Olomouc

Olomouc (Olomóc or Holomóc in the local dialect, Olmütz in German) has the second largest and second oldest historic preservation zone in the Czech Republic (after Prague). Olomouc lies astride the Morava River and is surrounded by the fertile Haná plain. It was the capital of Moravia until 1641 and is the sixth-largest city in the country, with approximately 100,000 inhabitants (2022).

Understand
The first written mention of a settlement at Olomouc is almost 1,000 years ago when the Kosmas Chronicle described a fortified castle watching over the important Morava river ford on the road between Kraków and Prague. Between 16th and 19th centuries, Olomouc served as a strategically important fortress. The city today is the seat of the regional government, the Moravian archbishopric and the oldest university in Moravia, Palacky University (Universita Palackého).

Legend claims that the city was founded by Julius Caesar. It's almost certain that Caesar never visited in person, but it is known that the city began as a Roman military camp with the name Julii Mons (Julius' Hill). This name was gradually corrupted to its present form, Olomouc, which is pronounced 'Olo-mowts'. The Roman influence is a proud heritage of the city, and manifests itself in numerous areas.

Olomouc is doubtless the undiscovered gem of the Czech Republic. It is home to countless beautiful buildings, great culture (home of the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra), and hundreds of unique restaurants, bars, and pubs. Olomouc is totally off the radar of most tourists, feeling quietly normal and relaxed even on a nice day in July.

As the home to Palacky University, Olomouc is the country’s largest student city by percentage of population. Palacky University (named after František Palacký, the most influential figure of the Czech National Revival in the 19th century) is one of the largest and most prestigious universities in the country and only Charles University in Prague has a longer history. During the academic year, the population of the city is increased by roughly 20,000 students, giving the city a vibrant feeling of life and energy. This is important to remember if you want to enjoy the thriving nightlife of the city: many bars and clubs depend on the student population and close for the summer vacations.

Olomouc has been the seat of a Catholic archbishop for almost 1,000 years, and thus has some of the most beautifully decorated churches in Central Europe ,though they do not appear in many travel guides.

Tourist information

 * Olomouc Tourism website

By plane
Although Olomouc has an airport, it is only used by the local flying club. The nearest airports with commercial flights are Brno and Ostrava, although there are more flights to Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, Katowice and Kraków. Of these, Prague, Vienna and Krakow are big airports with even intercontinental flights, whereas the others largely serve budget and charter airlines.

By train
Long distance trains stop at (Olomouc Main station).

From Prague there are multiple options: Czech Railways operate hourly fast (R), express (Ex) and EuroCity (EC) trains which take 2½ hr, and faster SC Pendolino trains which take 2 hours and require a compulsory seat reservation. The route is also served by the private companies RegioJet and Leo Express, who each operate trains every 2 hours also requiring compulsory reservations. Train fares for this route vary from 199 Kč to 289 Kč in standard class.

Coming from Brno, trains on the most direct route via Prostějov take 1½ hr and leave every two hours. Beware that aside from these, there are also trains that run from Brno to Olomouc via Břeclav which take 2 hours longer and should not be used for this route. From Ostrava the ride takes 1h. Beware of some fast trains (category R) from Ostrava to Olomouc, which take a longer route through the Jeseníky mountains for over 3 hours.

From Warsaw there are three daytime connections, which take 6 hours and one night train which takes 9 hours. From Krakow there is one daytime connection which takes 5 hours, and one night train which takes 6 hours. Other connections require at least two changes. From Vienna there are several train connections; with changes either in Přerov or in Ceská Třebova, and it will take you about 3 hours.

By bus
Student Agency operates buses between Prague and Olomouc, but they are much slower than trains, because their route leads all the way down to Brno before turning up towards Prague.

By car
Major roads lead to Olomouc; D35 from Hradec Králové (and further from Prague and Germany), D35 in the other direction from Ostrava and Poland, highway 55 from Zlín and northern Slovakia as well as D46 from Brno (and further from Vienna, Bratislava and Hungary).

