Church of the Annunciation

Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary in Olomouc is a Capuchin monastery church standing at the southeastern corner of the city's Lower Square (Dolní náměstí). Its plain, single-nave form topped with a tall triangular gable has anchored the square's southern front for more than three and a half centuries and remains one of the most recognizable religious buildings in this part of the historic centre.

How do you get there?

The church sits right on Lower Square, in the heart of Olomouc's old town, so walking is by far the easiest way to reach it. It's only a few minutes on foot from Upper Square (Horní náměstí) and its famous Holy Trinity Column. The surrounding streets are pedestrianised, and the nearest tram and bus stops are a short walk from the old town centre.

What's the history behind it?

Capuchin friars first arrived in Olomouc in 1615, invited to the city by Cardinal Franz von Dietrichstein. Their original monastery, built outside the city walls near the Middle Gate, didn't last long — it was destroyed in 1642 during the Swedish occupation of Olomouc, which lasted until 1650. The present church, raised between 1655 and 1661 by an unrecorded builder, was among the very first sacred buildings to go up in the city once the occupation ended.

The church itself has served worshippers continuously ever since, but the adjoining monastery had a far rockier history: once seized by the state, it passed through the hands of several different institutions. The Capuchins only regained their property after the Velvet Revolution, when a court ruled in their favour in 1995. The church received a new light-grey façade in 2012, and its terrace and front wall were repaired the following year.

What should you look out for?

The building's architecture is deliberately austere: a single nave without a tower, flanked by two side chapels and closed off by a rectangular presbytery — a plain style typical of Capuchin churches. Above the entrance portal, a mosaic of the Annunciation, created by Karel Bendík in the 1980s, draws the eye from across the square.

Inside, the wooden high altar dates from 1756 and was made by the Prague joiner Josef Wesenberger. The altarpiece it holds, a painting of the Annunciation, is considerably older — it was painted in 1661 in the Vienna workshop of Tobias Pocka, making it almost as old as the church building itself.

When's the best time to visit?

Since the church stands right in the centre of Olomouc, the easiest approach is to combine a visit with a walk around the old town and Lower Square — plan to come during the day, when the church is open to visitors and worshippers alike. Olomouc is at its most pleasant in spring and autumn, when the squares are noticeably quieter than during the peak summer season.

Frequently asked questions

Which religious order does the church belong to? The Capuchins, a Franciscan order that has had a presence in Olomouc since 1615.

When was the current church building constructed? Between 1655 and 1661, making it one of the first churches built in the city after the Swedish occupation ended.

What's the most valuable feature inside? The 1756 wooden high altar, holding an altarpiece of the Annunciation painted in 1661 by the Viennese artist Tobias Pocka.

Exactly where is the church located? At the southeastern corner of Lower Square (Dolní náměstí), in the historic centre of Olomouc.