Things to do
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Archdiocesan Museum
Romanesque windows survive in the bishop's palace that forms part of this museum beside the cathedral. Rooms hold Gothic sculpture, painted altarpieces and a gilded carriage built for an eighteenth century bishop. Allow longer than expected, as the route runs through several linked buildings. Entry is ticketed, and the museum stays closed on Mondays and Tuesdays throughout the year.
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Basilica of the Visitation, Svatý Kopeček
Two white towers on a hill north east of Olomouc belong to a baroque pilgrimage basilica, visible from much of the plain below. Inside are frescoes and rich stucco around a gilded high altar. A city bus climbs from the centre in about 20 minutes, and the city zoo sits on the same hilltop. On clear days the view stretches to the Jeseníky hills.
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Bouzov Castle
Turrets, a drawbridge and a tall keep give this castle west of Olomouc a storybook outline, the result of a romantic rebuilding for the Teutonic Order around 1900. Interiors are seen on guided tours only, with furnished halls, an armoury and a castle kitchen. It opens daily from April to October, with a few weekday tours in March and November. A car makes the trip far simpler than the bus.
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Church of Saint Maurice
Built as a Gothic hall church for the town's merchants, Saint Maurice holds one of the largest church organs in central Europe, with more than 10,000 pipes. A narrow stair climbs its tower to a gallery over the old town rooftops. An international organ festival fills the nave each September. The tower opens only from May to October, in fair weather.
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Holy Trinity Column
Gilded saints and clouds of carved stone climb 35 metres above Upper Square on a column finished in the 1750s and listed by UNESCO. A small chapel sits inside the base, with reliefs on its walls. The chapel opens only at set times in summer, so most visits are from the square. Floodlights pick out the gilded figures after dark, when the square empties.
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Olomouc Astronomical Clock
Set into the side of the town hall, this clock was rebuilt after wartime damage in a socialist realist style. Workers, athletes and scientists replace the usual saints in its mosaics, and a procession of mechanical figures turns at noon. Arrive a few minutes early for a place at the front. The show is short and free to watch from the street.
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Saint Wenceslas Cathedral
Twin west towers and a taller south spire mark this cathedral from across the city, its neo-Gothic shell wrapped around a much older church. Inside are a long vaulted nave and a crypt with a small exhibition. Entry to the nave is free. Sightseeing pauses during Mass, so weekday afternoons are the easiest time to look round.
