STAGE 3 – TO THE ATHENS OF HANÁ
The total length of the section is 44,3 km. The third stage will take us from Olomouc, the last city of the second stage, through the landscape of the fertile Haná plain and through historic towns to the town of Kroměříž, often labelled as the Athens of Haná. We will follow cycle route no. 47. First we will pass Smetana's Orchards (“Smetanovy sady”) and then we will follow the new cycle path on Schweitzerova Street, around the Hamrejz pond and through Nemilany, a village on the outskirts of Olomouc. Via the villages of Kožušany-Tážaly, Blatec, and Charváty, we will reach Dub nad Moravou, with its pilgrimage church of the Purification of the Virgin Mary.
Beyond Dub nad Moravou, an attractive route awaits us along a path leading past the Hradecký pond, but there is no need to be afraid of getting wet. We arrive in Tovačov, a small town located at the confluence of the Rivers Morava and Bečva. The Renaissance chateau, with its 96-metre-high Graceful Tower (“Spanilá věž”), deserves attention. We continue through the preserved floodplain forest (a part of it is protected as the Zástudančí National Nature Reserve) to Chropyně. Here we can also visit the picturesque chateau, which is connected with the legendary King Barley of Haná (“Král Ječmínek”). In the vicinity of the chateau there is the chateau pond, which is protected as a national natural monument.
The goal of the third stage of our journey is the town of Kroměříž, the Athens of Haná. The dominant feature of the town is the Archbishop's chateau, which, together with the Podzámecká and Květná gardens, is inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In addition to these gardens, the streets of the urban reservation also invite you to take a walk. The Museum of the Kroměříž Region and the Bishop's Mint will expand the knowledge of visitors. There are a number of accommodation and dining facilities in Kroměříž; cheap accommodation is offered by two bicycle camps.
Czech Rail Bike
The recommended starting point for the Moravian Trail is the main Olomouc railway station (line no. 270: Česká Třebová - Bohumín).
If you have small children, we recommend the railway station in Hulín (line no. 330: Přerov - Břeclav) as the starting point. From Hulín, you will ride only 6 km along cycle route no. 5033 to Kroměříž, where the "cycle highway" to Vnorov begins.
