RunCity

Brno on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 8 of Brno's best-known sights, including Lužánky Park, Church of St James, Freedom Square and astronomical clock and more. It is about 4.5 km on foot, roughly 1.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Brno leaderboard.

  • 8Stops
  • about 4.5 kmDistance
  • 1.5 hoursWalking
  • about 43 minRunning
Play Brno in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Brno
Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 4.0

Brno is the Czech Republic's second city, a university town with a compact centre, and this route covers it in about 4.5 km. It starts at the bonus stop, Villa Tugendhat, Mies van der Rohe's modernist villa on a hillside north of the centre; visits inside need booking far ahead. Lužánky, the oldest public park in the country, leads to the Church of St James and Freedom Square with its black, bullet-shaped astronomical clock, which drops a glass marble every day at 11.

The Cabbage Market, still a market, has the baroque Parnas fountain, and the twin spires of the Cathedral of St Peter and Paul rise from Petrov hill above it. The route climbs to Špilberk Castle, once a notorious prison, and ends at the Basilica of the Assumption in Old Brno, beside the abbey where Gregor Mendel worked out the laws of heredity.

12345678

Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Villa Tugendhat

    Villa Tugendhat Bonus Photo

    The white modernist villa seen from the street.

    Photo: Petr1987 · CC BY-SA 4.0

  2. Lužánky Park

    Lužánky Park

    The old landscape park where Brno goes for a stroll.

    Photo: Millenium187 · CC BY-SA 3.0

  3. Church of St James

    Church of St James

    The Gothic church with its tall single tower.

    Photo: Jiří Sedláček (Frettie) · CC BY 3.0

  4. Freedom Square and astronomical clock

    Freedom Square and astronomical clock Photo

    The black bullet-shaped clock on the wide square.

    Photo: Dqd · Public domain

  5. Cabbage Market

    Cabbage Market

    The market square with the baroque Parnas fountain.

    Photo: Daniel Baránek · CC BY-SA 3.0

  6. Cathedral of St Peter and Paul

    Cathedral of St Peter and Paul Photo

    The twin spires of Petrov hill, seen from below.

    Photo: Petr.adamek · CC BY-SA 4.0

  7. Špilberk Castle

    Špilberk Castle Photo

    The castle walls on the hill above the old town.

    Photo: Kirk · CC BY 2.5

  8. Basilica of the Assumption (Old Brno)

    Basilica of the Assumption (Old Brno)

    The Gothic abbey church where Mendel is buried.

    Photo: Stanislav Dusík · CC BY-SA 4.0

Play Brno in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Brno on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 8 stops on this route add up to about 4.5 km, roughly 1.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Brno is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Brno?

    Open Brno in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Brno leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Villa Tugendhat and finishing at Basilica of the Assumption (Old Brno). In the game you can take the stops in any order.

    Nearby cities