Prostějov is a statutory town in Moravia, 15 km southwest of Olomouc and 45 km northeast of Brno, on the western edge of Haná, in the northern part of the Upper Moravian Valley, east of the Drahanská Highlands. The city is located at an altitude of 223 meters above sea level, on its edge flow rivers Hloučela and Romže. Approximately 44,000 people live here. The historical core of the city has been a city monument zone since 1990. Prostějov is the second largest city in the Olomouc region.
T. G. Masaryka Square (Náměstí T. G. Masaryka)
The heart of
Prostějov is this spacious, atmospheric main square, lined with colorful
burgher houses featuring Renaissance or Baroque cores and
19th–20th-century facades. It's a lively pedestrian-friendly space with
cafés, shops, and benches, dominated by the prominent New Town Hall
tower. A Baroque Marian column from 1714 stands as a focal point. Many
houses have fascinating histories and decorative elements, such as
sgraffito, portals, and house signs.
New Town Hall (Nová radnice)
Built in 1911–1914 in a historicist style by architect Karel Hugo Kepka,
this is the square's landmark tower (66 m tall, open to the public for
panoramic views). The facade features a four-sided clock tower with a
copper dome and an astronomical clock displaying months, sun, and moon
positions. The building includes ornate interiors with stucco,
sculptures, chandeliers, and marble details by local artisans. The
inscription above the clock emphasizes civic virtues.
Old Town
Hall (Stará radnice) and Muzeum Prostějovska
This Renaissance gem,
constructed 1521–1530, features a distinctive arcade loggia added in
1697 (Baroque modification) and a decorated portal from 1538–39.
Restored in the 1920s–1930s, it now houses the Museum of the Prostějov
Region (since 1905), showcasing local history, textiles, archaeology,
and art. It's a prime example of Renaissance civic architecture in
Moravia.
Prostějov Castle (Zámek Prostějov)
On Pernštýnské
Square, this Renaissance chateau was built 1522–1526 by the Pernštejn
family and rebuilt 1568–1572. It features elaborate sgraffito
decorations (added in modern reconstructions after 1893 by Jano Köhler),
family coats of arms, portals with historical figures, and a carved
gateway symbolizing Pernštejn and Šelemberk alliances. Now city-owned,
it serves cultural purposes.
Church of the Exaltation of the Holy
Cross (Kostel Povýšení sv. Kříže)
Founded in the late 14th century
with an Augustinian monastery (destroyed by Hussites), this church was
Gothic originally but heavily Baroque-rebuilt in 1702. It features rich
interiors with frescoes by Jano Köhler, a Way of the Cross by sculptor
František Bílek, ornate altars, and an impressive vaulted nave. The
tower and exterior blend Gothic spire with Baroque elements.
National House (Národní dům)
A masterpiece of Czech Art
Nouveau/Modernism (1905–1907) by architect Jan Kotěra, this national
cultural monument on Vojáčkovo Square combines a theater, club, and
hall. Its geometric design, preserved interiors (including stained
glass, majolica fountain, and Haná folk motifs by František Kysela), and
functional layout make it a highlight of early 20th-century Czech
architecture.
Other Notable Landmarks
Church of Saint John of
Nepomuk (1750–1755, Baroque, with paintings and sculptures).
Church
of Saints Cyril and Methodius (neo-Baroque rebuild 1902–1903).
Botanical Garden (Lidická street, established 1932–1934 on a former
cemetery site, featuring regional plants and educational displays).
Historic houses on the square (e.g., Marigold House with mosaic, Golden
Well with Gothic portal, St. Anthony's – birthplace of poet Jiří
Wolker).
Jewish heritage remnants (Old/New Synagogues, now
repurposed; old cemetery site).
