Fast facts

• Second-biggest city in Czech Republic
• Population: 370,000
• Unit of currency: Czech Koruny or crown (CZK)
• Conversion rate: £1 = 41.77 CZK (early March 2006)
• IDD country code: +420
• Flying time from London: 2 hours

On Austria's doorstep

At the heart of Europe, where old and new Europe meet, sits the industrial city of Brno. In the southeast of the Czech Republic, Brno is in the basin of two rivers, the Svratka and Svitava, and is actually closer to Vienna (68 miles away to the south) than it is to the Czech capital, Prague.

The city itself is surrounded on three sides by wooded hills, which help shelter Brno from severe weather and give the city a moderate climate. The wine region of Southern Moravia is just on the outskirts of Brno, to the southeast.