SIEF2023 16th Congress

Brno, Czech Republic:
7-10 June 2023

Neznamy

Travel Information

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Arriving in Brno To Oreo To Main Venue Exploring the City Things to Do Eating & Drinking Childcare Tips Useful Links

 

Arriving in Brno

Visa

For entry you will need a Shengen visa. Please see the official Czech government information for the visa application process. All countries exempt by Shengen can travel without a visa.
If you need a visa invitation letter by the conference organisers, please complete this form and we will endeavour to send one to you within 7 days.

Overland

Sometimes deciding on the best way to travel to the conference is difficult. Your decision should factor in a few things:

  • Is it convenient to travel overland rather than fly?
  • If you are driving, keep in mind that in Zone A (historic city centre), no entry is possible for visitors without a permit (except for the Veselá area which is possible to drive through, but with no parking allowed).
  • Look at your options, you can check google maps, Rome2Rio or the trainline for different ways to travel in. The Local Committee also recommends using Czech search engines: Mapy.cz and Idos, as these are often more detailed and accurate than the generic ones and also have English versions, see Mapy.cz, IDOS.

Trains & Coaches

Beneficially nestled right in the heart of the city, Brno Central train station is the major rail hub served by both international and regional trains. In total, there are 6 platforms from which trains depart to destinations such as Germany, Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary.

You can use the trainline or Rail Europe to search for cheap tickets to Brno from various cities or check out the ČD Eshop - it also offers free seats.

Trains departing from the Main Station (Hlavní nádraží) connect Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Berlin and Ostrava, from where your travels can continue. If you are travelling from mainland Europe, the train is a carbon-friendly and affordable way to reach the conference.

Trains departing from the Main Station (Hlavní nádraží) connect Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Berlin and Ostrava, from where your travels can continue. If you are travelling from mainland Europe, the train is a carbon-friendly and affordable way to reach the conference.

Coach (bus) travel may be more economical, and while it takes longer to travel by bus, it might be a good choice, especially if booked in advance. The Trainline is very good to check times and book tickets, you will find Flixbus times on there: you can find direct tickets from Paris, Berlin and Padua to name but a few locations. For those with an understanding of the Czech language there is also the local coach website Idos that has timetables and prices for various coaches.

Driving

Brno is central and well connected by road with its neighbours such as Bratislava, Vienna and Prague. Go to Brno has good advice about parking and driving around the city. The city is split into zones, in Zone A (historic city centre) no entry is possible for visitors without a permit (except for the Veselá area which is possible to drive through, but with no parking allowed); so bear this in mind when looking at where your hotel might be, and plan where to park your car in advance. You can also find a parking map on the city website.

Arriving by plane

Brno–Tuřany Airport
Brno Airport is the closest airport to the city, only ~13 minutes from the city.

Public Transport ~13 minutes

  1. From Letiště Tuřany - Terminál take Bus E76 Hlavní nádraží
  2. Ride for 15 min (6 stops) to Úzká
  3. Arrive at Brno Main Train Station

The airport website has a good overview of available public transport to the city centre; it’s worth having a look at this as they update it in case of cancelled services etc.

Driving ~16 minutes
(to Brno central station)

  1. Get on D1/E462/E50 in Slatina from Letiště Brno-Tuřany and Route 15289 for 6 min (3.0 km)
  2. Follow D1/E462/E50 and Heršpická/Route 52 to Nové sady in Brno-střed for 8 min (9.1 km)
  3. Continue on Nové sady. Drive to Nádražní for 3 min (1.0 km)
  4. Arrive Brno Main Train Station

The airport is located close to D1 highway, 2 km from the Exit No. 201. GPS 49°9'21"N, 16°41'29"E

Getting to the Orea Congress Hotel Brno

To get to the Orea Congress Hotel in Brno (Křížkovského 458, 603 73 Brno-střed), you can take the Tram #1 from the Brno Main Train Station going towards Bystrc and get off at Mendlovo náměstí (stop), take the bus #84 towards Stará osada, and you’ll be 100m from the hotel. Walk down the road and take the first left, then you’ll see the hotel: see the map below for the bus route from Mendlovo náměstí (stop).

Alternatively, you can take Tram #2 from in front of the mains station at Hlavní nádraží towards Modřice and get off at Poříčí stop. The hotel is then a 10 minute walk away: follow the road down and turn right into Poříčí/Route 42, follow that main road until you take the second right and the hotel will be further down that street on your right. See the map below for an idea:

Getting to the Main Venue

The conference will take place at the Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Arne Novaka 1 Brno. The coordinates are 49.20052999189798, 16.598627093290066.

