Travel
Just a few hours by rail from Prague and Vienna, Brno (pronounced ‘burno’) has all the cultural cachet of its neighbours – but without the crowds. The camp that developed here in the Stone Age flourished when a castle and city walls were built in the 11th century. When the fort was destroyed, the settlement remained, with locals selling produce at the Cabbage Market (Zelný trh), just as they do today. Back then, traders stored produce beneath the market, in a labyrinth later used as a bomb shelter. Visitors can now explore a wine cellar, alchemist’s workshop and jail inside the kilometre-long passageways.
By the 13th century, Brno was thriving, with residents also trading in Liberty Square. These days, the squareastronomical clock all year round. Brno’s booming population soon filled St James’s churchyard, which prompted officials to pile skeletons into a neighbouring cavern. When the tomb was unearthed in 2001, the remains of 50,000 humans were found, making it Europe’s second largest ossuary – visitors to the church can now pay to take a candlelit stroll through the cavern.
