Experiences in the Czech Republic you have to live before graduating

By Amira Nassar Aquilar, June 2024

While graduating is a huge milestone for any student, the road leading up to that does not have to be filled with hardships and stress, especially when you are an international student in the Czech Republic! Having lived here for three years and coming from a different country like Mexico, I give you my best experiences in the Czech Republic that have allowed me to learn about the nature, culture and food of this beautiful country.

1- Tasting the best 100 wines of the Czech Republic in Valtice.

Last summer, my friends and I were looking for another type of hangout apart from sipping the occasional Czech Beer or going to the Brno Lake. Valtice is a town very close to Brno (1 hour away by train) with a beautiful castle and sculptures, also, it has a permanent exhibition of the best 100 wines from Moravia and Bohemia together. Rose, White, Sparkling, Red, the choices are multiple!

The price is close to 500 CZK, including the wine cup, bread, water and a little book with more specific descriptions of the wines like the type (dry, semi-dry, etc), year and which place they scored in the international rankings. Whether you're a wine connoisseur or a casual sipper, this event is a must-do. Not only did we feel so professional while tasting the wines, we learned so much about the wine process, how the best wines are chosen and how are they maintained for tasting. We also had so much fun in general and we recommend this activity to anyone anytime we can!

2- Skiing in Dolni Morava.

This is for the adventurer seekers, the Czech Winter Wonderland is located in the Jeseníky Mountains. The main ski resort offers slopes for all skill levels, breathtaking views, and a range of winter activities. There are around 10km of snow-covered slopes for all levels of difficulty. Beyond skiing, you can try snowboarding, snowshoeing, or even visit the Sky Walk, a unique structure offering panoramic views of the snow-covered landscape.

It's a perfect winter escape from exams, essays or any academic workload and a good excuse to create unforgettable memories with your friends. It’s possible to get there by taking a train and then a taxi to the resort, but if you rent a car you might get to bully your friend for not learning how to parallel park!

It also has the biggest suspension bridge in the world! Called Sky Bridge 721, the 721 stands for the 721 meters across a breathtaking valley, a walk with views of mountains, and forest, just breathtaking. It’s an experience that combines adventure with the beauty of nature. They also have the SkyWalk, a structure of 55 meters, which will allow you to see the beauty of the region further and then leave the premises through its cool slide!

3- Seeing the Fireworks at the Brno Lake.

When I found out about this event in my first year I was so happy and sadly I could only attend the first out of the four they had, but the past year I was very glad to say that I went to all of them and it was worth it! This a fireworks competition where countries see who has the best fireworks!

The very first ones are by the Czech Republic to inaugurate the event, all of them have a theme song to go along with the fireworks, and they can last from 15-20 minutes depending on the country. My friends and I would go earlier and have a picnic to get a good spot, eat and wait to see the fireworks. In Brno Lake, a big amusement park is also set for people to enjoy before the fireworks along with millions of stands of food, drinks and sweets. It’s just a perfect event to hang out with your friends and appreciate how life can be so beautiful!

This year the fireworks are by the Czech Republic, the European Union, Austria and Germany! Along with the shows by Czechia and EU there will be a drone show, which is also an insane experience! Don’t miss on it!

4- Attending the Almond Festival!

In the charming town of Hustopeče, located just 45 minutes by train from Brno, the arrival of spring is celebrated with the Wine Festival where you the chance to see the blooming of the Almond Orchards. While I paid a visit in April, the best time to visit is by the end of March where the largest almond orchard in Central Europe is just blooming.

There’s also a lookout tower of an altitude of 300 meters where the most beautiful view of the orchards can be seen! There’s also wine tasting and several almond delicacies from almond lemonade to almond liquors.

5- Party on a tram!

Each semester ESN Muni Brno organizes a party in a tram, exactly in the same one you use to get to the faculty. Inside the tram, there are two bars to enjoy whichever drink you prefer and a DJ ready to play the best tunes. While this might seem very simple, there are not that many countries where a tram party happens, this a delicacy of Brno! Even other sections of ESN in other parts of Europe have tried to adequate the idea after getting inspired by Brno.

At this party, you will also get the chance to meet people from other universities, so you will not only have fun but also to network while enjoying such an international event. And don’t worry there are many stops to catch a little bit of air or go to the toilet!