Olomouc Region

This region in central Moravia stretches from the fertile Haná plain to the ridges of the Hrubý Jeseník mountains on the Polish border. A trip to the Olomouc Region takes you to one of Central Europe's most beautiful baroque cities, to venerable spa towns and onto hiking trails leading up to Praděd.

Landscape and Location

The Olomouc Region, Olomoucký kraj, is long and narrow. In the south lies the Haná, a broad, fertile plain along the Morava River, whose inhabitants, the Hanaks, are known for their colorful folk costumes. To the north the mountains rise: the Hrubý Jeseník range, with Praděd at 1,491 meters, and the Rychlebské Mountains. In the far north the region reaches all the way to Poland, with spa towns and former mining towns. The Litovelské Pomoraví Protected Landscape Area protects floodplain forests along the Morava.

Olomouc, the Baroque Bishops' City

Olomouc is the second-oldest university city in the Czech Republic and the seat of an archbishop. On Upper Square stands the Holy Trinity Column, a 35-meter-high baroque column that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Six baroque fountains, the astronomical clock on the town hall in the style of socialist realism, St. Wenceslas Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace round out the Old Town, which, despite its beauty, sees fewer visitors than Prague. Mozart wrote a symphony here at the age of eleven. On Holy Hill, Svatý Kopeček, stands a pilgrimage church with views across the plain.

Sights in the Olomouc Region

Prostějov is a traditional center of the textile industry, with an Art Nouveau National House by Jan Kotěra. Přerov has a castle with a Comenius museum. Hranice is known for the Hranice Abyss, the deepest known flooded karst pit in the world, as well as for Teplice nad Bečvou with its stalactite caves. Šumperk is the gateway to the Hrubý Jeseník mountains. North of it lie Velké Losiny with its Renaissance château and handmade paper, Loučná nad Desnou with the Dlouhé Stráně pumped-storage power plant, whose upper reservoir sits on a mountaintop, as well as Jeseník and Lipová-lázně. In Gräfenberg near Jeseník, Vincenz Priessnitz founded hydrotherapy in the 19th century, and his spa still operates today.

Nature and Active Travel

In summer the Hrubý Jeseník range is a hiking area with raised bogs and waterfalls; in winter it is a ski region with resorts such as Ramzová, Kouty nad Desnou and Červenohorské sedlo. Around Jeseník, trails lead to the springs in the Priessnitz spa park, from which you can drink. The Na Pomezí Cave near Lipová-lázně is a stalactite cave in marble. In the Haná plain you can cycle along flat paths beside the Morava, and Litovel, with its many bridges over the river branches, is often called the Venice of the Haná.

Food, Getting There and Best Time to Visit

Olomouc cheese, Olomoucké tvarůžky, is a strong-smelling sour-milk cheese made in Loštice, where it even turns up in sweet dishes. The Haná is regarded as the breadbasket of Moravia, and its kolaches and sausages are well known. Beer comes from Litovel and from Zubr in Přerov. Olomouc lies on the Prague–Ostrava rail line, and trains take about two hours from Prague. The best time to visit is May through October; for skiing in the Hrubý Jeseník range, December through March.