And the administrative center of the Olomouc region. The city is the seat of an archbishop, and this is what, along with its history, the city of Olomouc is famous for. Until the 17th century it was the historical center of Moravia, and today it is also a commercial and cultural capital region. The city of Olomouc in the Czech Republic includes 26 districts.

Geography and climate

The city is located in the eastern part of the country, in Moravia. Olomouc on the map of the Czech Republic can be found among the mountains, at an altitude of 219 m above sea level. The climate here is continental with an average annual temperature of +8.7 °C.

Attractions

Olomouc is an ancient city of the Czech Republic and is rich, which are captured in numerous photos. However, if the question is what to see in Olomouc in 1 day, then, first of all, pay attention to the following places:

In winter, Olomouc turns into. In the mountains, you can rent a cottage or stay in a boarding house, hire a coach to teach skiing. Many tourists tend to come here to spend time in resorts:

• Velké Vrbno;
• Ginchice-pod-Sushina.

Where to settle?

In Olomouc, as in the Czech Republic in general, you can find those that meet any requirements. Very good reviews for the following establishments:

• NH Collection Olomouc Congress 4*;
• Clarion Congress Hotel Olomouc 3*.

Olomouc Restaurants

The city has dozens of great restaurants, most of which have an English menu. Local favorites:

• Opera - Italian restaurant;
• Cafe Caesar - perfect place for a summer evening
• Green Bar is a vegetarian restaurant.

shopping

This city - beautiful place for shopping. lovers to spend time in shopping malls in Olomouc will not be disappointed, because here they are waiting for:

• Centrum Hana;
• Olympia.

In these outlets you can buy everything from clothes and shoes to any household appliances. If you are interested, it is better to look for them in Olomouc stores located near historical places.

Cultural events

Olomouc is an ancient city with rich people, so many interesting events take place here throughout the year:

1. Celebration of the city of Olomouc. Celebrated in June. These are 10 days of concerts, theatrical performances, exhibitions of sculpture and ceramics.
2. International Festival organ music. Passes in various places throughout the city, including at St. Moritz Church, home to the largest pipe organ in Central Europe.
3. It usually takes place in May. Choirs from different countries gather here. They parade through the streets and squares of Olomouc.
4. Easter Music Festival. Includes performances by international musicians in the cathedral and major churches in Olomouc.
5. Documentary Film Festival. As a rule, it is held at the faculty of fine arts of the university, and sometimes in the open air on the main square.

Public in Olomouc is represented by buses and trams. There are ticket machines at the stops. One ticket costs $0.65. Taxis are gathering at the car park in front of railway station. A trip from there to the center will cost about $5.

How to get to Olomouc in the Czech Republic from Prague?

You can get to Olomouc from Prague by toll road D1 if driving. By train there is a direct connection, flights several times a day. Travel time 2 hours 15 minutes. You can also get there by shuttle bus.

general information

Olomouc is one of the oldest university cities in Europe, the buildings of the university are woven into a thousand-year-old fabric of architecture, culture and art.

At any time of the year, folklore holidays and festivals of classical art are held here, in addition, there are completely unexpected events, mainly at the initiative of student youth. The seething background harmoniously corresponds to the centuries-old grandeur of the Hanacian Rome, as Olomouc was called for the abundance of historical sights.

Passing the inevitably featureless outskirts and the railway station, built in the 1950s, whose mosaic facade depicts happy workers and peasants dancing around the hammer and sickle, you find yourself in a wonderful city of the Baroque era. In fact, Olomouc is much older. it main city Moravia from the 11th century. to 1642, and much has been preserved since then. In addition to several palaces, the Renaissance is represented by a complex of merchant mansions, called "under the groggy kramas." Olomouc wrote one of the dark pages in the history of the Czech Republic in 1306: the last king of the Přemyslid dynasty, Wenceslas III, was killed in the building of the capitular deanery.

