Do you need help? Contact us at director@fulldomefestivalbrno.com.

Some useful information

Important Numbers

Planetarium +420 541 321 287
Director Jiri Dusek +420 775 354 555
Ondrej Kamensky +420 778 053 368

Emergency 112

For TAXI we recommend the Liftago app.

Temperature

Before you go to our festival, pack a T- shirt, pair of linen trousers and your swimwear. June is the sunniest month of the year in the Czech Republic, the temperature in the morning is about 10 °C (50 °F) and  goes up to 25 °C (80°F) during the day. On some days the temperature may get over 30 °C (85 °F). The average relative humidity is around 60% and there are thunderstorms from time to time.

Czenglish

We speak Czech, but a lot of us can also speak English, or a language that is sarcastically referred to as „Czenglish“. We recommend you to speak slowly and pay attention to clear pronunciation. Your hands and body language will surely be helpful.  A few most important words in Czech: Hi = ahoj /ʌhɔɪ /, Beer = pivo /pɪvo/, Observatory = hvězdárna /hvjezda:rna/, Planetarium = planetárium /planeta:rium/.

Visas

All foreign visitors entering the Czech Republic must have a valid passport. If you are from the Schengen Area or Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan and the USA, you don’t need a visa. But in any case, please, check the visa requirement with the web page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Czech Embassy.

Accommodation

We can recommend the following hotels in Brno:

The Continental hotel (****) is considered an excellent example of the Brussels style (the art style derived from the phenomenal success of the Czechoslovak exposition at Expo 58 in Brussels) and for its uniqueness and good preservation state was declared a cultural heritage site in 2010. It takes about 10 minutes by tram to get to our planetarium from there.

Hotel International Best Western Premier (****) situated in Husova Street in Brno is one of the most significant and best preserved buildings of the Brussels style in the Czech Republic. It was inspired by the style of the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and also includes features of late functionalism. It takes about 10 minutes by tram to get to our planetarium from there.

The Barceló Brno Palace (*****) is an urban hotel that boasts a perfect location in the centre of the city of Brno, capital of South Moravia. Situated on Silingrovo Square in a prestigious historical building known as Mestsky Dvur, the Barceló Brno Palace can be found in the heart of the city. Guests can enjoy free access to a sauna and a fitness centre.

SONO Hotel Brno (****) is an architecturally unique building from 2014 and offers rooms with concept of music stars such as The Beatles, Red Hot Chili Peppers or Deep Purple. It takes about 10 minutes by foot to get to our planetarium from there.

The Pegas Hotel (****) is located in the very city center in a building whose origins stretch back to the 14th century, evidence of which is provided by a number of archaeological finds made during reconstruction of the building. One of the remarkable features of the hotel is the fact that a small brewery is located in the basement, with beer being brewed right in front of the guests in the restaurant. This was the first small brewery to be built in Moravia and the second in the Czech Lands.

The OREA Congress Hotel (****) is the largest and most modern convention centre in Brno and offers quality accommodation across 368 rooms at the exhibition centre. The city centre is easily reached by the tram 150 meters from the hotel.

The Klafé Bed & Breakfast (***) in Brno-Masaryk Quarter offers comfort and hospitality in a stylish atmosphere in a recently renovated 1930’s building excellently located on the edge of Brno’s largest park and only a few minutes from the historic city centre as well as from the Exhibition Ground.

The Avanti Hotel (****) is located in the Ponava district of Brno. Nearby are, for example, Lužánky Park, Villa Tugenthat or St. Peter and Paul’s Church. The bus and tram stop Hrnčířská is about 200 meters away and it takes about 20 minutes to get to the Brno Planetarium.

Getting There & Back

It isn’t difficult to get to Brno. Our city lies near two big international airports – Prague, Czech Republic and Vienna, Austria. It takes 2 hours to get from Prague to Brno by car. And Vienna is even closer. You can also take direct trains and buses from Vienna and Prague.

There’s also a local airport in the city of Brno with flights to two international hubs, London-Stansted (Ryanair) and Milano (Ryanair). And from the airport you can go to the centre by bus or take a taxi (approx. CZK 500).

You can also fly to the airport in Bratislava, Slovakia (about 1 hour of driving) and Ostrava, Czech Republic (2 hours of driving). In either case, the best way to get to Brno is by train.

Parking at the venue

Parking at the planetarium falls into the C class area of public parking. That means that it is free from 6 AM to 5 PM and then paid online or via app. Full information can be found at Public Parking Website. We recommend ariving by public transport, which is simple and very convenient.

Getting Around Brno

Don’t be afraid to use the public transport in Brno. The trams, trolleybuses and buses run frequently and almost anywhere in the daytime as well as at night. You can buy public transport tickets at the newsagents or in yellow vending machines at some stops. You can also pay directly by your card once you get on (Beep&Go). When going round the city you can take a TAXI as well. The simplest way is to use Liftago Taxi app in your phone.

If you travel by public transport, take tram no. 4, which goes through the center, stops next to the Red Church on Komenského square and goes as far as below the Brno Observatory and Planetarium (last stop náměstí Míru). If you are driving, you can leave your car almost at the Brno Observatory and Planetarium. However, the parking spots (marked with blue lines, zone B) are free of charge only until 5PM. From that time you need to pay online or via ParkSimply app. It is advised to leave your car at the hotel and use the public transport.

Prices

We pay with Czech crowns or Czech korunas (code: CZK, Kč in Czech, /ˈkɔːr.uː.nə/). An approximate exchange rate is EUR 1 = CZK 24, USD 1 = CZK 22. Cash machines (ATMs) can be found everywhere and most shops accept all major credit cards.

A bottle of water CZK 20
A coffee in a cafe CZK 40 – 60
Good lunch menu CZK 160
A glass of beer (1 pint) CZK 60
A glass of wine CZK 70
A ticket for the public transport CZK 25 (60 min) / CZK 90 (24 hours)
Paperless payment for public transport
Taxi less than CZK 600

Food

A typical Czech dish is “svíčková na smetaně” (beef sirloin cooked with vegetables in cream sauce and dumplings), “smažený sýr s hranolky a tatarskou omáčkou” (fried cheese and chips/fries) and “guláš s knedlíkem” (beef goulash and dumplings). If you like sweet dishes, we recommend a piece of “štrůdl” (apple strudel). Lunch menu is usually served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Most restaurants have a choice of two or three menus, they include soup. Beverages are ordered separately and paid extra. A tip is not included in the restaurant bill and depends only on you. If you are satisfied with the service, the tip might be from 5 to 10 percent of the price.

Alcohol

Everywhere in Brno you’ll find outdoor seating in front of the pubs and restaurants, where you can drink beer and wine without any restrictions until late night hours. But be careful! When we say, “Let’s have a beer”, it means at least three and more pints! And when we drink beer, we have an interesting ritual. First we say cheers “na zdraví” /na zdɾaviː/, then we touch glasses with everyone at the table, next tap the table lightly with the glass and finally start drinking. Beer is normally served in 0.5 litres (ca 1 pint). We also have delicious Moravian wines here. You must try it. A bottle costs CZK 200 and more. The best of local wines is Pálava (white) and Modrý Portugal (red).

Safety

Brno is a safe place – both nights and days. However, if you get into trouble, which is very unlikely to happen, call the international emergency number 112.