Why you should swap Prague for the Czech Republic's underrated second city
Staring out of the train window at the forested hillsides, the wagons whizz towards Brno, the Czech Republic 's second city. As the capital of Moravia, one of the large historical Czech land regions, Brno is not short on medieval sites and picturesque pastel coloured buildings.
Today the city has a teeming live music scene, thriving art museums and, of course, excellent beer halls. Most importantly, there's not a hen or stag-do in sight – this is a city that's yet to be discovered by the crowds of tourists. These are the sites to see, and where to stay for a slice of city break heaven.
Get gothic
The pretty city is home to a cache of churches, a cathedral and a rather spooky ossuary. The 600-year-old Church of St. James has a bell tower to ascend, but my tip is to visit the forgotten and recently excavated ossuary holding centuries-old bones of plague, cholera and war victims that are now carefully piled up in four small chapel rooms in the crypt underneath St. James'. It's one of many subterranean spaces to visit in Brno – the former prison under the 13th-century Špilberk Castle, and the labyrinth under the food market are also creepy underground places to cool off from the heat of the summer.
Savour the hops
Brno is similar to Prague in a number of ways: architecture, language and the same flowing beer culture. Fantastic Czech beers that everyone knows and loves are sold on every corner – but without the drunk groups of sightseers. Overall, Brno is around 10 per cent cheaper than Prague, but you might experience something different during a night out sampling the flavours at Pivni Burza, aka the Beer Exchange, a pub modelled on a stock market. The prices go up and down as the night goes on, so purchase your pints at the right time or risk it and see the stock (beer) price rise.
Meander through art museums
Exceptional art museums and galleries are dotted around Brno's city centre. The Museum of Applied Arts, hosts a number of shows, one of which, a ceramics and glass exhibition Made by Fire, shows off the country's tradition of artisanal homewares. (These skills are still alive in the city: head to Ya Sama to try crafting with locals). Downstairs at the Museum of Applied Arts there's a robot serving drinks in the cafe, which is both novel and a bit uncanny. Next door in Pražák Palace there's a snazzy show about Czech metro design – font fans rejoice. The contemporary art show stopper is House of the Arts; the current group show Uncertain Domesticities features a yurt installation, a sculpture compiled of wooden furniture, and a photo wall of house cats.
Catch some galore
Brno is a Unesco Music City, receiving this nod thanks to its gigs and events throughout the year. Brno Music Marathon, held in mid-August, books a selection of world music – including jazz, folk, acoustic and experimental music – from more than ten countries. Outside of its festivals, Brno's live music scene buzzes with energy. From indie and punk bands at Kabinet MUZ to jazz nights at Stará Pekárna and big gigs at Sono Centrum, most genres are covered. You can even perform yourself – head to Music Lab for its Monday jam sessions that occur weekly at 8pm. Entry is 100CZK (£3.50) but every musician who takes part gets 150CZK (£5.30) at the bar. Win, win.
Gawk at the functionalist architecture
Brno is a gem for architecture nerds; think sleek lines, open spaces and a love affair with function over fluff. The star of the show is undoubtedly Villa Tugendhat. Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1930, this steel dream is mind bogglingly well preserved. It's also very popular – tickets sell out months in advance, so book in as soon as you start planning your trip. Just around the corner, Arnold Villa brings a transitional flair where Art Nouveau elegance meets early modernism. And don't miss Villa Stiassni, a 1920s beauty that once hosted visiting royalty. There are free tours on the hour in Czech but most guides will give you a brief version in English if you look puzzled.
How to get there
Lucie was travelling a guest of ByWay travel who arranged her train travel to Brno – taking the Eurostar to Brussels where she picked up the European Sleeper to Prague. This new night train route departs Brussels three days a week and arrives in Prague the following morning after a cosy night's sleep. From Prague, Brno is a 2 hour train ride heading south. There are also direct trains from Brno to Hamburg, Graz, Budapest & Prague. Alternatively, there are direct flights to Brno from London via Ryanair. Flight time is around 2 hours.
Where to stay
Hotel Grandezza Luxury Palace
This boutique hotel is nestled in Brno's historic Zelnýtrh square, beautifully restored with a stunning hand-painted glass ceiling and marble mosaics in the lobby. Most of the large rooms have views of the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul and Špilberk Castle in the distance. Don't miss the homemade desserts at Cosmopolis Café downstairs.
