Brno is a university city (400,000 inhabitants), where Gregor Mendel lived and worked. It is located in southern Moravia, with a typical Central European climate and weather. Expect warm summer weather in early June.
You may virtually explore Brno here: gotobrno.cz/en
How to get to Brno
Brno Airport – Brno has a small airport, currently served from London Stansted (daily), Milano-Bergamo (twice a week), Berlin Schoenfeld (twice a week). There are shuttle buses to the city centre, every 30 min.
Vienna Airport – there is a good connection between Vienna Airport and Brno. Trains leave Vienna airport at least every 30 min to Vienna Main Station (Hauptbahnhof, travel time 15 min) where you can easily change to a direct train to Brno train (every hour, travel time 90 min). There are also direct coaches (buses) from Vienna Airport to Brno, taking 2.5 hours to reach Brno city centre. Regiojet has 6 buses a day (17 Euro).
Prague Airport – while Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic, its airport is less convenient when travelling to Brno. It takes at least 3 hours to Brno and there are no direct buses or trains. All passengers must change at Prague Main Train Station (accessible from Prague Airport via Airport Express bus). We recommend travel via Prague if you aim to visit Prague before or after symposium, but travel via Vienna is easier.
Bratislava Airport – this airport at the capital of Slovakia and is also a good option, especially for cheap flights. Airport buses shuttle passengers to Bratislava Train Station, with regular trains to Brno (every hour, travel time 90 min).
How to get to conference venue
From train station – currently Brno Central Train Station is being renovated. We anticipate that the work will be finished by June 2020 and will post relevant information later. In any case, the venue is easily accessible by public transport from the currently used or central train station.
By car – from the main D1 highway, take exit 190 (direction BVV – which stands for Exhibition Fairground). After leaving the highway, the conference venue is about 5-10 min. We will prepare maps with marked routes and tips for parking prior to conference.
Accommodation
We have pre-booked inexpensive university accommodation for delegates.
Very close to the venue (<1 min walking time, Hotel Garni), we have pre-booked space for 68 participants. 23 double rooms (1 800 CZK per room per night, c. 72 EUR) and 4 triple rooms (1 950 CZK, c. 78 EUR), breakfast is included.
A bit farther but cheaper, student accommodation at Kounicova 50, we have pre-booked 8 double rooms (950 CZK per person, 1200 CZK for single person occupancy). There is also the possibility to rent a student room for half price (if you can survive without TV), but this is not yet confirmed.
There is also a wide selection of hotels near the conference venue (whose address is Lipova 41a, Brno) and elsewhere in the city. Several small hotels are situated close to the venue on Hlinky Street.
Practical matters
National currency is the Czech Crown (Koruna), at a value of approx. 26 CZK per 1 EUR. Credit and debit cards are accepted widely, as in other European countries. Euros can be used in some large grocery stores, but are not commonly accepted elsewhere. Cash withdrawals are possible throughout the city although there is no cash machine at the conference venue itself.
Electricity plugs are standard European (type F).
Public transport is an efficient way to travel in Brno. Tickets (15 min, 60 min or longer) must be obtained prior to entering a bus/tram. Payment via text message is an option.