A Foucault pendulum in the central pavilion: Květná Garden combines this unusual feature with a colonnade, fountains, green mazes, greenhouses and Jahodové kopečky. From here, the view opens onto other facets of Kroměříž District—from historic garden design and Jewish and rural architecture to protected landscapes.
Květná Garden and the Gardens of Kroměříž
Květná Garden draws on French, Italian, Dutch and German garden models; Versailles served as an inspiration. Its individual features give the garden a variety of viewpoints: the pavilion houses the Foucault pendulum, while the colonnade and fountains, green mazes, greenhouses and Jahodové kopečky are other parts of the grounds. The Pleasure Garden also influenced garden design in Moravia.
Podzámecká Garden offers a different perspective. This 64-hectare English landscape park includes rare trees, water channels, ponds, original structures and a small zoo area. Comparing the two gardens, visitors encounter, on the one hand, the named garden features of Květná Garden and, on the other, a landscape park designed with water features and trees. Together with the Archbishop’s Palace, the Gardens of Kroměříž form an early Baroque architectural ensemble.
Synagogue, Museum and Rural Architecture
The underground exhibition at the Museum of the Kroměříž Region covers the cultural and historical development of Kroměříž from its beginnings through the early modern period. The Šach Synagogue in Holešov offers a different focus: on the first floor is the Jews and Moravia exhibition on Jewish history in Moravia. The synagogue is the only synagogue of the Polish type preserved in its original form and is considered a unique example worldwide.
At the Rymice Open-Air Museum, seven buildings of East Haná folk architecture stand alongside a fortress and a farmstead. The village buildings document local living and working over the past two centuries and remain at their original locations. This offers a perspective not only on individual architectural forms, but also on how these buildings were connected to everyday life in the past.
The Velké Těšany Windmill also reveals architectural history through its concrete form: this wooden windmill is of the German type and was declared a national cultural monument in 2014. Its three levels are called podemlýní, mlýnice and zanáška; they correspond to the ground floor, first floor and second floor. The mill opened to the public in 1979.
Forest, Water and Walks
The Hostýnské vrchy is a Natura 2000 site of European importance covering 2,396.5914 hectares. Preserved woodland and unregulated streams provide refuges for rare animal and plant species. Extensive forest habitats also serve as nesting sites for birds, including the black woodpecker. Chropyňský Pond offers another glimpse of nature, with floating water chestnut and abundant birdlife.
At Barbořina, the summit is 265 metres high; from there, the view extends over Kroměříž, the Upper Morava Valley and the Hostýnské vrchy. The landscape also includes the approximately one-kilometre-long Čiperka Squirrel Nature Trail. Kroměříž also has short, themed walks that can be done without a guide and are designed for a broad range of visitors. Route Route 1: Archbishop’s Palace and Gardensis 1.5 kilometres long and takes about 30 minutes, excluding individual visits to the various sites.
Another way to explore places and landscapes as part of an excursion is the Hostýnská Viewpoint route. It connects Kroměříž, Hulín, Rymice, Holešov, Brusné, Rusava, Svatý Hostýn and Bystřice pod Hostýnem. A train journey back to Kroměříž can be combined with the excursion; check the current timetable when making specific plans.
Wine as Part of Local History
Wine is also part of Kroměříž’s history: the wine tradition dates back to the 13th century. Wine experiences are connected with palace cellars and wine bars. As individual venues may change, it is worth checking the current selection before making plans.
Discover more destinations: Troubky-Zdislavice, Bystrice Pod Hostynem, Brusne, Koryčany, Martinice, Hoštice, Střížovice, Bezměrov, Kremsier, Blazice, Břest, Chomýž, Chropyně, Chvalčov, Holešov, Jarohněvice, Kostelany, Kostelec U Holešova, Litenčice, Míškovice, Pačlavice, Mrlínek, Zdounky, Prusinovice, Rajnochovice, Roštín, Rusava, Šelešovice, Skaštice, Slavkov Pod Hostýnem, Střílky, Bařice-Velké Těšany, Zborovice, Zlobice, Kvasice, Bořenovice, Cetechovice, Dřínov, Honětice, Horní Lapač, Hulín, Chvalnov-Lísky, Karolín, Kyselovice, Lechotice, Loukov, Lubná, Ludslavice, Lutopecny, Soběsuky, Morkovice-Slížany, Němčice, Nítkovice, Nová Dědina, Osíčko, Pacetluky, Počenice-Tetětice, Podhradní Lhota, Rataje U Kroměříže, Prasklice, Pravčice, Přílepy, Roštění, Rymice, Sulimov, Třebětice, Uhřice, Věžky, Vítonice, Vrbka, Zahnašovice, Záříčí, Zástřizly, Žeranovice.
For the broader travel overview: Zlin.