Get around
Olomouc city centre is best explored on foot. Its historic centre is charming and it offers many opportunities for pleasant walks.

Public transportation is cheap and easy to use. There are ticket machines at every major bus and tram stop and tickets are also available from newspaper kiosks. A single trip ticket costs 14 Kč (as of Jun 2019) and is valid for 40 minutes on workdays and 60 minutes on other days. See a city line map and online timetable.

Integrated Transport System of Olomouc Region (IDSOK) provides an extensive network of local trains (category Os and Sp) and buses in the whole region. Olomouc region is divided into zones, and the ticket price depends on number of passed zones. Zone 71 (Olomouc city) has a special tariff, described above.

Taxis gather in the carpark at the front of the train station, and the ride from there to the centre should be between 100-150 Kč. The free-call number is.

See
Olomouc is an exploring sightseer's paradise. A good place to begin is the main square (Horní náměstí or 'Upper Square'), with its huge Town Hall and the Holy Trinity Column (the largest column in Europe), which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. It is the second largest historical square in the Czech Republic. Don't miss the astronomical clock on the Town Hall. It is said to once have rivalled the beauty of Prague's, but was seriously damaged in the World War II and then rebuilt and repainted at the beginning of the Communist regime to reflect worker's values.

Upper square
The (Horní náměstí) is the main square of Olomouc, a beautiful place full of history where you can find some of the most important monuments:
 * The baroque
 * The renaissance Olomouc Town Hall occupies the centre of the main square (Horní náměstí). Its halls and chapel are accessible on guided tours and it's possible to climb the tower each day at 11:00 and 15:00. The ground floor of the town hall houses a gallery, restaurant and the tourist information office. Ask in the office if you are interested in the guided tour and climbing the tower. On the north face is one of only two astronomical clocks in the country. On the west side, there is the Hygieia fountain from 1945, one of the many fountains in the city.
 * The
 * The baroque Caesar's Fountain is the largest fountain in Olomouc. It depicts the legendary founder of the city, Gaius Julius Caesar, riding a horse. It is one of the six great baroque Roman-themed fountains you can find in the city.
 * The baroque Hercules' Fountain depicts Hercules fighting Hydra. Another from the series of the six great baroque Roman-themed fountains you can find in the city.
 * The modern Arion's Fountain depicts the legend of a poet thrown overboard and saved by a dolphin. It was specially designed to allow easy access to the water and is a favourite among children.
 * The bronze model of the city.

Museums and galleries

 * Commercial Art Galleries Czech and Moravian artists produce a lot of very unusual ceramic and pottery pieces and small works of art, which make great original souvenirs or gifts, and there are several shops and galleries in Olomouc filled with them. Some of the best are situated on which heads off the square from the Caesar fountain. Next to Cafe Caesar in the town hall building is the . It almost always exhibits contemporary art from local Olomouc or Czech artists. The  (also a café), on the corner of the square near the Arion fountain (turtle fountain) is a similar exhibition space focused on contemporary art. In the beautiful  right next to St Michael’s Church there is another small gallery worth visiting if only for the chance to wander through the entrance hall of this historic house. On the top floor of the local art museum there is a small exhibit about Villa Primavesi, its history and role in the Art Nouveau movement.
 * Commercial Art Galleries Czech and Moravian artists produce a lot of very unusual ceramic and pottery pieces and small works of art, which make great original souvenirs or gifts, and there are several shops and galleries in Olomouc filled with them. Some of the best are situated on which heads off the square from the Caesar fountain. Next to Cafe Caesar in the town hall building is the . It almost always exhibits contemporary art from local Olomouc or Czech artists. The  (also a café), on the corner of the square near the Arion fountain (turtle fountain) is a similar exhibition space focused on contemporary art. In the beautiful  right next to St Michael’s Church there is another small gallery worth visiting if only for the chance to wander through the entrance hall of this historic house. On the top floor of the local art museum there is a small exhibit about Villa Primavesi, its history and role in the Art Nouveau movement.
 * Commercial Art Galleries Czech and Moravian artists produce a lot of very unusual ceramic and pottery pieces and small works of art, which make great original souvenirs or gifts, and there are several shops and galleries in Olomouc filled with them. Some of the best are situated on which heads off the square from the Caesar fountain. Next to Cafe Caesar in the town hall building is the . It almost always exhibits contemporary art from local Olomouc or Czech artists. The  (also a café), on the corner of the square near the Arion fountain (turtle fountain) is a similar exhibition space focused on contemporary art. In the beautiful  right next to St Michael’s Church there is another small gallery worth visiting if only for the chance to wander through the entrance hall of this historic house. On the top floor of the local art museum there is a small exhibit about Villa Primavesi, its history and role in the Art Nouveau movement.

