Central European change

Thirty years later, I finally made it to Brno this week. It seemed almost unreal to sweep through Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic as we drove from Vienna airport. You have to watch pretty carefully to see where the borders are and even know which country you are in. My mobile phone seemed confused as it switched between Czech and Slovak providers. Petrol stations and banks that we sped past seemed to be firmly in the hands of the Austrians. As a British person it was strange for me to see Tesco hypermarkets on the fringes of Bratislava.

Although the socialist-style blocks of flats remain, the town centre of Brno has been carefully restored. The most extreme example of restoration seemed to be the hotel where I was staying, the Comsa Brno Palace. The historic Mestsky Dvur was built in 1855 and has now recently opened as a luxury hotel, designed by the Spanish designer Paco Entrena. The chef is from New Zealand and worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in London. The porters greet you in Spanish. I was duly impressed, but began to wonder if there was anything left of the local culture that I had experienced in my student days.

It was reassuring to leave the hotel and go for a simple meal of fiery goulash and delicious knedlicky (dumplings). The architecture and the Pestsäule reminded me of Vienna. Even the hotel’s conference centre, which was in the basement, had a touch of Kafka to it and the, at times, reluctant service brought back memories of the Good Soldier Schwejk.

Despite all the modernity, I felt well and truly part of Austro-Hungarian past, or what my business colleagues provocatively call "extended Austria".

Spanish design

Just like Vienna: Pestsäule