Time Out taps Brno as one of Europe's best city breaks for 2023

Popular city guide Time Out has published its list of Europe's top destinations for a quick getaway in 2023, and a Czech locale has made the top 10. But not the obvious one: Brno, not Prague, is listed among Time Out's top city breaks for the upcoming year.

The Moravian capital rates at number 7 among Time Out's top 18 destinations in Europe for a city break in 2023. Qualifications for making the list were not revealed, but food, nightlife, and other experiences were mentioned as a draw among the 18 cities profiled in Time Out's list.

"Although sandwiched between Prague and Vienna, self-confident Brno is no middle child. Once a powerhouse dubbed the ‘Moravian Manchester’, the laidback Czech second city has repositioned itself as a post-industrial science and tech hub," writes David Creighton for Time Out.

"But you’ll find plenty of clues to Brno’s layered past at a clutch of offbeat underground attractions, including the mysterious brick cisterns at Žlutý Kopec, communist-era nuclear bunker 10-Z, and the ‘Denis’ bomb shelter under the cathedral."

"The food and drink scene is reinventing itself too, from contemporary international at Element to Výčep na Stojáka, a modern take on a trad pub."

If you can't make it to Brno this year, Time Out recommends hitting up the original Manchester, in the United Kingdom, as an alternative.

Prague was also mentioned in the Time Out list as an alternative -- not to Brno, but to Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina, which came in at number 3 on the list. The Czech capital and Bihać share a similar medieval character, according to the publication.

What's the best location in Europe to visit in 2023? Time Out ranks Marseilles, France in the top spot, noting its calanques, beaches, first-rate museums, and rooftop bars (Prague can also boast more than a few of those). Naples, Italy was recommended as a similar Mediterranean alternative.

These are Time Out's top 18 destinations in Europe for a city break in 2023: