Brno has been included in a selection of ten European destinations worth visiting in 2026, as highlighted by the Austrian magazine 1000thingsmagazine.com. It has been ranked fifth in this listing, enhancing its international recognition, particularly in the Austrian, German, and Swiss markets. From a tourism perspective, this is a further confirmation of the growing interest in the city and the entire South Moravia region, a region that is increasingly leveraging gastronomy as one of its main attractions.
South Moravia has long been one of the most visited regions in the Czech Republic. In 2024, 2.2 million tourists stayed here, with 736,000 of them coming from abroad. From January to September this year, 1.78 million people visited the region, spending more than one million nights here. Brno has played a significant role in this development, ranking among the most popular city destinations in the country after Prague.
Last year alone, over one million visitors came to Brno and spent 1.7 million nights, with almost half of them coming from abroad. Between January and September 2025, the Moravian capital welcomed nearly 777,000 guests, who stayed for an average of 2.8 days. The ratio of domestic to foreign visitors was balanced.
The first-ever edition of the MICHELIN Guide to the Czech Republic also fits into the context of the current interest in Brno. Although the city did not win a Michelin star this year, several Brno establishments appeared among the MICHELIN recommended restaurants in the Bib Gourmand category. According to CzechTourism Director František Reismüller, this is a clear signal to both domestic and foreign audiences that Brno offers quality gastronomy on a European scale and has the potential to appeal to guests traveling specifically for food.
South Moravia builds its appeal on a combination of culture, architecture, nature, wine, and gastronomy. In this context, Brno functions as a modern urban center that complements the regional experience with contemporary architecture, year-round cultural activities, and an increasingly visible gastronomic scene. This is not limited to the city; for example, the Michelin-starred Essens restaurant in the Lednice-Valtice area confirms that quality cuisine is also making its way outside the main centers.
The region also attracts different types of visitors: cyclists, lovers of UNESCO monuments, the natural sites of the Moravian Karst, and traditional wine culture. It is also increasingly becoming a destination for congress and incentive tourism, which is bringing new audiences interested in quality services, including gastronomy, to the region.
In its review, 1000thingsmagazine.com highlighted Brno's iconic sites - Villa Tugendhat, the Brno underground, historic water reservoirs, Špilberk Castle, Christmas markets, and the local gastronomic scene. It described Brno as a young and lively city that offers an attractive program throughout the year.
The ranking is also significant in terms of media coverage. 1000thingsmagazine.com is one of the most read lifestyle and travel media outlets in Austria, with a strong reach on social media and through its newsletter. Up to three-quarters of its audience is made up of Austrian readers, with the rest coming mainly from Germany and Switzerland. The selection of destinations is regularly picked up by other Austrian media, which ensures longer-term attention for Brno and the South Moravian Region.
For the region, this is not just a one-off award, but another opportunity to work systematically with the themes that resonate in travel today - local cuisine, authentic experiences, and connecting the city with its surroundings.
Source: CzechTourism
