In fact, most visitors don’t even know how to get to Olomouc. pronounces , before I went there (if you’re curious, it’s Oh-la-mootz ), which made me all the more excited to go and see what this city had to offer. As it turns out, Olomouc is perhaps the best-kept secret of the Czech Republic, and according to Lonely Planet is Olomouc “the most beautiful city in the Czech Republic”!

After my last trip there, I decided to… huge To create a travel guide for Olomouc that covers not only the best activities in Olomouc, but also the best food to eat, places to discover, beer to drink, and much more. becomes If you are planning a trip to the Czech Republic and need a genuine Want a Czech experience, free from mass tourism and stag parties (Prague(I’m looking at you), Olomouc might be the right place for you.

Read on to discover the most underrated city in the Czech Republic.

Olomouc at a glance

The former capital of Moravia (before the title was given to Brno), Olomouc is a historic city dating back to Roman times, when it was founded by Julius Caesar. Olomouc is home to a wealth of Baroque and Renaissance architecture, magnificent churches, and its own UNESCO World Heritage Site, not to mention great cafes, a vibrant bar scene, and tons of hearty local dishes. Olomouc really has it all.

Although Olomouc is a relatively small city (100,000 inhabitants), 25% of its residents are students, giving it a really cool vibe. As a university town, Olomouc is also full of affordable restaurants, pubs, and cafes, making it more than just another historic city.

A communist astronomical clock

You may be familiar with the Prague Astronomical Clock, but did you know there’s also one in Olomouc? Olomoucký orloj is even still More interesting than the Prague one because it’s so unusual. You see, although it was first made in the 14th century, it was badly damaged during World War II and redesigned in the 1950s during the Soviet era.

As a result, the clock has a socialist realist design, meaning the religious figures were removed and replaced with more “communist-friendly” ones. This curious monument to Olomouc’s Soviet years is controversial in the community, but if you’re looking for one of the most unique things to see in Olomouc, arrive just before noon to witness the daily 7-minute show, in which workers emerge from the small windows, unlike the saints who appear in Prague.

The clock face also displays the birthdays of Lenin and Stalin, as well as International Workers’ Day. If you are interested in the astronomical clock and its history, you will find an exhibition about this unique time machine on the second floor of the town hall.

Fun Fact: The Olomouc Astronomical Clock Show operates without electricity, which means a man has to physically participate every day at 12:00 PM!

Eat smelly cheese

Tvarůžky , affectionately called “stinking cheese”, comes from the Czech Republic, more precisely from Olomouc!

Since 2010, it has been registered by the European Union as a protected geographical indication, and you will find countless dishes featuring this cheese in the bars and restaurants of Olomouc. This cheese, made from fat-free sour curd, is also known as a “diet cheese” and is extremely high in protein.

Tvarůžky is most often served with bread and beer (or  Slivovice ) eaten, but you can also have Tvarůžky soup ( Hanácká Syrnica ), potato pancakes filled with tvarůžky and even tvarůžky  -Ice enjoy !

This cheese is available everywhere in Olomouc, but there is a specialty shop that sells it in the Upper Square opposite the astronomical clock.

Hunt for the Wells

In the center of Olomouc there are seven fountains – Caesar, Mercury, Hercules, Neptune, Jupiter, Triton, and Arion. All except Arion’s fountain are Baroque and important for various reasons.

The Caesar Fountain, for example, is the largest and most elaborate of all the fountains in Olomouc. It naturally depicts the city’s legendary founder, Gaius Julius Caesar. All the fountains are wonderful in their attention to detail, but my favorite is the Arion Fountain, the newest of them all, dating from 2002.

You will find the Fountain of Arion in the main square, and it depicts the legend of the Greek poet Arion, who was thrown overboard from a boat before being rescued by a dolphin.

Treat yourself to a combination of wine and chocolate

One of the more unusual activities in Olomouc, and a highlight of my visit, was a combination of wine and chocolate in the wine cellar. U Zlatého beránka .

This charming wine shop and bar, tucked away on a side street in the center of Olomouc, sources its wine from a family that has been making wine for hundreds of years, and we were lucky enough to sample four local wines paired with a variety of Czech chocolates. U Zlatého beránka’s philosophy is: if the chocolate has a high alcohol content and the wine is of good quality, they create a divine combination and can even protect against certain diseases!

Our hostess was a lovely woman who is clearly passionate about what she does, and although I’m not a big red wine drinker, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. If you’d like to try it yourself, you can get a tasting of eight different wines, chocolate, and some dried fruit. You need to book in advance and specify whether you’d like the experience to be conducted in English, Spanish, Russian, or Czech.

TVARG Brewery Tour

About 8 km from Olomouc lies a small town called Velká Bystřice , which is home to a tiny little brewery called TVARG. During my trip to Olomouc, I took a brewery tour, and I have to say it was the best brewery tour I’ve ever been on. We were allowed to venture inside the brewery and learn about the beer-making process while tasting the beers we were learning about (we tried a local lager and a pumpkin spice beer, which was delicious).

We then sat down in the bar area, where we more Enjoyed beer and some local snacks (including a Tvarůžky- Cheese and garlic dip, which was… interesting). Next, we were introduced to the brewmaster and creator of all the recipes, David Kapsia, and taught how to pour beer the Czech way before pairing a glass of stout with Jameson’s whiskey (TVARG is a partnership with the Jameson’s whiskey distillery in…). Dublin ).

What I liked best about this tour was the fact that we didn’t spend hours looking at steel tanks or being lectured about hops. The tour was fast-paced, entertaining, and of course, we got to drink plenty of beer!