*A 6 km circuit of the extraordinary sites in the historical capital of Moravia: Olomouc*

• Olomouc was for many centuries the largest and most important city in Moravia. Its historical center is well preserved and full of extraordinary monuments and buildings, including the 18th century Holy Trinity Column, which was given UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2000. It is less well known as a tourist destination than other historical cities in the country, and so is a great location for a super ‘city walk’ even in mid summer.
• The city has a long and rich history, possibly originating as a settlement to support a Roman military base created in the 2nd century AD during the Marcomannic Wars launched by Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The Slavic tribes arrived in the area in the 6th century and the settlement grew in size and prestige to become Moravia’s preeminent city, a status it only lost during the 30 Years war in the 17th century, when the city was sacked by the Swedish army.
• Various routes of different lengths around the city can be created. The one shown in the map is just under 6 km long and assumes a start at the Tržnice tram stop near the Smetanova park entrance (there is a parking area close by). It is an almost completely flat route, suitable for strollers.
• The suggested route starts in the Smetanova park (with various old and new statues), then enters the historical town enter, to reach reach the main town square (where the Holy Trinity monument is located) and then visiting the side square to climb the tower at the church of St Maurice. From there, the route continues through the city to the St Wenceslas cathedral and castle area before returning along the Mlýnský stream beside the impressive city walls, passing through the botanical garden on the way back to Tržnice.
• Olomouc has many excellent restaurants and other spots for refreshment during a walk. The Long Story Short Café&Bar is one popular spot approximately at the mid point of the tour. The Restaurace Fontána in the park has a nice terrace area if it is a warm day.

Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.com’  to go to a full screen version of the route directly on the mapy.com site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file.

Directions

• See the comments above for a suggested route starting at the Třznice tram/bus stop and parking area. The route can be started at any point and followed clockwise.