The university has a map of the buildings on their website.

Public Transport

There are several tram and bus stops nearby.
The closest tram stop is Grohova (tram number: 3, 10, 12)

  • Walk north-west on Veveří towards Pekárenská 16 m
  • Turn left onto Grohova 79 m
  • Turn left onto Arne Nováka (destination will be on the right) 72 m

And Obilní trh (tram number 4)

  • Walk south-east on Údolní towards Obilní trh 22 m
  • Turn left onto Obilní trh 210 m
  • Turn right onto Gorkého 74 m
  • Turn left onto Arne Nováka (destination will be on the left) 58 m

The closest bus stop (trolley bus): Úvoz (bus number 25, 26)

  • Walk south on Úvoz towards Gorkého 39 m
  • Turn left onto Gorkého 400 m
  • Turn left onto Arne Nováka (destination will be on the left) 58 m

Exploring the City

Using Public Transport

Public transport in Brno and the rest of the South Moravian Region is provided by Integrovaný dopravní systém Jihomoravského kraje IDS – JMK (the South Moravian Integrated Public Transport System). Tickets are valid for any form of public transport, so you only need to pay attention to how long you are travelling (tickets are valid for specific amounts of time) and which zones you are travelling through. If you’re travelling through the city, a ticket for zones 100 and 101 is probably all you’ll need. You can buy tickets from any of the yellow ticket vending machines located at various stops throughout the city, or you can purchase them at information centres, stations, and newsagents. If you have a Czech phone number, you can buy tickets by sending a text message or using a mobile app. You can also pay contactless in the bus or trams themselves.

The entire transport system is connected with several apps, including Google Maps and Mapy.cz, so feel free to use these to plan your trip.

PRICE LISTS
BUYING TICKETS BY TEXT MESSAGE
INTEGRATED PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM OF THE SOUTH MORAVIAN REGION
TIMETABLES
BEEP & GO SYSTEM OF DPMB

Cycle hire scheme & E-scooter rental

Brno might not be the most bicycle-friendly city, but it is catching up with the times. Recently, bicycles have been allowed to enter pedestrian zones in the city centre, some one-way streets now have bicycle lanes, and a network of new bike paths lets you cycle around the city quite comfortably. Make sure to avoid the main roads, though, as legally you have to share the streets with some pretty heavy traffic. You can also rent shared bikes from Nextbike and Rekola.

A CYCLIST’S GUIDE TO BRNO
BIKE PATH TO VIENNA

Things to Do

For those interested in seeing multiple things while in Brno, the city recommends getting the Brnopas. The tourist card gives:

  • Comes with an official city guide;
  • Provides discounts for most museums and free admission to the 5 TOP places (Špilberk Castle, Old Town Hall tower, Brno underground, Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, and the Brno Zoo);
  • Holders of the three-day BRNOPAS can take a cruise at the Brno Lake for free (round-trip ticket from Bystrc to Veveří Castle).

The pass has one to three days of validity, if shown at the entrance of most tourist destinations it either allows you to get in for free or get a discount on the ticket.

Read the Brochure
Get the card

Sightseeing

Brno facilitates the life of an urban flaneur - the historical centre of Brno is entirely traffic free. The city’s residential neighbourhoods are also walking distance from the centre and home to independent stores, coffee shops, local cafes, and wine cellars.

For those interested in what to see during their sightseeing excursion, Go To Brno has recommendations for both a short trip for if you only have a few hours and a longer one if you have a whole day free. The website also suggests other sightseeing trips based around certain themes: Sculptures, Architecture, Holy Sites, Geotrail, Technical Monuments, Gregor Johann Mendel’s Brno, Leoš Janáček Brno and Moravian Manchester.

Brno has become a small Mecca for urban puzzle hunt games. These games are played cooperatively in teams of 2 - 5 on smartphones and involve finding and solving puzzles throughout the city - a novel and fun way to see the city. The website has a write up of the different games and where they can be played.

Finally it is worth checking out the various underground locations that can be visited around Brno. Some are more museum-like in nature while others are more meant for self directed exploring. A write-up of all of them can be found here as well as a brochure.

Museums & Galleries

For those looking for a bit of everything, the Moravian Museum is the 2nd largest and oldest museum in the Czech Republic with multiple sites scattered around the city. In particular, the Palace of Nobles at Kobližná 1 with the exhibition “Traditional culture in Moravia in the mirror of time” is worth checking out. The museum’s collections contain over six million objects across natural and social sciences, and one of its most famous pieces is the Venus of Dolní Věstonice. Free entry for conference participants is arranged for Moravian Museum, The Museum of Romani Culture and The Brno Technical Museum.

