CzechiaOlomouc 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.
Day plans
Pick your trip length. The full 1-day plan is free, members unlock the 3 and 7-day plans.
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.
