The historical city of the year 2020 in the Olomouc region is Olomouc

Olomouc – The city of Olomouc has advanced to the national round of the competition for the title of Historical City of the Year 2020. It won the regional round of the competition for the Award for the Best Preparation and Implementation of the Program for the Regeneration of Urban Heritage Reserves and Urban Heritage Zones, which has been announced by the Ministry of Culture since 1994. In the regional final, Olomouc defeated Šternberk, which has held the title of Historical City of the Year 2008. This was reported today by Vlastimil Staněk, spokesperson for the Olomouc branch of the National Heritage Institute.

According to Staněk, the evaluation committee focused not only on the care for cultural monuments but also on the overall approach of the city to public space, the care for residents and visitors, and the presentation of individual monuments. "In the area of the Olomouc urban heritage reserve with the Column of the Holy Trinity (UNESCO), which covers 86.79 hectares, there were 264 immovable cultural monuments at the end of last year. In recent years, significant restorations of many historical buildings have taken place,” stated Staněk.

Experts highlighted, for example, the overall restoration of the historic town hall building in the Upper Square, the completed restoration of the three domes in the interior of St. Michael's Church on Žerotín Square, the restoration of stone elements of the western facade at the Archbishop's Seminary, and the completion of the restoration of the representative painted hall at Komenium Primary School. "In the area of the national cultural monument Olomouc Castle with St. Wenceslas Church, the chapel has been revitalized and other buildings adapted, while St. Moritz Church is undergoing restoration of the external plaster including both towers, and work is still ongoing to make the southern tower accessible,” added Staněk.

The award and the resulting right to use the title of Historical City of the Year have been granted since 1994 by the Association of Historical Sites of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry for Regional Development. Last year, the title of Historical City of the Year 2019 was awarded to the town of Štramberk, while Šternberk represented the Olomouc Region in the final. The announcement of the results of this year's nationwide competition is scheduled for April.