Brno - excellent choice for students
Brno has always been popular among students; Being home to 5 public and private universities with a student population of 100,000, it has offered a multicultural environment, varied leisure-time options, reliable public transport, and a vivid nightlife. The city has increasing quality of life in the worldwide comparison - it has kept the best ranking of all Czech cities at Numbeo.com . And in 2017, Brno city made it to the top 10 cities for student life according to TopUniversities.com - based on students evaluation , and has continued to make the list in 2018 and 2019. Your studies in Brno will be an unforgettable experience.
Brno is an ideal base for students to learn Central Europe. The second largest city in the Czech Republic (pop. 400,000; metro area: 800,000), it is large enough to have all the benefits of a major European center, but small enough to retain its coziness and charm. The city's historic center echoes that of Vienna, complete with cobblestone pedestrian zones and fascinating architecture spanning the entire period from the Middle Ages to the present day.
Brno - official website
International Students' Life (Guides and Practicalities)
International Student Club - one of the best clubs in Europe ESN
Money matters
The cost of living is very low in the Czech Republic compared to most Western countries, and students are able to live comfortably without spending large sums. Bank machines are generally the easiest and cheapest way to manage money, and Brno city center features numerous conveniently located financial institutions and bank machines capable of handling transactions with Western financial institutions. The average living costs (accommodation, food, pocket money) of a student in Brno are estimated to be about 500 euro per month.
Average living costs in Brno
Accommodation: EUR 750–1,550 per semester * (EUR 150–350 per month)
Meal Costs: EUR 600–1,000 per semester (EUR 120–200 per month)
Pocket Money: EUR 400 - 1,000 per semester (EUR 80 - 200 per month) )))))
Total: EUR 1,750–3,550 per semester (EUR 350–710 per month)
* 1 semester = 5 months
Please keep in mind that personal spending is highly individual. In case you are not experienced with budgeting, you can learn some tips on how to plan and follow your expenses and live on a tight budget. Remember that there are many universities and extra-university activities that are free.
Student Clubs and Associations
There is more to gaining knowledge than merely attending lectures. Masaryk University truly excels is a wide variety of extracurricular activities available. Active participation in student clubs and associations constitutes a superb way of developing one's character. In this respect, students at Masaryk University are presented with a truly wide array of choices. Whether you choose to fully engage and become an active member or perhaps choose to take part only in selected events organized by individual students clubs, you will meet new people, gather new information and perhaps even try something you have never tried before! You can also become a member of Masaryk Student Union. This union acts as an umbrella organization of all student clubs / associations.
Become actively involved and make your own show!
Culture
Brno's cultural life is extremely rich and varied. National Theater companies in Janacek and Mahen Theaters play host to full-scale operas, ballets and plays, while the city's two experimental theaters, Goose on String and HaDivadlo companies, offer exciting and controversial alternatives to more traditional products. Those interested in a dose of Western culture can find the latest films in the original English, alongside films in Czech for more adventurous, at the city's many cinemas and two multiplexes. Notable among Brno's numerous galleries are the Moravian Gallery, featuring works by major Czech and international artists, and the Brno City Museum (located in the historic Spilberk Castle), featuring several exhibitions dedicated to the city's rich history. The State Philharmonic Orchestra performs regular concerts in various halls, often featuring the work of great Czech composers such as Dvorak, Smetana and Janacek, whose creative life was closely linked with Brno. The city was also a major center of the Functionalist movement in architecture between the wars and today's buildings such as Mies van der Rohe's landmark Tugendhat Villa (designated and UNESCO World Heritage site) are open to the public.
Sports and physical activities
Brno offers a wide range of sporting and recreational opportunities. Masaryk University serves several gymnasiums, including one adjacent to Vinarska Residence where most international students live. The city of Brno also provides dozens of sports facilities, including three indoor swimming pools, six open-air swimming pools and two winter stadiums. Many other facilities, including bowling, saunas, fintess centers, etc. Can be found. The Brno Lake, easily accessible by public transport, is a popular site for swimming and outdoor recreation. Golf, hiking and skiing are also available in the area.
Excursions, day trips
The battlefield of Austerlitz (“Slavkov” in Czech), the site of one of Napoleon’s most famous military victories, is a stone’s throw from the Brno city center and can be easily reached by public transport, as can the impressive Baroque chateau at Slavkov itself, where Napoleon stayed after the battle.
The deeply wooded, hilly countryside north of Brno is criss-crossed by a maze of hiking trails in summer and cross-country skiing runs in winter. A favorite destination here is the pilgrimage church at Křtiny, one of the country’s most magnificent Baroque monuments. Slightly farther north (but still only 25 km from the city) lies the karst region of the Moravsky kras, with its spectacular limestone caves.
To the south and east of Brno, the country opens up into the shallow, rolling hills that provide the perfect conditions for the country’s best vineyards. The local towns and villages abound in wine cellars, both public and private; these are the ideal places to enjoy the vintage celebrations in the autumn and tasting of the new wine in late winter. This is also one of the richest regions in Europe for folklore; the annual international folk festival held at Straznice in June attracts visitors and participants from across the continent.
Quite remarkably, in addition to the Tugendhat Villa in the city itself, there are four other UNESCO World Heritage Sites within easy reach of Brno: the Lednice-Valtice complex, with its two sprawling chateaux, gardens, artificial ponds, many Romantic and Neo-Classical follies and vast stretches of landscaped countryside; the perfectly preserved town of Telc, with its Renaissance chateau and Baroque town houses; the Baroque chateau and gardens of the Archbishop of Olomouc at Kromeriz; and the uniquely quirky Gothic-Baroque(!) pilgrimage church at Zelena hora near Zdar nad Sazavou.
Other nearby attractions are not difficult to find – the quintessential medieval castle, at Pernstejn; the haunting Jewish ghettos and graveyards in a score of towns and villages; the Romanesque rotunda with its unique frescoes at Znojmo. Add to these two UNESCO biosphere reserves, at Palava and the White Carpathians, and the exceptional historical and natural richness of the region is beyond dispute.
Shopping
Brno has seen a flurry of new commercial ventures since the end of Communism. The attractive city center features hundreds of shops offering everything from designer clothes to books in various languages to beautiful antiques. For miscellaneous daily needs, students often find the Tesco department store and supermarket, located behind the main train station, and a useful resource. Smaller supermarkets and convenience stores are located around the downtown area and most dormitories. For the more ambitious, there is the Vankovka Gallery and also Hyper Tesco and Ikea super stores can be reached via the free shuttle buses departing from behind Tesco downtown.
Transport
Homepage of the Brno public transport system including timetables
Getting around in Brno is easy. Bus and tram service is comprehensive and very cheap, especially for students. In addition, the city is very compact, so walking to one's destination is often an option. Taxis are easily accessible throughout the city. Trains and buses to other cities in the region (Prague, Vienna, Budapest) are available from Brno's main train station or its two bus stations, all of which are conveniently located in the city center. Traveling in the Czech Republic is mainly inexpensive, with buses and trains to Prague, for example, costing around 8 EUR.
Accomodation
Accommodation at MU
All Masaryk University students can apply to live in student dormitories or Student Halls of Residence. You can choose from among eight locations, with a total of 4000 places available. The rooms are fully furnished, usually with two beds, but there are some single rooms. Internet access is available. More information about MU Halls of Residence can be found at: www.skm.muni.cz - click on Accommodation
Other tips
In Brno, there is a wide range of private accommodation from fully furnished flats to cheap rooms in student-shared flats.