A market at Hansen restaurant (source: @Čočkův-BioJarmark at Facebook)

Small vendors regulary selling their fruits, vegetables, meat and various delicatessen have become a welcomed alternative to the international supermarket chains and to the market at Zelný trh sq., spoiled by some industrially produced vegetables.

Farmers’ market at Kotlářská st. (map)

There is a market in front of U Kastelána restaurant at 53 Kotlářská st. every second Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Exact dates are: May 13, May 27, June 10, June 24, July 8, July 22, August 5, August 19, September 2, September 16, September 30. (source).

Farmers’ market in Bystrc (map)

A parking lot of hotel Santon is crowded with farmers and customers on one or two Sundays every month from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.. Exact dates of the upcoming markets are: May 15, June 16, July 17, August 1, September 9, September 18, October 2, October 16, October 30. (source)

Farmers’ market next to Hornbach (map)

A farmers’ market is held next to Hornbach hobbymarket at Heršpická st. every Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (source)

Farmers’ market (and brunches) at Hansen restaurant (map)

On April 30, Hansen restaurant has organised the first farmers’ market of the season – and also offered a brunch at the same time. Check out their website for the upcoming markets.

Čočka’s bio-market (map)

A small “one-man market” of farmer named Čočka (“a lentil” in Czech – which is a cute name for a farmer!), Čočkův biojarmark, is held irregulary in front of Art cinema at Cihlářská st. It takes place as soon as on Tuesday, May 10!

Other markets

Market at Kohoutovice quarter takes place at 4 Libušina třída st. (map) on May 28, June 25, July 30, August 27, September 10, October 8 and 22.

Some experiments with farmers’ markets are happening in Medlánky quarter – check out the “Sýpka centre” at Kytnerova st. (map) st. on May 15.

Disclaimer

It is possible that the list is not complete. If I missed out any of the markets, let me know in the comments.

Although I sourced the dates and information carefully, I can not guarantee its 100% accuracy. Check out the organisers’ websites for a certification.

Christmas decorations in the streets of Brno

So, last-minute Chrismas shopping as usual? Don’t sweat it, here is a list of shops and venues where you can buy presents for your family and friends.

• Get some hand-made gifts at the christmas market. Damn, that was easy.
• You can buy excellent, freshly roasted coffee at several places in Brno – like Café spolek (22 Orlí st.), U Černošky (21 Kounicova st.) or café Saggio (2 Helceletova st.).
• Also, tea is a nice present – I recommend Dobrá čajovna tea shop at Římské sq.
• Moravian Gallery runs a shop in the building of the Musem of Industrial Arts (14 Husova st.) – you can buy beautiful books on photography, architecture or design, as well as amazing, yet affordable jewelry.
• Many restaurants, hairdressers and bookstores offer gift certificates.
• Wine shop U Andersena at Slovákova st. offers some great Moravian wines, as well as Vinná galerie at Lužánecká st.
• Moravian library offers an almost unknown service: on-demand prints of Czech newspapers published any time in the last century. With a little help from the lady in the newspaper section on the 2nd floor, you can give your family prints of news from significant dates. Hurry up, it takes severeal days to make the copies.

You can always buy toys or clothes for kids for example in Vaňkovka shopping mall. Just prepare for huge crowds.

As a member of the middle class, I do not buy jewelry or expensive whiskey quite often, so if you have more tips to share, feel free to post co comments!

If you are living in a dormitory or a similar temporary accomodation, you may face difficulties when you want to order a book from, let’s say, Amazon. So where you can get the last Harry Potter, Dan Brown or non-fiction books? (Yes, believe it or not, Dan Brown is a fiction writer.)

Barvič a Novotný (the oldest bookstore in Brno)

Barvič a Novotný at Česká st.

Josef Barvič established the first Czech bookstore in (then German) Brno 127 years ago, in 1883. Along with his business partner Josef Novotný, they moved to the current address, 13 Česká st., in 1913.

There is a nice selection of foreign-language literature on the 1st floor.

Map

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Bookstore of Mr. Šedivý

Bookstore of Jiří Šedivý at Masarykova st.

What a great place for shopping books about arts – photography, architecture, design or cinema. There is also a nice selection of fiction books – you just have to walk upstairs.

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Amazon Kindle

Kindle 3

I bought my Kindle 3 two weeks ago and I can tell you that this is a great way of buying and reading books published in the USA. Within one minute, you can download almost any book that comes to your mind.

