Czech - Olomouc
Albania
Czech Republic
Official Name
Olomouc. The German name is Olmütz. The old spelling is 'Olmuts' or 'Olmuc'. Note that 'o' and 'u' are pronounced separately, so it's 'Olomo-uc'.
Location
| ||
| Olomouc |
Olomouc lies around 270 km east of the capital →Prague in the heart of Moravia. The biggest city of Moravia →Brno in the south-west is only 60 km away. Olomouc spreads inside the broad Hornomoravský Uval (Upper Morave valley) along the small Morava (March) river.
Population
Around 103,000 people live in Olomouc, and so it's the fifth biggest town of the Czech republic.
Orientation
It's a little known fact that Olomouc offers the second biggest density of cultural treasures inside the Czech republic, only to be outnumbered by →Prague of course.
The shape of the town is quite unusual and is widely influenced by the Morava river and some of its tributaries. The Olomouc hl. n. (main train station) is quite far away from the historic centre in the east of Olomouc. From there, straight as an arrow Masarykova street leads around 1.5 km to the north-west. Behind the third bridge, the streets changes the direction and also the name into 1. máje (1st May). There, the huge cathedral Dóm sv. Václava marks the beginning of the historic city centre. When you keep on walking the same street, you will pass nám. Republiky (Republic square) first and, further to the east, the central Horní nám. (upper square). The latter is very big, but it's not possible to see the entire square, since Olomouc' large Radnice (city hall) stands in the middle of the square.
| ||
| Horní nám. (upper square) of Olomouc |
So much about the upper square - where's the Dolní nám. (lower square)? It's only 200 m south of the upper square and much smaller. The rather large old city centre is, except for the northern part, surrounded by large parks and therefore clearly separated from the rest of the town. Olomouc' outskirts are characterised by large industrial areas and grey living quarters.
History
Olomouc is an old city and had been mentioned first in the year 1017. This was the time when Moravia was united with Bohemia. The royal Přemysl family built a palace in Olomouc and added the St. Peter church, which doesn't exist any longer. In 1078, a monastery was founded.
In the middle of the 13th century, fortified Olomouc was granted civic rights. The local ruler allowed the citizens to erect a city hall in the 14th century. At that time, Olomouc had become a bustling trading place and the most important city of Moravia. The Hussite war had left its marks on the town, but Olomouc kept on growing and even founded its own university in 1513. Much worse than the Hussite war was the 30 years' war, which flattened the town. In the year 1642, shortly before the war ended, Swedish troops besieged and seized the town and stayed there for eight long years. Some 30,000 people lived in Olomouc before the war broke out. After the war, only 2,000 inhabitants remained. Consequently, Olomouc had lost its supremacy to →Brno, which was the capital of Moravia eversince. It took a very long time for Olomouc to recover.
| ||
| The tip of the marvellous trinity column |
After the 18th century, Olomouce started to prosper again. Many buildings of the old city centre as they can be seen today had been built at that time. However, due to the development impeding city wall, the industrial revolution during the 19th century didn't flash over to Olomouc. Thus the city fortifications had been removed later on. During the 19th century, two thirds of the city population were German.
More and more German citizens left the place - before the beginning of World War II, only one third of the citizens were German. As in any other Czech town, the last German 'Olmützer' were driven out of Olomouc.
Getting there / transportation
Olomouc is conveniently located. The EC (EuroCity) from →Prague to →Košice (East →Slovakia) stops in Olomouc. To Prague it's less than 3½ hours (164 Kč), to Košice it's around 6½ hours and costs 740 skr (€ 18.5). The train is very modern, a restaurant is among the carriages.
There are several trains running to the North and to the South. The train to Ostrava in the north needs 1h 10 minutes, the train to →Brno around 1½ hours. There's also a direct EC to Katowice in South →Poland (3 hours)
. Tram No 1 to 5 take you from the trains station to the centre of town.
As everywhere, most sights concentrate around the large, central square, in Olomouc called Upper Square. Here, the Sloup Nejsvětější Trojice (Holy Trinity Column) can be admired. This tall baroque column (see also photos above) was completed in 1754 and is 35 meters high. This sort of column is quite unusual in Europe, and so it was declared World Heritage by the UNESCO in the year 2000. Especially the detailing is very impressive.
| ||
| The reconstructed astronomical clock at the city hall |
The Radnice (town hall) in the middle of the square is another interesting building. It was first built in the 15th century as a renaissance structure with some gothic element. Unfortunately, it was heavily destroyed. The town hall as it can be seen today is a replica from 1955. The Orloj (astronomical clock) with a highly complicated mechanism decorates the north wall of the building. Very obviously, the clock had been reconstructed in socialist times. Additionally, there are two beautiful fountains on the upper square. One is the Caesarova kašna (Caesar's fountain), the other one is called Herkulova kašna (Hercules' fountain ). The latter was built in 1688 and therefore is one of Olomouc oldest structures.
