Olomouc walking tour & city guide

The squares

The Holy Trinity Column, a huge baroque monument, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town hall has an astronomical clock rebuilt in socialist realist style, with workers instead of saints. Six baroque fountains decorate the squares.

Churches and parks

St Wenceslas Cathedral has the tallest church tower in Moravia. A ring of parks surrounds the old town.

A day in Olomouc

Olomouc is often called a smaller, quieter Prague. Its Upper Square has a UNESCO-listed Holy Trinity Column, a towering baroque monument, and an astronomical clock rebuilt in the socialist realist style, with workers instead of saints.

Walk to the Lower Square and the six baroque fountains around the old town, then visit St. Wenceslas Cathedral and the Archdiocesan Museum. The parks around the old walls are perfect for an afternoon stroll.

Good to know

Olomouc is a university town with a lively, affordable atmosphere and few crowds. It is known for Olomoucké tvarůžky, a strong-smelling aged cheese.

The Holy Hill pilgrimage church, a short bus ride away, has views over the Haná plain.

Why it is underrated

Olomouc was once the capital of Moravia and an important religious center, and the number of churches, palaces and monuments in its old town is second only to Prague in the Czech Republic. Yet it sees only a fraction of the visitors, so you can enjoy its squares in peace. The Holy Trinity Column, completed in 1754, is the largest baroque sculptural group in Central Europe.

Students make up a large part of the population, which keeps the town lively, with plenty of cafés and pubs. The Flora Olomouc garden festival, held in spring and autumn, is one of the biggest flower shows in the country.