In the Baroque era, the appearance of Olomouc was formed after large-scale construction at the end of the Thirty Years' War. The central Upper and Lower squares of the city are truly impressive - they are crowned with a column of the Holy Trinity, erected in Olomouc in gratitude for getting rid of the plague. The Habsburg empress Maria Theresa consecrated the column in 1754, and, according to historians, she was unhappy that the 35 m high column was higher than a similar column in Prague!

Festivals to visit

Among the most interesting festivals is the May Song Festival - an international review of choirs that sing not on stage, but simply while looking around the city or sitting in a cafe. Olomouc City Art Festival in June - 10 days of continuous concerts, theatrical performances, exhibitions.

Do not miss

• Halls, chapel and towers of the town hall in the Renaissance style (1444) - a huge medieval clock was destroyed during the Second World War, in 1953 they were replaced by a version in the style of socialist realism.
• Café terrace between the 11th century St. Wenceslas Cathedral and area.
• The former monastery of Hradisko is the oldest in Moravia.
• Strict gothic facade of the Church of St. Morzhitsa with stunning interior decoration in the Baroque style.
• Gauenschild Palace, where Mozart wrote the Sixth Symphony.

Should know

Olomouc produces an aged cheese with a strong aroma. It is sold in containers with a lid, and customers are offered mint lozenges to freshen their breath and a toothpick.

Olomouc, Czech Republic is an ancient city in the eastern part of the country. It is often compared to Prague: it has the same cobbled streets, Gothic churches, Baroque palaces and cozy pubs. Olomouc is not very popular with tourists, but it is definitely worth a visit.

General information

The city of Olomouc is located in the eastern part of the Czech Republic, 204 km from Prague and 77 km from Brno. It occupies an area of ​​103 km². The population is 100 thousand people.

Like most cities in the Czech Republic, Olomouc is famous for its rich history and well-preserved sights found in the Old Town. The first mention of the town of Olomouc dates back to 1017, when the Great Moravian fortress was located here. In 1253, the city received the title of royal, and in the middle of the 17th century it became the capital of Moravia.

Throughout history, the city has been strongly influenced by Germany, and by the beginning of the 19th century, Olomouc was practically a German-speaking city. The situation changed radically after the two world wars. The main reason for this is the creation of the state of Czechoslovakia.

Attractions

Despite the fact that Olomouc has the second largest Old Town in the Czech Republic (Prague is in the first place), it is not particularly popular with tourists (primarily due to its remoteness from other tourist places). But it is definitely worth a visit, because the city has a lot of interesting sights. different eras: baroque fountains, gothic churches, neogothic buildings and Orthodox Church.

Separately, I would like to pay attention to the fountains of the city. There are dozens of them here: miniature and large, baroque and modern. Many city fountains are the figures of mythological characters who, according to legend, founded this city.

Cathedral St. Wenceslas is a Catholic church, the construction of which began in 1107. By the XIV century, the construction of the building was completely completed: now on central square city ​​rises the cathedral in the Gothic style.

At the beginning of the 19th century, it was decided to update the interior and exterior of the building, making it more modern and European. At the same time, the Czech architect Gustav Meretta added a Neo-Gothic tower to the temple, which today is considered the 4th tallest building in the country (observation deck - a good place in order to take a beautiful photo of Olomouc in the Czech Republic).

Inside the church there are two organs (large and small) and numerous stone sculptures. Visitors are especially fascinated by the bright stained-glass windows found in most Gothic temples.

Tourists who have visited St. Wenceslas Cathedral in Olomouc say that this attraction can be compared with St. Vitus Cathedral in France.

• Location: Vaclavske nam., Olomouc 779 00, Czech Republic.
• Opening hours: 9.00 – 17.00.

The Holy Trinity Column is one of the symbols of the city of Olomouc. It rises on the main square of the city. At the beginning of the 21st century, it was listed world heritage UNESCO as unique creation European baroque.

