Olomouc is the Czech Republic’s best-kept secret, which is remarkable for a city with a UNESCO-listed plague column and more fountains than most towns have traffic lights. The upper square is one of the finest in Central Europe — the Holy Trinity Column rises thirty-five meters in a riot of Baroque saints and gilding, surrounded by an astronomical clock that the Soviets helpfully redesigned with proletarian workers instead of saints.
The university fills the old town with energy. Students crowd the pubs and cafés that line the narrow streets, and the atmosphere is more lived-in than curated. The tvarůžky — Olomouc’s famously pungent cheese — divides opinion sharply, but trying it with bread and beer in a local pub is a non-negotiable experience. The archdiocesan museum holds one of the country’s finest art collections, and the parks along the old fortification walls make for meditative afternoon walks.
When to go: May and June for warm days and blooming gardens. September brings the tvarůžky cheese festival for the adventurous.