The Anthropos Pavilion has a permanent exhibition on the prehistoric settlement of Moravia. The museum inside Špilberk Castle administered by the Brno City Museum has a great overview of the city's history as well as spectacular views of the city. The Museum of Romani Culture is unique in the European context documenting the culture and history of the Romani and Sinti as well as a wide range of Romani sub-ethnic groups and communities. For more recent history the Retro Museum on a Farm has a comprehensive exhibition dedicated to ordinary life in the 1950s–1990s with sights such as a fully stocked period corner shop, the butcher’s and a drugstore, as well as period hospitality and a parlour from the 1950s including farming equipment.

If interested in the formal and natural sciences there are three different museums that cater to that. The Mendel Museum MU offers both an overview of Gregor Johann Mendel the man as well as the study of genetics as a whole. The Brno Technical Museum hosts permanent exhibitions dealing with the industries located in Brno as well as a Technical Playroom which introduces various laws of physics and their technical applications to visitors of all ages. Free entry for conference participants - will be arranged. For more hands on science, the VIDA! Science Centre hosts over 170 interactive exhibits divided into four themed sections – Planet, Civilisation, Man, and Microworld – along with a science centre for children from 2 to 6 years of age.

For the artistically inclined the city has many galleries that span the centuries from mediaeval art to more contemporary offerings. The largest of them is the Moravian Gallery which hosts the most diverse range of art in Brno spread over five buildings with different permanent exhibitions in each and a very active calendar of events, there is no entrance fee for visiting the permanent exhibition. The Diocesan Museum presents a unique collection of the most valuable paintings, sculptures, reliefs, and liturgical objects from the Brno diocese, the standout being Madonna of Veveří. The Fait Gallery is the foremost private gallery in Brno with a focus on supporting and displaying contemporary Czech and Central European artists. The TIC Gallery is another modern gallery run by the Tourist Information Centre of Brno. Finally the House of Arts Brno is a city gallery designed to present temporary exhibitions of contemporary visual culture; it is split between two spaces both with their own theme.

Lovers of vintage and miniature cars are in luck as Brno offers both types of museum. First the Museum of historical BMW cars which is the second largest museum of BMW cars in Europe after BMW Welt in Munich. Second is the Museum of Model Cars with the largest private collection of 1:18 scale model cars in Europe and guided tours available, there’s even a play area with a race track and lots of toy cars for kids.

For a more detailed overview on all the museums and a list of opening times (as well as locations and prices) it is also worth reading the Go To Brno’s website.

Tours

The most popular tour offered - book well in advance! - is the tour of the Tugendhat Villa. You can visit the garden of Villa Tugendhat and Villa Low Beer. The entry is free and without reservation. Because of high demand, it is recommended to make bookings a few months beforehand unless one has the Brnopas in which case tickets can usually be purchased a few days beforehand. The Go To Brno website describes things in more detail.

There is also a Sightseeing Minibus tour organised by the Tourist Information Center. Designed for anyone who wants to discover the city from a different perspective and enjoy new experiences in Brno on a comfortable minibus. Tickets have to be booked in advance at one of the Tourist Information Center’s or by emailing .

There is also an Educational trail In the Footsteps of Leoš Janáček that the local committee recommends.

10-Z the nuclear bunker also offers guided tours of the parts not accessible to the public. The year-round temperature in 10-Z is 14 C°so it is recommended to dress warmly - period appropriate army field jackets are also there to borrow. Bookings can be done through their website.

There are also other tours offered by companies through Tripadvisor, Viator and GetYourGuide.

For the family/kids

If you need to wear your kids out, there are several sporting activities to choose from. They can enjoy the Junglepark, the Proud (Stream) rope course, the recreational park at Olympia, or the huge Bongo and Bruno playrooms. There are also outside playgrounds around the city. For more educational fun, the VIDA! Science Centre, observatory and Otevřená zahrada (the Open Gardens) are great choices. Technické muzeum v Brně (the Brno Technical Museum), Modelový svět (the World of Models), and the garden railway in Obřany are other fantastic destinations.

If you want to see some animals, you can go to Tyršův Park, where they keep goats, or to Lužánky, where you can watch adorable little piglets. In the Holedná Deer Park you can see and feed fallow deer or you can pet llamas at the Hády Llama Centre. If your kids wish to see even more exotic creatures, you can take them to the zoo at Mniší hora (Monk’s Hill).

For more locations and ideas see the Leisure for Kids write up at Brno Expats Center.

