prepared to open the door quickly when the buzzer sounds.
The hall and stair lights are on a timer.
Roads. Zebra type crossings are totally disregarded by Czech motorists - presumably
they can increase their score by hitting several pedestrians simultaneously.
Language. - Very, very difficult to learn - so what’s English like for
Czechs!!? Be prepared to see blank faces if you try to speak Czech!
Communication is no problem as the people are so easy to get on with and want to practice
their English. You will forget to speak slowly as interesting conversation stimulates your
mind!
Especially younger people can speak or understand English, many can speak German as well.
On the other hand older people might understand German,English is not popular for them, as
they studied just Russian and German language during socialism.
Restaurants, pubs
Unlike some other countries only one brand and strength of draught beer is
normally available in each pub. Thus in order to sample several beers a short walk is
necessary - probably just as well.
The normal system of payment is the American tab system - you pay the bill when you've
finished. The staff will normally write down the total for you to see and help to sort out
the change etc. A tip is welcome, it is about 10%. but it is not the rule.
Smoking - permitted usually everywhere. There are special room for non smokers used
usually for luch.
There is no charge to use the toilets.
Special one - off occasions ;
Christmas - vanoce , Carp for sale from tanks on the square ; held on the 24th of
December.
Silvestr-Novy rok ; New Years Eve. This Scottish festival is now the same all over the
world.
After Christmas , the Ball Season ;-
Look out on notice boards special balls ,discos and events. For example: ‘Bál
’or ‘ples’
Vast quantities of wine normally available.
Karst.
Visit the weird abyss and underground river system of the Punkva. Pot-holing exploration
trips of the extensive underground cave system.
South Moravia.
Ask a Czech friend to take you on a trip to visit a wine cellar or
‘sklep’ in South Moravia. Wine fermented and matured in very cool conditions in
deep underground cellars. A memorable visit.
BRNO AT SPILBERK – some
important chapters in Brno's history
History
of the City of Brno
I used some information provided by my friend Andrew Shand from Scotland.
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