Day Trips from Prague - Prague and Czech Republic - page 532

students ensure lively cafe and club scenes that easily rival Prague's. The museums
are great too. If you add in two excellent microbreweries and one of the country's best
restaurants, there's plenty to reward a stay of a couple days. Brno was one of the lead-
ing centres of experimental architecture in the early 20th century, and the Unesco-pro-
tected Vila Tugendhat ( CLICK HERE ) is considered a masterwork of Functionalist
design. The tourist information office has lots of material on the city's rich architec-
tural heritage, including marked-out tours.
The Best...
» Sight Špilberk Castle ( CLICK HERE )
» Place to Eat Koishi ( CLICK HERE )
» Place to Drink U Richarda ( CLICK HERE )
Top Tip
Brno is a popular venue for trade fairs: hotels routinely raise rates by as much as 50%
during large events. Check www.bvv.cz for event dates and plan your visit for an
off-week.
Getting There & Away
Train Express trains to Brno depart Prague's Hlavní nádraží every couple of hours
during the day (210Kč, 2½ hours). Brno is also a handy junction for onward train
travel to Vienna (220Kč, two hours) and Bratislava (218Kč, 1½ hours).
Bus Buses depart Prague's Florenc bus station hourly for Brno (150Kč, 2½ hours).
Buses to Prague leave from a small bus station opposite the Grandhotel ( CLICK HERE
).
Car Brno is an easy two-hour drive from Prague, a straight shot down the D1 high-
way. Bratislava is another hour to the east. The drive to Vienna takes 2 hours.
Need to Know
» Location 200km southeast of Prague.
» Tourist Information Office ( 542 211 090; www.ticbrno.cz ; Radnická 8, Old
Town Hall; 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5.30pm Sat & Sun Apr-Sep, to 5pm Sat, to 3pm Sun Oct-
Mar) Lots of info in English, including free maps.