Parks & Green Spaces

Brno is a city where nature is never that far away. There are multiple easily accessible parks inside the city centre itself. The ones closest to the venue are the Open Gardens which is only a short walk from the venue and Špilberk Park which is part of the winding path uphill towards Špilberk Castle. Very close to the venue and the largest park in the city centre is Lužánky Park. Slightly further afield there is also Kraví hora (Cow Hill) with wonderful views of the city and a lot of green space as well as a swimming pool and wellness area. For those willing to take public transport or drive there is the Mariánské valley with its five water reservoirs, perfect for long walks surrounded by Moravian nature. In the opposite direction there is the Brno Reservoir lined by vast woods perfect for swimming and boat trips.

There are many parks I have not mentioned here, for a fuller list the Go To Brno website has a good overview of all of them, as well as some suggested hiking trails for those interested in a more involved experience.

Eating and Drinking

Gourmet Brno has released their yearly listings of the best places in the city to eat. There is a web version as well as a brochure and a printable map that has all of the information.

+ Nightlife
+ Restaurants
+ For the family / kids

Childcare

Happy Daycare Centers Brno – Slatina

Childcare system for children aged between 1 and 6. Communication in both Czech & English, tennis, yoga and many other activities.
- Happy Care Centre, z.s., Tuřanka 3, Brno, 627 00
- Phone: +420 739 007 513
- E-mail:

Happy Daycare Centers Brno – Žabovřesky

Childcare system for children aged between 1 and 6. Communication in both Czech and English, family atmosphere, yoga for kids and many other activities in small groups of children.
- Kainarova 11, Brno, 616 00
- Phone: +420 739 007 513
- E-mail:

Happy Daycare Centre Leskava

Daycare Centre Happy Leskava. Communication in both Czech and English, music class, yoga for kids and many other activities for children from 1 to 4!
- Daycare Centre, z.s., U Leskavy 764/20, Brno, 625 00
- Phone: +420 725 990 204
- E-mail:

Kids Nest for Technology Park

Daycare Centre in Technology park. Communication in both Czech and English, yoga for kids, preschool education and many other activities for children from 2 to 5!
- Purkyňova 107, building A, Brno, 612 00
- Tel.: +420 739 053 003
- E-mail:

There are also resources on the Brno expat centre for babysitting agencies.

Tips

Money

The official currency of the Czech Republic is the Czech crown (Kč/CZK)

CZK 1 = 100 halers, but you will be able to see these in the Czech Republic only on price labels. When you make payment you will not use halers or get them back in change. Prices are subject to rounding. For example: if the price is 299 crowns and 75 halers, you will pay 300 crowns. And if it is 159 crowns and 20 halers, you will pay 159 crowns.

Many shops, restaurants as well as tourist centres accept Euros. But you should not be surprised that particularly in shops any change returned will be in Czech crowns.

You can also withdraw Czech crowns from cash machines which can be found in sufficient numbers in Czech towns. However, it is advisable to ask your bank how much it will charge for cash machine withdrawals abroad. There might be some ATM’s that offer predatory conversion rates when withdrawing cash from them if this happens it is recommended you always withdraw cash in the original rate rather than the one offered by the ATM.

You can make payments with an internationally recognised card (Visa, MasterCard, Plus, Maestro, etc.) in most shops and restaurants.

Source

Where can I exchange currency/money?

In exchange offices. Foreign currency exchange offices are not permitted to charge fees for the exchange of currency. A single foreign exchange office may only use a single exchange rate. It is no longer possible to use any preferential VIP rates. If you believe that a currency exchange transaction was unfavourable, you can cancel it within three hours after the purchase of currency. You must do so at the same foreign exchange office during its working hours. Keep the receipt after your exchange and check that it contains the correct date and time of transaction. The foreign exchange office is only obligated to return amounts up to EUR 1,000.

In banks. The fee charged for currency exchange ranges around 2%. Some banks add the condition of the minimum fee (for example CZK 30). Banks in the Czech Republic are shut at weekends and on public holidays.

In hotels. You can exchange your money for crowns even in the hotel where you stay. However, they too may charge some fees.

Source

Plug Sockets

Remember to pack adaptors, you will need a European two-prong adapter if you have devices that use other plugs. For the Czech Republic there are two associated plug types, types C and E. Plug type C is the plug which has two round pins and plug type E is the plug which has two round pins and a hole for the socket’s male earthing pin. The Czech Republic operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz.

Driving

For driving information in the Czech Republic read here. For information about driving in Brno in specific read more here.

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Visit Brno

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