At 400 metres this hill, a few kilometres from the centre of Olomouc, means many things to many people. For the religious it’s been a pilgrimage site for hundreds of years. 

At the top there’s a monastery with a magnificent baroque Basilica of the Visitation, which welcomed Pope John Paul II in the 90s. Alternatively you could simply visit Svatý Kopeček for the exercise, wandering through the forest around the hillsides. 

Olomouc Zoo is also here, and it has made great use of this natural setting, housing everything from giraffes to lions in spacious enclosures, while in the aquarium you can see sharks on the prowl.