Moravian Escapades

 Prague is the obvious city to visit in the Czech Republic, but if you don't take the three bus ride to Brno, you would be missing out on a Czech gem. Brno is located in Moravia, a region occupying the east end of the country. While Prague is known for its beer, Brno is wine country. If you ever visit, I think you will find wine tasting is a bit different in the Czech Republic. There is no strolling through vineyards, no flowers (at least not in the winter) and no smug wino telling you why the year of 19 whatever was a terrible year. Then again, this is only how I would imagine a wine tour is, seeing as how I've never been to one in the states.

In Brno they do it differently. You sit an old wine cellar, they serve you meat and potatoes, they cover the table in glass pitchers of wine, and they refill until you get up from the table. After the medieval-esque meal, you have a short tour of the wine cellar. This does not take long. The cellar is the size of a garage. Eat cheese, taste, repeat. Drinking, whether it be wine or beer, is part of the czech culture. To put this in perspective for you, beer is literally cheaper than water in many pubs.

The best part of Brno is the city itself. Unlike Prague, it's not filled with tourists. Locals can be seen meandering around with their dogs. Almost every dog I saw was tiny and adorable. They are impeccabley trained and trot along without leashes. It's easy to carry around your camera and take videos of them while awing at their cuteness, without their owners noticing. Not that I did that. 

Walking around is always the best way to explore the city. When I first got to Brno, I thought she was like Prague's less attractive, boring sister. But after becoming more acquainted with the cobblestone streets, eating some ice cream on the steps on a monastery, browsing through the bounty of thrift stores and learning about the city's fables, I think Brno could be Prague's younger, subtly beautiful, down to earth sister. Or something.