Fountains

 * Baroque Fountains. The city’s impeccable series of six stone baroque fountains are all within easy walking distance of the Main Square. They are based on Roman themes, and depict Neptune, (both on Dolní náměstí), Mercury (near the Galerie Moritz mall), Triton (on Náměstí republiky), Hercules, and the legendary founder of Olomouc, Julius Caesar (both on Horní náměstí, the main square). There are also two more baroque fountains that were damaged and lost their central statues, Saturn fountain in the Hradisko monastery and Dolphin fountain near the Virgin Mary church. The missing statue of a child with a dolphin on the latter fountain was replaced with a lion's head.
 * Modern fountains. There are also several remarkable modern fountains in Olomouc. The Arion fountain in the main square depicts the legend of a poet thrown overboard and saved by a dolphin. It was specially designed to allow easy access to the water and is a favourite among children. Hygieia fountain can be found nearby in the west wall of the Town Hall. Bronze Living Water fountain can be found next to the Chapel of St. Sarkander. There are also two fountains located near the Main Railway Station, one of which ‘dances’ along to recorded classical music.

Parks and gardens
The are behind the Flora exhibition complex; near where the footbridge goes over the main road to connect the two parks together. The main tropical greenhouse also holds large aquariums and terrariums with a range of alligators, snakes, piranhas, and large furry spiders.
 * is a lovely park that runs between the massive Fortress walls and the Mill channel, providing a great place to stroll and relax, also nice views of the University and St. Michael's Church.
 * is a lovely park that runs between the massive Fortress walls and the Mill channel, providing a great place to stroll and relax, also nice views of the University and St. Michael's Church.

Others

 * The University is spread throughout the city, but the most interesting parts to visitors are between the main square and St. Wenceslas’ Cathedral. The fine arts faculty has  and views over the city walls from above. Also notable is the  on 17th. November Ave, which used to be the headquarters of the Communist party.
 * City Walls A series of defensive fortifications and moats once completely enclosed Olomouc. The best preserved parts are visible from the Bezruč gardens, below St. Michaels church. The water barracks that today house the Russian and Irish pubs and the 24-hr espresso bar were also part of the system. There were also sixteen outlying forts, some of which still exist. Most still belong to the military and are off limits to the public, but one is home to ‘Exit discotheque’, and another is within the grounds of the botanic gardens. Enter just across the mill channel from Bezruč gardens, via the footbridge guarded by the four statues of Hercules.

Do

 * Football: SK Sigma Olomouc pay soccer in First League, the top tier. Their home ground Andrův stadion (capacity 12,500) is 500 m north of town centre.
 * Letní Kino (summer cinema) is only open in the warmer months and shows films four nights a week, beginning as soon as it gets dark enough. The entrance is from Pekarska Ul. You can’t see the cinema from the street but it’s the same entrance as the mini-golf and you will walk past a large outdoor beer garden before finding the entrance to the cinema. The cinema is an amphitheatre that can hold 3000 people. You can see it quite well on the town model in the main square.
 * Football: SK Sigma Olomouc pay soccer in First League, the top tier. Their home ground Andrův stadion (capacity 12,500) is 500 m north of town centre.
 * Letní Kino (summer cinema) is only open in the warmer months and shows films four nights a week, beginning as soon as it gets dark enough. The entrance is from Pekarska Ul. You can’t see the cinema from the street but it’s the same entrance as the mini-golf and you will walk past a large outdoor beer garden before finding the entrance to the cinema. The cinema is an amphitheatre that can hold 3000 people. You can see it quite well on the town model in the main square.

