Olomouc, Czech Republic
The western side of the Czech Republic that includes Prague covers the historical land of Bohemia. The eastern third is Moravia (with a slice of Czech Silesia in the northeast). I rode Czech Rail on a 2.5 hour trip across the heart of the country to the city of Olomouc (pronounced “Olla-motz” in Czech) to explore the historical capital of Moravia.
Olomouc is a university city and it’s evident from the young people walking its streets to the humorous art on its walls.
Perhaps due to the distance from Prague, Olomouc didn’t seem like it had been discovered by foreign tourists. I felt like I was the only non-Czech in the city. Which was great because Olomouc proved to be a hidden gem.
Sometimes it can feel like the tourism industry is squeezing your hand a little too hard with all the rules, roped-off areas and entrance fees. Not so in Olomouc. I happened upon an unattended door on the side of a dark church and dropped a few coins in the donation bin. The stairs up to the tower were built to communist-era quality standards: rickety with gaps here and there.
But what a view from the top! I like to climb something early in my visit to a new place so I can orient myself and note everything interesting. This climb just came with an added dash of adventure.
Olomouc boasted an impressive old square with churches around every corner. The city also felt authentic. It was “lived in”. There were a few crumbling facades here and there but I appreciate the original details.
I was puzzled by the astronomical clock on the side of Olomouc’s town hall. Instead of traditional religious symbols with whirls of angels and demons, the clock twirled much more pedestrian figures.
Evidently German troops shot up the original clock as they were retreating through Olomouc in the later stages of World War II. The Russians eventually helped rebuild the clock to a socialist ideal. Thus, you see proletarian figures like factory workers and labourers elevated in status.
I laughed at this woman who looked like she was out to shop and just realized she forgot to turn the iron off at home.
After all the walking, I was ready for lunch. Let’s not talk about breakfast, I bought a box of something I thought was cereal and it was NOT cereal. From the top of the church I spied an outdoor cafe that looked busy so I found an empty seat.
Note in the first pic below the outdoor pour station for beer. Now this looked like a promising place! I was hopeless on the menu. No idea what any of the lunch specials were but at least they were very reasonably priced. I looked around at the dishes everyone else were enjoying and pointed at one for my waitress. It ended up being great and she was quick bringing Czech beer.
Numerous fountains dotted the town. I later learned that many cities removed their fountains when they installed modern plumbing. The Olomouc town council decided to keep their collection for use in fighting fires. What a sound decision that turned out to be.
There were plenty of traditional fountains with Greek figures but I was intrigued by the most modern one I found in a corner. It depicted the poet Arion and the dolphin who rescued him from the sea, attracted by his singing.
This fountain was impressive with interesting details to discover from every angle. Even the stand-alone spigot deserved closer inspection.
I couldn’t help but smirk at the graffiti scratched in the wall I encountered coming down the stairs in yet another church tower. The kids today!
I enjoyed my time in Olomouc. It exceeded my expectations and was well worth the train trek from Prague. Now, just keep it a secret between us.
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Thank you for coming along on this trip with me. If you have questions or suggestions, tweet @JasonRMatheson. Missed an entry? Click here.
