Tag Archives: Olomouc

From Medieval to Modern, Olomouc, Czechia

September 16, 2026Czechia, TravelMuseum of Modern Art, Olomouc, Olomouc Castle, Our Lady of the Snowskarenfranza

Sep 10 – For our last day in Olomouc, we went back to the historic square.

Part of the castle walls that once surrounded the city

We ducked into Our Lady of the Snows, which was closed the other day.

You don’t often see angels giving communion

A docent let us into the sacristy behind the sanctuary

From there we moved on to Olomouc Castle, where we saw ruins of the original foundation

I like this one the best – very peaceful and natural looking

A marvelously embellished rococo carriage

…and the ornate outfit of the horse who pulled it

Outside the Modern Art Museum hangs (literally) another work by David Cerny, this one depicting a thief making off with an artwork hanging out of his backpack. The robber inches along the balcony, trying to escape.

The featured artist was Maria Bartuszova, who worked mainly in white

…and a collection of photographs by Jindřich Streit that reminded me of the American Appalachian photos from the 1930s, although these are of Czechs in the 1980s

Thank you Olomouc – we had a great time!

Basilica of the Visitation, Olomouc Czechia

September 14, 2026Czechia, TravelBasilica of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, Olomouc, wall art, Way of St Jameskarenfranza

Sep 9 – Today we traveled an hour by bus out of the city and up to the top of a hill. We are visiting the Basilica of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, a pilgrimage site and Czech beginning of the Way of St James that goes to Santiago. We’re not hiking this time, just paying a visit.

Here’s the story. In the early 1600s, Jan Andrýsek, a wine merchant, vowed that if he ever became wealthy, he would build a chapel to the Virgin Mary near Olomouc.

When he inherited a fortune, and didn’t follow through on his promise, the Virgin Mary appeared to him twice in dreams, reminding him of the vow. The dreams showed a radiant forest and the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child.

In 1629, Jan was riding east of Olomouc in a blizzard. He suddenly saw a brilliant light, in exactly the place he had seen in his dreams. Thus reminded, he built a chapel, which was enlarged several times as more pilgrims visited each year.

The bus let us off a short walk from the basilica

The altarpiece contains some bones of St Pauline, the patron saint of Olomouc. The small stone relief of Mary in the silver frame survived a fire in the original chapel in the 1600s and is considered miraculous.

An angel holding dice – referring perhaps to the soldiers who cast lots for Jesus’ cloak?

This one reminds me of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Whoa! Isn’t this the best reaction of St Thomas that you’ve ever seen?

The basilica is also part of the Camino Santiago, and we looked at several pics of locals walking the Way of St James. I don’t think this bunch is going all the way to Spain.

Horni Namesti, Olomouc, Czechia

September 12, 2026Czechia, Travelastronomical clock, fountains, Holy Trinity Column, Marian Column, Mozart, Olomouc, St Maurice Cathedralkarenfranza

Sep 7 – Olomouc advertises itself as the place that has everything that Prague has, except the crowds. It has a huge historical central square. The Czech word for square is Namesti, so wherever we go, we are reminded that the light in me honors the light in you (this is a yoga joke).

There are so many things to see here!

The Holy Trinity Column is the tallest monument in Czechia and the biggest group of statues in Central Europe

The top depicts the Holy Trinity, accompanied by the Archangel Gabriel and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Looks pretty crowded up there

Like Prague, there is also an astronomical clock! Instead of apostles, this one shows working people.

Unlike the clock in Prague, these figures aren’t rotating, ( I think it is in need of repair?) but we can see musicians, miners, athletes…

Not only can you see the time, but also the current astrological sign

…and the current constellations in the night sky

There are also many fountains – here is the fountain of Caesar

The fountain of Hercules, holding his cudgel and smiting the hydra

There is the Marian column, erected in the 1700s to thank the Virgin Mary for saving the city from the plague

There is a (temporary) sculpture of Mozart here, made of sand. When Mozart was performing in Europe as a 5 year old prodigy, his father brought him here to Olomouc to escape the plague.

Unfortunately, Mozart contracted the plague anyway, but he recovered right here in this palace

A modern artist with something to say to the pope

St Maurice Cathedral – too big to see in one photo

Inside, we heard the most beautiful organ music. There was a concert that evening, and we got to hear the world famous organist Jean Baptiste Robin practicing! A fine day.

Olomouc, Czechia

September 9, 2026Czechia, Travelnice people of Czechia, Olomouckarenfranza

Sep 5 – Time for a Nice Person story. Today is a travel day as we set out for the city of Olomouc (OH lo mootz) about three hours away. Google Maps has been giving us fits, telling us to walk 5 minutes to the bus stop, then changing it to 15 minutes. As Jim and I sat side by side this morning, it gave us totally different routes!

Following one of Google’s suggestions, we walked not to a bus stop, but to an old train station we didn’t even know was there. We bought tickets to the next town, where we could get a train to Olomouc. Waiting with us in the nearly deserted station was a young woman named Klara, who was going to Olomouc as well. What luck! We rode with her to the main station at Kolin.

Klara showed us where to buy tickets at the big station, then told us she’d be waiting up on Track 2. The ticket seller had no English, but wrote on a piece of paper 2 – 11:32. We thanked her and went up the stairs to sit with Klara at Track 2. A minute later the ticket seller rushed up the stairs, waving another piece of paper on which she had written 2 – 11:38. It turns out that the 11:32 train was going to Poland, and she was afraid we’d get on the wrong train! Two Nice People of Czechia in one day!

We rode in fine style in our half-price-for-old-people seats and enjoyed the spicy chicken sandwiches we had purchased for our lunch. When we got off the train in Olomouc, Klara found us again, handing us a piece of paper containing the trolley number and the name of the stop closest to our hotel. Thank you Klara and train lady!

So now we are in Olomouc, staying at the historic Lafayette Hotel (yes, our Lafayette, from the Revolutionary War, and, of course, Hamilton!)