Events

 * Flora Olomouc In Spring, you should not miss the Flora Fairgrounds and nearby parks full of flowers. The information about exhibitions is available at the Flora Fairgrounds website (in Czech only).
 * Academia Film is an international festival of documentary films in April. Most venues are close to the fine arts faculty of the university, with some being shown outdoors on a screen in the main square.
 * Dvořak's Olomouc is a series of concerts of classical music taking place during May and June. The Moravian Philharmonic and visiting orchestras perform on the square and in the churches.
 * The Festival of Songs in June gathers choirs from as far as Singapore and the United States to perform and compete. The choirs often burst spontaneously into song as they walk together around the streets and squares and it's a delightful time to be in Olomouc.
 * Olomouc City Festival in June is ten days of concerts, theatre, sculpture and ceramics demonstrations, a whipped cream battle, and at least two lamplight processions.
 * International Organ Music Festival is organised by the Moravian Philhamonic Orchestra and takes place in various venues around the city, including on the largest pipe-organ in central Europe-in St Moritz church in September.
 * Festival of Film Animation A four-day festival of film animation and modern art is held annually in December in several locations in Olomouc.
 * Traditional Christmas Markets take over the main square from the beginning of December. There are free concerts every day, roasted chestnuts, mulled wine and other warming foods and traditional crafts ranging from blacksmith-work to the finest beeswax and honey products.

Traditional cuisine
The traditional cuisine of Olomouc and the surrounding Haná region is an excellent example of Czech cuisine. In addition to more common Czech dishes, it includes some unique local specialties. One of the best known culinary products of the area is the local cheese Olomoucké tvarůžky (also called Olomoucké syrečky). This is a traditional (since the 15th century) Czech ripened soft cheese with very low fat content, pungent taste and strong odor. The cheese is named after the city of Olomouc, but is produced in Loštice, a small city about 30 km away. The cheese is widely available on restaurant menus in the Haná region, where it can be used as a filling in a local variety of Cordon Bleu, or it can be served fried. The dishes containing this cheese can usually be recognized by the word Loštické in their names. Because of the strong odor, do not be surprised when you find some mint sweets (Hašlerka) on your plate.

Garlic soup (česnečka) is available all around the country. The garlic soup of the Haná region (Hanácká česnečka) is one of the best varieties and is usually very strong. If olomoucké tvarůžky are added, the soup is called Loštická česnečka. Because of the combined might of garlic and the strong ripened cheese, it is not recommended if you plan to kiss someone that evening. On the other hand, garlic is very healthy and you should get some česnečka if you have a cold or sore throat.

Hanácký koláč is the typical sweet cake of the region.

Restaurants
There are dozens of excellent restaurants in the city, and most have English menus. Local favorites include Cafe Caesar, which is in the renaissance Town Hall Building on the main square. Hanacka Hospoda is a more traditional Moravian restaurants, is located in the nearby lower square. On Marianska Ul. is the Svatovaclavsky Pivovar which is a non-smoking microbrewery with indoor and outdoor seating and a comprehensive menu of local specialties.









Mineral water
Hanácká kyselka is a well known natural mineral water of the region. It is healthy and has a refreshing taste. It is a good choice if you do not want to drink alcohol.

Wine
Wine is the lifeblood of Moravia. Look into any ‘vinárna’ (wine bar) or ‘vinný sklep’ (wine cellar) and you’ll see an array of characters partaking of the nectar of the vines. Most vineyards are in South Moravia but that has no effect on the drinking abilities of northern Moravians. You can buy good Moravian wine for a picnic from a vinný sklep in plastic bottles that you either bring yourself or you can find there.

If anyone has told you that Moravian wine is inferior to French or Italian wine, don’t believe them. The taste and aroma of Moravian wines vary from their Western European cousins because they are made from totally different varieties of grapes. Svatovavrinecké is a strong, drier red wine, Modrý Portugal is a medium dry and Frankovka is a sweeter red wine. Good white wines are Muller Thurgau and Veltlínské Zelené.

