Upper Square palaces in Olomouc

The Horní náměstí (Upper Square) is considered the core of the city’s centre. It is the oldest and most important of Olomouc’s squares and the buildings that have been growing on its rim for centuries bear witness to its history. Among the most important palaces are the Edelmann’s Palace, Petráš Palace and Salm Palace.

Over the centuries the Upper Square has become a place of extraordinary beauty and elegance. Its largest palace is the Baroque Salm Palace, an aristocratic seat with five wings. In the vicinity there is the Petráš Palace, originally a gothic house rebuilt into a Baroque palace, which is famous not only for its architecture but also because of Josef Petráš who founded here the first scholarly society in the lands of the Habsburg Empire in 1746, called the Societas incognitorum. The last of these three manors that are worth exploring is the Edelmann palace which was also rebuilt in Baroque style from an older building. However, even today you can admire the richly decorated facade and the masterful Renaissance relief with Old and New Testament scenes.