About Brno

Unlike its famous, more expensive and very busy neighbour, Prague, you may not have heard much about Brno (pronounced “Burno”) before, but it is an undiscovered gem and well worth a visit. It is picturesque, historic and often referred to as “Little Venice”.

The Guardian also describes it as, “Booming Brno, with its creativity, history and subterranean mystery, is the perfect antidote to overrun Prague and its forests of selfie sticks.”

Popular attractions

There are plenty of museums and galleries to explore, along with the theatre, ballet, botanical gardens, planetarium, parks and regular but temporary exhibitions. About 20 cultural festivals take place each year. There are also some excellent microbreweries and no shortage of good restaurants to enjoy as well!

Some of the most popular sites to visit include:

• The Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul
• The 13th Century Špilberk Castle
• The Capuchin Monastery
• The ornate Parnas Fountain
• The Ossuary of St. James’ Church
• An underground labyrinth to explore.

Lovers of design might also like to know that Brno was one of the leading centres of experimental architecture in the early 20th century, and visit the Unesco-protected Villa Tugendhat, which is considered a masterwork of functionalist design.

So, if you are thinking of having weight loss surgery or a cosmetic procedure, staying in Brno for a few days beforehand is an excellent way of relaxing and familiarising yourself with the surroundings.

Getting to Brno

Located in the southeast region of the Czech Republic, Brno is about two and half hours by car from the capital, Prague. This region of the country is known as Moravia – an historical country – of which Brno is the capital.

Brno has excellent transport connections to the rest of the country and Europe, with a modern international airport receiving flights from the UK. The airport is well organised and fairly small which makes it very quick and easy to clear customs and collect your luggage and be picked up by the luxury car and driven to your hotel or the clinic.

Direct flights to Brno

You can fly direct into Brno from London Stansted with Ryanair. The flight time is approximately 1 hour 45 minutes, depending on which airline you choose to fly with.

For any other UK airport, or Ireland departures, you would need to fly into Prague with the following Airlines:

• Aberdeen – Jet2, easyJet
• Belfast – Ryanair
• Birmingham – easyJet, Czech Airlines
• Bristol – easyJet
• Dublin – Ryanair, Aer Lingus
• Edinburgh – Jet2, easyJet
• Glasgow – Jet2, easyJet
• Leeds Bradford – Jet2, easyJet
• London Gatwick – easyJet, British Airways
• London Heathrow – British Airways
• Manchester – Jet2, easyJet
• Newcastle – Jet2, easyJet

You can choose to fly into Prague of course, if you wanted to enjoy a few days there first, but you should allow about two and a half hours by coach or car to travel to Brno along the E50 or about two hours by train.

 

The SurGal Clinic, Brno

The clinic is situated in the heart of city centre, about a twenty-minute drive from the local airport, so very easy to get to. It is a beautiful, classical looking building, more like a luxury hotel than anything else. It also sits opposite Lužánky Park, the largest city park in Brno and the oldest municipal park in the Czech Republic.

Hotels in Brno

There is a wide range of good hotels to stay in Brno, to suit any budget. Here are just a few you might like to consider:

• Hotel Arte 4-star (budget bed and breakfast) – 3-minute walk from the clinic.
• Grand Hotel 4-star in the city centre – 15-minute walk from the clinic.
• Luxury Hotel Barceló 5-star in the city centre – 20-minute walk from the clinic.

More information about beautiful Brno

Hopefully, this page has given you a better idea of the city, but if you’d like to find out more please contact us – we visit Brno at least four times a year ourselves so know it very well – but you can also visit the city’s official website. There’s also a lovely blog article by Kami Napora about what a great destination it is to visit and has some great photos of the city too.

To find out more information about the most popular tourist attractions, please visit the Go To Brno website. If you are interested in visiting the UNESCO-protected Villa Tugendhat, you can find out more on its official website. The Culture Trip website also has a top ten list of things to see and do in Brno.

The Czech Republic has been a member of the European Union since 2004, but doesn’t use the Euro currency. It has its own currency called Czech Koruna (Crowns). You can check the latest exchange rates here.

The deposit for your weight loss surgery or cosmetic procedure is paid to Ivy Health and will be in UK Sterling. The balance of payment will (made directly to the SurGal Clinic in Brno) will also be in UK Sterling. So, you’ll only need Czech Crowns for using in and around the city.