Olomouc in the Czech Republic ranks surprisingly high on our younger daughter’s wish list—right after Hawaii. More specifically: the Long Story Short hostel. We first visited Olomouc a few years back on our way to Poland and spent one night at the hostel.

Since that stay, A’s greatest wish had been to return to Olomouc and stay at Long Story Short again. About two years later, the time had finally come, and we spent a weekend in Olomouc at Long Story Short. The city is easy to reach from Vienna: just under three hours by car or around four and a half hours by train.

Our children would have happily spent most of the time at the hostel. The two-storey four-bed dorm rooms had already impressed them on our first visit, and apparently reading in bed or on the sofa, listening to music, or playing on a tablet works better there than at home.

Of course, Olomouc has much more to offer, but with its eatery, café, and bakery, the Long Story Short hostel is a great base for breakfast, breaks during the day, or returning in the evening.

Evening stroll through Olomouc

Since we only had one full day in Olomouc, we set off for an evening stroll through the city center right after fortifying ourselves with coffee, hot chocolate, and cake at the hostel café. The square around the town hall offers a wonderfully varied setting to end the day: the large bronze model of the old town, the Holy Trinity Column, the astronomical clock, the various fountains, the historic buildings, and numerous cafés and restaurants.

Pevnost poznání – Fort Science

We started the second day with a good breakfast at the hostel and then walked to the Pevnost poznání Museum (“Fortress of Knowledge”). The route led through the city center, past the beautiful Art Nouveau Villa Primavesi, down steps through the city walls, and along a stream through the city park.

The interactive science centre of Palacký University Olomouc was formerly part of the fortifications and served as an ammunition depot from the mid-19th century onward. Today, it is a lively place of learning, where historical background information is presented just as engagingly as a wide range of natural science topics.

At the time of our visit, the exhibition on the history of Olomouc on the ground floor was richly illustrated but unfortunately labeled exclusively in Czech. With the help of translation apps and the very friendly and committed museum staff, we were still able to take away quite a bit of information.

The upper floors were much more interactive. The children explored numerous learning and experiment stations on two levels—covering topics such as the animal world, water, the human body, physics, light, and space. A visit is absolutely worthwhile, and you should plan to spend at least a full afternoon there.

A practical detail: on every floor there are cozy seating areas with sofas or benches, ideal for a small snack or a short break in between. On each level, before entering the exhibition areas, there is always a space with sofas or benches where you can eat snacks you’ve brought along or simply rest for a bit.

Looking for Waffles

Despite our snacks, hunger eventually set in, and we went in search of waffles. As so often on our travels, we discovered a new favorite spot: Café Kafec, located right by the city wall with a view of greenery. The café is housed in Villa Primavesi, whose design was once shaped by artists such as Josef Hoffmann, Anton Hanak, and Gustav Klimt. Café Kafec has its own roastery and serves excellent sweet and savory waffles—including gluten-free options. The weather cooperated, and we were even able to sit on the terrace. The waffle selection is fantastic, so everyone found something they liked.

Since our children were still convinced that we had come to Olomouc mainly because of the hostel—and because it was now pouring with rain—we spent the evening cozily at Long Story Short and only went to the Eatery, the restaurant directly in the hostel, for dinner.

The next day was already our departure day. After one last coffee at Long Story Short, we walked once more to Café Kafec. Olomouc has so many pretty little corners and squares that it’s truly worth always choosing new routes through the narrow lanes.

Unfortunately, this time it was too rainy to sit on the terrace again, and indoors we were lucky to snag a table. It was Sunday morning, and the café was quite busy.

Despite the mostly rainy weather we had an amazing weekend in Olomouc and the Long Story Short Hostel.

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Long Story Short – here’s what you can do on a weekend in Olomouc:

• Book accommodation in the Old Town. For us, Long Story Short was ideal, because thanks to the room layout everyone still had their own private space and the hostel’s common areas offer lots of cozy little corners. Plus, the coffee is excellent 🙂

• The best way to explore the Old Town is on foot. The small alleys, the different squares, the city walls, and the green belt surrounding the Old Town are beautiful.

• Find your favorite spots! We found one at Café Kavec.

• The Pevnost poznání “Fortress of Knowledge” museum is absolutely recommended for families with children and teenagers!

• Olomouc can easily be explored in a weekend, but it certainly also offers plenty of opportunities for a longer stay.