Of course there are more stores offering foreign books – you’re welcome to share your tips!

No matter if you are looking for an old camera, cool clock, 19th century postcards or a Czechoslovak army uniform; there are several places in Brno where you can fulfil your sentimental needs.

My favorite antique shop: U sedmi švábů

U sedmi Švábů

At 8 Annenská st., there is a small antique shop with, well, everything. You can buy old tableware, toys, cameras, vinyl records, cameras, radios… it has really cool atmosphere and it is almost in the centre of the town.

Other great antiques

I loved a large antique shop at Husovická st. but it closed in June 2010 and moved to Dominikánská st. (on a right side when walking to Comsa Palace). It is called “Baru“. Sadly, it is lacking the former atmosphere of a pawn shop, now it focuses on more expensive items. But it is still worth of try anyway.

If you are looking for really valuable collector’s stuff, don’t miss the antique shop called simply “Starožitnosti”, at 14 Solniční st.

I also like a really tiny antique “ARTik” at Nerudova st. (next to the great lachmacun bistro). It is filled with decorations, old toys and stuff like that.

ARTik

Flea markets in Brno

There is no tradition of regular flea markets or designer markets – in contrast to Vienna or Budapest. However, there are collector markets with military memorabilia or matchbox cars – check out the list of the forthcoming events (in Czech but easy to understand; address is 21 Vlhká st., and the markets start at 7 a.m.).

Where to buy old cameras – Smena, Lomo or Praktica

If you are lucky, you get one of these in an antique — but I suggest you visiting specialized shops with new and old cameras. You’ll find one at Mendlovo náměstí sq., second in the middle of Pekařská st. (#16) and third at 31 Kounicova st.

Looking for postcards, maps or paintings?

These are sold in every secondhand bookshop – but this is a topic for another article.

[sponsored article] Store Idolo Fashion has been selling exclusive fashion brands since 1996. You can buy products of such famous designers as Armani, Hugo Boss, Dolce & Gabanna just few steps away from the old town hall in the centre of Brno.

Hugo Boss

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Boss Orange - a line offering fashion for leisurely pursuits

The main line Boss Black includes fashion ranges for both business and social events

Armani Jeans

Giorgio Armani is an Italian fashion designer, particularly noted for his menswear. He is known for his clean, tailored lines. Armani Jeans is a line of fashionable, modern casual clothes for both men and women.

Leaflet of Idolo Fashion

Dolce & Gabanna

Dolce & Gabbana, is an Italian luxury fashion house. Their clothing designs are usually black in color and geometric in shape.

Swim suits, underwear and accessories

Idolo fashion sells swim suits, underwear and accessories by brands Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans and Hugo Boss.

Where to find Idolo Fashion

Idolo Fashion at Radnická st.

Parking is possible for example at Veselá st.

If you have any questions, call +420 533 433 842 or send a message to info@idolofashion.cz.

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Max Mara boutique

Max Mara boutique at Panská st.

You can buy several lines of Max Mara brand at Panská st., from decent formal clothes for women managers to elegant and simple leisure clothes that will make you shine in restaurants or on vacations. All lines offer timeless design and great workmanship.

Current collection of Max Mara

Sales clearance at Max Mara boutique started this week, so you can buy clothes with up to 50 % discount.

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I am a big fan of Asian cuisine but the ingredients are rare and expensive in Czech supermarkets. After a great experience with Vietnamese market “SAPA” in Prague, I tried out small marketplace in quarter Slatina in the eastern part of Brno. It’s a really interesting place to go.

Vietnamese market in quarter Slatina

The market is opened from 10 a.m. every day except Monday. You technically should be a businessperson if you want to enter, but no one ever wanted to see my business licence or ID.

You can buy almost anything there, but I am interested only in food. So, here is what I found and bought there:

• Fresh tofu. One piece costs CZK 15 and you can get better price if you buy larger amount.
• Various types of noodles.
• Rice paper.
• Shiitake mushrooms.
• Bamboo shoots, both fresh and dried.
• Instant soups.

You can buy even fresh (!) coriander, ducks, sriracha sauce and any possible kind of rice there.

The Vietnamese folks are great businessmen, which means you can get a better prices if you buy large amounts (that’s a good thing) and that you are still harrased by barkers calling you “friend” and offering stuff you don’t want (that’s a bad thing).

