Czech Land of Stories Olomouc in the times of the House of Luxembourg Olomouc - Litovel - Uničov - Bouzov Length: 63 Duration: 1 Day Olomouc is situated about 280 kilometres from Prague; you can make the entire journey by motorway. Alternatively, you can use the direct train connection from the Prague Main Railway Station. It takes about two to three hours. For transportation between the stops on the itinerary the local train and bus connections can be used. Moravia was always an important part of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and is inextricably linked with the life of Charles IV. On this trip you can see three towns that formed a defensive alliance confirmed by Charles IV in 1346, namely Olomouc, Litovel and Uničov. The towns as well as the whole region are full of Gothic landmarks, which are definitely worth seeing. In Olomouc, the first stop on the visit is Upper Square, where you seemingly move against the flow of time. Its landmark, the Column of the Holy Trinity, part of UNESCO World Heritage, is the largest grouping of Baroque statues in one sculpture in Central Europe. The nearby Town Hall, the town s most important secular architectural monument, has been a symbol of the town s importance for six centuries. Permission for its construction was granted by Charles IV s nephew, the Margrave of Moravia, Jobst of Luxembourg, in 1378. On its facade there is an astronomical clock, whose roots date back to the 15thcentury, but which was remodelled into its unique present form much more recently. Watching it is really entertaining, so have fun. The third stop in Olomouc is the Church of St. Maurice, one of the rarest late-gothic buildings in Moravia. One of its interesting features is the double spiral staircase at the west wall, but the most unique part is the late Gothic sculpture of Christ on the Mount of Olives, located inside the Church. You also should not miss the organ, the largest in Central Europe and the eighth largest on the entire continent. From the Church, move on to Olomouc Castle, where the last member of the Přemyslid dynasty, the Czech King Václav III, was
murdered in 1306, leaving the path to the throne open for the Luxembourg family. Definitely worthy of attention is the Bishop's Palace with its famous Romanesque windows, included in the tour of the Archdiocesan Museum and founded on the initiative of Pope John Paul II. The most important part of the castle is the Gothic Dome of St. Wenceslas, today adapted in the neo-gothic style, which is the church of residence of the Archbishop of Olomouc. Among the famous guests at the castle were a young W. A. Mozart, who composed his 6th Symphony in F major here, Mother Theresa and the already mentioned Pope John Paul II. After strolling around the sights Olomouc, why not have a rest and something to eat. The local specialities are highly recommended and are easily recognised as they bear the label Ochutnejte Hanou (Taste of Haná). The restaurants labelled with this brand serve traditional recipes using exclusively local or seasonal ingredients. You can enjoy slowly roasted duck with caraway seeds and apples, braised cabbage and potato dumplings, tripe soup or delicately salted pastries made from original Olomouc cottage cheese. From Olomouc, move on to the town of Litovel. Here the oldest functional stone bridge in Moravia can be seen, it is the third oldest in the country, after Charles Bridge in Prague and Písek bridge. Another important monument in Litovel is the originally Gothic Church of St. Mark. Its history dates back to the beginning of the 14th century, since then it has been damaged and repaired many times. Its interior is unusually simple for a catholic church, but still very interesting. The benches from 1769 are extremely rare. On Ottokar s Square, make sure to visit the exhibition hall, whose tower is one of the landmarks of Litovel. The tower was built at the end of the 15th century and a saying has it that it is the highest tower in Moravia. However this is just a pun, because the tower is situated directly on one of the branches of the river Morava. The next stop on the trip around the Olomouc region is the ancient town of Uničov. In 1354 Charles IV granted the town the right to hold an eight-day annual market and nineteen years later, this privilege was expanded with the right to hold a second annual market being granted. One of the remarkable Gothic monuments associated with the time of Charles IV is the remains of the fortification walls and the only preserved gate called Medelská Gate. The original form of the walls can be seen on a picture of the city and its ground plan from 1680, which is on display in the Town Museum at the Water Gate. Also well worth a visit is the irregular-shaped Masaryk Square whose dominant feature is the Marian Column, built in 1735 1745 to express gratitude for saving the city from the Hussites and the Hungarian army. Bid farewell to the Olomouc region at Bouzov Castle, connected to the personage of Charles IV in an interesting way. In, 1414 it became the property of Boček of Kunštát and Poděbrady, a former cupbearer of Charles IV. His son Boček II later became Charles IV s Lord Chamberlain.
