Olomouc to Kromeriz and Stramberk: Private day trip

A prize that would no doubt bring a rosy bloom to the cheeks of the successive Olomouc Archbishops who lavished such care upon their summer residence. Money was no obstacle for the enthusiastically green-fingered Archbishops when it came to employing the finest artists, architects and engineers. More delightful places to wander and marvel at the art of landscape gardening than the Chateau and Floral Gardens is hard to imagine. Each has its particular charm and elegance. The hedge labyrinths in the Flower Garden, or Libosad, designed by imperial architect Giovanni Tencalla, are ideal for intimate strolling, while historic greenhouses and original floral decorations stimulate the senses. Originally a humble vegetable garden The Chateau Garden had a Seventeeth Century Baroque makeover that extended it from the Chateau to the Morava river. Water elements predominate today in the form of ponds, springs and sheets, providing a sparkling background to the rich variety of colourful plants and flowers arranged around the gardens romantic collonades, courtyards and pavilions.

The picturesque town of Štramberk lies in the Moravian-Silesia region of the country and is dominated by the imposing hilltop Truba castle tower, which overlooks the town. Štramberk is the ideal place to wander around while taking in the quaint wooden houses on the slopes of the surrounding hillsides, the town square with its distinctive town houses and the narrow winding lanes leading off the square. Many visitors make their way up the hill to the castle, where the views from the top are breathtaking, both of the town and of the surrounding countryside. One of the town’s best kept secrets has nothing to do with history, but is a sweet dessert called “Štramberk Ears”, which is on sale throughout the town and is the perfect pick-me-up. So, if having a great walk followed by fantastic views from on high is your thing, then there are few better places to do this than in Štramberk.