The column is not just a beautiful sculpture, but a religious monument, symbolizing the victory over the plague in the 18th century. The construction of the attraction in Olomouc, Czech Republic was completed in 1754 - the same year the plague finally left the city.

The column consists of many elements: 18 sculptures of saints, 14 bas-reliefs, and the Holy Trinity sits on top.

Tourists are very fond of this attraction, because it perfectly conveys the atmosphere of the Old City.

City Hall (Olomouc Town Hall)

This is the same attraction that most often appears in photos taken in Olomouc. City Hall rises in Upper city as a symbol of the former greatness and power of Moravia. It was built in 1410-1411. The town hall acquired its modern look in the middle of the 19th century.

The uniqueness of this attraction lies in the fact that on one of its walls there are famous chimes made in the style of socialist realism. Also on the clock you can see images of 12 signs of the Zodiac, astronomical clocks and figures of people. The facade of the building is decorated with sculptures of dragons that protect the town hall from uninvited guests.

Now the town hall houses a gallery where you can get Interesting Facts about the history of the city. Also at the entrance to the town hall there is an information center where you can take a map of the city and learn more about local attractions.

• Where to find: Horni namesti, Olomouc 779 00, Czech Republic.
• Opening hours: 9.00 - 19.00.
• Cost: adults - 15 kroons, children under 15 years old and students - 10 kroons, children under 6 years old - free of charge.

The astronomical clock in Olomouc is the second such clock in the country (the first and most famous is in Prague). They were designed and built in 1517 by Karl Swolinski. The author tried to depict the life of people of that time on the clock, so the chimes adorn the images of both saints and ordinary people.

In the 19th century, the astrolabe was replaced by a heliocentric model of the solar system, and in 1945, during the withdrawal of German troops, the clock was completely destroyed. Only a couple of elements survived, which today are in the museum at the Town Hall.

Since Czechoslovakia was a communist country, the clock was restored according to the canons of those times. The figurines of saints, angels and kings were replaced with athletes, workers and scientists, and a multi-colored mosaic was laid out around the clock.

The lower dial of the clock has been completely restored: like 500 years ago, the clock counts the days and shows a map of the starry sky.

This is the most popular and unusual attraction of Olomouc in the Czech Republic, a photo of which is taken by absolutely all tourists.

Location: Horni namesti, Olomouc 779 00, Czech Republic.

Church of Saint Mauritius (St Moritz Church)

The Church of St. Mauritius is the largest church in Moravia, and one of the oldest churches in the city, built in 1141. Named after a black officer from Nubia who refused to perform human sacrifices to the Roman gods while in captivity by the Romans. The soldier was executed, and in the 4th century Mauritius was canonized.

The building amazes tourists with its scale and the presence of many small details. At the top of the church there is an observation deck, which anyone can visit (from here you can nice pictures Olomouc).

• Address: 8. Května 517/15, Olomouc 779 00, Czech Republic.
• Opening hours: 10.00 – 17.00.
• The cost of lifting observation deck: 10 crowns.

St. Michael's Church

Tourists who have visited Olomouc call the Church of St. Michael the most comfortable and warm church in the city. This opinion is widespread due to the fact that this is one of the few churches in the Czech Republic, the walls of which are painted in sand and yellow.

The interior of the temple fascinates visitors with a painted ceiling, wooden sculptures of saints and a richly decorated altar. The church has a dungeon and a patio that tourists can get into.

• Address: Zherotinovo nam. 220/1, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
• Opening hours: 9.00 - 20.00.

Olomouc Zoo was opened in June 1965, and since then this place has been very popular with travelers. Families with children usually come here for the whole day.

The zoo has dozens of spacious enclosures in which giraffes, monkeys, lions, zebras, camels, and bears live. For fish, a separate building with many aquariums was built. There is a large bird pool in the center of the park. Here you can see ducks, swans, pelicans, flamingos.

The zoo also has a playground and many stalls with souvenirs.

