Brno is an increasingly popular city break destination and starting point for travel in Central Europe due to the budget airlines which now frequent its airport. While it lacks the world-class sights and attractions of the Czech capital Prague, Brno has enough to amuse the average visitor for a day or two, and the surrounding region of South Moravia contains a veritable smorgasbord of tasty attractions to sample. Gothic castles, folk architecture, limestone caves and UNESCO heritage sites are all within reach and still receive far fewer international visitors than they deserve. I have listed some of the best of these destinations here and given them a star rating out of five to suggest how worthwhile they are to visit. The destinations are also organized into three categories - destinations which are less than one hour by public transport from Brno, less than two hours, and less than three hours. Three hours is quite a long distance for a day trip, but if time is short, it can be worth making a longer excursion to see one of the region's best attractions such as Telč. It is also possible to visit destinations across the border in Slovakia and Austria, including the capitals Bratislava and Vienna. The photos included in this article show, from top to bottom, Telč, Mikulov, Kromeříž, Lednice, and Pernštejn castle.
Destinations Within One Hour of Travel from Brno:
**** Moravian Karst - (45 minutes) By train from Brno main station to Blansko, then change to a bus from Blansko main bus station to the stop called Skalní Mlyn which is the access point for the caves and hikes in the surrounding region
**** Lednice - (50 minutes to 1 hour) By train from Brno main station to Břeclav, than change to a bus from Břeclav main bus station to reach Lednice
*** Pernštejn Castle - (1 hour) By train from Brno main station to Tišnov, change to a local train to reach Nedvědice, then follow the yellow-marked trail through the forest for 2 kilomtres to reach the castle
*** Moravský Krumlov - (50 minutes) By train from Brno main station
** Boskovice - (40 minutes to 50 minutes) By train from Brno main station
** Veveří Castle - (40 to 50 minutes) Take tram #1 from outside Brno main train station to the stop called Přístaviště, then change to a bus to reach the castle
** Slavkov u Brna (Battle of Austerlitz site) - (25 minutes) By train from Brno main station, or by bus from Brno Zvonařka station
* Dolní Kounice - (40 minutes to 55 minutes) By bus from Brno Zvonařka station, change to a second bus in Modřice to reach Dolní Kounice
Destinations Within Two Hours of Travel from Brno:
***** Vienna, Austria - (2 hours) By train from Brno main station
**** Bratislava, Slovakia - (1 hour 30 minutes) By EC train from Brno main station
**** Olomouc - (1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours) By train from Brno main station
**** Mikulov - (1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes) By direct bus from Zvonařka station, or by train from Brno main station to Břeclav and then change to a local train to Mikulov
*** Litomyšl - (1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours) By bus from Brno Zvonařka station
*** Kroměříž - (1 hour 30 minutes) By train from Brno main station to Kojetín, then change to a local train to Kroměříž
*** Valtice - (1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes) By train to Břeclav, then change to a local train to reach Valtice
*** Znojmo - (1 hour 10 minutes) By bus from Zvonařka station
** Ždar nad Sazavou - (1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes) By train from Brno main station
** Stražnice - (1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours) By train from Brno main station, change trains in Hodonín or Veselí nad Moravou to reach Stražnice
** Třebič - (1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes) By train from Brno main station
Destinations Within Three Hours of Travel from Brno:
**** Telč - (2 hours to 2 hours 25 minutes) By bus from Brno Zvonařka station
*** Vranov nad Dyjí Castle - (2 hours to 2 hours 15 minutes) By bus from Brno Zvonařka station to Znojmo, then change to another bus to reach Vranov nad Dyjí village
** Velké Losiny - (2 hours 45 minutes) By train from Brno main station to Šumperk, then change to a local train to reach Velké Losiny
** Skalica, Slovakia - (2 hours to 2 hours 10 minutes) By train from Brno main station to Kúty, then change to a local train to reach Skalica
** Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou - (2 hours 20 minutes) By train from Brno main station to Okříšky, then change to a local train to reach Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou
* Zlín - (2 hours 5 minutes) By bus from Brno Zvonařka station
Exhaustive list: well done!
ReplyDeleteHi Greg, are you still in Olomouc or have you gone back to Australia permanently? I moved back to my (other) home of Wellington, New Zealand last year, but at the moment I'm on holiday and hiking in the Ukrainian Carpathians and headed for SK and CZ in another few weeks. Climbing Snezka and continuing down the other side to the Polish town of Karpacz is on my to do list.
ReplyDeleteIf there is anyone who is around Dolni Kounice, please feel free to visit us :)
ReplyDeleteWe are small hotel only 2 minutes walking from the castle and Rosa Coeli.
Our restaurant is open every day from 11:00 am :) Vinum Coeli Team
Hey. I can also highly recommend Krušná hora, we have just been here ( https://www.honourandgrace.com/ ) and it was amazing. For 2 days amazing. Beautiful nature + lot of things to do.
ReplyDeleteGreat article, thank you for providing a great overview of the lesser-known attractions in Brno and the South Moravia region. It's refreshing to see these hidden gems highlighted, offering travelers a chance to explore beyond the popular tourist destinations. Also, if you ever visit Sri Lanka luxury hotel Kandy and If historical places pique your interest, then a visit to Kandy, Sri Lanka is highly recommended.
ReplyDelete