Olomouc Castle

Romanesque-Gothic complex above the river, now the Archdiocesan Museum

What is called the "castle" is really the complex around Saint Wenceslas Cathedral on a low rise above the Morava river — the original 11th-century ducal seat of Moravia, fortified, rebuilt and repurposed many times. The Romanesque palace, the cathedral, and the surrounding cloister are now best visited through the Archdiocesan Museum, which uses the historic spaces to display religious art from across Moravia.

The museum (closed Mondays) won the European Museum of the Year award shortly after its opening in 2007. Highlights include the Romanesque chapel, the wooden ceiling of the Bishop's Hall, and a serious collection of Gothic panel painting. Even if you don't go in, the cathedral square and the small park around it are worth a stroll.

things to do sight
A story
Wenceslas III, the last male Přemyslid king of Bohemia, was assassinated in the castle on 4 August 1306, allegedly stabbed by an unknown assailant as he rested before a campaign. His death ended the Přemyslid dynasty after four centuries on the Bohemian throne and pushed Moravia and Bohemia into the orbit of the Luxembourgs.

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