Kroměříž, Czechia (Czech Republic)
Kroměříž is one of the most beautiful Moravian towns with a lovely market square and interesting tenements with arcades. In addition to the interesting old town, tourists can visit a very extensive bishop gardens and the palace of archbishop, as well as a unique flower garden ("Květná zahrada"), to admire colorful floral carpets.
Parking in Kroměříž
We parked the car near the old town, just bordering the bishop gardens (P1; GPS: 49.300005, 17.397645), on the Vejvanovského street. Please take into consideration that this parking is paid, and the machine accepts coins, so before your arrival try to obtain the appropriate number of them (at least 100 CZK).
The bishop gardens
The bishop gardens, founded in 1509, make a really big impression by their huge area. Currently the park has an area of approximately 64 hectares. We walked main paths passing by the archbishop's palace (A; GPS: 49.300401, 17.393522) and a mini-zoo (B; GPS: 49.302473, 17.393411), which contains, among others, deers, goats, donkeys, geese and turkeys, but also some exotic animals such as monkeys.
The archbishop's palace itself can be visited - you can admire the representative rooms. The duration of sightseeing - about one and a half hours. Note: in the months from November to February the touring is not possible. There is also the opportunity to visit the wine cellars beneath the palace.
The market and the old town
The old town impresses with a large market (C; GPS: 49.298724, 17.393154) and a centrally located Baroque Marian column from the seventeenth century and a nice fountain. Around the market are erected interesting-looking buildings. You could just sit there and watch the ongoing life. And this place is really alive. A lot of events happens throughout the year. Lots of restaurants located on the square allow you to sit here for hours. You should also walk the outgoing streets. The buildings are kept in very good condition, and their colors are bright and cheerful.
The "Květná zahrada" flower garden
At a distance of about one kilometer from the market you can find a unique flower garden ("Květná zahrada") (D; GPS: 49.297420, 17.382413). It's a place that you simply must visit and explore. The walk from the market will take about 20 minutes, so there is not too much sense to go there by a car, but if you really want, you can find a little parking lot opposite the entrance (P2; GPS: 9.298000, 17.383678).
In the seventeenth century, the local marshes were dried and in their place was established a garden in French style, which over the centuries has been expanded to current state. All alleys in the garden leads towards a centrally located baroque rotunda, richly decorated with stucco and frescoes.
We visited various gardens, but in our opinion this one is the most diverse of all. We've got mazes, buildings, sculptures, gates, ponds, shaded spaces with benches, artificially constructed hills, and even a greenhouse with exotic plants. In this garden you can easily spend 2-3 hours and you will not be bored. Of course, a good weather is useful! :)
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