With over 400,000 inhabitants, Brno is the Czech Republic’s second largest city after Prague and as the saying goes, **We’re number two – we try harder**, and it shows. The city has invested a great deal into its own development in recent years, putting it on the map in many different ways.
Being _Central Europe’s most central city_ makes getting to and from Brno extremely easy, with numerous bus, train and plane connections to Europe’s other major cities, including Vienna, Budapest, Krakow, Berlin or London.
Brno has a long history of invention and technical thinking. This probably explains why **many global companies** were either founded here or chose to build major research centres here, creating an environment in which any skilled worker can pursue a successful career.
In addition, Brno prides itself on its ability to help young ideas develop through a rich network of entrepreneurs and innovators, with four different technology incubators and significant financial support from both local and foreign sources.
Speaking of young, Brno boasts a total of **10 universities** (5 public, 1 state, and 4 private), serving a total of almost 65,000 students (17% of the city’s population), of which one in five are foreigners.
This student population not only attracts new opportunities in the form of prestigious academic competitions, public projects and conferences – it also keeps the atmosphere fresh, lively and enjoyable.
The city’s heart beats with culture, both modern and classic. Brno has **over 9 city theatres**, two opera companies, a ballet company and countless music venues and clubs. This is also where you will find the world-famous, functionalist Tugendhat Villa (a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site) and 1800+ other cultural monuments.
Beyond theatre and music, the young population of Brno ensures a strong, steady flow of fun, new ideas and concepts. There is always something new to experience here, whether it’s a new art gallery opening, an interesting cafe (we have over 170), or one of the city’s novel bars, some of which have even become [globally](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/12/travel/cafe-and-cocktail-culture-brno-czech-republic.html?\_r=1).
Not only is Brno a friendly and hospitable city, with over 50 public parks and nearly 3,000 hectares of accessible woods, it’s a very green city as well. On top of that, its **24-hour public transit system** is made up of 11 tram lines, 13 trolleybus lines, 51 bus lines and 1 boat line to get you almost anywhere you need to go without car.
The Czech Republic was recently ranked the [8th safest country in the world](https://www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GPI-2022-web.pdf) – that’s safer than even Switzerland! Medical care here is also very affordable and with the highest doctor-to-patient ratio in the country, Brno is the perfect place to make use of it.
