This Gorgeous Medieval City In Europe Actually Wants More Tourists To Visit

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We not often ever come throughout one among these anymore, so after we do, it looks like we’ve correct hit the jackpot.

While main European locations like Paris, Barcelona, and Rome are on the point of collapse and chasing vacationers away, there’s a smaller, equally lovely medieval gem within the coronary heart of Central Europe actively beckoning you to come back.

Historically overshadowed by a jam-packed capital, Brno is Czechia’s second-largest metropolis after Prague and a part of the nation’s bold plan to redirect vacationer flows to lesser-known spots nonetheless largely undiscovered by the lots.

And if I’m being sincere, I’d personally select Brno over Prague any day:

Did You Have Any Idea Czechia’s 2nd Largest City Was This Pretty?

If there’s one different Czech metropolis that might stand as much as Prague, and possibly win the fistfight, that’s lovely, criminally-underrated Brno.

Tucked away within the South Moravian area, this pretty sizable hub of over 400,000 folks is thought for its lovely medieval monuments, packed in clusters round a pocket-sized Old Town, lush city parks that might give Paris a run for its cash, and most significantly, a scarcity of mass tourism.

This isn’t some economically irrelevant backwater, both: inhabitants alone apart, it has an enormous 12-line tram community, Brno University of Technology is Czechia’s personal miniature MIT, if you’ll, and so they even have an airport! One serving 34 locations.

The shocker? While Prague can barely breathe underneath the toes of 8 million annual guests, Brno barely hit the 870,000 mark for in a single day friends final 12 months.

That’s a kind of journey anomalies I can’t fathom is even a factor, when this simply occurs to be one among Europe’s most underrated city-break locations.

But hey, I suppose you begin digging a bit of deeper when you’ve been to over 40 European countries and lots of of European cities the typical vacationer has by no means even heard of.

I don’t say this to sound smug or blow my very own trumpet, however fairly to clue you in on precisely what you’re lacking out on:

A Picture-Perfect, Compact Old Town

Brno could also be Czechia’s second-largest city middle, however many of the must-sees are packed into one compact Old Town simply explored on foot, and that’s why I adore it.

No hopping on crammed metro traces, nor spending all these Czech korunas on taxi rides again to your lodge after you’ve gone a bit overboard on a boozy night time out.

If you’re staying close to Freedom Square, then you’re proper within the thick of it.

From right here, it’s roughly a 7-minute stroll to the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, in all probability essentially the most haunting, otherworldly church silhouette I’ve ever seen: the Neo-Gothic twin spires virtually appear to pierce the sky, and the church’s extreme traces and aged stonework make it seem like Bram Stoker designed it himself.

Czechia’s most well-known bone-stacked ossuary could also be in Kutná Hora, however for those who don’t wish to exit of your method and spend hours on a prepare to go to the in any other case small city, there’s a chilling different proper beneath St. James’ Church within the coronary heart of Brno:

This atmospheric burial chamber accommodates the stays of greater than 50,000 folks, stacked into pillars and arches and lining the partitions, making it the second-largest ossuary of its sort in Europe.

I do know, it’s a tad eerie and macabre to behold, however seeing as we’re entering fall and, quickly sufficient, Halloween, what higher place to get into the spooky spirit than this?

How Safe Is Czechia This Fall?

By the way in which, that’s concerning the scariest sight you’ll discover in Brno.

Czechia is a Level 1 vacation spot in keeping with the U.S. Department of State, which means guests want solely train regular precautions. Violent crime affecting vacationers is rare, with petty theft being the principle sensible concern, notably in Prague’s or Brno’s busiest vacationer areas.

Worried about terrorism or mass-casualty assaults? Czechia’s most surprising latest act of violence got here in 2023, when an armed scholar stormed a Charles University constructing in Prague. It was horrific, however investigators discovered no hyperlink to terrorism, spiritual extremism, or any organized group.

Czechia scores 83 out of 100 on the Travel Safety Index, too, proving even informal vacationers approve of this message:

This unassuming Central European nation is about as protected as they arrive.

Wait, They Have A Castle Too?

Prague has the world’s largest coherent fort advanced, in keeping with Guinness, but when I’m being utterly sincere, have been it not for the jaw-dropping Cathedral of St. Vitus rising from the principle courtyard, I wasn’t precisely greatly surprised by the fairly naked chambers, vacationer crush, and limitless wait traces on the capital’s fundamental stronghold.