• Address: Darwinova 222/29, Olomouc 779 00, Czech Republic.
• Working hours: 09:00 - 17:00.
• Ticket price: adults - 100 kroons, children under 15 years old - 60, up to three years old - free of charge.

Accommodation

Olomouc has about 100 hotels and inns. A double room per night in high season in a 3 * hotel will cost 30-50 euros. As a rule, this price includes a spacious room with a balcony in the city center, free parking, free Wi-Fi and a good breakfast (continental or European). Also sometimes this price includes a transfer from the airport and some rooms have a kitchenette.

Find out the RATES or book any accommodation using this form

How to get to the city from Prague

The distance between Prague and Olomouc is 207 km, which can be covered in 3 hours. Most popular options:

By train

The most reliable and convenient option, since there is a direct connection between cities railway communication. You need to take the Ex Czech Railways (ČD) train at Praha hl.n station and get to Olomouc hl.n.

• Travel time is 3 hours 30 minutes.
• The cost is 10-13 euros (depending on the time of the trip). Tickets can be purchased at the departure station.
• Trains run twice a day at 11.30 and 16.20.

By bus

You need to take bus number 473 at the stop Prague - Florenc. Exit after 3 hours 50 minutes at Olomouc station.

• The fare is 15-20 euros.
• Buses run from Prague to Olomouc 4 times a day (at 10.00, 14.00, 17.00 and 21.00).

The prices and schedule on the page are for April 2019.

Compare accommodation prices using this form

Olomouc, Czech Republic is perhaps one of the most underrated cities in Europe. It is definitely worth a visit: it is no worse (and maybe even better) than the famous Karlovy Vary, Prague and Brno.

A short video about a trip to Olomouc.

Related posts:

Olomouc like immediately. Old City with narrow streets, lanes and arcades. It is very nice, cozy and not crowded - there are many open spaces in the center. Squares with baroque fountains are the highlight of the city. Many say that this is the second Prague - only quiet and calm. It seems to me that this is one of the most underestimated cities in the Czech Republic among our tourists. And completely in vain. There is still something to see and where to walk. And if Rome is called the city of fountains and squares, then Olomouc is the town of fountains and squares.

Olomouc is one of the most beautiful old towns in the Czech Republic and the first one we visited in this country. It is almost 800 years old (founded in 1253). The town is small - only a hundred thousand people live here. You can walk around the entire old center in a couple of hours. Olomouc is much less popular among tourists than other cities in the Czech Republic. And absolutely in vain. It's not as nice and cozy here as in Cesky Krumlov but not as noisy as in Prague. A kind of golden mean.
2.

To begin with, by tradition, the history of the place in two paragraphs. According to legend, Julius Caesar himself founded Olomouc on the site of a Roman camp. In the Middle Ages, the city was the capital of Moravia, then - one of the key cities of the Habsburg Empire. In 1640 the Swedes came and wiped Olomouc off the face of the earth. The city was quickly rebuilt - it became bigger and more beautiful, but it did not return its former status and influence. Then Olomouc became part of Austria-Hungary and developed rapidly as part of the empire. By the 19th century, three times as many Germans lived in the city as Czechs. After the Second World War, almost all of them were expelled.
3.

Plague column on the Upper Square. It - business card Olomouc. The height of the column is 35 meters. It is the tallest of its kind in all of central Europe. The pillar of the Holy Trinity was built for almost 40 years (from 1716 to 1754) - in honor of the deliverance of the city from the plague.
4.

The second dominant of the main square is the town hall. The building was built in the 15th century. Now it houses the city administration and the registry office. The height of the tower is 75 meters, twice the size of the pillar. And don't say it)

5.

The tower is decorated with astronomical clocks. This is a replica in the spirit of socialist realism. The old clock was destroyed by the Germans at the end of World War II. Leaving the city, they fired a couple of times at the town hall - they hit the dial exactly.

Fountain of Hercules on Upper Square.
8.

9.

