Olomouc

Moravia's historic capital, with its UNESCO-listed Holy Trinity Column, Baroque fountains and astronomical clock around the main square, plus castles and a pilgrimage hill for easy day trips.

Olomouc lies in the center of Moravia in the eastern Czech Republic and is the capital of the Olomouc Region, with a population of about 100,000. Once the capital of Moravia and a stronghold of the Přemyslid dynasty, it remains the seat of the Archbishop of Olomouc. Its old town is second only to Prague's in size within the country, yet it sees far fewer tourists and prices are lower, earning it the nickname “Prague without the crowds.” The climate is temperate continental: Apr–Oct is the best time to visit, summers can bring the occasional heat wave, and autumn offers changing leaves and settled weather. Winters are cold, with a Christmas market on Upper Square in December, and the Flora Olomouc flower show takes place in April. Sightseeing centers on two areas. The first is the old town around Upper Square, with the UNESCO-listed Holy Trinity Column, the Town Hall and its astronomical clock, six Baroque fountains, Lower Square and its Marian Column, St. Moritz Church and St. Michael's Church. The second is the cathedral quarter to the northeast (Václavské náměstí), with St. Wenceslas Cathedral, the Přemyslid Palace and the Archdiocesan Museum. Around the old town are city parks, the Flora exhibition grounds and remains of 18th-century fortifications. Day trips abound: Svatý Kopeček (Holy Hill), about 7 km northeast, has a Baroque pilgrimage basilica and a zoo; about 30 km northwest are fairy-tale Bouzov Castle and the Javoříčko and Mladeč caves; to the northeast is Šternberk Castle; and about 40 km southeast are Helfštýn Castle and the Hranice Abyss. The gardens of Kroměříž, about 45 km south, are usually visited from Brno. Getting there: about 2–2.5 hours by train from Prague and 1.5 hours from Brno. Trams serve the city, and the old town is easily explored on foot. Plan on 2–3 days. Be sure to try the local specialty, pungent Olomouc cheese (Olomoucké tvarůžky), with a local beer.

Top sights

• Holy Trinity Column – The largest Baroque sculptural group in Central Europe, about 35 meters tall. Inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2000, it is the symbol…
• Upper Square & Town Hall – The central square of Olomouc’s old town, ringed by the town hall, the Holy Trinity Column and Baroque fountains. Visitors can climb the to…
• St. Wenceslas Cathedral – The metropolitan cathedral of Moravia, whose neo-Gothic south tower rises about 100 m, the tallest tower in the region.
• Bouzov Castle – One of the Czech Republic's most picturesque fairy-tale castles, once a base of the Teutonic Order and the setting for several fairy-tale f…
• Olomouc Astronomical Clock – An astronomical clock on the north wall of the Town Hall, first built in the 15th century and remodeled in the 1950s in the rare style of S…
• Baroque Fountains of Olomouc – Six Baroque fountains with mythological themes in the old town, which together with the modern Arion Fountain form a distinctive fountain w…
• Lower Square & Marian Column – A long, narrow square linked to the Upper Square, with a Baroque Marian Plague Column, Neptune and Jupiter fountains, and Renaissance noble…
• Archdiocesan Museum & Přemyslid Palace – One of the Czech Republic's most important collections of religious art, including the ruins of a 12th-century Romanesque palace and a gild…
• Church of St. Moritz – Olomouc's most important Gothic church, home to one of the largest organs in Central Europe, with a tower climb offering views over the old…
• Church of St. Michael – A Baroque church on the highest point of the old town, its three domes decorated with richly detailed stucco and frescoes.
• Olomouc Museum of Art – A major Czech museum of modern and contemporary art, showing 20th-century Czech avant-garde works and Central European art collections.
• Hradisko Monastery – A vast Baroque monastery known as the 'Moravian Escorial,' now used as a military hospital, open only through guided tours.
• Crown Fortress – The best-preserved part of Olomouc's 18th-century fortifications, now home to a fortress history museum and surrounded by a city-wall park.
• Smetana Gardens & Flora Exhibition Grounds – A large city park on the west side of the old town, with plant greenhouses, a rose garden, and the annual Flora flower show.
• Basilica of the Visitation, Svatý Kopeček – A Baroque pilgrimage basilica on a hill outside the city, with yellow-and-white twin towers and views over Olomouc and the Haná Plain.
• Olomouc Zoo – A zoo set in the forest of Svatý Kopeček, known for giraffes, wolves, and bears, with a wooden observation tower overlooking the plains.
• Helfštýn Castle – One of the largest castle ruins in the Czech Republic, with grand hilltop remains and a restored palace tower overlooking the Bečva Valley.
• Šternberk Castle – A medieval hillside castle remodeled in Romantic style in the 19th century, with lavish furniture and a Gothic chapel of St. Anne inside.
• Javoříčko Caves – One of the Czech Republic's most richly decorated caves, with stalagmites and draperies filling chambers such as the 'Cathedral Hall.'
• Mladeč Caves – A cave famous for yielding some of Europe's oldest modern human remains, combining archaeological significance with stunning formations.
• Hranice Abyss – The deepest flooded cave in the world, with explored depths of over 400 meters underwater and a turquoise pool hidden in the forest.
• Zbrašov Aragonite Caves – A rare cave formed by thermal mineral water, its walls covered in aragonite crystals and 'geyser-like' stalagmites, with a constant tempera…

Where to eat

• Entrée Restaurant – A tasting-menu restaurant by celebrated chef Přemek Forejt, which became Olomouc's first Michelin-starred restaurant in…
• Long Story Short Restaurant & Bakery – A modern gastropub converted from a historic military bakery, recommended by the Michelin Bib Gourmand, with sourdough…
• Svatováclavský Pivovar – A craft brewery beside St. Wenceslas Cathedral, serving unpasteurised, unfiltered house beers and plenty of cheese dish…
• Moravská Restaurace – A folksy, traditional restaurant on Horní náměstí, famous for beer-battered fried Olomouc cheese and the Olomouc fried…
• Drápal Restaurant – A century-old beer restaurant in the old town, famous for canned unpasteurised Pilsner and beef tenderloin tartare.

Itineraries

• Bohemia to Moravia by Train & Bus – Explore the highlights of the Czech Republic without a car: Prague, Český Krumlov, Telč, Brno, and Olomouc.
• Czech Republic Grand Self-Drive Loop – Drive a loop around the Czech Republic, connecting spa towns, Český Krumlov, Moravian wine country, and Olomouc.