Amazing Things to do in Kromeriz, Czech Republic

One of the most beautiful cities in the country home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous movie filming locations, and so many more things to do in Kromeriz, Czech Republic that make it one of the best stops on your Central Europe travels.

Our trip to see all the best things to do in Kromeriz, Czech Republic turned out to be a completely different experience than what we were anticipating, and we mean that in the best way possible.

During our solid and jam-packed Czech Republic itinerary, we’d been spending day after day on tours through one historical city after another as part of our first-month long journey exploring as much of the country as possible.

When we were planning, we were originally going to do the basic tourist circuit of all the most popular things to do in Kromeriz and had a lovely local Moravian guide, Mr. Urbanovsky who was going to show us and teach us about the history of this beautiful city. However, due to some traffic on our way in from Brno and quite a bit of rain, we found ourselves away from the usual tourist circuit!

So in addition to covering all the best things to do in Kromeriz, we are going to cover a few local gems that Mr. Urbanovsky showed us during our time!

Kromeriz, Czech Republic History

Kromeriz, Czech Republic is a Moravian town in the Zlin Region and most known for the Archbishop’s Palace and garden as well as a popular filming location.

Kromeriz’s most fascinating history dates back to as far as the year 1100 until the bishops of Olomouc acquired the city in the 13th century transforming Kromeriz from a market village to a town.

Kromeriz had a key role in the ancient trade routes as the city was located on the Morava, Salt, and Amber trade routes that were a continuation of the Silk Road during this time.

In addition, in the 13th century, the Bishop of Olomouc, Bruno von Schauenburg built his grand and ornate summer residence here in Kromeriz, the Archibishop’s Palace showcasing his wealth and power through the beauty and architecture of his seasonal home.

Both of these factors play a role in the success and growth of this town throughout history as well as a target during the religious 30 Years War that took place throughout the area causing devastation in the 14th century by Swedish troops not once but twice.

Then the city saw more devastation and loss during the bubonic plague shortly after known as the Black Death or second plague pandemic that killed a third of the European population in 1347 as well as a fire in 1656.

Olomouc Bishop Karel II of Lichtenstein-Castelcorn rebuilt the town including the castle, the town, built new houses, and created the gorgeous flower garden in the 18th century, hence the fine Baroque architecture on display here.

Kromeriz continued to be the summer residence of the bishops of Olomouc who all continued to modify and add to the architecture here.

In 1997, Kromeriz was honored with the title of the most beautiful historical city in the Cech Republic and was added to the list of Czech Republic UNESCO sites in 1998.

Things to do in Kromeriz, Czech Republic

Archbishop’s Palace

Kromeriz Archbishop Palace in the Czech Republic

View of the Archbishop’s Palace from the cafe terrace

Absolutely the most famous thing to do in Kromeriz, Czech Republic is visit the Archbishop’s Palace or Kromeriz Chateau. This was the summer residence of the bishops of Olomouc showcasing the wealth and power of the church right here in Kromeriz.

The first building was done in the Late Gothic style, then Renaissance before the devastastion during the Thirty Years War from the Swedish Army.

in the 17th century, the bishop of Olomouc had famous Italian architect Filbert Lucchese renovate the Bishop’s Palace in the ornate and beautiful Baroque style including the Flower Garden in front of the castle. When Lucchese passed away in 1666, Italian-Swiss architect Giovanni Pietro Tencalla took over and completed the garden and made more modifications to the palace.

Besides the impressive Baroque architecture and Flower Garden, the interior of the Archibishop’s Palace is decorated with paintings from artists and houses one of the finest art collections in the country including the famous painting ‘The Flaying of Marsyas’ by Titian.

It is said that the art collection in Kromeriz is the finest in the country behind only the National Gallery in Prague.

Another one of the best things to do in Kromeriz is witness the view from the palace tower which you can climb during your visit to the Archbishop’s Palace.

The Assembly Hall is also one of the most notable features of the Archbishop Palace, this is where the Imperial Council of the Habsburg monarchy would meet. The gorgeous painted ceiling and nearly two dozen crystal chandeliers are show stoppers.

You can actually visit The Assembly Hall without even being in Kromeriz because it was featured in the Oscar-winning film Amadeus as well as several other movies.

The Movie Immortal Beloved was also filmed at the Archbishop’s Palace too.

The Flower Garden

The other most famous thing to do in Kromeriz, Czech Republic is visit the Flower Garden that is part of the Kromeriz Bishop’s Palace complex, the official UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Unfortunately, we ended up getting rained out but not before getting to explore the gorgeous Baroque gardens quickly and get some great photos.

