Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hop out at “Koruna,” and head toward the big square (Upper
Square) a block to your left.
SIGHTS
Olomouc is divided between its royal town (surrounding the mag-
nificent Upper Square, with its famous plague column) and its
bishop's town, or cathedral district (the other end of town, with
the bishop's palace and the new Archdiocesan Museum). The huge
university sprawls between these two former centers of power.
Visitors connect the two zones with an easy 10-minute walk
(described below). The sights here are listed in that order: Upper
Square and its surroundings (market and churches), cross-town
walk, and cathedral.
The Royal Town
Upper Square (Horní Náměstí)
—Standing in front of the Town
Hall, surrounded by the vast square and the town's fine noble and
bourgeois residences, you can imagine the importance of Olomouc
over the centuries. The fountain with an equestrian statue of Julius
Caesar is dedicated to the legendary founder of the town (excava-
tions reveal that it actually originated as a third-century Roman
military camp—centuries after Caesar).
The Mahler Café is a reminder of the great composer Gustav
Mahler (1860-1911). He lived and worked here until he moved to
Vienna, claiming he needed better food.
Examine the town model. While designed for blind people,
it gives anyone interested a feel—literally—for the medieval
street plan, otherwise easily overlooked among all the Baroque
grandeur.
On the square, take a look at the Town Hall, the fancy clock,
the towering plague monument, and the seven mostly venerable
fountains (all described below).
s
Town Hall
—Olomouc's grand Town Hall is a testament to the
city's 600 years of prominence in Moravia. The three wings around
a rectangular courtyard once served as both council chambers and
market halls. In the late 1400s, part of the building was converted
into an armory, guards' house, and jail. On the outside, notice the
beautiful Mannerist loggia, used for the entry into the council
chambers and for ceremonial purposes (such as the mayor's decla-
rations to the public). The coats of arms of many nations show that
Moravia was part of the vast and multiethnic Habsburg Empire.
The Town Hall is busy with local weddings—if you see a fes-
tively decorated car parked on the square, it's probably waiting to
zip a bride and groom away. You can visit the Town Hall's inte-
rior and climb the tower only with an escort (15 Kč, 30 min, daily