| ||
| There's no lack of small and narrow streets in Olomouc |
"Biggest" attraction of town is the huge Katedrála Sv. Václava (St. Vaclav cathedral). The neo-gothic church features two sharp towers which are 100 m high. At the same place, a first church was erected in the 12th century. And destroyed. And rebuilt. And destroyed. The cathedral as it can be seen today was completed in 1890. Next to the cathedral, the Přemyslovský Palác (Premysl's palace) towers like a fortress above the Morava river.
| ||
| Great sculptures at the chapel of St. Sarkander (?) |
It's around one kilometer from the upper square to the cathedral. The stretch between both places, especially the narrow lanes south of the main street, is definitely worth a visit. Many old houses, among them numerous churches, offer interesting details.
| ||
| The cathedral and remainings of the palace |
The atmosphere in Olomouc is quite different to the atmosphere of other towns in the Czech republic. This is probably due to the fact that Olomouc was rebuilt several times. However, it's highly interesting. People staying more than 2 weeks in the Czech republic shouldn't miss the place.
| Accommodation |
Middle Moravia, Zlín |
The hotel is situated in a calm and pleasant environment in Otrokovice. There are spacious and comfortable rooms, with barrier-free access, suitable also for large groups of guests. | ||
Location
The hotel is situated in a calm and pleasant environment in Otrokovice. There are spacious and comfortable rooms, with barrier-free access, suitable also for large groups of guests.
Amenities and Services
The hotel offers guest rooms of categories Standard and Economy.
Standard Rooms - 20 double and two 3-bed rooms. The rooms are spacious, comfortable, with WC, shower or bathtub, TV with satellite channels, and telephone. Internet connection available.
Economy Rooms – 12 double and single rooms, practically arranged and comfortably furnished, with shared mudroom and bathroom (shower corner and WC) TV, telephone. Suitable namely for families with children.
8 spacious Apartments with two double rooms, comfortable bathroom, TV with satellite channels, mini bar and telephone.
The hotel also offers simple tourist double rooms, with washbasin with cold and hot water in the room, WC and shower on the corridor.
The hotel facilities include a well equipped fitness center with programs and courses for the clients. Massages and solarium also available.
Leisure Activities
Thanks to its favorable location on the border of three regions - Valašsko, Slovácko and Haná – it is suitable as a departure point for tourism and trips. In summer season, a recently reconstructed heated outdoor swimming pool as well as a large nature pool “Štěrkoviště“, located 900 m from the hotel, are available.
15 tennis courts 800 m from the hotel, indoor tennis hall, football field, sports stadium, bowling, squash, ninepins.
Other Information
Pets allowed. Parking in front of the hotel.
Conference Services
Hotel offers the perfect places with the standard equipment for the firm workshops, courses or conferences. The whole building is very comfortable and large, suitable for the big groups too. For its very good location in Moravian region it is easy to travel there from all the main directions.
- the professional projects of your demand
- good prices of all your repeated actions
- a lot of technology for presentations
- possibilities to organize conferences, workshops, courses, speeches, parties, balls, banquets, receptions, weddings, annual celebrations, fashion shows, exhibitions, concerts, ...
- food services
| Accommodation |
Middle Moravia, Kroměříž |
The family hotel offers accommodation in a historical part of the town of Kroměříž.The historical building of the family hotel provides accommodation of European standards. | ||
Location
The family hotel offers accommodation in a historical part of the town of Kroměříž.The historical building of the family hotel provides accommodation of European standards.
Amenities and Services
The family hotel has te double rooms (single occupancy option), and two 4-bed rooms. All twelve rooms have their own bathroom, telephone, TV with satellite channels, mini bar, hair dryer. Attic rooms and apartments have air conditioning.
Restaurant and wine cellar with a wide choice of quality wines is open only to hotel guests. Finnish sauna available in the hotel building.
Leisure Activities
Swimming pool, fitness studio, solarium, tennis, golf, tourism, cycling etc.
Other Information
Large car par in front of the family hotel.
Complimentary PC with Internet connection is available non-stop. WiFi free spot 5Mbit/s connection available in all areas of the family hotel
Pets allowed.
Business Rooms are of high comfort.
Standard rooms are offered at favorable prices due to a smaller area and corresponding furniture – these are mostly the attic rooms.
| Accommodation |
Middle Moravia, Přerov |
The Hotel offers quality accommodation and conference services. It is located in a quiet neighborhood of the town, a few minutes walk from the center. The Hotel can be easily reached by public transportation or by car. | ||
Silvestr není k dispozici
Location
The Hotel offers quality accommodation and conference services.
It is located in a quiet neighborhood of the town, a few minutes walk from the center.
The Hotel can be easily reached by public transportation or by car.
Amenities and Services
We offer 72 double rooms, 3 triple apartment style rooms and one presidential suite. Rooms with balconies are equipped with color television, telephone, mini bar and bathroom.
