There are two
Hostelling International partners located very central in Brno old town:
Hostel Mitte and
Hostel Fleda. For about 15 Euro a night, one can get a bed in a shared room. Also, Hostel Mitte has a nice coffee shop and restaurant on the first floor, open for everyone passing by and in need of a nice beer, coffee or some snacks.
Labyrinth under Cabbage Market, Mintmaster's cellar and the Ossuary
First of all, a bit of context: When Czech Republic entered the European Union in 2004, a lot of money was brought into preserving cultural heritage in this country, to foster tourism. This is why we can enjoy this 3 attractions located at the very old town in Brno. They are located very close to each other and they were opened to the public after 2010, after long periods of renovation. Some of the guides told me that the European Union money will cease to come to the end of 2017, and they are not sure if it will be possible to keep these wonderful places open, because ticket price is quite high for the country standards – even if it costs less than 5 Euro-, and they do not have much foreigners coming to Brno. So please, if you are in Brno, visit these wonderful attractions and support these places, so much more people can visit them in the future!
First, I visited the Labyrinth. This is a very interesting place, where a tunnel, built thanks the EU money for preservation, connected several private cellars that were built under the main market square during the Renaissance, and were used over the next 700 years. The main purpose was to keep meat, vegetables and even wine in cooler places than outside, to prevent food from rotting. Also, some of the cellars were torture chambers and prisons, even if they were almost not used. The entrance fee is 170 Crowns (about 6 Euro).
.JPG)
Second, I visited the Mintmaster's cellar. In this place, valuable materials for making coins, such as gold and silver, were stored, and nowadays, one can see a coin press, traditional way to make coins, and also buy these coins made on the spot as souvenir. Also, they have a nice, small but interesting collection of ancient coins, with explanations of the different techniques, materials and designs that were used for making coins during history. But maybe the best of this place is the very enthusiastic and knowledgeable people who work there as guides: I talked to them after the tour about the process of making coins and about other related coin exhibitions in the world. Entrance is just 80 Crowns (about 3 Euro).
Third, I visited the Ossuary, located under the St. James Cathedral. I have seen many European cathedrals, but neither had so wonderful transparent windows that allowed so much natural light inside. The Ossuary is quite small but worth to see: after it was found, it took 10 years to design, build and preserve the place, where even the music that plays was specially composed. Besides the normal visit, they also offer night tours that one should book in advance. Price of normal entrance fee is 140 Crowns (about 5 Euro).
Moravian Karst - Punkevní Caves
The Moravian Karst is a system of different caves located in the Carpathian Mountains, with different characteristics and entrances. One cannot visit them all at one place, but the one I wanted to see was the Punkevní cave: besides of stalagmites and stalactites, one should sail half of the way: there is an under-earth river going through the cave!
In order to get there, one should purchase a “five zone ticket”, for about 150 Crowns (6 Euro) at the Brno train station. I actually bought 2 of them, to be able to go back after my visit. Each ticket lasts 2 hours for public transport, which is more than enough time for one way. Also, it is important to say that they needed to be stamped to be valid, at small yellow machines at the station.
So at Brno train station I took a train going towards Prague, until the stop called Blansko. It took about 15 to 20 minutes. There, just nearby the train station, at a big bus stop, one should take the bus 226 to the station Skalni Mlyn, It is pretty easy to distinguish, because it is totally branded with advertisement about the Moravian Karst. At the last station, after about 10 minutes, one can find the ticket office for the Moravian Karst, and a couple of restaurants and souvenir shops.
Tickets have a time printed on them: this is the time of the tour you are supposed to go with. I arrived about 9:30 am, and my tour was for 12:30. Actually, at about 11 am, all tickets are usually sold out, so the earlier one can get here and buy tickets, the better. Price for adults is 180 Crowns (about 7 Euro).
Then one should either take a small train to get to the very entrance, or walk 2 kilometers through a nice forest, on a pavement way by the river, which I did, because I had plenty of time. Once I could get into the Punkevní cave, I understood why it is so popular among visitors: It is really big, with interesting stone formations, stalagmites, stalactites and small lakes that reflect the roof of the cave like a mirror.
But exactly as I thought, the best part is the boat trip inside: We had to board a motor boat and were driven through the river channels, appreciating more stone formations and new galleries that appeared one after the other. The whole tour lasted about an hour, and I was really happy to have visited such interesting place.
To go back, I walked the 2 kilometers back to the Ticket office, and I waited for the bus exactly at the same bus stop where I came. In the bus, I validated the extra ticket I bought at Brno in a machine next to the bus driver. When we arrived in Blansko, I simply walked to the train station and took the first train back, because all the ones that stop in Blansko also stop in Brno.
Z-10 nuclear fallout shelter
I found this place while walking by, and I did not have any idea that it existed. Z-10 is the code name of this place, a highly classified refuge built during the Nazi occupation against the allies’ bombs, and turned into a nuclear fallout shelter in 1959, during the Communist era. It was supposed to protect the military elite in case of a nuclear attack, and to be able to host that amount of people for few weeks.
The place included a command room, kitchen, barracks, sanitary installations and an air purifier able to renew the oxygen inside the bunker by filtrating contaminated air from the surface.
This place is not just amazing because it was built in so much complexity and detail, but it was never used –thank God- it is also amazing for the level of preservation of all machines, furniture and facilities that one can see inside. Actually, as a protection for the visitor´s clothes from the dust, but also as an interesting way of engage tourist in the story of this place, one should wear a special plastic dark green coat, part of the original inventory, which was designed to prevent radiation contamination.
The whole tour lasts about an hour, and in several rooms, into old TV boxes, modern LCD displays show interviews with people who worked there and who helped preparing this place. Also, at the entrance-exit, there is a very nice coffee shop, with a communist Russian inspired menu, including desserts and beverages that were popular during the 50´s and 60´s at the occupied Brno. I had a Russian Lemon Tea, and it was really incredible.
Also, the Z-10 nuclear fallout shelter offers night visits, concerts and cultural activities almost every week. Entrance fee is 240 Crowns (about 9 Euro).
Brno has really so much to offer: places I could not mention, like the Spilberk fortress and ex prison, located on top of the hill that dominates the city, or the Moravian Gallery, or the Opera. But I am sorry: My heart was captivated by the attractions that were below the street level, at Brno Underground.
Links of interest
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG){kind=spacer}
.JPG){kind=spacer}
