Are you a tourist just visiting South Moravia, or are you an expat? Either way, if you’ve made it to Brno and are now thinking of leaving, it’s time to start thinking about what souvenirs you will take back home with you… Photo credit: Katerina Xagorari.
Brno, Sep 8 (BD) – Buying souvenirs is a familiar part of any holiday ritual, and one of the best ways to bring memories of your time abroad back home with you. If you’re visiting Brno, aside from the typical fridge magnets of the cathedral or the Astronomical Clock, and all those cups and t-shirts, there are plenty of other souvenir options available.
We recently asked our friends to help us explore the streets of Brno and find nice souvenirs of the city.
Photo: Souvenirs, Tourist Information Centre Brno. Credit: Katerina Xagorari.
Krteček – Little Mole
This small plush doll is the most Czech souvenir you could find to take home with you. Krtek is a little black and grey mole created by Czech animator Zdeněk Miler, who made his first appearance in 1956 in a series of cartoons. You can find him in many different shapes and sizes in Moravská ústředna Brno (Bohunická 576/52).
Mendel – Peas in the heart
One of the first things you learn about when you arrive in Brno is Gregor Mendel, the “father of modern genetics” who lived in the city. Mendel is best known for his experiments with pea plants, revealing some of the most important principles of genetics, and the discovery of blood groups. After paying a visit to Masaryk University’s Mendel Museum, you can order some pretty cool accessories with pea patterns from www.peasinheart.com, and pick them up from Veveří 10.
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Bohemian crystal glass
The Czech Republic is well known for its elegant Bohemian crystal glass. Although we are in Moravia, not Bohemia, you can find traditional crystal glass and porcelains at Michal Trnka Bohemia Crystal (Česká 28b).
Alphonse Mucha – decorative souvenirs
The Tourist Information Centre, TIC (Panenská 1), has many different souvenirs with original designs from the Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist Alphonse Mucha. One of his famous fine art masterpieces is the Slav Epic (Slovanská epopej), a series of paintings about Slavic history and culture. The TIC Brno has a souvenir e-shop at https://suvenyry.ticbrno.cz/.
Photo: Souvenirs, Tourist Information Centre Brno. Credit: Katerina Xagorari.
Famous Czech literature
You can buy English-language versions of famous Czech books in many bookshops. We recommend “Leaving” by Václav Havel, “RUR” by Karel Čapek, “The Good Soldier Švejk” by Jaroslav Hašek, “Closely Watched Trains” by Bohumil Hrabal, and “The Joke” by Milan Kundera.
Kometa
Are you a fan of ice hockey, or sport in general? Kometa, based in Brno, is the most successful ice hockey club in the Czech Republic. Their fan shop at Nové sady 40 and e-shop fanshop.hc-kometa.cz has many souvenirs, from badges to bracelets and t-shirts with the team’s logo.
Photo: Kometa fan shop at Nové sady 40. Photo credit: @BrnoDaily.
Beer and beer glasses
Why would you leave the Czech Republic without buying the best thing the country produces? Although South Moravia is best known for wine, there are several breweries in Brno where you can buy their beers or beer glasses, such as Starobrno, Pegas, or Richard.
A marble from the Brno Astronomical clock
Last but not least, the best souvenir you can find in Brno is hidden inside the Astronomical clock. Yes, the clock that stands proudly on Náměstí Svobody has a special secret. Every day at 11 o’clock it releases a glass marble, which you can catch from one of four openings in the monument and take with you as a souvenir.
Do you want more? You can find keyrings in the shape of a crocodile, t-shirts with the vixen or cups decorated with a picture of Petrov at the Tourist Information Centre, as well as Galerie Vaňkovka, Olympia Brno, and Velký Špalíček shopping malls. We also recommend visiting the souvenir shop in the small courtyard of Špilberk castle, where you will find lots of nice little souvenirs related to Špilberk Castle, tin soldiers, historic glass, and much more. Besides that, you can buy souvenirs at current exhibitions and professional and historical publications in the Brno City Museum.
Photo: Gift shop behind the Astronomical Clock in náměstí Svobody. Credit: Katerina Xagorari.
If you love Brno and its Astronomical Clock, you can find an “I love Brno” t-shirt with the astronomical clock replacing the “I” in náměstí Svobody.
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