Squares with baroque fountains are the highlight of the city. There are more than 20 fountains here (the same number in Odessa, which is ten times larger than Olomouc). The sculptures are inspired by Roman mythology. One of the fountains depicts Julius Caesar himself. The people of Olomouc like to believe that he was the one who founded the city.
10.

11.

As in Odessa, fountains were needed not for beauty, but for a normal water supply. When water supply was invented in Europe, fountains were demolished in all cities. And in Olomouc they played it safe and left it just in case of a fire. At the same time - rebuilt in the Baroque style to make it beautiful.
12.

Arion is perhaps the most famous fountain in Olomouc. And one of the newest. It was opened in 2002, although it was planned to be built in the 18th century. In the bowl there is a whole complex of bronze figures - turtles, fish, dolphins and the Greek poet Arion himself.
13.

14.

According to legend, Arion returned home from Italy with treasures that he had earned in a foreign land. On the way, either pirates attacked the ship, or the crew simply decided to rob the rich man. Arion was thrown overboard - but he was saved by a dolphin, who was attracted by the young man's singing. The Czechs consider this an example of the triumph of justice. In summer you can swim in the fountain.

15.

Marian column on the Lower Square. Another plague pillar. It was built a little earlier than the pillar of the Holy Trinity. But in the midst of another epidemic, they decided that it was not chic enough and did not protect well from diseases. Therefore, another column was built in the neighboring square. But this one, just in case, was not demolished.
16.

17.

Fountain of Neptune on the Lower Square.

18.

Houses in the vicinity of the Lower Square.
19.

20.

Arches and lanes in the old city.

Statue of St. Florian. Interesting man. He was a Roman general, but suddenly turned to the faith. I learned about the execution of several dozen Christians in Lokhra and went to save them. For this, he was sentenced to death, and according to tradition, he was tortured in every way before execution. Then they threw it into the river. The soldier who did this was immediately blinded, and Florian himself was carried away by the waves. At night, he appeared in a dream to a local righteous woman and asked him to be buried like a human being. After 7 years, the Roman Empire issued an edict on freedom of religion. And Florian was canonized.

23.

Chapel of St. John Sarkander. The church is big, but the lane is narrow. In fact, these are not just photographs, but panoramas of four frames.

26.

27.

Cathedral of St. Wenceslas. main temple cities. The church was rebuilt many times, but in the 19th century it was restored to its Gothic appearance. Here is the largest bell in Moravia. The height of the southern tower is more than a hundred meters. Above - only the tower of St. Vitus in Prague.
28.

29.

Next to the temple is a modest palace of the archbishop.
30.

We return to the city center. On the left photo - the southern tower of the Church of St. Wenceslas. On the right is the Triton Fountain and the Church of the Virgin Mary.

33.

Olomouc is very fond of decorating facades with animal figures. Every decent house does this.
34.

35.

36.

This is the first photo essay from the Czech Republic. We spent almost a week there. During this time, we managed to see a lot of interesting things - Olomouc, Prague, Brno, Cesky Krumlov, Kutna Hora, Gluboka nad Vltavou and the incredibly cool Slovak Bojnice castle. So in the near future there will be a series of cool photo stories. We went by car - I will gladly share the routes, tell you where to live, where to eat and what to watch.

39.

Liked? I will be grateful for like and repost)

