Planning a Trip

Getting There

Driving to Brno is a trade-off. Take the E50 -- also named the D1 -- freeway that leads from the south of Prague all the way. The drive shouldn't take more than 2 hours, but the scenery is little more than one roadside stop after another.

Brno is the focal point for train travel in Moravia and most points east, making it an easy 2 3/4-hour trip from Prague. Trains leave almost every hour; the majority leave from Hlavní nádrazí (Main Station). The fare is 243Kc ($12/£5.80) first class or 160Kc ($7.60/£3.80) second class. Watch out: If the train is marked EuroCity or Intercity (usually on its way to Vienna or Poland), you'll pay a supplement of 60Kc($2.85/£1.45).

Buses leave Prague's Florenc station to Brno every hour. The trip takes 2 1/2 hours and costs 140Kc ($6.65/£3.35). Reservations are recommended during peak hours. To buy your ticket with reserved seat, go to the AMS booking office at Florenc station, open daily 6am to 8pm (tel. 900-144-444).

Visitor Information

The new Turistické Informacní Centrum (TIC), Radnická 8, Brno (tel. 542-211-090; www.ticbrno.cz), provides a plethora of information on accommodations, plus what's on in Brno and how to see it. It's open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm; Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5:30pm. A second TIC is across from the train station, at Nádrazní 8, Brno (tel. 542-221-450), open Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm and 1:30 to 5pm.

You'll find also the CK Cedok sign across from the train station at Nádrazní 10/12, Brno (tel. 542-211-562; www.cedok.cz). This office can help arrange accommodations in hotels and private rooms as well as currency exchange. It's open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm and Saturday from 9am to noon.

Special Events

Usually when the words special events and Brno are mentioned in the same sentence, the phrase trade fair isn't too far behind. Many fairs held at Brno's BVV exhibition grounds are world-class displays of technology, industrial machinery, and even well-groomed pets.

Brno celebrates music as well, hosting the Janácek Music Festival each June and the Brno International Music Festival (Moravský Podzim) in September and October.

However, probably the most attended event occurs each August when the Motorcycle Grand Prix tour rolls into town to tackle the Masaryk Okruh (Masaryk Ring).

For details on all events and a list of fairs at the BVV fairgrounds, contact Informacní Centrum or go to www.brno.cz.

Orientation

Brno is a large rambling city, but most sights are concentrated in its inner core. At the center is námestí Svobody (Freedom Square), connected to the train station by Masarykova ulice. Just west of Masarykova is Zelný trh (Cabbage Market), the largest square in town. Cars can't pass through the Old Town, but tram no. 4 barrels through with little regard for the pedestrians in its way.

The city is small enough for walking. All hotels, restaurants, and sights are close to each other, so you do not have to take public transportation. The only exception is for those staying at the Holiday Inn or Voronez. If you want to take a tram, walk east (toward the town center) around the edge of the fairgrounds until you get to the New Gate, where tram nos. 1 and 10 have stops headed to the center. Get off at the stop Hlavní nádrazí (train station).