As the peak of summer approaches, it’s unlikely that Brno will make the well-curated itineraries of most travelers. If they do decide to stopover in the Czech Republic at all, chances are it will be to walk the cobble-stoned streets of Prague.
However, while Brno doesn’t quite pique the interest of foreigners as much as the capital, it still manages to steal its way into the hearts of many, especially longer-term visitors.
In the fall of 2023, Brno stole Will DiBonaventura’s heart in two short weeks.
“After being here for three days, the idea started to form in my head. I could see myself doing this long term, but it wasn’t final.” DiBonaventura said. “I hadn’t really made up my mind until about two weeks after I came here.”
The Pennsylvania native first arrived in the city as a participant in the Czechmates program, which offers foreign students the chance to study and intern abroad. Though his initial arrival in Brno was on account of this program, his ties to the Czech Republic have much sharper origins.
At fifteen, he dreamt of relocating to the Czech Republic to become a blacksmith.
“I sort of came up with that as a joke. I was always interested in blacksmithing.” DiBonaventura said. “So I was interested in the Czech Republic for that.”
Dibonaventura temporarily abandoned these dreams to pursue an academic degree at Pennsylvania State University, but the Czech Republic had its claws in him. So when the opportunity arised to relocate to Brno, he didn’t hesitate.
“I said to myself, this is what I need to do.” DiBonaventura whispered, seemingly transported back to the moment almost two years ago when he made this life-altering decision.
Luckily for Dibonaventura, around the time he started his visa process, the Czech government introduced a new regulation which allowed foreigners from nine non-EU countries — which included the United States — access to the Czech labour market.
Still the process was not without “hiccups.” He credits the support of his family, friends and the director of the Czechmates program for helping him get through the process.
In Brno, Dibonaventura has found something he’s never had anywhere else — home.
The transition from one’s home country to Brno is rarely seamless, and the visa application process is typically the number one barrier.
Iman Mehmandoust, who hails from Iran, said it was “really tough” acquiring a student visa. Due to difficulties traveling, lack of an active embassy in Iran, and a rough geopolitical climate, it took a year of preparation for Mehmandoust to get his documents in order.
Over the course of that year the process was halted twice by bomb attacks. In 2017, a bomb was detonated near the German embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, while Mehmandoust was in the area preparing his documents.
He survived — only to find his process thwarted once more by another attack months later.
“I received the email, finally, I need to collect my visa from Pakistan.” Mehmandoust said. “The moment I passed the border from Afghanistan to Pakistan … let’s say … three minutes, maybe less than five minutes, I passed, and I heard something big, and I noticed a really huge explosion.”
This attack led to the border being closed for four days. Though he now had visa in hand, he could do nothing but wait.
When the border reopened, he traveled back to Kabul and booked his flight to Prague. He arrived in Brno two weeks after his master’s program began.
“When I came, imagine, I’m in a totally different continent, the master study has already started and I don’t know anyone.” Mehmandoust said. “It was a challenging beginning.”
To add to his problems, he later struggled to find accommodation. Though he originally lived in university housing, due to safety issues he needed to relocate.
“They just prefer not to rent to foreigners.” Mehmandoust said. “That’s clear here.”
Eventually he found housing and has now lived in Brno for roughly seven years. In that time he received his permanent residence visa, found employment, and even started teaching his native tongue, Persian, to foreigners in the area.
“I’ve met a lot of good people here. I found one or two… of them were not nice, but I don’t count it as something bad.” he said. “I found that I have a mission to be in society and to talk with people.”
Mehmandoust said that many people have a flawed perspective of his country’s culture, but he tries to combat misinformation through honest communication. He sometimes does presentations sharing the rich history of his homeland with those who will listen.
“They [don’t] know about what we invented, how rich we are in language, literature,” he said.
While Mehmandoust has thoroughly enjoyed his life in Brno, he isn’t quite sure if this is his final pit-stop, but as of now he’s in no rush to leave.
The Brno Expat Center (BEC), first established in 2010 “as a welcome desk of the city of Brno for international professionals” is partially responsible for the growing number of expats in the city.
According to the center’s manager Jan Kopkáš, they target “highly qualified internationals who are working in the innovation ecosystem.”
“What we do provide is first hand experience about how to relocate, how to live in Brno, and where to find what.” said Kopkáš. “We are ready to even have a conversation with the newcomers before they come.”
The center organizes networking events, provides a space for community building, and fosters connections between foreigners and locals. They are also responsible for the annual Brno Expat fair, which welcomes foreigners and locals alike for a day filled with opportunity.
The fair takes roughly three months of preparation and promotes integration. Kopkáš said this year’s event had “close to 2000 participants, 100 different vendors, 15 different cuisines and food stalls.”
The South Moravian region and the City of Brno have joined forces to improve cooperation and coordination of activities related to attracting and integrating highly-qualified foreign talents, in a two-year project that will run until October next year. The project coordinator Frank van Bommel works closely with BEC, the South Moravian Centre for Foreigners, and the JIC Innovation Centre.
“There’s a clear realization on both city and regional level that international talent is needed, and that there are opportunities for improvement so that the Brno region becomes more competitive in this field,” said van Bommel.
Ultimately Brno may never be as popular a destination as Prague, but the city has opened its arms to whoever may wander into them. Whether you’re a refugee or a person simply looking for a change of pace or a new challenge, Brno has a place for you.
