A Renaissance castle that forms part of the town fortifications, astronomical observations and a long-standing Haná event give Prostějov several distinct ways to explore the town during your trip. Nature has its own attractions too: plants and ecosystems take centre stage in the Botanical Garden, while the Hloučela Biocorridor features a health trail with eight stations.
Renaissance and exhibitions at the castle
Prostějov Castle is an important historic monument and a valuable example of Moravian Renaissance architecture. Jan of Pernštejn had it built in 1522–1526 as part of the town fortifications. The regular tour includes the director’s office at the savings bank, the “Prostějovské stopy Jano Köhlera” exhibition, Renaissance rooms and a dance hall. The different stops thus combine architectural history with specific exhibition content, without limiting the tour to a single focus.
Exhibitions and workshops are held at the castle throughout the year; the programme may change. Check in advance which exhibition or workshop coincides with your travel dates. This lets you plan your castle visit around the current programme while also taking in the Renaissance rooms as part of the tour.
Art Nouveau and special tours
The National House in Prostějov was designed by Jan Kotěra and serves as a cultural centre with a theatre hall. Guided tours of the Art Nouveau building cover its history and architecture. Tours for groups can be arranged by prior agreement and last 60 minutes. Check dates and group availability before your trip.
Prostějov Town Hall is a national cultural monument. As part of regular tours, you can climb the tower of the Art Nouveau town hall, which offers views of the town centre. Check seasonal availability in advance. The tower offers a different way to explore the town’s architecture than a tour focused on the history and design of the National House.
Prehistory and Haná tradition
The Museum and Gallery in Prostějov presents the permanent exhibition “Za tajemstvím střepu – pravěké dějiny Prostějovska” (Uncovering the Secrets of a Shard – Prehistoric History of the Prostějov Region), covering the prehistory of the Prostějov region. It complements the Renaissance and Art Nouveau themes with a much earlier period of regional history.
The traditional “Prostějovské hanácké slavnosti” offer another cultural experience. The festival takes place on the second weekend in September; the exact dates may vary from year to year. The programme includes folk performances and stalls selling gingerbread hearts, handicrafts and other food. If you would like to include this event in your trip, check the dates for the relevant year.
Botanical Garden and Hloučela
The Botanical Garden on Lidická Street is in the heart of Prostějov. It showcases the diversity of plant life and various temperate-zone ecosystems. If you are interested in plants and habitats, this offers a different way to explore the town from its historic buildings and exhibitions.
In the Hloučela Biocorridor, the completed health trail adds eight stations to the existing educational trail. The facility was completed in November 2021. Its features include a water trail, an observation station, a maze, a dendrophone and a peephole with bird models. Part of the site of the old Jewish cemetery is now a park with a preserved avenue of lime trees running through its centre. No earlier cemetery structures or gravestones remain.
Observatory: daytime and evening observations
The Prostějov Observatory offers daytime solar observations using portable astronomical telescopes. During evening observations, the telescopes are trained on the Moon, planets, stars, galaxies and artificial space stations. These daytime and evening offerings have different focuses; check the exact times before your visit.
The observatory’s programme also includes expert talks, exhibitions, and film, music and literary evenings. Alongside the observations, there are therefore other types of events to choose from. If a particular subject or activity is important to your trip, check the dates set for it.
Discover more destinations: Pivín, Skřípov, Dětkovice, Ochoz, Hvozd U Prostejova, Bousín, Dzbel and Budětsko.
For the overview of the wider area: Prostějov District.
