Brno walking tour & city guide

The center

The Cathedral of St Peter and Paul sits on a hill with views over the city. Špilberk Castle, a former prison, is now a museum. Villa Tugendhat, designed by Mies van der Rohe, is a UNESCO-listed modernist masterpiece.

Under the city

The ossuary under St James Church holds the bones of around 50,000 people. The cabbage market square has been used for trade since the Middle Ages. Moravian wine regions are just south of the city.

A day in Brno

Brno, the capital of Moravia, is a young university city with a relaxed atmosphere. Start at the Cabbage Market, a square where a vegetable market has been held for centuries, then visit the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul on its hill. Below the city, the underground labyrinth beneath the Cabbage Market and the ossuary at St. James Church can be visited on guided tours.

In the afternoon, climb to Špilberk Castle, a former fortress and prison, for views over the city. Modern architecture fans should book a visit to Villa Tugendhat, a UNESCO-listed masterpiece by Mies van der Rohe.

Good to know

Brno is less touristy than Prague, with lower prices and an excellent café and cocktail bar scene. It is also the gateway to the Moravian Karst, a region of caves where you can take a boat through the underground Punkva River and see the Macocha Abyss.

The vineyards of South Moravia, the Czech Republic's main wine region, are within an hour's drive.