Olomouc

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

Getting there

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 1 Olomouc hlavní nádraží (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 129 Kč to 349 Kč in standard class (students under 26 with ISIC card qualify for 50% discount). 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 Česká Třebová, and it will take you about 3 hours.

By bus Student Agency operates buses between Prague and Olomouc, but they are much slower and less comfortable than trains, because their route leads all the way down to

Getting around

On foot As Olomouc is a small city, it is perfectly walkable and relatively flat, and is best explored on foot. The historic city centre is charming, offering many opportunities for pleasant walks. You can use Mapy.com's tourist map to see information about buildings and to navigate on foot to different parts of the city.

On bicycle

Olomouc is a relatively bike-friendly city with many dedicated bike paths, mainly through the parks as well as a lot of bike accessible roads. The city provides an official biking guide. For navigation on bike you can use the tourist map on Mapy.com, which shows all dedicated biking paths and biking lanes. Don't bike on the sidewalks as that is not allowed in the Czech republic. You can use Nextbike bike sharing for quick transport around the city via their mobile app at a cost of 1 Kč per minute, with free unlocking. Always make sure to return the bike to an official station (beware, some of the bike stations are unmarked, see the map in the application); otherwise, you risk receiving a fine of 500 Kč.

By public transit

Most of Olomouc public transit (all trams lines, and buse lines 10-52) is operated by Dopravní podnik města Olomouce (DPMO), you can view the map of lines operated by DPMO on their official website. Tickets can be bought either from the DPMO Mobile application (these tickets are not valid on intercity buses and trains within fare zone 71), or as paper tickets from ticket machines at every major transport hub (these are valid on intercity buses and trains within fare zone 71), where payment can be made with coins or sometimes by card. You can view the ticket prices here. You can board DPMO vehicles through any door; make sure you validate your ticket only once (validating it again will invalidate it). Integrovaný dopravní systém Olomouckého kraje (IDSOK) provides an extensive network of local trains (categories Os and Sp) and intercity buses throughout the region. The Olomouc region is divided into fare zones (O

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 1 Upper Square (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 2 Holy Trinity Column. was built in the early 1700s and consecrated by the Empress Marie Theresa in 1754. With a height of 35 metres, it has dominated the Upper Square (Horní náměstí) ever since and was added to the UNESCO l