Shopping and Food
Brno has a great variety of shopping opportunities – from little boutiques, through speciality shops, to large shopping centres containing everything you will ever need.
If you are looking for a place where you can buy everything at one place, choose one of the big shopping centres. There is a couple right in the city centre, such as Vaňkovka (Ve Vaňkovce 1) and Velký Špalíček (Mečová 2). For those who spend time at the University Campus in Bohunice, there is Campus Square Shopping Centre (Netroufalky 770), containing a number of shops, cafés, and restaurants. Last, but not least, there are big shopping areas located on the outskirts of Brno, with malls, such as Olympia (U Dálnice 777) and Avion (Skandinávská 2).
For those of you who prefer local, home-made goods while shopping and are comfortable with walking from shop to shop, there are also many options. There is an open-space vegetable market on Zelný trh taking place every day from January to November, where you can find a variety of mostly locally grown fruits and vegetables from 6 to 18 on weekdays and 6 to 14 on Saturdays. Right next to it, in one of the buildings, there is Tržnice Brno (Zelný trh 14-16), an indoor market place, which hosts producers of pastry and meat, as well as cafés and bistros.
It is not only possible to eat locally, but also to dress locally. In Brno, you can find a number of design shops and boutiques with Czech-made clothes and accessories. Many are located in the city centre; you can find them while taking a walk around Brno’s downtown.
Those of you who try living more sustainably might appreciate some of Brno’s package free shops, where you need to take your own packages to buy groceries and hygiene products, such as Nasyp si (Úvoz 84), Friendly Place (Čápkova 21), Bezobalový obchod Brno (Lesná 4), and NOsáček (Smetanova 1). Brno is also a place of second-hand shops that are scattered throughout the city.
If you’re looking for souvenirs to take home for your loved ones or yourselves, visit the Information Centre To je Brno (Panenská 1). Although hidden in a little alley, it offers not only souvenirs but also maps and other information materials about Brno. To buy souvenirs and little presents, it is also worth waiting for one of Brno’s festivals. Throughout the year there are many events taking place usually at Náměstí Svobody, where vendors sell their articles varying from wooden toys, through clothes, to beverages. Such special markets take place multiple times throughout the year, for example before Christmas or during the wine festivals.
Finally, those of you who are looking for the university merchandise, there is a university shop, Scalanterie, located in Cinema Scala (Moravské náměstí 3) and another bookstore/shop at the Faculty of Social Sciences (Joštova 10).
Food
Brno has a wide range of restaurants that cater to various tastes, making it an exciting destination for food enthusiasts. For a comprehensive guide to the city's culinary offerings, check out https://www.gotobrno.cz/en/taste-brno-category/cafes/. Additionally, when choosing a cafe or restaurant, consider checking reviews on Google for valuable insights from other customers.
To explore the city's top breakfast and brunch locations, you can visit this web page.
For those inclined towards a vegan or plant-based diet, Brno offers appealing options. Here are some notable choices, accompanied by a brief description and a web page:
- Forky's: A diverse menu offering plenty of vegan options, including coffee and desserts.
- Go Brno: Vietnamese cuisine with multiple vegan choices
- Happy teahouse: Indian flavors with a variety of vegan options.
- Fryends: Extensive vegan menu with seasonal specials.
- Pilgrim: Vegan options combined with traditional Czech dishes
- Vegalite: Vegan restaurant that offers huge menu
- Dhaba Beas: Vegetarian buffet offering diverse choices
- Pizza punk: Offers some great vegan pizzas
- Oaza: Offers vegetarian food at great prices
For other vegetarian recommendations, you can also check out the Veggiezone webpage. Enjoy your culinary exploration in Brno!