Olomouc

The Baroque column came into existence between 1716 and 1754 and is a testament to the onetime religious fervor of this bishopric town. The column unites the motif of ecclesiastic triumphalism and faith with its architectural and artistic expression. Thanks to the entry of this Baroque column on the prestigious UNESCO list, the historic Moravian town of Olomouc has also received wide recognition.

Olomouc used to be Moravia’s capital, a seat of bishops since 1063, and it is the second largest municipal monuments reservation after Prague. The most important religious structure in the city is the St. Wenceslas’ Cathedral from 1109, remodeled between 1883-1890 in the neo-Gothic style. In 1306, the last king of the Přemyslid dynasty, Wenceslas III, was murdered here. Other important structures are the Přemyslid Palace, Hradisko – the largest Premonstratensian monastery in all of Europe, and the fortified Church of St. Maurice with its renoiwned organ; the church dates to the 15th-16th century. A small chapel in the St. Wenceslas’ Square houses a Madonna dating from 1483, one of the most valuable Gothic sculptures in the Czech Republic.

Olomouc is situated directly on the high-speed road (Brno) - Vyškov – Ostrava, some 300 km from Prague, as well as on the high-speed train route Praha – Ostrava.