Beer
The best beer in Olomouc is available from one of the microbreweries making their own beer on the premises.

Sleep
You can find really cheap accommodation in the student dorms in the outer suburb of Neredin, between the airport and the cemetery. There are always a few vacant rooms. Unfortunately there is not much information in English about the dorms, but the tourist information office should be able to help.

Budget




Connect
As of July 2024, Olomouc and its approach roads have 5G from all Czech carriers.

Go next
Olomouc is an ideal base for daytrips into the Moravian countryside. Within an hour’s travel by car, bus, train or bicycle there are castles, cave complexes, natural reserves and well-preserved historic towns, including some on the UNESCO world–heritage list.

An enjoyable way of exploring the Olomouc region is by bike. You can rent a bike at the main railway station for 150 Kč/day and follow one of many well marked bicycle tracks. Especially good times to visit are Spring, when there are carpets of white flowers everywhere; and Autumn when the birch, linden, ash, oak and maple trees begin to change. Maps of cycling trails are available from tourist information, news stands and bookstores.

Closest to Olomouc and suitable even as half-day trips are Svatý Kopeček (Holy Hill), the Litovelské Pomoraví protected natural reserve and the swimming holes at Poděbrady and Výkleky.


 * Svatý Kopeček is the hill that rises up to the east of Olomouc. If you arrive by train from Prague, you’ll have a good view of the building near its peak, which is the Basilica of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary. Surrounded by forest behind the basilica is the Olomouc Zoo, which is well respected for its work with more than 50 endangered species, included Rothschild’s Giraffes.
 * The Litovelské Pomoraví nature park stretches from Olomouc to the town of Litovel, 18 km away along the Morava River. The walking and cycling trails across the flat flood plains and through the forests are popular with locals and suitable for outings with young children. Near U Tri Mostu (8 km from Olomouc) is a clearing with the horseriding ranch and outdoor restaurant Lovecká Chata.
 * Poděbrady is a former gravel quarry that has been flooded with fresh water to form Olomouc’s most convenient natural swimming area. Just on the edge of the Litovelské Pomoraví, it’s connected to the city by walking and cycle trails or town bus #18 which stops on the nearby roadside.
 * Swimming at Výkleky A prettier place to go swimming though is the old rock quarry at Výkleky, 18 km east of Olomouc. The cycling route is a little complicated, but buses to Lipník stop at Velký Ujezd, a 20-minute walk from Výkleky.

The castles, caves and historic towns are further afield and will require a vehicle or the use of public transport.


 * Bouzov castle (38 km west of Olomouc) has stood on its hilltop for almost 700years, but its current appearance is from a reconstruction around the turn of the 20th century. It’s a popular location for filming fairytales, and makes a good daytrip from Olomouc, especially when combined with the nearby Javořicko caves.
 * The Javořicko caves were uncovered in the 1930s and almost 800m is accessible to the public along concrete paths and steel staircases. No special clothing or equipment is necessary-perhaps just a light jacket.
 * Helfštýn castle (35 km east of Olomouc) is one of the largest castle ruins in central Europe and hosts a wide range of cultural events during the summer, including Hefaiston; the International Blacksmiths’ Seminar and Festival.
 * Kroměříž (35 km south of Olomouc along the Morava River) is on the UNESCO world heritage protection list because of its remarkable baroque chateau and formal flower gardens. The chateau was a location for the Academy award winning Miloš Forman film Amadeus and houses some of the Czech Republic’s most valuable artworks.
 * Litomyšl (80 km from Olomouc) is one of the Czech Republic’s prettiest small towns and is UNESCO-listed for its renaissance chateau. The chateau is covered with amazingly intricate sgraffito plaster decorations and has one of only five baroque theatres left in the world. Buses from Olomouc to Hradec Králové stop at Litomyšl or you can take the train to Česká Třebova and switch to a local bus from there.