We had just enough time to see why the local slogan is, “a town of captivating beauty.” We were in awe. The beautifully patterned and exquisitely manicured gardens were a form of art. The symmetry, the perfectly maintained hedges, the colorful designs of flowers, the immaculate colonnade, to the ornate interior of the rotunda sitting as a centerpiece in the middle of this extraordinary garden complex.

We even saw large rabbits hopping through the maze of hedges. It sort of made us feel like we were in a scene of Alice in Wonderland. Walking through a mysterious looking archway of trees with perfectly framed fountains at the end felt like a fantasy.

The gardens are built in both French and Italian Baroque style and are considered some of the most beautiful castle gardens in all of Europe.

We were told by Mr. Urbanovsky that this is one of the best-preserved historical gardens in Europe which is why it was named a UNESCO site.

While you’re exploring this iconic thing to do in Kromeriz, you don’t want to miss the gorgeous rotunda that is the centerpiece of the castle gardens as well as the beautiful colonnade which offers a great view from above the garden to see the gorgeous colors and perfect symmetry of the garden designs.

There are also many beautiful statues and fountains throughout the garden as well! Hopefully, on your visit you don’t get rained out like we did!

Wine Tasting in the Archbishop’s Wine Cellar

One of the best things to do in Kromeriz if you’re a lover of wine like us is sample and taste wine in the wine cellar of the Archbishop’s Palace! Wine tasting in the cellar of a historic chateau was actually one of our favorite highlights of exploring South Moravia in Valtice Chateau during our time in Mikulov.

Part of the cellars below the palace are the only remains of the original Gothic Castle from the 13th century. There are two different main sections of the cellars, the upper cellar and lower cellar.

Archbishop wine cellar is open to the public and you can visit on your own, but if you want to try wine you’ll want to join a tour. The easiest way to join a tour is to email and book a reservation in advance [[email protected]].

The Town Square

Another one of the best things to do in Kromeriz, Czech Republic is walk around the heart of the town square. While we were supposed to be enjoying the views of the castle tower and other activities, the rain spoiled that fun and our guide Mr. Urbanovsky improvised and showed us the personality of Kromeriz instead.

The town square is full of beautiful Renaissance-era arcades and if you try hard enough you can still sense the medieval market that was once here because of the layout and way the city was planned from the Middle Ages.

One of the most notable features and landmarks of the Town Square is the Baroque Marian Column, which was built after the plague epidemic in 1680. These columns are common to find in cities throughout the Czech Republic, including one of the most famous in Olomouc, the Holy Trinity Column all of which were sort of memorials to the lives lost due to the plague.

Take time to admire the Renaissance houses and details of the colorful facades that make up the square stopping in the different businesses here.

Museum of the Kromeriz Region

Another one of the best things to do in Kromeriz, Czech Republic if you’re wanting to do more of a deep dive into the local history.

Located in the town center in a historic Renaissance building, not only will you get to examine the stunning architecture of the town square up close by being inside where you can admire the vaulted portals and ceilings but, the museum you can learn about the town’s history and culture as well as the work of a famous local painter, Max Svabinsky.

Church of St. Moritz & Church of St. John the Baptist

Another amazing thing to do in Kromeriz, Czech Republic is visit the Church of St. Moritz and the Church of St. John the Baptist, the two churches that make up the skyline of Kromeriz.

the Church of St. Moritz and Church of St. John are actually connected by a hidden passageway within the structure’s walls that also lead all the way to the Archbishop Palace!

The Church of St. Moritz dates back to the year 1260 and is one of the largest Gothic buildings in the country, one of the reasons we love Prague so much is because of all the Gothic architecture. The church has seen many modifications over the year because of damage from the religious wars, but you can still be easily impressed by the architecture of this magnificent church.

The Church of St. John the Baptist is from the 18th-century and is done in the Baroque style of architecture. It was built by the order of Johannites on the same location of a smaller Romanesque church.

Check out the Cafe Terrace at U Zlateho Kahouta

One of the best things to do in Kromeriz, Czech Republic as showed to us by our local Moravian guide Mr. Urbanovsky, was the terrace at the cafe in this lovely hotel.

U Zlateho Kohouta is a 4-star hotel also has a backpacker hostel located right on the town square with terrace cafe with one of the best views of all of Kromeriz.

The terrace overlooks the entire square including the Church of St. Moritz as well as the clock tower to the Archbishop Palace, aka Kromeriz Castle.

This is the perfect break spot and pick me up spot after visiting all the best things to do in Kromeriz. This is one of those places you wouldn’t be able to find without a tip, so to find the cafe be sure to go into the hotel and ask the front desk to go to the cafe terrace. Thank you, Mr. Urbanovsky for this awesome spot!

