Olomouc

==Sights==
[[File:Olomouc-Horní náměstí.JPG|thumb|Horní Square]]
[[File:Dóm Svatého Václava, Olomouc.jpg|thumb|[[Saint Wenceslas Cathedral]]]]
[[File:Olomouc_Hradisko02.JPG|thumb|Hradisko Monastery]]
Olomouc contains several large squares, the chief of which is adorned with the [[Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc|Holy Trinity Column]], designated as a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]. The [[Marian and Holy Trinity columns|column]] is {{convert|115|ft|m|abbr=on}} high and was built between 1716 and 1754.

The city has numerous historic religious buildings. The most prominent church is [[Saint Wenceslas Cathedral]] founded before 1107 in the compound of the [[Olomouc Castle]]. At the end of the 19th century, the cathedral was rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style. It kept many features of the original church, which had renovations and additions reflecting styles of different ages: Romanesque crypt, Gothic cloister, Baroque chapels. The highest of the three spires is {{convert|328|ft|m|abbr=on}}, the second-highest in the country (after [[Cathedral of St. Bartholomew (Plzeň)|Cathedral of St. Bartholomew in Plzeň]]). The church is next to the Bishop Zdík's Palace (also called the Přemyslid Palace), a Romanesque building built after 1141 by the bishop [[Jindřich Zdík]]. It remains one of the most precious monuments of Olomouc: Such an early bishop's palace is unique in Central Europe. The Přemyslid Palace, used as the residence of Olomouc dukes from the governing [[Přemyslid dynasty]], stood nearby.

[[Church of Saint Maurice (Olomouc)|Church of Saint Maurice]], a fine Gothic building of the 15th century, has the 6th-largest church organ in Central Europe.

[[Saint Michael's Church, Olomouc|Church of Saint Michael]] is notable. The [[Baroque Revival architecture|Neo-baroque]] Chapel of Saint John Sarkander stands on the site of a former town prison. At the beginning of the [[Thirty Years' War]], the Catholic priest [[John Sarkander]] was imprisoned here. Accused of collaboration with the enemy, he was tortured but did not reveal anything because of the [[Seal of Confession]] and died. The [[rack (torture)|torture rack]] and Sarkander's gravestone are preserved here. He was [[canonized]] by [[Pope John Paul II]] during his visit in Olomouc in 1995.

John Paul II also visited ''Svatý Kopeček'' ("The Holy Hillock"), which has the magnificent [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary. It overlooks the city. The Pope promoted the church to [[Minor Basilica]]. Several monasteries are in Olomouc, including [[Hradisko Monastery]], [[St. Catherine Monastery, Olomouc|Convent of Dominican Sisters in Olomouc]] and others.

Other notable destinations are the [[Olomouc Orthodox Church]], consecrated to {{Interlanguage link|Saint Gorazd|cs|3=Gorazd}}, and the [[Mausoleum of Yugoslav Soldiers in Olomouc|Mausoleum of Yugoslav Soldiers]]. This monument commemorates 1,188 Yugoslav soldiers who died during World War I in local hospitals after being wounded on battlefields.

The principal secular building is the city hall, completed in the 15th century. It is flanked on one side by a gothic chapel, now adapted and operated as the Olomouc Museum of Art.<ref name="EB1911"/> It has a tower {{convert|250|ft|m|abbr=on}} high, adorned with an [[Olomouc astronomical clock|astronomical clock]] in an uncommon [[Socialist Realist]] style. The original 15th-century clock was destroyed at the end of World War II. It was reconstructed in 1947–1955 by [[Karel Svolinský]], who used the government-approved style of the time, featuring proletarians rather than saints. This is also the reason why the clock's calendar represents some of the most important days of the Communist regime.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tips for Trips: Welcome to Olomouc!|publisher=Foreigners.cz|url=https://blog.foreigners.cz/tip-trip-olomouc/|access-date=2020-09-10|website=blog.foreigners.cz|date=17 July 2020}}</ref>

Olomouc has unique set of six Baroque fountains. They survived in such number thanks to the city council's caution. While most European cities were removing old fountains after building water-supply piping, Olomouc decided to keep them as reservoirs in case of fire. The fountains feature ancient [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] motifs; five portray the [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] gods [[Jupiter (god)|Jupiter]] [[:File:Jupiterova kasna detail.jpg|(image)]], [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury]] [[:File:Mercury Fountain.jpg|(image)]], [[Triton (mythology)|Triton]] [[:File:Kasna Tritonu.jpg|(image)]], [[Poseidon|Neptune]] and [[Hercules]] [[:File:Herkulova kasna.jpg|(image)]]. One features [[Julius Caesar]], the legendary founder of the city [[:File:Caesarova kasna.jpg|(image)]]. In the 21st century, an [[Arion]] fountain was added to the main square, inspired by the older project.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fountains and columns|url=https://tourism.olomouc.eu/sights/fountains-and-columns/en|publisher=Statutární město Olomouc|access-date=2022-01-13}}</ref>

In front of the astronomical clock on the Horní ("Upper") Square, which is the largest square in Olomouc, is a scale model of the entire old town in bronze.