Christmas vibes in Brno
Brno is the second largest city in the Czech Republic. It’s not far from Bratislava, so I took a Flixbus again and travelled for 2-3 hours. It was a special journey because it was snowing heavily as I left Slovakia. There was white landscape everywhere on the way and it was beautiful! However, we finally ended up with almost half an hour delay and were driving through some small towns on the way. The driver didn’t share any information with us, I just guessed that there had been an accident or something on the highway. Anyway, I enjoyed the nice view from the window and was astonished when we got to Brno which was covered with snow. As I glanced at the famous Cathedral on the top of a hill, with the white landscape, I thought to myself: how beautiful!
The way to the hotel wasn’t as nice as this journey by the bus. As soon as we got off the bus, I could see that the snow started to melt, it was already wet snow, and it wasn’t easy with my suitcase. By the time I finally got to the hotel (after a few stops by tram and some walking), my boots were totally soaked and my suitcase was wet, I needed to clean it. Of course, I was very happy to finally arrive and sit down in a warm place, but after a short time I realized that the heating didn’t work at all. I had to go back to the reception, and they sent a mechanic, so finally the room was warm. I was relieved but couldn’t enjoy the relaxation for long, because I wanted to go into downtown and discover the Christmas lights of Brno. It was indeed beautiful with the snow and the illumination of the city. As it was Friday evening, there were many people in downtown and I enjoyed walking around, discovering some famous places and buildings, and then have a nice dinner in one of the restaurants with gluten-free options. I felt exhausted by the time I got back to my hotel, but the whole weekend was still in front of me, with lots of sightseeing and walking.
Brno is a perfect destination for a weekend trip. If you happen to travel there during the Christmas time, you’ll find Christmas markets all around the city. They are nice and have a good atmosphere. One of them even has a Betlehem with huge figures. Mostly food and drinks are sold, as I could see, but you can also find some handmade products and gifts. One thing that I didn’t like about the Brno Christmas markets is that there were modern concerts, not at all Christmas music, which destroyed the atmosphere a bit, at least for me. I didn’t really understand why, but later my Czech friend explained that Brno is a university city with many students and young people. Well, it explains a couple of things. Anyway, it was nice to explore the city, starting with a visit to and around the castle, then looking at the beautiful Cathedral and of course enjoying the Christmas vibes of this lively city. However, the weather was cold, and for me it was impossible to stay outside the whole day, so I chose some inside programs, especially some museums or galleries, and I did some shopping inside.
After two and a half days in Brno, I was ready to leave and continue my trip to Prague. I was excited to visit this famous European capital city. Before leaving the hotel, I had given an online class early in the morning, then I went down to have breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant, then packed and headed towards the main bus station. It was my third time travelling by Flixbus during this trip, though this time it was only cold weather, no snow anymore.
