Olomouc is located in the historic region of Moravia. Before the Thirty Years War, it was one of the two capital cities of the region, the other being Brno. The center of the city is country’s second-largest historical preserved area. Among its architectural treasures are a large number of Art Nouveau buildings.

Founded in 1573,Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci (Palacký University of Olomouc) is the second oldest university in the Czech Republic. With more than 25,000 students, Olomouc has the highest density of university students in Central Europe. University buildings make up more than a third of the structures in the city’s historic center.