Olomouc Region

Official name: Olomoucký kraj (Olomouc Region)
Population: 635,126
Area: 5,767.02 km²
Number of municipalities: 398, of which 30 are towns
NUTS II: Central Moravia

Visit a city made famous by its unique system of fountains, taste an aromatic cheese, which is famous even beyond the borders of the Czech Republic or simply admire the beautiful costumes and traditions of the Olomouc Region. The region is rich in tradition and history as well as in the diversity of its nature.

Olomouc astronomical clock Olomouc with roughly one hundred thousand inhabitants is the largest city in this region, which is located in the eastern part of the Czech Republic and borders Poland to the north. Olomouc is home to the second oldest and second largest (after Prague) urban conservation zone in the Czech Republic. In the city, one can admire the Holy Trinity Column (a UNESCO monument), along with the Renaissance city hall and astronomical clock or the system of Baroque fountains, depicting stories from ancient mythology.

Feasts, carnivals and fairs

The Olomouc Region remains rich in traditions to this day. Locals continue to host a variety of feasts, carnivals, fairs and balls. Traditional events include, for instance, Hanácky festivals in Náměšt na Hané, Prostějov and Tovačov or the Kings’ Ride in Doloplazy. The diverse history of the region is reflected in the presence of many old castles and chateaux. A visit to Bouzov, Helfštýn, Šternberk or chateaux in Náměšť na Hané, Tovačov and Plumlov are certainly worth the time and effort.

Haná costume Sports enthusiasts will also find many points of interest throughout the Olomouc Region. The flat terrain along the Morava River provides an ideal place for family hiking or biking trips. Several recreational areas take pride in the fact that one can ride horses, play golf and tennis, visit rope courses or simply relax at water’s edge all in the immediate area.

Long winter season

The Jeseníky area is sought out by enthusiasts of winter and summer sports. Ski resorts located high in the mountains guarantee a long winter season – in the Jeseníky you can enjoy downhill skiing as well as cross-country skiing. During the summer, you can go swimming, ride bicycles, try out mountain go-carts or go rock climbing. The Jeseníky are also ranked second in the Czech Republic in concentration of spa resorts. A visit to Priessnitz spa or to spas in Velké Losiny, Dolní Lipová and Bludov is certainly a worthwhile investment. The Javoříčko cave complex, which hides many of the treasures and beautiful sites beneath the earth, is also very unique.

While in the Olomouc Region you should also taste one of the local culinary specialities. The most famous is Olomouc Cheese – a soft, aged cheese with strong aroma, which is mentioned in historical sources dating back to the sixteenth century.

Regional projects

In addition to its natural and cultural heritage, the region boasts a variety of successful projects. The most interesting among them have been selected by the region itself:

The Olomouc Entrepreneurial Incubator

The goal of the incubator was to create a favourable business environment with connections to the research and scientific facilities of Palacky University in Olomouc, to stimulate entrepreneurialism, encourage demand for the results of the scientific research and development and to promote the establishment of spin-off companies. Thanks to the project, the Science Park equipped the building in which the incubator is located with necessary equipment and ensured its operation until 30 June 2008.

Putting libraries in the Olomouc Region on the internet

The primary purpose of the project was to extend the functionality of libraries throughout the Region into municipal information centres, so that as such they could provide citizens with equal access to traditional and electronic information resources related to education, research, development and business, to facilitate fulfilment of civil duties, to resolve day-to-day situations, to facilitate access to the labour market and to provide them with adequate channels of communication with other subjects such as public and state administration or local government and other institutions.

A tourism portal for the Olomouc Region

The basic goal of this project was to ensure distribution of uniform information on opportunities for tourism in the Olomouc Region and thus to contribute to improved marketing and information access for the region. The project focused on creating an informative internet portal for tourism, in cooperation with service providers and tourist attractions. The completed project created the website at
www.ok-tourism.cz, which focuses on promoting tourism and attractions in the region with links to various, related services thereby offering better information on the tourism potential of the region, which contributes to an increased number of visitors. The project started on 1 October 2005 and was completed on 30 June 2007.

Reference links: