Olomouc is one of the most significant urban centres in the Czech Republic. With a population of one hundred thousand, the city today is the fifth largest in the Czech Republic. Olomouc is the seat of the Olomouc Region, the Moravian diocese and archdiocese, and is also home to the second oldest university in the Czech lands - Palacky University, which was founded 1573. A history dating back over 900 years makes Olomouc one of the largest landmark treasures in the Czech Republic, a close second only to the capital city of Prague. The second largest monument reserve in the country is located in the heart of the city; this site is the best-preserved urban unit in Moravia. Olomouc was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000 thanks to the Baroque Holy Trinity Column, which at 35 metres high is one of the dominant features of the main square in Olomouc and one of the tallest such columns in the entire country. The Olomouc Town Hall and astronomical clock - The Holy Trinity Column and the Town Hall are the most prominent landmarks on the main square in Olomouc. Tours of the Town Hall tower and the Chapel of St. Jerome are offered daily at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The astronomical clock chimes can be heard daily at noon. The Archdiocesan Museum in Olomouc - a museum of European importance and the only institution of its kind in the Czech Republic focused on religious art from the 12th to 18th centuries. Opened on 1 June 2006, the museum is housed in a reconstructed national cultural monument - the Premyslid Castle (including the Capitular Deaconry, the tower with the Chapel of St. Barbora and the Romanesque bishop's palace known as the Premyslid Palace). The site documents millennia of building development and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited locations in Central Europe (finds from the area date to 4000 BC). King Vaclav III, the last Bohemian ruler from the Premyslid family, was murdered here in 1306. Permanent exhibits in 16 halls showcase over 300 works from the Romanesque up to the Baroque, including the famous Sternberk Madonna and Bishop Troyer's coach. The museum also organizes temporary exhibits and Mozarteum Hall is an excellent venue for concerts, theatre performances, seminars and lectures. Café Amadeus offers visitors a pleasant environment to enjoy various refreshments.

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