Grandhotel Brno
This classic, upscale hotel blends history with contemporary comforts. Located in the heart of the city, its stylish rooms allow easy access to the city's attractions. There's great dining in-house at GARDEN, which serves a mix of Czech and international dishes with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients.
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The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Why you should swap Prague for the Czech Republic's underrated second city
I can't help but let out an audible sigh of relief as I leave Prague behind, melting into a seat on a RegioJet train speeding southwards. The city I loved twenty years ago has lost its charm for me. And that's not Prague 's fault – it's mine. I wilt in crowded places these days. Staring out of the train window at the forested hillsides, the wagons whizz towards Brno, the Czech Republic 's second city. As the capital of Moravia, one of the large historical Czech land regions, Brno is not short on medieval sites and picturesque pastel coloured buildings. Today the city has a teeming live music scene, thriving art museums and, of course, excellent beer halls. Most importantly, there's not a hen or stag-do in sight – this is a city that's yet to be discovered by the crowds of tourists. These are the sites to see, and where to stay for a slice of city break heaven. Get gothic The pretty city is home to a cache of churches, a cathedral and a rather spooky ossuary. The 600-year-old Church of St. James has a bell tower to ascend, but my tip is to visit the forgotten and recently excavated ossuary holding centuries-old bones of plague, cholera and war victims that are now carefully piled up in four small chapel rooms in the crypt underneath St. James'. It's one of many subterranean spaces to visit in Brno – the former prison under the 13th-century Špilberk Castle, and the labyrinth under the food market are also creepy underground places to cool off from the heat of the summer. Savour the hops Brno is similar to Prague in a number of ways: architecture, language and the same flowing beer culture. Fantastic Czech beers that everyone knows and loves are sold on every corner – but without the drunk groups of sightseers. Overall, Brno is around 10 per cent cheaper than Prague, but you might experience something different during a night out sampling the flavours at Pivni Burza, aka the Beer Exchange, a pub modelled on a stock market. The prices go up and down as the night goes on, so purchase your pints at the right time or risk it and see the stock (beer) price rise. Meander through art museums Exceptional art museums and galleries are dotted around Brno's city centre. The Museum of Applied Arts, hosts a number of shows, one of which, a ceramics and glass exhibition Made by Fire, shows off the country's tradition of artisanal homewares. (These skills are still alive in the city: head to Ya Sama to try crafting with locals). Downstairs at the Museum of Applied Arts there's a robot serving drinks in the cafe, which is both novel and a bit uncanny. Next door in Pražák Palace there's a snazzy show about Czech metro design – font fans rejoice. The contemporary art show stopper is House of the Arts; the current group show Uncertain Domesticities features a yurt installation, a sculpture compiled of wooden furniture, and a photo wall of house cats. Catch some galore Brno is a Unesco Music City, receiving this nod thanks to its gigs and events throughout the year. Brno Music Marathon, held in mid-August, books a selection of world music – including jazz, folk, acoustic and experimental music – from more than ten countries. Outside of its festivals, Brno's live music scene buzzes with energy. From indie and punk bands at Kabinet MUZ to jazz nights at Stará Pekárna and big gigs at Sono Centrum, most genres are covered. You can even perform yourself – head to Music Lab for its Monday jam sessions that occur weekly at 8pm. Entry is 100CZK (£3.50) but every musician who takes part gets 150CZK (£5.30) at the bar. Win, win. Gawk at the functionalist architecture Brno is a gem for architecture nerds; think sleek lines, open spaces and a love affair with function over fluff. The star of the show is undoubtedly Villa Tugendhat. Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1930, this steel dream is mind bogglingly well preserved. It's also very popular – tickets sell out months in advance, so book in as soon as you start planning your trip. Just around the corner, Arnold Villa brings a transitional flair where Art Nouveau elegance meets early modernism. And don't miss Villa Stiassni, a 1920s beauty that once hosted visiting royalty. There are free tours on the hour in Czech but most guides will give you a brief version in English if you look puzzled. How to get there Lucie was travelling a guest of ByWay travel who arranged her train travel to Brno – taking the Eurostar to Brussels where she picked up the European Sleeper to Prague. This new night train route departs Brussels three days a week and arrives in Prague the following morning after a cosy night's sleep. From Prague, Brno is a 2 hour train ride heading south. There are also direct trains from Brno to Hamburg, Graz, Budapest & Prague. Alternatively, there are direct flights to Brno from London via Ryanair. Flight time is around 2 hours. Where to stay Hotel Grandezza Luxury Palace This boutique hotel is nestled in Brno's historic Zelnýtrh square, beautifully restored with a stunning hand-painted glass ceiling and marble mosaics in the lobby. Most of the large rooms have views of the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul and Špilberk Castle in the distance. Don't miss the homemade desserts at Cosmopolis Café downstairs. Grandhotel Brno This classic, upscale hotel blends history with contemporary comforts. Located in the heart of the city, its stylish rooms allow easy access to the city's attractions. There's great dining in-house at GARDEN, which serves a mix of Czech and international dishes with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients.
