Olomouc: Moravia's Baroque Gem That Tourists Have Yet to Discover

The Prague that Prague used to be

Ask a Praguer which is the most beautiful city in the Czech Republic after the capital and, if they are honest, they will say Olomouc. Yet very few foreign tourists know it. This Moravian university city — 100,000 inhabitants, 20,000 students — has everything that makes Prague irresistible (Baroque architecture, cultural life, historic breweries) without any of what makes it exhausting (crowds, inflated prices, tourist traps).

What to see in Olomouc

The Column of the Holy Trinity

At the center of the Upper Square (Horní náměstí) rises the Column of the Holy Trinity, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000. Standing 35 meters tall, it is the largest Baroque sculpture in Central Europe: a triumph of saints, angels and stone clouds crowned by the Trinity. It was erected between 1716 and 1754 in thanksgiving for the end of the plague, and its wealth of detail is staggering — you could spend an hour deciphering the figures.

The Baroque fountains

Olomouc possesses six monumental Baroque fountains dedicated to mythological figures: Hercules, Mercury, Triton, Neptune, Jupiter and Caesar. Scattered through the old town, they form a sculptural trail unique in Europe. A seventh modern fountain — the Arion Fountain by Ivan Theimer, a Czech-French artist — stands in the Lower Square.

St Wenceslas Cathedral

The cathedral, rebuilt in Neo-Gothic style in the 19th century, has a Romanesque crypt from the 12th century and a tower 100 meters tall offering the finest view of the city. It is the tallest church in Moravia and the seat of the archbishopric.

The Astronomical Clock

On the corner of the town hall, Olomouc's astronomical clock is a curious hybrid: the original mechanism dated from the 15th century, but it was remade in Socialist Realist style in the 1950s, with workers, farmers and athletes replacing saints and kings. The result is bizarre but fascinating: every day at noon, the mosaic figurines animate in a procession that is an involuntary document of political history.

What to eat

Olomouc is the city of pungent cheese, and proud of it:

- Olomoucké tvarůžky — the most famous (and most aromatic) cheese in the Czech Republic, small yellowish rounds with an intense flavor, served fried, marinated or simply with bread and onion. It has existed since the 15th century and has a dedicated museum in the nearby town of Loštice

- Hanácký koláč — Moravian flatbread filled with poppy seeds, sweet curd cheese or plums

- Guláš moravský — Moravian-style goulash, thicker and more spiced than the Hungarian version, with bread dumplings

- Moritz beer — the city's craft brewery, with a brewpub in the old town center

For tvarůžky, the best address is the Svatý Kopeček brewpub. For a more refined dinner, the Entreé restaurant on the main square.

How to get there

Olomouc lies on the main railway line between Prague and Ostrava: direct trains from Prague in 2.5 hours (RegioJet and Czech Railways). From Vienna, about 3.5 hours by train via Breclav. The nearest airports are Brno (80 km) or Ostrava Mošnov (95 km); from Italy, fly to Prague or Vienna and then take the train. By car, the D46 from Brno (80 km, 1 hour). The old town is compact and entirely walkable.

When to go

April to October. University life keeps the city lively year-round, but summer (June-August) is the best period for weather. September is ideal: students just back, bars full, mild temperatures. Olomouc's Christmas markets, in the square beneath the Trinity Column, are among the most authentic in the Czech Republic — far less commercial than those in Prague.

Worth the journey

Olomouc is the kind of city that at the end of your trip will make you wonder: why did I know nothing about this? The answer is simple: international tourism stops at Prague and at best reaches Český Krumlov. Moravia stays off the radar, and for that reason stays genuine.