Olomouc Region

The Olomouc Region is divided into 5 districts:

Districts of Olomouc Region    Jeseník    Olomuc    Přerov    Prostějov    Šumperk

On the territory of the region there are 13 administrative districts of municipalities with extended powers and 20 administrative districts of municipalities with authorized local authority.

Example of vernacular architecture of Hanakia

In January 2019 the population of the Olomouc Region totalled 632,492 inhabitants. As of 2019, 50.3% of region’s population lived in municipalities with more than 4,000. Out of 402 municipalities located in the region (including one military area), 30 had a status of town. Region’s capital Olomouc is with approximately 100 thousand inhabitants the largest city. With 120.1 inhabitants per km² the region was close to the national average of 135 inhabitants per km². There were, of course, differences within the region: the lowest population density was in the Jeseník District. In the long term, the population of the region has been aging. The average age of population in 2019 is 42.8, which is the 4th highest among regions in the Czech Republic.[1]

Cities and towns

The table below provides the list of region's most populous cities and towns as of 1 January 2019:[2]

Name	Population	Area (km²)	District
Olomouc	100,523	103	Olomouc District
Prostějov	43,680	39	Prostějov District
Přerov	43,186	59	Přerov District
Šumperk	25,957	28	Šumperk District
Hranice	18,057	50	Přerov District
Zábřeh	13,589	35	Šumperk District
Šternberk	13,495	49	Olomouc District
Uničov	11,396	48	Olomouc District
Jeseník	11,192	38	Jeseník District
Litovel	9,810	46	Olomouc District
Mohelnice	9,189	46	Šumperk District
Lipník nad Bečvou	8,024	31	Přerov District

Aerial view of Praděd

The total area of the region amounts to 5,267 km², which is 6.7% of the entire area of the Czech Republic. The northern part of the region is of mountainous nature. The Jeseníky mountains are located here, including Praděd, which is the highest point of the region (1,492 m above sea level). The southern part of the region consists of the Hanakian lowland. The lowest point of the region is situated on the water level of the Morava River near to Kojetín in the Přerov District (190 m above sea level). The Morava river flows through the region and the majority of the region's territory belongs to Morava’s drainage basin. A small northern part of the region belongs to the drainage basin of Odra River, which flows to the Baltic Sea. The Olomouc Region offers a great variety of natural points of interest. Protected landscape area of the Jeseníky mountains offers a number of scenic places such as the largest Moravian peatbog Rejvíz and the 45m high Vysoký Waterfall. Another scenic place is Dlouhé Stráně water reservoir situated on the top of a hill. Protected landscape area Litovelské Pomoraví offers floodplain forests with many endangered species of plants and animals. Finally, many caves can be found in the region: Javoříčko Caves (Czech: Javoříčské jeskyně), Mladeč Caves (Czech: Mladečské jeskyně) and Zbrašov aragonite caves (Czech: Zbrašovské jeskyně).[3]

Olomoucké syrečky, a ripened soft cheese made in Loštice

The region's economy focuses on traditional agriculture, processing industry and services. Conditions for further development of the region are its attractive location, transport accessibility, developed infrastructure, enough qualified labour force and entry of foreign investors. In 2011, the total economically active population of the Olomouc Region was 307.2 thousand people, of which 283.9 thousand were employed and 23.3 thousand unemployed. The unemployment rate in late 2013 was 9%. The Olomouc Region is an industrial area with developed services. The economy of the Hanakian districts is more stable and diverse than the economy of the Jeseník District and northern part of the Šumperk District. The latter two districts belong to economically weaker regions due to their position, transport accessibility and disturbance of social and economic life after the Second World War (displacement of German population). The gross domestic product of the Olomouc Region amounted to 4.7% of the nation GDP in 2011. The GDP per capita of the region reaches 76.5% of the national average. The average monthly wage of employees in businesses based in the region reached 21,727 CZK (EUR 780) in late 2013. Significant sectors of the region’s economy are agriculture, food industry, textile and clothing industry, manufacture of machinery, optics and optical equipment. In 2011, there were 138,970 businesses, organisations and entrepreneurs based in the region. Most of them were private entrepreneurs registered according to the trade law (76.6%) and business companies (8.4%). 157 industrial enterprises had 100 or more employees, employing in total 41,222 employees.

In 2011, 14,347 crimes were committed in the region, of which 6,744 (47%) were solved. Compared to other regions of the Czech Republic, the environment of Olomouc Region can be marked as relatively less damaged. The values of specific emissions do not reach the average national values. Mountain areas and foothills have excellent air quality and are important sources of drinking water.

National costume of Hanakia

• Bouzov Castle;
• Hanakian region (Czech: Haná) with its folkways, folklore shows and festivals that are organised in Náměšť, Prostějov, Kojetín, etc.
• Helfštýn castle;
• Jánský vrch château;
• Náměšť na Hané château;
• Olomouc with a large urban conservation area preserving a large set of buildings that are important for their historical, architectonic or artistic value;
• Sovinec castle;
• Svatý Kopeček with its well-known Pilgrimage Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary
• Šternberk castle;
• Tovačov château;
• Úsov château;
• Velké Losiny château, historic paper factory, spa;
• For winter sports many downhill courses and pistes are prepared in the Jeseníky mountains in areas of Červenohorské sedlo, Kouty nad Desnou, Petříkov, Ostružná, Ramzová and many others.

Olomouc Region cooperates with:[4]

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  Bouzov Castle
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  Čekyňský kopec, statue of a mammoth
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  Dlouhé stráně Hydro Power Plant
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  Hanakian vernacular architecture in Příkazy
• 
  Helfštýn castle
• 
  Jánský vrch château
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  A view at Jeseník from Červenohorské sedlo
• 
  Kostelec na Hané, town hall
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  Litovel
• 
  City center of Olomouc
• 
  Astronomical clock at town hall in Olomouc
• 
  Petrovy kameny and Praděd
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  National House in Prostějov
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  Přerov
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  Ramzová
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  Staré Město
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  Šternberk castle
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  Šumperk
• 
  A view from Velký Kosíř mountain
• 
  Mills in Zlaté Hory

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Olomouc Region.

• Official website (in Czech)
• Region statistics