Travel information

VENUE

Brno is located in the gravity-center of the European continent. You can read the general information, published by City of Brno, Mayor’s Office

THE CITY OF BRNO

Brno is the second largest city in the country (nearly 400 000 inhabitants). It is the centre of the province of Moravia, one of the historic lands of the Czech Crown. Brno is situated in a picturesque countryside (190 - 425 m above sea level), surrounded on three sides by wooded hills and opened to the Southern Moravian lowlands. Geographically, Brno is part of the Danube Basin and has many historical ties to the Austrian capital Vienna, which lies a mere 110 km to the south. Brno enjoys a very pleasant, moderate climate, ideal for recreation and everyday living.

Its historical centre is situated above the confluence of Svratka and Svitava rivers. Brno lies in a wide valley, surrounded from three sides by mountains. Brno was founded on an important trade route (in 9th century) and its location has always been an advantage for its citizens. As a historical capital of Moravia, the position of Brno was confirmed with the establishment of a bishopric in 1777. The castle Špilberk stands for the most popular sightseeing in the city centre. It was built in the first half of the 13th century on the top of a hill bearing the same name. In the 18th century, it was transformed into an enormous Baroque fort which also became a feared prison, with the casemates being particularly notorious. Brno is traditionally connected with both the industrial area in the North and the agricultural and wine-growing areas in the South.

A number of renowned personages lived and worked in Brno. Johann Gregor Mendel (1822 - 1884), father of genetics and the discoverer of the principles of heredity, carried out his experiments in the gardens of the Old Brno Monastery, which has been later turned into "Mendelianum" - a museum and a scientific centre. Ernst Mach (1838 - 1916), a famous physicist and philosopher was born in Brno and spent an important part of his live in the territory of the Czech Republic. Music composer Leoš Janáček (1854 - 1928) worked in Brno since 1881 as a director of organ school and a professor at the Music Academy. Brno is also connected with the name of Karel Absolon (1877 - 1960), a world known expert on prehistory (he is a founder of the "Venus of Vestonice", a famous Stone-Age idol), and on geomorphology and zoology of Moravian Karst areas. Old Brno Brewery, the oldest brewery on the Moravian territory, had originally been a part of the Old Brno Monastery.

TRANSPORTATION

Brno occupies a strategic location in the contemporary European transportation network.

Road Network
The city is located at the crossroads of freeways D1 and D2 that form a part of the trans-european highways west to east (France - Ukraine: E 50), and north - south (Scandinavia - the Balkans: E 65).

Railways
The rail route from the Balkans to western Europe and Scandinavia passes through Brno (Budapest - Prague - Berlin). Brno is also a stop on the Euro-City Express route (Prague - Vienna). Time tables are available on http://jizdnirady.idnes.cz/vlaky/spojeni.

Bus connections
Brno is connected with the majority of big towns in Europe. Many of the bus-lines go through Prague from where, between 5:00 am and 9:00 pm, the bus service is practically continuous. All connections can be found on http://jizdnirady.idnes.cz/autobusy/spojeni.

Air connections
Current flights connect Brno with London, Moscow and Prague. The airport (IATA Code: BRQ) is only 7.5 km from downtown. All information are available on the web page http://www.airport-brno.cz/?lang=en&id=18.
The international airports in Prague and in Vienna serviced by international airlines are only about 2 hours car or bus ride away. As a part of your airlines ticket you can get the ticket for a special bus connection (the CSAoperates between Prague-PRG and Brno-ZDN and the Austrian operates between Vienna-VIE and Brno-ZDN).
All standard bus connections from Prague or Vienna are on http://jizdnirady.idnes.cz/autobusy/spojeni.

Public transport in the City of Brno
The transport network contains the tramway, trolleybus and bus lines. The general information are on http://www.dpmb.cz/e41.asp.