The first historical mention of the village
Prostějovice is from 1141. By the middle of the 13th century, it
developed into an important market village. At that time, German
settlers were invited here, who founded a new settlement on the site
of today's T. G. Masaryk Square, to which the rights of the original
settlement were transferred. On March 27, 1390, Prostějov was
granted the right of the annual market thanks to the lords of
Kravaře, which in fact became a town. In the Hussite period, the
promising development slowed down as the city suffered delays on
both sides; the insufficiently fortified Prostějov became easy prey
for the troops of Margrave Albrecht and was burned down in 1431. The
prosperity of the town was brought about by the establishment of the
Jewish town and especially after 1490 by the more than century-old
reign of the Pernštejn families, whose property became the town. In
1495, the city began the construction of stone walls with four gates
with bastions. Between 1521 and 1538, the townspeople built a
Renaissance town hall.
At the end of the 16th century, the
city became the property of the Liechtensteins, which resulted in
the stagnation of the city's development. The first book in Moravia
was printed in Prostějov in 1527 by Kašpar Aorg's printing house.
During the Thirty Years' War, the town was devastated and in 1697 a
fire broke out, killing the town hall, the school and the church.
Then the city began to acquire a Baroque character. Around the
middle of the 17th century, mainly thanks to local Jews, the food,
textile and clothing industries developed rapidly. In the 1960s,
Prostějov was connected by rail with Brno and Olomouc. The 19th and
20th centuries changed the face of the city in the style of
historicism and Art Nouveau. From the 1920s and especially the
1930s, functionalism became the dominant construction in Prostějov.
From the 1960s to the 1990s, Czech and German officials competed
for the leadership of the city. Although the German-speaking
population was in the minority, thanks to a curia system that
preferred the richer classes, the city's leadership was German until
1892. Karel Vojáček became the first mayor of Czech nationality.
During the First World War, in 1917 there were hunger storms in
front of the district governor's building. Inexperienced military
units called from Olomouc could not handle the situation and began
firing at the crowd. During the shooting, 23 people died and another
80 were injured. To commemorate the event, a Monument to the Fallen
Heroes was erected after the war, and the entire square was renamed
Náměstí Fallen Heroes. During World War II, a large Jewish community
was deported to extermination camps, where most (a total of 1227
people) perished.
On April 10, 1953, after midnight, the
statue of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk was removed from the main square.
The act provoked a wave of disagreement and a demonstration took
place in the afternoon. Police units and People's Militia were
called to the city. In connection with the demonstration, 90 people
were interrogated, 43 were sent to court and 20 people were
sentenced to up to 1.5 years in prison. According to a later
investigation, the chairman of the ONV, František Ján, officers of
the flight school led by František Bernát and several members of the
StB took part in the removal of the statue. A few days after the
start of the Warsaw Pact occupation (1968), a shooting took place in
the city. Soviet soldiers started firing and shooting three people,
and many more were injured. Soldiers never said who was responsible
for the incident.
Until 2002, Prostějov was the seat of the
district office, and since 2012 it has been a statutory city headed
by the mayor. There is currently a significant engineering and food
industry in Prostějov. The preserved monuments include a bastion
from the 15th century and a Renaissance town hall from the 16th
century, today serving as a museum. The dominant feature of the town
is the new town hall from 1914 with a tower 66 meters high and an
astronomical clock. An important Czech scientist Otto Wichterle, a
Gothic builder Matěj Rejsek, a philosopher Edmund Husserl, a painter
Alois Fišárek and a poet Jiří Wolker were born in Prostějov. Karel
Dostál-Lutinov, pastor, writer and poet of Catholic modernism,
worked in Prostějov. Jan Sedláček, a member of the Czechoslovak
parliament for the National Unification, was the mayor and grammar
school teacher.
