5 Jun 2023 – low key day after all the walking yesterday – and a pub crawl on tap tonight. Slept in a bit then went out to just see the city. Cool art installation at one of the main libraries, and really checked out the main Old Town Square.

Street sausage before pub crawl. Starting place the Cave, on to three others ending at a dance club thumping away until very late. Outlasted the twenty-somethings on the crawl with us though!

After the kids quit, walked back to the hotel to crash ‘early’ (compared to yesterday. Gothic churches are awesome in the dark.

3 Jun 2023 – Breakfast at an excellent cafe before our last chance to ride the rails on this trip – easily the most comfortable. We had our whole first class cabin to ourselves for the 3.5 hour journey – and good views of the Czech countryside (through a dirty window).

Arrived in Prague and a short Bolt ride to our hotel – situated in the center of things not far from the Vltava River and the Old Town area. Once checked in, our first stop was not far – just across the street to the Sad Man’s Tongue Bar and Bistro to work on planning our first couple of days. It’s a cool American-themed bar, owned surprisingly by a Pittsburgh native! He wasn’t in but we’re told will be on Monday, so we plan to return, and to hold us he told the barman to get us a free shot. The Becherovka herbal liqueur was very tasty – need to find this at home!

Now getting late we went wandering to find something to eat and knees on the Pivovar Nardoni – local brewery with outdoor seating and excellent food.

After that, short walk back to call it a night. Tomorrow our first full day – and a guided tour of many key sites around the Old Town and historical areas.

2 Jun 2023 – Our one full day in Brno – and buckle up, it is full… lots of pictures for this one again…

Started our day wandering out to find a bite and to take in the daily market in the Zhelnÿ Square – and first beer of the day.

Next – explored UNDER the market – a guided tour (in Czech, English low-along guide provided) of the medieval labyrinth of tunnels and storage 6-8 meters under the square and surrounding buildings. Cellars built to store and preserve food, beer, wine connected by tunnels and also housing chambers that display archeological finds, a torture chamber, a wine cellar, an alchemist’s lab and even a tavern.

Back above ground, checking out a few more sights – St Michael Church, and the Old Town Hall – and the coolest bronze gargoyle. Final pic is of Church of St Jakub (James), under which we will go next…

Our next stop is the Kostnice u sv. Jakuba – the second largest ossuary in Europe, and the resting place of the remains of over 50,000 cholera and plague victims, and other dead, dating back as far as the 13th century when the site was first consecrated as a burial site. The Ossuary itself was created in the 18th century and used into the 19th, but was closed up and basically forgotten until rediscovered in 2001. It was opened to the public in 2012 and is a designated UNESCO heritage site. A bit spooky, and claustrophobic to some (like K!).

Again back to the sunlight – next stop will take us up above the city for a change…a pleasant walk through a big city park circled us around to the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, a classic gothic/baroque architectural mixture dating from the 14th century (on a church site dating to 11th century) although the massive twin towers were added in the early 1900’s.

After checking out the inside, we climbed first a stone stair to the Treasury level, where many historical church artifacts are on display, and the for a small fee climber the more daunting 128 stairs up into the towers (internal walkway between them) and tremendous views over the city – including a nice viewpoint of the next major stop – Špilberk Castle.

Those steps bothered K – and the extensive walk thus far earned us another beer stop.

Not too much of a walk to the hill and park surrounding Špilberk Castle, but the first glance shows you what’s in store…up, up, uphill. Begun in the 13th century and completed by King Ottokar II of Bohemia, the castle was a major citadel of the Moravian margraves of the 14th century, and for some time considered the harshest prison in the Austrian Empire. These days – this weekend in fact – hosting a festival of modern art and vegan food…

With the weather cooling and our stomachs growing, we set off downhill (yea!) in search of dinner – at local brewery/restaurant Starobrno – outdoors was getting a bit cool and windy but the food and beer excellent. Then a Bolt (European substitute for Uber) back to the hotel to crash.

On to Praha tomorrow!

1 Jun 2023 – A more low key day today, up and out of our apartment to find a breakfast cafe and then over the road to the train station. Four hours or so through Bratislava and rolled into Brno. Train is definitely the way to travel over here.

Walking from the train station to the hotel was scenic enough, if uphill. Tomorrow will be more exploration.

After getting set in at the hotel, we walked out a short way to a nearby restaurant and our first taste of Czech food and beer. The local cheese starter was especially good.

Keeping it low key, another short walk around the corner where we naturally gravitate (country #9 for Irish pubs) and outdoor patio for a few pints.

Turning in – only 7000 steps today – back on the hoof tomorrow to see some of the sights…