I came to Brno as a TEFL teacher because I wanted to travel and see new places – I had never been to the Czech Republic before I came to Brno. Prague is normally everyone’s first (and maybe even only) thought when they think about the Czech Republic.
Brno is Prague’s lesser known cousin, and for that reason we don’t have as many hordes of tourists to contend with. It’s a very liveable city, and there are so many benefits to living here!
Here are five great things about living in Brno as an expat, Czech Republic:
Number One: ‘Village’ Atmosphere
Brno is sometimes called the biggest village in the Czech Republic, for good reason. It’s big enough so that you don’t know literally every person in town… but it’s small enough that whenever you’re out and about, you’re quite likely to run into someone you know.
You can form amazing communities here in Brno; there is always something to be involved in, and you have the choice of anything from festivals, events in the city, walks and hikes on the trails around Brno… You can enjoy the city life or you can spend the day in the countryside or various parks around the city.
Number Two: Travel
Since Brno is smack bang in the middle of Europe, there are quite a few options for travel. There are loads of day trips to go on. Public transport is really affordable and is a great option for going to beautiful places in the wine regions of South Moravia, or UNESCO world heritage sites like Lednice Castle.
I don’t own a car, and I don’t drive myself, so I have been reliant on public transport. It can sometimes be tedious and it is a little bit limiting, however the places it allows you to visit are still plentiful and make for some great day trips!
Number Three: Size and Mobility
Do you like walking? Do you like to have convenient public transport options if walking isn’t an option? Brno is great for both of these!
Brno is the perfect size for walking. If you live around the centre, you could have anywhere from a half hour walk or less to get to all the places you want. I am finding myself more and more grateful when summer rolls around, that I am happy to walk the forty-five minutes (at a reasonably paced ‘wander’) into the centre for the sunshine and exercise.
If you’re like me, and you believe that walking is an extreme sport in winter – public transport is a life saver.
Public transport here in Brno is affordable – it’s around 1 euro for a ticket that lasts one hour after you have validated it. These days, you can also tap your credit card when you get on the bus and it will automatically buy a ticket for you.
Not only is there great public transport during the day, but there are also night bus options if you’re out late at night. Depending on when you take them, there will also be varying degrees of drunk people and unusual smells wafting around the bus… But you don’t usually have to bear it for long.
And lastly, if you don’t mind spending the money, you can always take a taxi. They are a highly convenient option, with great apps such as Liftago, Bolt and Uber ready to connect you with a driver in minutes.
Number Four: Green
Brno is a very green city – there are trees along most roads and several large parks scattered around the city. You also have the Brno Dam – easily accessible by tram or bus for about half an hour from the city centre. You can go for a lovely walk around the lake, and at the other end – alternatively, this is a short boat ride away – there is a castle to visit. Kahoutovice is also a lovely green escape from the city centre, and you can see the pigs and deer that live up there.
In short, Brno has many options for nature enthusiasts who like walking or hiking – or simply sitting in a park for some sunbathing in summer!
Number Five: Cafes
While I’m a tea addict rather than a coffee drinker, I have come to love the cafes in Brno. It’s a great place to hang out with friends, and what’s more – the cakes are fantastic. A great accompaniment to the cakes is hot chocolate (or your hot drink of choice in the cold months), or home made lemonades in the warmer months. It’s a win-win! And for the beer drinkers out there, many of the cafes do have beer or wine sometimes because this is Europe.
I wouldn’t say the black tea is great (not by typical British tea-with-milk standards) but everything else I mentioned is lovely. Not to mention you get to enjoy these things for hours on end without interruption. It makes for a lovely afternoon!
Final Thoughts
It was hard to narrow down the things I like about Brno to just 5, and honestly I might have to do a second post about good things in Brno.
Cafes of Brno will appear in a separate post, because I can’t really do it justice here – so stay tuned for some of my favourite cafes in Brno.
