Cathedral Hills, Fortress Walls & Cellar Bars

Settle into your accommodation in Staré Město — the old town's compact grid puts everything on day one within easy walking distance. Drop your bags and head straight uphill.

Brno's skyline is defined by those twin neo-Gothic spires rising from Petrov hill, and the view from the cathedral terrace over the red-tiled rooftops earns the climb. Note that Brno rings noon at eleven — a tradition dating to a 17th-century ruse against Swedish besiegers — so time your visit to catch that quirky chime.

Descend from Petrov into the old town and step into this wine-cellar restaurant named after Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia. The stone-vaulted setting is a good match for South Moravian wines and hearty Czech cooking — the kind of lunch that sets you up for an afternoon of fortress climbing.

From the old town it's a steady fifteen-minute walk west and upward to Špilberk, the great hill-fortress that once served as the Habsburg Empire's most feared prison. Wander the ramparts for panoramic views in every direction, then dip into the casemates — the labyrinthine underground galleries where political prisoners were once held — before emerging into the castle's pleasant park.

Back in the heart of the old town, this soaring Gothic parish church is easy to overlook from the outside — don't. The interior proportions are remarkable, and the ossuary beneath it holds the remains of tens of thousands of Brno residents, making it one of the largest charnel houses in Central Europe.

A Brno institution in Staré Město, Pegas brews its own unfiltered lagers and ales on-site — you can see the copper tanks from some of the tables. Order a dark beer alongside whatever is on the kitchen's daily board and watch the after-work crowd fill every corner of the room.

A classic student-city cellar bar, Pod Schody is the kind of place where conversations run late over cheap wine and Moravian spirits. Low ceilings, candlelight, and a crowd that ranges from philosophy students to locals who have been coming for decades.

Start day two slowly — pick up a coffee from any of the independent cafés around náměstí Svobody and walk the quieter backstreets before the city properly wakes up. The morning light on the Baroque and Art Nouveau façades is worth the early start.

Mies van der Rohe's 1930 masterpiece is one of the defining buildings of European modernism and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The open-plan living floor — with its onyx wall and curved macassar ebony partition — still feels genuinely radical. Book tickets in advance; guided tours fill up fast.

After a morning of rigorous functionalist geometry, Taiyō in Staré Město offers a well-earned change of register: clean Japanese flavours and a concise menu that rewards decisive ordering. A lighter midday option that keeps the afternoon energy intact.

The Moravian Gallery spreads across several palace buildings in the old town and holds the Czech Republic's second-largest art collection. The applied arts and design holdings are particularly strong — a natural companion to a Tugendhat morning — and temporary exhibitions regularly bring international contemporary work.

A short walk from the gallery brings you to this early functionalist villa designed by Ernst Wiesner in 1929 — predating Tugendhat by a year and often overshadowed by it. The house tells the story of Brno's Jewish bourgeoisie and its tragic 20th-century arc, and the garden terrace offers a quieter, more contemplative version of the modernist Brno story.

Round off the trip at this Staré Město Italian restaurant, which has built a loyal following for its handmade pasta and considered wine list. The atmosphere is warm without being fussy — the right register for a final evening in a city that takes its pleasures seriously.

End the two days exactly as Brno's student city would want you to: underground, listening to live jazz. Jazz Klub Triumf has been part of the city's nightlife fabric for decades, with regular performances ranging from bebop to contemporary improvisation. Check the programme before you arrive and stay as long as the music holds you.