Traveled: September 2016

First, I want it known that I have not been to Prague (except to fly in and train out). Second, this was a day trip (two nights). So when I say an alternative, I mean Brno is a solid option to see a Czech city if you have limited time. Now that disclaimer is done…why visit Brno?

It is beautiful. Big enough to be interesting, small enough to get the local feel without the big city crowds. We chose to visit a karst while we were there. That is, of course optional, but I think it made the day trip even better. See the bottom of the post for logistics.

First thing in the morning we headed to Blansko to catch a bus to Skalní Mlýn to see the Punkva Caves. I highly suggest this site, although it is slightly problematic to get to. See below for details. The caves are only accessible by tour, a non-English tour. Do not expect there to be an English tour available. They do provide an English brochure to take with you, but it is hard to read in the dark caves. That being said, I still suggest this just for the experience. It also keeps the tourists down.

You will walk through the caves, learning about the different formations (if you grabbed a brochure or speak Czech). This includes a reflective “lake” that is just beautiful to see. You will come out at the bottom of the Macocha Gorge and really get a feel for how deep you are. Then you board a boat and travel through the caves via an underground waterway. The strategically placed lights let you get a feel for how much deeper the caves really go.

After adventuring underground, I suggest exploring upwards. There is a lift that will take you to the top of the hill, but we chose to hike it. The hike is moderate but definitely uphill. There are rock formations and various flora/fauna to see along the way. Once at the top, there are a couple of places to get food/souvenirs and you will be able to look down into the gorge you were just in.

After checking out Czech’s natural side, we headed back to Brno. Once there we wandered through the city heading to the Spilberk Castle. It isn’t a long walk and the architecture around town is worth perusing.

The castle was, unfortunately, closing by the time we made it but the outside is still open and worth the gentle uphill walk. The views of the city are spectacular, especially if you make it at sunset (which we did). The castle itself is fantastic (on the outside) and there is a restaurant if you want to stop in for a drink or a bite to eat.

We spent the evening trying the local beer and chatting with the stag party staying in our dorm room (there were stag parties all over the place!). The city really comes to life at night. Being a college town and cheap option for stag parties means plenty of people are out and about.

Logistics:

Lodging: Hostel Jacob

Hostels are very well priced in Brno. We stayed in a dorm but many offer private rooms as well. Hostel Jacob was very safe, clean, had a great breakfast included and the location was fantastic. You can see my full review at HostelWorld.com. I would highly suggest it. There are a couple of bars in the square below and it is about 15 minutes walk from the bus/train station.

Transportation: Train/Bus

We arrived by a Student Agency bus from Prague (hot, sticky, reliable). Ask information at the Prague Airport where they are located, it took us a while to find. The bus station is just outside the train station, across from the Grand Hotel. We left via train to Bratislava. We used Bahn.com for train times. The train station was under construction, which made navigating rather confusing, so it took us longer to find the ticket office and platform than it should have.

We also took a train from Brno to Blansko and back to visit the caves. This was pretty straight forward.  However, we missed the first train because of the construction confusion (and, to be honest, spending too long at breakfast). That got us into Blansko late, missing the bus to Skalni Mlyn. Therefore we had a long wait in Blansko at the train station, which is a rather boring train station. Make sure to check the return times. We ended up (luckily) on the last bus out of Skalni Mlyn because we did not check ahead of time.

Entertainment/Activities: Punkva Caves, Spilberk Castle

The Punkva Caves do charge an admission price. At the time we went it was a little over $7 a person. See their website for full details (English is available). Make sure to ask for the photo/video permission. It costs extra (around $2) but you need it if you want to use your camera/phone. They do encourage you to reserve a spot on a tour ahead of time. We missed our reservation and had no problem but we did go during the low season. I encourage you to email a reservation request as they will send you additional information. I emailed in English and got English in response. Do not expect anyone at the caves to speak English though. Other charges include doing the lift to the top or taking a “train” to get to the cave entrance. We did the train up but walked back.

Spilberk Castle is free to roam around the outside. There is an entrance fee to go in. We did not do that as they were closed when we arrived.

All in all, we had a fantastic day in Brno and felt we got a good glimpse of the Czech Republic. While prices definitely went down as we headed west, Brno is certainly a cheaper option for the budget traveling wanting to see a more central European country.