There are many more groceries to explore and several interesting restaurants, so I’ll bring further tips.

Map

The market is located in quarter Černovice and can be reached by trolley bus #33 (stop Učiliště) or by car (park it at the gate).

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Why to buy vegetables, fruits and spices in supermarkets if you can buy it at a market? You’ll have wider choice, better prices and you’ll also support local farmers and businessmen.

Vegetable market at Zelný trh (or Zelný rynek)

We have several fruit & vegetable markets in Brno. The biggest and the most popular one has been taking place at Zelný trh sq. (“Vegetable market”) every work day since the middle ages.

There are approx 20-30 stands with almost everything that is grown in Moravia (well, I miss gooseberries), exotic fruits, flowers and seedlings.

The stallholders usually don’t speak foreign languages, but that does not matter, you can just point to the goods you want and show the desired amount with your fingers.

Spice and seasonings shop Koření u Sindibáda

The brand Koření u Sindibáda has two little shops in Brno – first one is located at the top of Pekařská st., the second one can be found in Alfa Passage between Náměstí svobody sq. and Poštovská st.

Update: Antik Bazar closed in July 2010. Its owners now run an antique shop at Dominikánská st. Read an up-to-date article about Brno antique shops and flea markets to learn more!

Few years ago, I discovered a great antique shop “Antik Bazar” at Husovická st. in district Husovice. If you want to buy an original souvenir from Brno, such is an old map, old postcard or a badge of some former communist factory, this is the place to go.

Antik Bazar at 4 Husovická st

Badges are stored in a huge dose – there are thousands of them, but due to the sharp pins it is impossible to get any other than those on the top. On the plus side, the price of one badge is CZK 1 (€0.04).

Badges of state-owned companies of the communist era

There are dozens of postcards from Brno to chose from, with prices varying between CZK 1 and CZK 2 (€0.04-0.08).

Postcard from Brno by Josef Sekal, printed in Severografia Děčín. Dated before 1983

Sometimes there is more Brno memorabilia to buy — old ashtrays, beer glasses etc. Of course, “brunensia” is not the only kind of things sold in the antique shop; there are many books, old cameras, oldschool furniture, military uniforms, watches, sunglasses… — so if you have a hour to spend by smelling the history, take a tram #4 to Husovice!

Map

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Bo Majker from Denmark asks:

Hi, I’m moving to Brno next week and is not very keen on IKEA furnitures..  What other options are available?

As a man who sleeps on the very same cheap futon as a half of my friends does, I understand the problem. Fortunately there are other retailers, offering furniture that is maybe expensive for some people, but definitely unique and durable.

Natuzzi

Natuzzi is an Italian brand popular worldwide among the upper-middle class. There are two places in Brno where to get their sofas, tables, etc. – “Correct Interior” studio and SOHO studio in Modřice (technically speaking, this is not Brno, but on the other hand it is very easy to be reached by a car).

TopFurniture

Top Furniture - line "Natura accent"

If you don’t like global brands, TopFurniture may be a good choice. They have a nice website translated to English and German and they claim to have a nice environmental policy.

“But wait! I want to have my apartment equipped stylish and cheap!”

If you want to have a hipster apartment filled with comfortable old chairs and decorated by busts of communist leaders, try antiques “U Sedmi švábů” at 8 Anenská st.

Other options

I have picked only few of the retailers – but there are more possibilities, actually so many it would be useless to describe all the options! Just take a walk trough the town’s centre and you’ll soon discover many unique furniture-makers. There are several expensive retailers, as well as antiques filled with old’n'cheap, but cool-looking furniture.

What is your favorite furniture retail store?

Help Bo and other people with the same question – feel free to post your own comment bellow!

I have been collecting brunensia (books and similar things having something to do with Brno) since 2005. I consider some of the books I have bought to be usable as very cool souvenirs or gifts – they are cheap, easy to be found, and really beautiful.

Brno

From all the photobooks about Brno I have ever seen (and I have seen probably all the photobooks about Brno), this one offers the most beautiful photos. Black and white, shot with old fashioned medium or large format cameras, poetic and funny.

And, hey, instead of boring descriptions, this book offers poems by Jan Skácel – you can see this guy’s verses at the modern fountain on Náměstí svobody sq. I know that this is not a big win for someone who doesn’t speak Czech, but the pictures do make it even alone and you can give this book as a gift to someone who will understand the poems well.