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The best European walking trails you should try this year
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What Santiago's many 'Camino' pilgrims often miss
Europe's most famous pilgrimage destination is also one of Spain's most stunning – and under-explored – cities. Now, the city is keen to show off its artsy side. For the last 1,200 years, the Unesco World Heritage city of Santiago de Compostela has best been known as a pilgrimage destination for devout Catholics. Last year alone, nearly 500,000 faithful hikers set out along the series of well-trodden trails called "the Camino", journeying through the lush wooded hills and river-flecked valleys of Galicia in north-west Spain to reach the city's towering Romanesque years, I'd heard about Santiago's beauty from friends and fellow travellers who had gazed upon its towering church spires and twisting honey-coloured lanes. Yet, one of the great ironies is that many of those who had walked for weeks or even months to get there admitted that once they arrived, they shuffled alongside the masses into the cathedral to see the tomb of St James, slumped into one of the many touristy tapas bars around Rua Franco and then quickly headed home. If they had just taken a few more steps, I'd always wondered, would they have discovered more? I wanted to dig deeper into the city's medieval and more modern heart, but I didn't have the time or energy to trek the demanding trail myself. Fortunately, a high-speed rail route now whisks travellers across the nation to Santiago, giving visitors a blister-free way to explore one of Spain's most stunning – and under-explored – cities. The fast track Though Spain boasts Europe's longest and most-advanced high-speed train network (second in the world only to China's), it wasn't until December 2021 that the nation extended its three-decade-old high-speed Alta Velocidad Española (AVE) network to Santiago. "We're in an isolated corner of Spain," Ana Munín, from the Santiago de Compostela Convention Bureau, tells me. "We get things last." Stepping onto the platform at Madrid's Chamartin station, the white flanks of my streamlined AVE train were adorned with proclamations of its top speed (330km/h) plus a logo indicating that it was powered by 100% renewable energy. According to Munín, the arrival of these high-speed trains has brought an increase of Spanish travellers to Santiago, while simultaneously reducing the number of flights arriving at its small regional airport. "A one-hour flight – it is just wrong," she remarks. As my train leaves Madrid, I watch the seat-back speedometer rise inexorably until, after 20 minutes, I'm cruising serenely along at 300km/h. Arid plains dotted with weathered ochre-coloured villages and clusters of hardy trees scrolls by. Passing the city of Zamora, moorland gives way to sylvan valleys where mountain streams glint below the tracks. The train eases across the wide span of the Miño, Galicia's longest river, as we reach the ancient hot springs town of Ourense. From here, a series of viaducts carry us across hills carpeted by a tight arboreal tapestry, dotted with colourful villages whose facades seem brighter in the clear hill air. Barely more than three hours after leaving Madrid, I step off the train into the heart of Santiago. A new vision Pilgrims approaching Santiago on the Camino's network of trails often describe their first glimpse of the cathedral's ornate spires. Instead, I was struck by the dramatic rollercoaster curves and soaring glass facades of the City of Culture architectural complex, which rises atop Mount Gaiás and overlooks the train station below. Designed by US starchitect Peter Eisenman, this eye-popping, futuristic set of museums, gardens and libraries was designed as a "beacon for pilgrims of knowledge" when its first two buildings opened to the public in 2011. Inside the vast multipurpose cultural space (now known simply as the Gaias Centre Museum), I take in a retrospective of artist Rafael Ubeda before wandering through an exhibition on global tattoo designs and culture at the neighbouring UTESA convention and culture centre. "We have fantastic contemporary architecture, modern art – and the gastronomy scene has just grown and grown," Munín later tells me. As we sit at a communal table sipping Galicia's world-renowned Mencia wine and savouring the region's prized octopus and mackerel at Abastos 2.0, a hip diner attached to the historic food market, I look around and noticed that there doesn't appear to be a single foreign visitor in sight. "Santiago is also very much a university city," adds Munín, revealing that a