Olomouc is Moravia's handsome, underrated second city, a university town with a spectacular set of Baroque squares and fountains but a fraction of Prague's crowds. The heart is the Upper Square, dominated by the UNESCO-listed Holy Trinity Column and the astronomical clock set into the town hall, ringed by cafes and beer halls. Approach it slowly: this is a place to sit with a coffee, wander between six Baroque fountains, and climb a church tower rather than tick off a list. The student population keeps prices low and the bars lively, and the local speciality, the pungent Olomoucke tvaruzky cheese, is a rite of passage best tackled with a cold Moravian lager. Distances are short and flat, so you can cross the historic core on foot in 15 minutes, then use trams to reach the outer parks and the hilltop basilica at Svaty Kopecek. Base yourself near the two main squares, bring cash for smaller pubs, and give yourself an evening to feel how relaxed and genuinely local this city stays even in high summer.
A full, walkable day in Olomouc, free for everyone. Set your pace and start time.
Circle the huge Baroque column and step into its tiny ground-floor chapel; the square is at its calmest first thing.
The Socialist-Realist clock chimes at noon, but the town hall tower tour earlier gives a great overview of the squares.
Follow the trail from Caesar and Hercules on the Upper Square down to Neptune and Triton; it is the best free walk in town.
Hear about the giant organ inside, then take the tower stairs for a rooftop view across the old town.
The neo-Gothic spire is one of the tallest in the country; the adjoining Archdiocesan Museum is well worth the extra hour.
The chocolate pie is a local legend; this student cafe sits handily by the art museum.
Some of the freshest Pilsner Urquell around with cheap pub classics; expect a lively, local crowd and bring cash.
The colossal Baroque plague column on the Upper Square, a UNESCO World Heritage monument and the largest of its kind in Central Europe; you can peek inside its small ground-floor chapel.
Bustling in-house microbrewery pouring unfiltered Moritz lager alongside big plates of Moravian roast pork, dumplings and beer goulash; the courtyard fills fast in summer.
The Gothic town hall carries a rare Socialist-Realist astronomical clock rebuilt in the 1950s with proletarian figures rather than saints; catch its chime at noon.
The soaring neo-Gothic cathedral on Wenceslas Hill, whose spire is among the tallest in the country; the adjoining Archdiocesan Museum is a highlight.
A muscular late-Gothic church housing one of the largest historic organs in Central Europe; climb the tower for a fine rooftop view over the old town.
The quieter of the two linked squares, ringed by pastel houses and cafes with its own plague column and two Baroque fountains, ideal for a slow coffee.
A superb collection of sacred art and the remains of the Premyslid palace beside the cathedral, easily the best museum in the city.
Classic Hana-region tavern near the Upper Square serving hearty local cooking, from svickova to the notorious tvaruzky cheese fried in beer batter.
You're reading the free preview. Members get the full Olomouc guide, every spot mapped and built into ready-to-walk 1, 3 & 7-day plans, plus 100+ cities across Europe.
$49 a year, under $1 a week. Less than one tourist-trap coffee.
Cancel anytime · keep access until your term ends
Create your account at checkout. · Already a member? Sign in
Czechia