Like all Moravian lands, the place where Olomouc stands was marked by the presence of Homo sapiens as early as the Paleolithic, since then people have lived here continuously. According to urban legend, Olomouc was founded by Julius Caesar, who drove the Celts out of here. There is no direct evidence that Caesar was here at all, but there are two weighty arguments that the patriots of the city like to refer to - supporters of this version. The Latin word-combination Julio montium ("hill of Julius") is consonant to some extent with the name Olomouc, given the phonetic transformation of this toponym from Latin into Czech. There are other etymological versions of the city's name that are not related to Caesar in any way. And one more thing: the military camp of the Romans of the II century. BC e. (the northernmost in Central Europe) still stood here, this is proved by excavations of archaeologists. Further in the history of Olomouc, everything is much more definite.
At the end of the 7th century 1.5 km from the city, the first Slavic settlement appears, in the 9th century. there was a fortified fort on Petrsky Hill. Both of these facts are also proven by excavations. The first written mention of another fortress, approximately at the same place, is contained in the "Czech Chronicles" by the first Czech chronicler Kozma of Prague (1030-1055), where he tells of the emergence of three Moravian principalities - Olomouc, Brno and Znojmo. Ota (Otto) I (c. 1045-1087), Prince of Olomouc from 1061, is considered the founder of the Olomouc branch of the Czech princes Přemyslids. In 1063, a bishopric was created in Olomouc (it became an archbishopric in 1777). After another 15 years, the first building of the Gradiski (Gradishko) monastery was built. Thus, there was still no city that received the official status of the capital of the imperial margraviate in 1253, and religious center already existed in Olomouc. And then, no matter what events in its history take place, be it the Hussite wars (religious conflicts between 1420 and 1434) or the Swedish occupation in 1641-1648. during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), Olomouc, although it lost its capital status in 1641, remained the defender of both the ideology and the material values ​​of the Catholic Church. Its temples have retained their grandeur and are the pride of Olomouc. Churches, monasteries, chapels in this city saturate the entire space of its historical center.
The Cathedral of St. Wenceslas is a visible history of European church architecture from its most ancient Romanesque fragments of the 12th century. to renovations in the Neo-Gothic style of the 19th century. In the Cathedral of St. Mauritius, whose Gothic appearance was formed by the 15th century, there is the largest organ in Central Europe and the eighth largest in the world, the sound of which is recognized by many organists as the best in the world. The point here is not how objective this opinion is, it is more important that the Olomouc organ sounds excellent, it is a fact. Other famous churches in Olomouc are St. Michael and Virgin Mary of the Snow. The Church of St. Michael was founded in the XIII century, in the XVII century. rebuilt in baroque style, has a magnificent interior. The Church of the Virgin Mary of the Snow (XVIII century) is an elegant example of the cult architecture of the Baroque era.
The most famous monument of Olomouc is the Column of the Holy Trinity, which was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000, it is also the Plague Column, built in the 18th century. This is an impressive baroque sculptural group with a 35 m high column. The image of the Trinity crowns the spire of the column, 18 stone sculptures of saints and 14 bas-reliefs are placed on three levels of its base, and a small chapel is inside the pedestal.
From the Middle Ages until the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, Olomouc was more often referred to in German as Olmütz, and the German language was mostly spoken here.
Olomouc stands on the banks of the Morava River. The historical center of the city lies on three low hills - Wenceslas, Michal and Petr. The center is cut by the Mlynsky stream, the banks of which are bordered by rocks up to 16 m high. The southeast of the city reaches the Low Jesenik (lower part of the Jesenik mountain range), where the height of individual blocks above sea level is 420 m.
