Olomouc
Olomouc, the second largest city monument reserve after Prague, used to be the capital of Moravia and the bishop’s seat as of 1063, elevated to archbishopric in 1777. You will bump into interesting landmarks, picturesque nooks or magnificent Baroque palaces literally at every step. The Horní (Upper) square with its Gothic-Renaissance town hall and astronomical clock is dominated by the column of the Holies Trinity, listed among the UNESCO landmarks. There is also a unique set of eight founts, evoking the times in which Olomouc was a Baroque fortress, as well as remnants of fortifications and parks with several green-houses in the centre of the city.
Archaeologists found traces of Great Moravia era settlements in many locations of today’s Olomouc, perhaps the church of St. Clement used to stand in one of the keeps or farmsteads. During the 9th century, the seat of power moved to the site of today’s cathedral of St. Wenceslas, the Bishop’s palace in Romanesque style and the Archdiocese museum.
There are several other churches devoted to the saints Cyril and Methodius in central Moravia, for example in Majetín and Kladky. Near Kladky there is also the village Javoříčko, burnt down by German fascist during World War II. Near the village are renowned karstic caves.
