Olomouc, the Czech Republic

Olomouc is a city of only 100,000, and about 20,000 are students at the local university. So, while the city is small it is a relatively lively place, and the university helps make cultural events, like the documentary film festival I attended, possible. We didn’t have much time for sightseeing, but my wife Renée and I walked the old city for about three hours, and poked into a few churches and courtyards. Although the history of Olomouc goes back centuries, the Baroque period is most evident, especially the fountains and statues found in the principal town squares.

Model of Olomouc historic center

Astronomical clock, city hall, 1953

Communist era architecture across from Gothic church

Titty Twister skateboard shop

The Communist period did some damage to the fabric of the old city, but the most obvious legacy of that time is found outside the center where large spread-out housing blocks were contructed. Since then, shopping centers with western chain stores have siphoned off some of the commercial vitality from the center. There is a curious mixture of new and old–cheap, unfashionable clothing and trendy casual wear–traditional arts and crafts shops vs. skateboards and sneakers. A MacDonalds has landed on the main square in front of the city hall.

Exhibit poster for my show

Wall with film festival/Vega concert poster–the orange ones

The most amazing thing we saw was the Archdiocese Museum in the Olomouc Castle. The castle is actually a collection of structures spanning the entire history of the city. The museum opened earlier this year. It is an ultra modern insertion into the historic architecture with ramps and passageways leading down to the ancient foundations of the castle. The contrast between modern and ancient is brilliantly handled by the architects. The museum contains the most important treasures of the city including a gilded coach (formerly used by the bishop), religious relics, paintings, and a spinnet which was used by Mozart while staying in Olomouc in the 18th century. The cathedral adjoining the museum is actually neo-gothic, largely built in the 19th century, though pieces of the earlier church building remain.

Archdiocese Museum

Archdiocese Museum grounds and St. Wenceslas Cathedral

From Olomouc we drove the four hours back to Prague where Suzanne again performed in a wonderful small theater seating about 300. The event was a book launch by our host David Hrbek who has been interviewing prominent Czech personalities for a number of years. The next day Renée and I walked through Prague for a few hours before flying back to Amsterdam.

Jan Palach memorial, Wenceslas Square, Prague