Food and Drink: The first thing that struck me was the fact that a pint has the same price as coffee. A friend of mine used to travel from Germany to Czech Rep to buy beer, so that puts an end to the argument which beer is better. A peculiar type of pub can be found, where you and your friends can pour your own lager straight from the middle of the table. Heaven on earth you say? Make sure you don’t skip the Starobrno brewery (close to the center) where ladies can be spotted to drink beer even at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Smazeny syr: melted yellow cheese was on the top list of my snacks. The local cuisine is notorious for the knedl (potato dumplings) and gulas (stew). Sadly, I am not into meet products therefore I cannot give my opinion. Transport: Two words - punctual and reliable. It consists mainly of trams and is said to be the best organised transport system in Europe. What is unrivalled, compared to most of the countries I have been to, it runs every hour during the night. In case you are planning a longer stay, you can ask at the central station for the available day tickets and zones.
Bustling nightlife and many expatriates are to be seen when the light go out. The reason is many big companies in the IT industry have been established here.
Useful info: You will be prompted by the bank clerk to use the outside exchange (arab) kiosks. I assume they don’t charge the commission and at the end of the day we should trust the word of professionals. Oh, I almost forgot – take CZ Korunas for your cash, don’t use Euro.
Not to be missed in the region:
- 1. Swimming in Lakes: You have to take the bus to the outskirts of the city (Bystrc, stop “Přístaviště”). A pleasant walk will take you along the banks of the river. Swimming in the lake for me was really refreshing and the truth is I am a bit nature boy. Call me Tarzan but I didn’t wallow in mud only because of the crowd. Yes, I had a pint; I was in Check Republic, after all.
- 2. Macocha Abyss: Sweet memory of the boat inside the cave and the echoing corridors. A bit claustrophobic though.
- 3. Aquapark Vyškov: It was my first time. I was accompanied by my colleague - a guy two times older than me so age is not a limitation. Besides, it is not a crime to feel the tickling water. You can imagine how we mixed with the crowd which was mainly kids and their parents.
- 4. Castles: plenty of in the area. Špilberk.