For travellers in Czechia willing to look beyond Prague, Olomouc offers handsome buildings and excellent beer.
Central Olomouc highlights
Massively underrated, this central Moravian city wears its lengthy history on its sleeve. The old town is expansive and centres on Horní náměstí, the central square. The OTT Hercules and Caesar fountains are fabulously expressive depictions of heroism, but the biggest monument to Baroque excess is the Holy Trinity Column. It’s 35m tall, and covered in intricate detail – some scenes feature saints, others the Virgin Mary, others the twelve apostles.
The Town Hall is another highlight, with the somewhat Sovietised Astronomical Clock outside tending to pull in the crowds. But it’s worth going inside too – the climb up the tower offers cracking views over the rooftops.
Similarly excellent views can be found from the tower of St Michael’s Church, a visually attractive Gothic effort, which is one of many churches, chapels and monasteries that add to the city’s well-preserved feel.
Olomouc microbreweries
But it’s not just about soaking up the centuries-old ambience – Olomouc also has a surprisingly strong food and drink scene. This is particularly the case when it comes to beer – the city has a disproportionate number of microbreweries. Moritz and Svatováclavský pivovar are amongst the best spots to wet the taste buds.
The most romantic spot in Olomouc
Villa Primavesi is a delightful art nouveau villa that just so happens to contain one of the country’s best restaurants. In summer, especially, the smooch factor is high as the tables move out into the billowing gardens. There’s also a small Gustav Klimt exhibition inside – the Austrian artist produced a number of works for the villa’s former overs.
Best side trip from Olomouc
If picture perfect hillside towns are your thing, Štramberk should fit the bill beautifully. There’s plenty of excellent hiking territory around, there’s a ruined castle tower to lug your way up numerous steps to and the village is largely made up of olde worlde wooden houses.
More Moravia travel
Other Moravia travel stories on Planet Whitley include:
- A review of the Mendel Museum in Brno.
- Why Lednice is Moravia’s best detour.