There was an important Jewish community in Prostějov, which was the second largest Jewish community in Moravia in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1900, 1,680 Jews lived in Prostějov, the total population was 24,000. The following rabbis worked in Prostějov: Gershon Ashkenazi (ca. 1650), Meir Eisenstadt (ca. 1700); Nehemias Trebitsch (1825–1830), Löw Schwab (1830–1836), Hirsch Fassel (1836–1853), Adolf Schmiedl (1853–1869) and Emil Hoff (1870–1897). The demolition of the historical part of the city, which was nicknamed Haná Jerusalem (which was hence the nickname for the whole of Prostějov) is also described in the film Castle Infinity from 1983 with Pavel Kříž in the lead role.
Topography and Terrain
The terrain of Prostějov is predominantly
flat, with minimal elevation differences within the city proper, making
it ideal for urban development and activities like cycling. Most of the
area lies in the lowlands of the Upper Morava Valley, a fertile plain
suited for agriculture. However, the western portion of the municipal
territory extends into the Drahany Highlands, introducing some hilly
elements. On a district level, the landscape is more varied: flat in the
southeast and hilly in the northwest, encompassing geomorphological
mesoregions such as the Drahany Highlands (west), Upper Morava Valley
(east), Zábřeh Highlands (north), Vyškov Gate (south), and Litenčice
Hills (south). This diversity creates a transition from lowland valleys
to upland hills, influencing local ecosystems and land use.
Elevation
The city's elevation ranges from 212 to 262 meters above
sea level in the main urban area, with the central part at approximately
223 meters. The highest point within Prostějov's municipal boundaries is
368 meters in the western Drahany Highlands extension. In the broader
Prostějov District, elevations vary more dramatically, from a low of 196
meters in a meadow near Ivaň to a high of 735 meters at Skalky hill in
Buková. These variations contribute to microclimatic differences and
support diverse agricultural practices.
Hydrography
Prostějov
is positioned at the confluence of the Romže River and the Hloučela
Stream, located in the Vrahovice district. The Romže originates in the
district and flows southeast, while the Haná River crosses the southern
part. Water bodies are relatively sparse, covering only 7.4 square
kilometers (2.9% of the district), with the Plumlov Reservoir being the
most notable artificial lake. These waterways support local irrigation
and recreation, including parks along the Hloučela River.
Climate
Prostějov has a temperate continental climate with warm summers and cold
winters, typical of Central Europe. Temperatures vary from an average
low of 24°F to 25°F in winter to highs of 75°F to 77°F in summer, rarely
below 9°F or above 87°F. The warm season runs from late May to early
September, with July being the hottest month (average high 75°F-76°F,
low 56°F-57°F). The cold season spans late November to early March, with
January the coldest (high 33°F, low 25°F). Precipitation is moderate,
totaling about 26.89 inches annually, with wetter summers (e.g., 2.5-2.8
inches in July) and snowfall in winter (snowy period November to March).
Humidity averages 74%, peaking at 86%-88% in winter months. Winds are
stronger in winter (up to 10.7 mph in February), predominantly from the
north, south, or west. Cloud cover is partly cloudy year-round, clearer
in summer.
Land Use, Soil, and Vegetation
The region is
dominated by agriculture, with 531.9 square kilometers (68.4% of the
district) dedicated to farmland, reflecting the fertile soils of the
Haná Valley. Soils in the Upper Morava Valley are typically
chernozem-rich, supporting crops like grains and vegetables. Forests
cover 157.1 square kilometers (20.2%), mostly in the hilly western and
northern parts, consisting of mixed deciduous and coniferous woods.
Urban green spaces include Kolářovy sady park in the city center and a
park forest along the Hloučela River, enhancing recreational
opportunities.
Other Geographical Features
The area's flat
terrain and river systems make it prone to occasional flooding, though
managed through infrastructure. Motorways D1 and D46 traverse the
southern district, facilitating connectivity. The geography supports a
mix of urban, agricultural, and natural elements, with the Haná Harvest
Festival highlighting the region's farming heritage. Overall,
Prostějov's setting in a transitional zone between lowlands and
highlands contributes to its economic focus on agriculture and light
industry.