Have a Beer at Cerny Orel Pivovar & Chocolate!

One of the best things to do in the Czech Republic is sampling and tasting all the different beer around the country, which is why we did an entire trip dedicated to the breweries in the Czech Republic on the beer trails of South Bohemia!

You can count on every town to have their own brewery, there’s so much more than Budweiser, Staropramen, and Pilsner Urquell in the country, not that we are complaining as those are great too!

The local brewery is The Black Eagle Brewery or Cerny Orel Pivovar in Czech right on the square. Be sure to have both names handy in case you need help locating this brewery!

This local microbrew serves up some amazing pivo (beer) and we recommend sampling the different beers they have on draft.

Better yet, attached via the back of the brewery is the owner’s chocolate store as well! The owners make not only award- winning beer but also incredible fine Belgian chocolate! What’s better than beer and chocolate??

Mr. Urbanovsky is one of those friendly locals everyone knows in town and showed us the best time sampling both!

Cerny Orel also is a hotel and pension. Talk about having all amazing things in one place, great beer, delicious chocolate, and a place to sleep in a prime location.

Why You Should Make Time For Smaller Towns

Ok, now its time to convince you to find more amazing smaller towns! Chances are if you’re already reading this guide to the best things to do in Kromeriz, Czech Republic you’re already making stops at some smaller towns, but here’s why we love visiting some of the smaller destinations the country has to offer.

As we were sampling the beer we ended up having a discussion with Mr. Urbanovsky about how we would have totally missed out on seeing such character and personality if we decided to only visit the country for a few days only staying in Prague.

We do love Prague and would never skip it on a Czech Republic visit. However, if we would have only visited the large, well-known cities, we wouldn’t have gotten to absorb what else this country has to offer!

It’s smaller towns like Kromeriz, Telc, Trebon, and Tabor to name a view and individuals we meet in them like Mr. Urbanovsky that will leave a lasting impression on us from our entire month-long visit.

While popular cities like Prague or Cesky Krumlov are easier for tourists, we highly recommend taking a chance and getting off the main tourist trail. There’s something to be said about towns not designed for foreign visitors. Also, see our collection of photos of the Czech Republic that prove that this country has sooo much more to offer beyond Prague!

Tips for Traveling to Kromeriz, Czech Republic

Get a Guide or Tourist Information

You know the places. The ones where the best restaurants close early. Next to nothing is open on Sundays. Sometimes, you may only find hot dogs for breakfast. Cafes only open up midmorning. And, of course, menus are only in Czech, so ordering your meal is a bit like playing roulette! You really do feel like you’re getting a glimpse into a life unlike your own.

If you feel more comfortable with a guide, you can always try reaching out to the local information center. Almost every town has one.

See if they can arrange a local English speaking guide to take you around like Mr. Urbanovsky did for us in Kromeriz. This is also where you can find English pamphlets so if you do want to enjoy all the best things to do in Kromeriz on your own, you have information at your fingertips.

Getting to Kromeriz, Czech Republic

If you’re not doing a road trip like us, you can easily take public transportation. Kromeriz has a train station with direct connections to several regional destinations in Moravia with even some direct trains from Brno.

Many of the train routes require you to transfer at Kojetin.

The most common route to get here is from Brno, with a transfer at Kojetin, to Kromeriz which takes about 1.5 hours via train.

There are also local busses, from Brno you can take Bus 770430 and takes just as long as the train.

Another common way to get to Kromeriz, Czech Republic is via Olomouc.

You can take a train from Olomouc Hlavani Nadrazi transferring in Hulin to Kromeriz which takes just under an hour.

For more tips on planning your visit to the Czech Republic, don’t miss our comprehensive Czech Republic travel guide covering different types of accommodation, transportation, money, food, and more.

Where to Stay in Kromeriz, Czech Republic

Even though we had a set schedule we couldn’t stray from, if we could we would have ended up staying at least a night in Kromeriz, especially if you’re anything like us and want to get a little wild with the local beer and chocolate!

One of the best ways to experience these gorgeous towns in the countryside is watching it go to sleep and wake up after the rest of the day visitors leave. Here are the two hotels we recommend staying at in Kromeriz, Czech Republic.

U Zlateho Kohouta

U Zlateho Kohouta or The Golden Rooster is a beautiful 4-star hotel with a great rooftop terrace overlooking Kromeriz city center. Not only does this hotel have a great location but the rooms are large and spacious.

Check rates and availability here.

Cerny Orel

Cerny Orel also has a great location and is a hotel & pension. This is a great option as it has rooms for just about any budget. What we loved is that this hotel also has the incredible chocolatier and microbrewery all in one spot! You won’t need to leave for anything here!