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# Why Brno?

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.

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## Location

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 is located in the middle of Europe](.gitbook/assets/635\_044\_brno-location.jpeg)

### Approximate journey times

* Bratislava - 1,5 hour (130 km)
* Vienna - 1,5-2 hours (140 km)
* Prague -  2,5-3 hours (200 km)
* Budapest - 3-5 hours (320 km)
* Krakow - 3,5-5,5 hours (330 km)
* Berlin - 5-8 hours (550 km)

## Industrious and innovative

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.

## Educated and worldly

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.

## Cultured and fun

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).

![](.gitbook/assets/32446582714\_2f1fd6a930\_k.jpeg)

## Comfortable and safe

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.

![](.gitbook/assets/25821774902\_973baffc95\_k.jpeg)

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Source: [https://www.brnoexpatcentre.eu/im-an-expat/why-brno/](https://www.brnoexpatcentre.eu/im-an-expat/why-brno/)
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