"Second Prague" is a definition that has long become stable in the characterization of Olomouc as a historical city.
It's not a matter of stylistic similarity and the coincidence of their age architectural monuments, or rather, not only in this, but in the saturation of the urban environment with them. This applies not only to churches and monasteries, but also to civil architecture, Renaissance, Baroque palaces and mansions of aristocrats and business people XVII-XVIII centuries These buildings now house administrative and cultural institutions. On the tower of the city hall there is an astronomical clock of the 15th century, similar to the Orloj - Prague chimes.
With its own, “communist”, as they say here, features: during the reconstruction after the Second World War, when the clock was badly damaged by the bombing, by order of the authorities, the figurines of saints on them were replaced by figurines of workers and peasants with hammers and sickles in their hands. On the Big Circle of the clock there are three dials and a “day and night” sphere, Catholic holidays are marked with white stripes, proletarian holidays are marked with red ones. Two figures are depicted on the sides of it - a worker with a wrench and a scientist with a test tube in his hands.
In 1573 Maximilian II, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, and Pope Gregory XIII founded a university in Olomouc, the second in Bohemia after the Charles University in Prague. In 1860 it was closed by the Austrian authorities, in 1946 it was revived and since then has been named after the Czech historian and politician Frantisek Palacky. The University in Olomouc is the second in the Czech Republic and in terms of the number of students: in its eight faculties, among which there is also a traditional educational institution theological, almost 23 thousand young people are studying, every fifth resident of the city is a student.
Thanks to the magnificent Baroque note in the appearance of the city, it is also often compared to Vienna. Referring at the same time primarily to his famous fountains built in the XVII-XVIII centuries. on the site of sources that were used as sources of water supply in the Middle Ages. Five baroque fountains are dedicated to the characters of ancient myths - Hercules, Mercury, Neptune, Jupiter, Triton, and Julius Caesar. In 2002 and 2007 two more fountains were added to these ensembles, one dedicated again to the ancient hero - the ancient Greek singer and poet Arion, the second - to Jan Sarkander, a saint of the Catholic Church, a martyr who died as a result of torture in the Olomouc prison in 1620, during the Thirty Years War.
The respectful nickname of Olomouc "Moravian Salzburg" was born in Austria-Hungary in 1767, when Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, at the age of 11, composed his Symphony No. 6 in Olomouc, which he called the Olomouc Symphony. The boy then suffered from chicken pox, and the rector of Olomouc University Leopold Podstatsky-Liechtenstein sheltered the young genius and his father in the Archbishop's Palace. On Christmas Eve, the illness subsided. Ludwig van Beethoven in 1823 composed Missa solemnis, a solemn mass for the St. Wenceslas Cathedral, in honor of the appointment of Archduke Rudolf, his friend, and in adolescence a student of the composer, Archbishop of Olomouc. Josef Radetzky, commandant of the fortress of Olmütz in 1829, an Austrian field marshal, was an outstanding military leader, but is mainly known for the "Radetzky March", written by Johann Strauss the father in his honor in 1848. Gustav Mahler lived in Olomouc in 1883 , conducted the orchestra of the local opera house. Classics of Czech music Bedrich Smetana, Antonin Dvořák, Leoš Janáček gave concerts in Olomouc.
Even today, music is a constant component in the cultural atmosphere of Olomouc, several international music festivals and a documentary film festival are held here. The Flora Olomouc flower and horticultural fairs, which take place at the end of April, August and October, are especially popular.