I bought the book for CZK 200 (€7.20) in an antiquarian bookshop at Pekařská st. (I don’t remember where exactly.)

Details

Hard cover: 218 pages
Publisher: Krajské nakladatelství v Brně (1964)
Language: Czech
Photographers: Miloš Budík, K. O. Hrubý, Vilém Reichmann

Brno: Významné centrum čs. průmyslu

The communist government printed this book to attract investors and to improve the business relations of Moravian factories and science institutions with foreign industries. The big benefit of this fact is that the book is partly written in English. The publication is filled with photographs of factories (some of which are currently been rebuilt into flats, shopping malls etc.) and plans of new factories (most of these have actually stayed on paper).

Details

Hard cover: 368 pages
Publisher: Útvar hlavního architekta města Brna, Městský svaz architektů Brno, Český fond výtvarných umění – DÍLO v Brně
Language: Czech, German, Russian, English

I recommend this book to everyone who wants to do any kind of business in Brno – the publication helps to understand the industrial history of the town and offers some demographic data that are interesting to compare with the current demography.

I got my copy at Veselá st., in Alfa antique. CZK 300 (€11.50) was a reasonable price. Sort of.

Eduard Milén: Brno

Eduard Milén (1891-1976) was a Czech painter known for cooperation with Leoš Janáček, but mostly for his paintings of Brno. I bought Milén’s monograph two years ago in an antiquarian bookshop at Kounicova st. for a very reasonable price of CZK 300 (€11.50).

Details

Hard cover: 160 pages
Publisher: Krajské nakladatelství v Brně (1960)
Language: Czech

P.S.: If you are into brunensia too, check out this great gallery of vintage maps of Brno.

Just moved to the town for a new job or Erasmus study period? Follow this guide and buy everything you need in one hour!

Enjoy the biggest guide to shopping in Brno!

Supermarkets: when you want it quick and cheap

There are many malls, supermarkets, discounts and shopping centres in the city and of course also in suburbs. When I’m in the centre, I usually get the groceries in Billa at Náměstí Svobody sq.

The quality of goods, mostly food, depends on the brand of the mall. I consider Billa and Interspar to be the top two brands in Brno. Tesco, Kaufland and Albert are somewhere in between. Lídl and Penny are cheap, but prepare for olives tasting basically the same as plums.

If you think you have at least a tiny gourmet inside, forget supermarkets and explore these stores:

Bakery

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To get let’s say exotic types of baked goods, try Paneria at Česká st. They offer tasty baguettes, ciabattas and dozens of delicious pastries.

Butchery

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I don’t eat a lot of meat, but people who do so often recommend butchery Steinhouser at Joštova st.

Organic food

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I like a neat shop at Orlí street. Beside the standard health food (tofu, herbal teas, dried fruits…), there are approx. 10 different types of baked goods in organic quality and everything you need to prepare a miso soup, including dashi stock.

Fishes

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In the lower side of Orlí street, there is a small shop with fishes and releated products. Good place to get some Omega-3 before exams :)

Tea

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We’re staying close to Orlí st.: check a new tea room at Novobranská st. I appreciate their hermetical bags, keeping tea fresh and strong for quite a long time.

Vegetables and fruits

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Between spring and autumn there is a market at Zelný trh sq. with dozens of stands offering fresh, often homemade vegetables and fruits (mostly garlic, onions, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, etc.).

Delicatessen

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Feel like prosciutto tonight? Or wanna taste some pungent-smelling cheese? Go straight to store called simply Gurmán, located at Náměstí Svobody sq.

Stationery

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I like the stationery in the second floor of shopping centre Wagner at Česká st. They offer everything I have ever needed (except Moleskines – but the legendary notebooks blah blah blah are sold in Barvič&Novotný bookstore on the other side of the street).

Hardware

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My girlfriend highly recommends hardware store called Cimrman, located at Masarykova st.

Furniture, sheeting, dishes, decorations

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I bought all my furniture at IKEA at the edge of the town, in quater Horní Heršpice. If you do not have a car, use the free Avion bus, departing from Úzká station every 15 minutes.

Clothes

You can find the most popular brands, such as H&M, Zara, Reserved, Cottonfield, Sisley or Baťa at Česká st. For the more exclusive brands, such is Lacoste, Tommy Hilfiger, Levi’s or Esprit, check the shopping mall Vaňkovka.

Credits

The chic photo was taken by Andrew Archy.