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.

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

Zvětšit mapu

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.