What expats say: Brno is a perfectly livable city

Electrical engineer Róbert Heves (30) was born in south-west Slovakia to a Hungarian family. At home and school he only spoke Hungarian, in the streets Slovak. Now he speaks fluent Czech, which “just somehow has stuck” to him. To Brno he came to study, and the city has stuck to him also.
Why did you pick Brno for your university studies?
For some reason I didn’t want to go to Hungary, even though they have good schools. I didn’t want to go to Bratislava either, even though it is the nearest university city from my home town. My choice was Brno.
What do you do for a living here?
I studied electrical engineering and I work for Honeywell, currently as a Technical Supervisor of a team which works on in-flight entertainment and cabin management systems. I have worked on national airplanes and airplanes of famous people, such as Steven Spielberg or Jackie Chan.
What in Brno is similar to Šaľa, Slovakia, where you lived before? What is different?
The language is similar, of course. But Šaľa is a small, quite industrial town with no untouched nature for a good couple of kilometers around it.
What do you find good about life in Brno?
Brno is a great, perfectly livable city. I had a chance to travel a lot in and beyond Europe and I would still give Brno a very good grade. It’s big enough to offer everything you need but also small enough not to have to fight with the city on every step. There is a moderate number of tourists which allows Brno to serve its own residents better. I also like the mentality of the Moravians; they are very easy going people.
What do you miss here?
I don’t think I miss anything. Of course my family – but I would need to deal with that anywhere else I’d go, too.
What are your favourite places in Brno and its surroundings?
That would be Mariánské údolí – a piece of nature just next to Brno-Líšeň. Also north from Brno there are lots of beautiful places – Moravský kras, especially the Macocha chasm – if you go through Punkevní cave and look up from the bottom of the chasm, it’s breathtaking.
What do you think of Czech food?
The pub food is perfect, I like the roasted port knuckle the best. Then there are the Czech and Moravian beers of course – I prefer the small breweries. As far as everyday Czech cuisine is concerned, I’m not a big fan. It could be much healthier. I’m not saying dumplings are not good, they are, but you just can’t eat them every day.
Is there any difference between dating Czech girls and girls from your country?
I don’t think so. I came from close enough not to see much difference in this area. It always depends on individuals, after all.