Leisure Activities
The hotels offers high quality squash court according to European standards. Tennis courts and indoor tennis hall where a number of big tennis names started their careers are available nearby. The hotel’s sports center offers pleasant relaxation in an air-conditioned fitness room and sauna. Snacks and relaxation areas are available directly on the premises of the sports center.
The surroundings and nearby towns offer many interesting sights for those coming to explore local culture or hike the area. These include:
Olomouc (UNESCO) – notable religious and historical monuments
Kroměříž (UNESCO) – Flower Garden, Castle Gardens, the Castle, Archbishop’s Wine Cellars.
Helfštýn – large castle from the 14th century, The Hefaiston Blacksmith Forum.
Hostýn – a pilgrim site, basilica. You can spend a night in the fully air-conditioned night bar Laguna that can take up to 100 guests. The bar has a room for private parties of up to 54 people. The bar specializes in entertainment programs and a rich variety of mixed drinks on the Cocktail Bar.
Other Information
The hotel restaurants can accommodate 90 guests and offers a rich variety of ready-made dishes and dishes made to order.
A congress hall with air-conditioning and a capacity of up to 130 people offers presentable and pleasant space for seminars, all-hotel events or celebrations. The hall has a quality sound system and is equipped for presentations and trainings.
Pets allowed for a fee of 100 CZK per night. Parking is included in the room prices.
| Accommodation |
Middle Moravia, Přerov |
The hotel is located in a calm part of the town | ||
Location
The hotel is located in a calm part of the town
Amenities and Services
The hotel offers 88 double rooms, four apartments (two beds) and one presidential apartment (two beds). Extra bed option available in the guest rooms. 17 rooms are barrier-free, including special bathroom and other equipment. All rooms have comfortable bathrooms with bathtub or shower, mini bar, TV, safety deposit box, telephone, safety electronic key cards system.
12 DeLuxe Rooms are located in the calmest part of the hotel.
Two bowling alleys, sauna, steam bath, whirlpool, massages, fitness studio, tennis courts within the hotel ground. Hotel restaurant and café where cold and warm self-service breakfast is offered. Lounge and Whisky Club in the luxury part of the restaurant. Outdoor garden restaurant with barbecue grill is available during summer season.
Leisure Activities
Tennis hall is bust next to the hotel; four indoor courts and 24 outdoor red clay courts for international tournaments as well as for our guest are available. Golf Club Olomouc in Véska, nine hole golf course, par 3, chipping and putting green, driving range with clubroom and a professional trainer. Outdoor swimming pool within the tennis area. We are ready to arrange for bugatti, paintball, sport shooting, horseback riding, squash, mountain bike rent, hire of sports ground and gym (about 100 m from the hotel).
Other Information
Congress facilities. All social rooms have connection to telephone and fax. We can provide audio and video equipment and interpreting conference equipment on demand.
WiFi Internet connection in majority of guest rooms including social areas of the hotel
The hotel offers 86 parking spaces secured by camera-monitoring system which can be viewed in the room, two spaces for coach; other 100 parking spaces about 100 m from the hotel.
Pets allowed
Weekend stay: from Saturday to Sunday, from Sunday to Monday.
Breakfast included in price.
| Accommodation |
Middle Moravia, Olomouc |
The hotel is situated in the vicinity of the historical town center, in a quiet environment of a residential quarter. A remarkable Art Nouveau building with recently remodeled interiors. | ||
Location
The hotel is situated in the vicinity of the historical town center, in a quiet environment of a residential quarter. A remarkable Art Nouveau building with recently remodeled interiors.
Amenities and Services
The hotel offers 14 double rooms, two single rooms, and one apartment. All the 17 comfortably arranged rooms, with stylish furniture of solid wood, represent an elegant and friendly atmosphere. Majority of rooms are non-smoking. Each room has an air-conditioning option, connection to the Internet, telephone, TV with 10 channels, mini bar, hair dryer, comfortable double or twin beds. Internet connection is included in the price for room.
Pleasant, air-conditioned restaurant with soft music. Two lounges for 10 and 25 people available.
Other Information
Car park with 20 parking spaces, camera monitored. The hotel car park is locked after 10 p.m. and can be entered only by the hotel guests. Garage parking option available.
Pets welcome! Dog beds both for large and small breeds, bowl for water and food, and a bone as a small gift from the hotel.
Stay with dog – additional fee of CZK 250.
Complimentary baby cot available.
The Hotel Palác at tř. 1. Máje 27 is quite big and somehow old-fashioned, but in general it's okay. It's conveniently located between the train station and the upper square, just a few meters away from Vaclac-cathedral. Just look for the casino which is in the first floor. A bed in a double costs 630 Kč. There's an excellent restaurant around the corner on Komenského rd.
- www.olomouc-tourism.cz As the URL suggests - this is the portal of the tourism board of Olmouc - multilingual and a good resource.
Do you have or do you know a good website about Olomouc? Don't hesitate, let me know! After checking it, I would love to add it to the link list. You can submit a link by using the →contact form. Note that commercial websites will be treated differently.
©2008 Europe-East.com
