Here's why under-the-radar Brno should be on your 2025 travel list. Midday is 11am in Brno, marked by the chiming astronomical clock which remains an enigma even to the locals. On the hour, this large, erect black granite structure releases a marble to one of three catch points - usually guarded by the hands of children.
Every wonky piece of art and unusual sculpture here has a legacy or folk story that speaks of Brno citizens' courage and lighthearted nature. Like many, I hadn’t heard of Czechia’s southern second city before. I associated the country with the busy capital and popular stag-do destination, .
But on my 1.5-hour train from Vienna, university student Ilona Szarazova tells me, “Brno feels like a big village, everybody knows everybody and you’re never stressed.” I soon realise that off-target expectations and unexpected quirks are part of the fun in this .
Walking to the centre of the main plaza, Freedom Square, I reach Brno’s beloved clock. “We’ve got a good sense of humour,” local guide Sára Anna Hudcovicová says. “This is our version of the mediaeval mechanical clock in .
I think it’s coincidental that many of our sculptures look like a, you know...
” Phallic in appearance, this unusual structure symbolises Brno’s bravery in its defence against the Swedish siege in 1645 - which is why it was designed to look like a bullet. According to the , Swedish soldiers planned to give up attempts of invasion one day at 12pm. When the locals fou.