Useful contacts město Olomouc: Tel: +420 585 513 385, Address: Informační centrum, Horní náměstí - podloubí radnice, 779 11 Olomouc, GPS: 49.5959292,17.2437 město Uničov: Tel: +420 585 054 880, Address: Městské informační centrum, Masarykovo náměstí 29, 783 91 Uničov 1, GPS: 49.7705794,17.1206272 hrad Bouzov: Tel: +420 775 888 960, Address: Hrad Bouzov, Bouzov 8, 783 25 Bouzov, GPS: 49.7049386,16.8893872 město Litovel: Tel: +420 585 150 221, Address: Tursitické informační centrum, Náměstí Přemysla Otakara 762, 784 01 Litovel, GPS: 49.7014906,17.0748633
Accommodation tips Hotel Akademie Hrubá Voda: Tel: +420 585 157 151, Email: hrubavoda@hotelakademie.cz, Address: Hrubá Voda 59, 783 61, Hlubočky u Olomouce, GPS: 49.669121111111,17.425346111111 Hotel golf resort Olomouc: Tel: +420 581 112 911, Email: recepce@golf-olomouc.cz, Address: Dolany-Véska 89, 783 16, Dolany - Véska, GPS: 49.661917222222,17.354489444444 Clarion Congress Hotel Olomouc: Tel: +420 581 117 114, Email: reservation.cchol@clarion-hotels.cz, Address: Jeremenkova 36, 779 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.592536111111,17.275755833333 Ibis Olomouc Centre: Tel: +420 585 722 110, Email: H8248@ACCOR.COM, Address: Wolkerova 29, 779 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.58641,17.244306111111 Hotel Senimo: Tel: +420 587 209 800, Email: recepce@senimo.cz, Address: Pasteurova 905/10, 772 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.59886,17.271816111111 Business hotel Alley: Tel: +420 585 502 999, Email: booking@hotel-alley.com, Address: Michalské stromořadí 1061/5, 772 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.590328611111,17.256056111111 NH Olomouc Congress: Tel: +420 585 575 111, Email: nholomouccongress@nh-hotels.com, Address: Legionářská 21, 779 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.601216944444,17.246565833333 BEST WESTERN Hotel Prachárna: Tel: +420 585 411 271, Email: recepce@hotelpracharna.cz, Address: Křelovská 91, 779 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.607025833333,17.213869166667 Hotel Laffayette: Tel: +420 777 011 818, Email: hotel@lafayette.cz, lafayette@lafayette.cz, Address: Alšova 8, 779 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.584408333333,17.254931111111 Trinity hotel: Tel: +420 585 222 115, Email: reception@hotel-trinity.cz, Address: Pavelčákova 22, 772 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.592283888889,17.250030277778 Penzion Archa: Tel: +420 736 613 569, Email: restaurace@arcja-zoo.cz, Address: Darwinova 252/39, 772 00, Olomouc - Svatý Kopeček, GPS: 49.63415,17.343570833333 Restaurace a penzion Garnet: Tel: +420 602 719 263, Email: restauracegarnet@olomoucko.com, Address: Lazecká 88, 772 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.610081666667,17.252455 Restaurant tips Švejk restaurant Olomouc: Tel: +420 774 814 347, Email: restaurace.svejk@seznam.cz, Address: Elišky Krásnohorské 24, 772 11, Olomouc, GPS: 49.591563055556,17.286654166667 NH Olomouc Congress: Tel: +420 585 575 111, Email: nholomouccongress@ng-hotels.com, Address: Legionářská 21, 779 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.601216944444,17.246565833333 Trinity hotel: Tel: +420 585 222 115, Email: reception@hotel-trinity.cz, Address: Pavelčákova 22, 772 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.592283888889,17.250030277778 Arigone: Tel: +420 585 232 350, Email: hotel@arigone.cz, Address: Univerzitní 20, 779 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.59485,17.254618055556 Moravská restaurace: Tel: +420 585 222 868, Email: moravska@moravskarestaurace.cz, Address: Horní náměstí 23, 779 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.593480833333,17.250161111111 U Anděla: Tel: +420 585 228 755, Email: info@uandela.cz, Address: Hrnčířská 10, 779 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.59206,17.255125833333 Vila Primavesi: Tel: +420 777 749 288, Email: team@primavesi.cz, Address: Univerzitní 7, 779 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.594239166667,17.255267777778 Restaurace Archa: Tel: +420 736 613 569/79, Email: restaurace@archa-zoo.cz,
Address: Darwinova 252/39, 772 00, Olomouc - Svatý Kopeček, GPS: 49.63415,17.343570833333 Drápal: Tel: +420 585 225 818, Email: info@restauracedrapal.cz, Address: Havlíčkova 1, 772 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.591506111111,17.249634166667 Oliva: Tel: +420 585 722 103, Email: rezervace@restaurantoliva.cz, Address: Wolkerova 29, 779 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.58681,17.243355 Podkova: Tel: +420 585 242 693, Email: podkova@restaurant-podkova.eu, Address: Koželužská 31, 779 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.597898055556,17.258250833333 U Kohouta: Tel: +420 585 222 192, Email: info@u-kohouta.cz, Address: Lafayettova 3, 779 00, Olomouc, GPS: 49.5915,17.252276111111