Olomouc to Telc and Trebic: Private day trip

Founded as a royal water fort in the 13th century to monitor the busy merchant routes between Bohemia, Moravia and Austria, Telc enjoyed great prosperity up through the 18th century. After a fire in the 14th century destroyed the town, it was rebuilt in stone, with the locals trying to one-up each other with increasingly elaborate homes. To this day, Telc’s main square is lined with some of the country’s most elaborate Renaissance and Baroque buildings. While the amazing facades get most of the attention, the houses are all connected by a maze of underground tunnels, which you can explore on a guided (Czech language only) tour. The gorgeous Old Town leads up to the elegant Renaissance castle and Gothic cathedral of St. James. If you’re looking for the best vantage of the picturesque town, you can climb to the top of the tower.

Trebic has experienced a new lease of life after two of its most historic sites were awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. The Basilica of St. Procopius began as a monastery in the 12th century and helped establish Trebic as a thriving market town. It's since undergone various remodels, with today's impressive structure coming from alterations in the early 1700s. One particular feature that stands out is a rare example of a ten-part rose window. Trebic’s Jewish Quarter is one of the best-preserved and largest Jewish Ghettos in Europe. All the original inhabitants were deported and sent to concentration camps in WW2, with only ten managing to return after the war. While many of the buildings in the area are now owned by non-Jewish residents, the Quarter still contains two synagogues and an ancient Jewish cemetery as an act of memorial.