quarter of the city's 100,000 residents study or work at the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, which dates back to 1495. As she explained, this infuses the city with a vibrant, youthful energy, as students and young creatives frequently showcase their work at pop-up arts events – like the exhibition of contemporary photographs I soon stumble upon housed in a 17th-Century church nestled amid the city's medieval core. Santiago's Old Town is a glorious, compact melange of squares and historic porticoed streets that give way to promenade-lined parks like the central Alameda and more secluded Bonaval. Munín explains that in recent years, ancient edifices have been refashioned into atmospheric museums. But unlike the tourist-thronged cathedral, I experience near solitude in every other cultural space I visit – as if the pilgrims don't realise that reflection can be stirred in Santiago's quiet corners, as well as on the trail. Inside the austere granite outlines of CGAC (Galician Centre for Contemporary Art), for example, I see just four other people during my hour spent exploring three floors that include a brilliant exhibition of Galician photographer Mar Caldas. Mere metres from the end of three Camino trails (the French, Northern and Primitivo Ways) on Rua de San Pedro, incoming pilgrims walk right past a showcase by young Galician artists at the tiny Defímeras gallery. After taking it in, I tuck into a luscious Galician bean stew and generous pork loin at the nearby local favourite O Dezaseis. Inside a neighbouring Dominican convent now housing the Museum of the Galician People, there's just one other person absorbing evocative displays of ancient industries, linked via a dazzling Baroque spiral staircase. At Colexio de Fonseca, the university's oldest college, I immerse myself in a contemporary art show beside its leafy Renaissance courtyard while all alone. Ditto at the nearby Fundacion Eugenio Granell, which showcases Surrealist art inside an 18th-Century mansion once believed to be Santiago's loveliest. The following day I visit Casa RIA, a foundation opened in 2023 by famed British architect David Chipperfield which aims to promote sustainable development in the area. As well as displaying exhibitions on topics like Galician food markets, there's a stylish in-house cantina whose affordable daily menus include produce from the foundation's allotment in its tranquil rear garden. "We've welcomed academics from Shanghai's Tongji University and MIT, but also a few people every day visiting the exhibition or stopping by the canteen," Casa RIA's director, Inés Piñeiro Ozores, tells me. Interestingly, she adds, very few of their visitors are pilgrims. Back at the city's main square, the vast Praza do Obradoiro, I watch the melee of faithful mill around the cathedral. Suddenly, the sound of Galician bagpipes draws me around a corner to discover a piper named Fernando Hernandez playing alone in an ancient archway as a flow of people go by without pausing. He happily tells me about the link between Galician pipes and those of Scotland, Ireland and Brittany before lamenting Santiago's pilgrim hordes. "The Camino has just become a walk for too many people – companies now even carry their bags each day!" he says, before returning to his pipes. More like this:• St James Way: The return of the UK's medieval highway• The Lighthouse Way: Walking Spain's 'other' camino• A 77km hike that could inspire miracles As a record-number of pilgrims have descended on Santiago three years in a row, the city has started pushing back against the negative aspects of overtourism that have prompted fierce protests in other Spanish destinations like Barcelona and the Canary Islands. In Santiago, these include a surge in short-term rentals that push out locals, an influx of souvenir shops selling cheaply manufactured wares and bad tourist behaviour such as pitching tents near the cathedral. In addition to local campaigns such as Compostela Resists, in 2024 the city launched a "Fragile Santiago" campaign to encourage visitors to engage differently. The hope is that visitors seek out handmade local crafts, savour traditional Galician cuisine and take time to discover the city's cultural – and not just religious – heritage. "Every month, Santiago has some sort of arts festival," says Flavia Ramil, director of the city's tourist office, adding a note on their affordability, with tickets starting at just a few euros. "Now, we are seeing more tourists from places like Japan, the US and UK who are very interested in the culture of the city," she says happily. Amen to that. -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