general information

A city in the eastern part of the Czech Republic, the center of historical Moravia, in the past - its capital, now - the administrative center of the Olomouc region.
Date of foundation: 1253
Administrative-territorial division: 27 districts.
Ethnic composition: Czechs (many Moravans position themselves as Czechs) - about 90%, as well as Germans, Ukrainians, Hungarians, Gypsies, Jews, Vietnamese, etc.
Religions: Christianity - Catholicism, Protestantism, Orthodoxy; Judaism, other beliefs. In general - about 50% of believers.
Currency unit: Czech crown.
River: Morava.
Nearest airport: Pardubice (international).

Numbers

Area: 103.36 km2.
Population: 102,046 (2015)
Population density: 987.3 people / km 2.
Center height above sea level: 219 m.
Distance to Prague: 300 km.

Climate and weather

Moderate continental.
January average temperature: -2°C.
July average temperature: +19°С.
Average annual rainfall: 580 mm.

Economy

Industry: engineering, chemical, food industry.
Service sector: educational services, trade, tourism.

Attractions

■ Column of the Holy Trinity, or the Plague Column (Baroque, 1716-1754) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
■ Olomouc Castle, part of which is the Cathedral of St. Wenceslas (Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Neo-Gothic, XII-XIX centuries), next to it is the building of the deanery of the Capitula (XIV century) with the Church of St. Anna (XIV century). Behind the church is a tower with a chapel of St. Barbara, rebuilt from a Romanesque residential tower in the middle. 12th century The building of the Capitula houses the Archbishop's Museum, part of which is the small Přemyslid Palace, in the Romanesque style.
■ Gradis Monastery(XVII-XVIII centuries), churches: St. Morzhitsa, or Mauritius (Gothic, Baroque, XV-XVI centuries), Virgin Mary of the Snow (Baroque, XVI century, construction of the temple began in the XIII century), Church of St. Michael (Baroque, XVII century), Red Church (Neo-Gothic, 1902), Evangelical Church (Neo-Romanic, 1920), St. Cyril and Methodius (Neo-Gothic, 1932), Orthodox Church of St. Gorazd (1939 ) and other churches, monasteries and chapels.
■ town hall(Renaissance, XV century), Opera House (XX century)
■ Fountains: baroque XVII-XVIII centuries. - Hercules, Neptune, Jupiter, Mercury, Caesar, Triton; Arion (2002), St. martyr Jan Sarkander (2007).
■ Bezruchovy gardens- a park with a botanical garden and a rose garden.
■ palaces: Archbishop's (Baroque, XVII century), Edelmann (Renaissance, XVI century), Gauenschild (Renaissance, XVI century), Petrash (Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, XVI-XVIII centuries), Villa Primavesi (XX century, picture gallery).
■ Museums: contemporary art, historical, aviation, vintage cars.
■ nearby: Svaty-Kopechek (Holy Hill) - a village in which there is a pilgrimage baroque basilica of the Apparition of the Mother of God of the 17th century, as well as a zoo and an observation tower 32 m high; the town of Kroměříž, its Archbishop's Palace and its gardens - a UNESCO World Heritage Site; ethnographical museum under open sky(Prizhikazy village); castles of Bouzov (XII-XIV centuries), Sovinets (XIV century), Namneshti on Gan (XVII-XVIII centuries), etc.

Curious facts

■ On the streets of Olomouc, on the pediments of its ancient buildings, the most common heraldic symbol is an eagle with a crown on its head, often covered with a red-silver cage. The cage can also be carved in stone as if it were imprinted in the body of a symbolic bird.
■ Until the beginning of the XX century. a number of historical publications published information that the Czechs, under the command of the governor Yaroslav from Sternberk, won a victory over the Mongol-Tatars in the battle of Olomouc. At the same time, there were references to the Krapa-Dvorskaya and Zelenogorsk manuscript chronicles. However, this whole story is a hoax by the philologist and poet Vaclav Ganka (1791-1861). So that his pseudo-finds of 1817 would not be in doubt, he even resorted to forgery: he washed away the text from genuine parchments of the 13th century. and put on them his stylized ancient texts fiction.
■ The first Czech treatise on music was published in Olomouc in the 16th century.
■ The history of Olomouc includes the names of many crowned persons. The most memorable events associated with such events are the assassination in 1306 under mysterious circumstances of King Wenceslas III, the last of the Přemyslids, and the abdication of the throne in the Archbishop's Palace in December 1848 of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary Franz (Ferdinand) I of Habsburg in favor of the son of his younger brother, who became Emperor Franz Joseph I. In the same palace, before the battle of Austerlitz, a meeting took place between the emperors Franz I and Alexander I.
■ Olomouc tvaruzhki (cheese, in our opinion) - small maturing cheese heads, similar to washers, a special Czech "specialty". They enjoy a double reputation. Firstly, they spread a special, delicately speaking, unpleasant smell. However, they are in great demand among beer lovers - and this is second. Here lies one gastronomic secret. Curds should be cut into thin slices and lightly fried - the smell will disappear. Then put them on rye bread with butter, add onion rings on top and ... "you won't pull back the ears." They are called Olomouc because they were sold at the market in Olomouc, and they were invented in 1892 in the village of Lostice, which is nearby. Tvaruzhki are made from sour curd, which is made from unpasteurized cow's milk.