Brno’s Špilberk Castle, alternatively, is a distinct kettle of fish:

This imposing hilltop fortress is a brisk 15-to-20-minute uphill stroll from Freedom Square, and never solely does it provide sweeping panoramic views over the red-gabled roofs and winding lanes under, but it surely additionally has correct museum exhibitions, atmospheric casemates, and a deep grassy moat that also feels each inch the medieval fortress.

For each Prague landmark, Brno appears to have the same, if not higher, counterpart:

The capital’s Old Town Hall is a literal fairy-tale confection, but Brno’s, though extra restrained with its whitewashed tower and sober façade, is each bit as intriguing—and arguably extra haunting as soon as you notice the intentionally crooked Gothic pinnacle above the doorway.

Now, Brno’s dildo-shaped excuse for an Astronomical Clock can’t maintain a candle to Prague’s absolute stunner of a medieval timepiece, however I’ll allow them to off ’trigger the beer is cheaper right here.

Also, from atop the Old Town Hall tower, you get this beautiful panorama of town’s cobbled pathways, dominated by the twin-spired cathedral.

Best $4.30 I’ve ever spent, for positive.

Check Europe’s Travel Rules Before Flying

Before you begin packing, be sure to’re up to the mark with Europe’s new entry and keep laws.

The continent has had an enormous overhaul of its border guidelines this 12 months, together with the rollout of a compulsory fingerprinting step for non-European friends, and this contains Americans. This is to be able to guarantee they haven’t overstayed their 90-day vacationer visa.

Since then, over 44,000+ vacationers have been turned away at the border for failing to adjust to the principles.

Use the Entry Requirement Checker to confirm Europe’s newest border updates.

Brno Beyond The Medieval Old Town

Although Brno might simply rival Prague within the medieval-charm class, its fundamental UNESCO-listed gem is the stark, modernist Villa Tugendhat.

I don’t find out about you, however I’m not precisely loopy about minimalist structure and scientific interiors, particularly these designed by the German-American modernist Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

The truth {that a} flat-roofed, glass-fronted home that might, to my admittedly untrained eye, sit in an prosperous American suburb is the one landmark UNESCO selected to inscribe in Brno baffles me, however I suppose there’s one thing to be mentioned for the truth that…

Yes, it did set a brand new architectural normal again in 1929–1930, when it was constructed, though it nonetheless isn’t my cup of tea.

Putting that apart, for those who love Prague for a budget beer and bohemian streak, then it’s a must to try Ponava Café on the sting of Lužánky Park:

This leafy beer backyard is a cracking native hangout, and you’ll match proper in after just a few pints of Czech beer and a portion of nakládaný hermelín, Czech pickled cheese.

Brno Is Dirt Cheap Still

Speaking of, do you know the typical half-liter draft beer in Brno is a mere $2.65? If you thought Prague was typically inexpensive by European requirements, wait till you see this:

Average Prices In Brno, Czechia In 2026

Converted from Czech Koruna into USD

• Bakery snack, normally a koláč or chlebíček: $2 to $3
• Affordable meal in a local-frequented jídelna, the Czech reply to a no-frills canteen: $7 to $8
• 3-course meal in a mid-range downtown restaurant: $24 to $30 per individual
• Entry into museums and vacationer points of interest: $7 to $10 on common
• Guided Villa Tugendhat tour: $21.50 to $24
• Public transport ticket, full day: $4.30, legitimate throughout trams, trolleybuses, and buses in Brno’s central zones
• Bed in a shared hostel dorm: $18 to $32
• Double room in a 3-star lodge within the middle: $65 to $110
• Double room in a 5-star palace-style lodge, for those who’re actually trying to splash out: $125 to $180

Prague has been getting more and more costly with every passing 12 months, and a few—ahem, me—would possibly even argue its central lodge and restaurant costs are starting to brush up in opposition to these in Western European capitals like Vienna, however Brno…

Oh, Brno is the place your Czech korunas nonetheless stretch a complete lot additional.

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Vinicius Costa

Vini, our senior lead author at Travel Off Path, has over 60+ international locations underneath his belt (and presently weaving tales from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative tales that may have you ever packing your baggage.