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Visit Olomouc in Moravia

With Kutná Hora or Karlovy Vary, Olomouc is amongst the destinations that you should not miss while visiting the Czech Republic. The historical centre of the Moravian capital offers a great snapshot of the history and architecture that this city has to offer. Walk around the centre and discover monuments such as the Holy Trinity Column, which was built in 1740 and is now part of UNESCO’s world heritage list.

Get to Olomouc

From Prague, you find frequent connections to Olomouc. You may decide to go either by bus or by train, even though the second option offers more frequent connections but is also much quicker. This train journey make take you slightly more than 2 hours, while a bus ride will definitely take you more than 3 hours.

The 3 Czech train operators (Ceske Drahy, Leo Express and Regiojet) all offer regular connections to Olomouc. RegioJet is currently the operator offering the best value for money on this destination. To get more information on your journey, have a look at our article on trains in the Czech Republic.
Olomouc central station is located east of the centre, and a short 10-minute tram ride will take you right next to the historical centre.

A beautiful historical centre

Even though Olomouc is one of the largest city in the country with more than 100,000 inhabitants, visitors always enjoy the fact that the majority of touristic sites and places of interest are located close to the old town square. Thus, you may just walk around Horní náměstí (main square) and Dolní náměstí (lower square) and will still be able to enjoy most of Olomouc’s treasures.

On Horní náměstí, after a visit of the Town Hall (one of the best examples of Olomouc great architecture) you may want to stop and contemplate the famous Holy Trinity Column, a 32-metre-high piece of architecture where you sill see 18 statues of saints. On the same square, don’t miss the astronomical clock, which was once as famous as Prague’s.

When getting to Dolní náměstí, slightly less busy than the main square, you will see the impressive baroque fountains of Neptune and Jupiter. If you feel like trying the local cuisine, the lower square offers numerous restaurants where you may be tempted to try Olomouc’s traditional cheese, the delicious Olomoucké tvarůžky. Despite its rather strong taste, it is definitely worth it, especially you’re a cheese fan!

Some websites to check before leaving

– Information, restaurants and videos of Olomouc on Czech Tourism’s offcial website: http://www.czechtourism.com/t/olomouc/

– Official website of Olomouc’s tourism office, a great source of information
http://tourism.olomouc.eu/welcome/en

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Parks in Prague : Letna, Riegrovy Sady, Stromovka…

Prague has many parks and those located in the centre are without surprise the crowded ones during weekends, but also quite busy when you’re lucky enough with weather. Czech people are real sports lovers and you’ll see a number of cyclists, roller bladers and runners each day of the week when weather’s good enough… and in winter time you’ll only see brave people! 🙂

Stromovka, Prague’s largest park

Stromovka is Prague’s largest park (in the centre). There, you can find a small “kiosk” which is open all year round, and where you can buy drinks and snacks. In summer time, a great number of tables are put outside, and you’ll be able to enjoy your beer, grilled food from the barbecue and music as concerts are held on an occasional basis.
You’ll also find in Stromovka a restaurant called Vozovna Stromovka where you can get proper meals. You’ll often see families gathering around as the restaurant is located right next to the playground.
>> How to get there: Vystaviste Holesovice tram stop (n°12, 17 and 24 tram lines)

Letna park, a great view of the city

Letna is certainly the most famous park in Prague, namely thanks to its beer garden and the fantastic view of the city that you can enjoy from there. When in the beer garden, you’ll find plenty of tables where to sit, but in summer make sure you’re there early enough to have a spot to sit – let’s say by 7-8PM. For those who’d like something a bit more upmarket, you can a meal and drinks in the nearby restaurant called Letensky Zamecek. The outdoor area is slightly more informal than the indoor part.
>> How to get there:  Letenske namesti tram stop (n°1, 8, 25 and 26 tram lines)

Small parks in Prague

Riegrovy Sady and Havlickovy Sady are two smaller parks but still quite busy as they are near Vinohrady district, where a lot of expats and students live. It’s a very lively district with a great number of restaurants, bars and clubs. if your hotel or apartment is located in the centre, you’ll need to catch the metro to get there, even though you’d probably be better off just going to Letna!
>> How to get there: Namesti Miru metro station, Italska tram stop (n°11 et 13 tram lines)

And finally, Petrin is another nice park : it is a hill located behind Prague’s castle. It will be a perfect place to go if you’d like to enjoy a nice walk on Sunday after a busy day of visits, especially if you’re staying in Mala Strana district.
>> How to get there: Ujezd tram stop (n°6, 9, 12, 14, 20, 22 and 24 tram lines)

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