Electric hoisting machines from the early days of electrification, interactive technology exhibitions and river landscapes make for a wide variety of discoveries in Ostrava-City District. The former industrial complex of Dolní Vítkovice was also repurposed as an educational, social and cultural centre. Alongside this, the city’s history and natural areas tell their own very different stories.
Industrial history and new uses
The authentic industrial complex of Důl Michal preserves electric hoisting machines and compressors from the early days of electrification. Dolní Vítkovice is a former industrial complex that was repurposed as an educational, social and cultural centre. Guided tours there focus on the history of coal mining and the operation of the blast furnace; individual programmes may change.
Gong adds a different dimension to this industrial heritage: the venue hosts international conferences and congresses, concerts and art exhibitions. The region thus brings together industrial history, cultural uses and a varied events programme, while offering distinct experiences.
The Moravská Ostrava Conservation Area offers another perspective, showcasing architecture and urban planning from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Those interested in the city’s development will find further historical and cultural topics at the Ostrava Museum. The city’s history is interpreted there from its founding in 1267 to 1989; the museum also covers art history, ethnography, archaeology, palaeontology, geology and mineralogy.
The mining history is brought especially vividly to life through a collection of mine lamps and measuring instruments, as well as an interactive map from 1928 showing the city’s mine shafts. Other exhibition topics turn to nature and landscape, including the floodplain forests in the Odra catchment area, regional forests, rivers, ponds, meadows and the urban landscape.
Discover technology
Velký svět techniky has four permanent interactive exhibitions: Dětský svět, Svět vědy a objevů, Svět civilizace and Svět přírody. Allow about four to five hours for your visit. Accessibility information is maintained; it is best to confirm the latest details before your visit. The Velký svět techniky building is fully accessible, while the Malý svět techniky U6 building is partially accessible.
Malý svět techniky U6 takes a different approach. Its interactive presentation of technological progress ranges from the steam engine to modern motors. Exhibits include original large blowers and around one hundred interactive stations. Comparing the two venues makes their different focuses clear: one centres on four broad thematic worlds, while the other explores the development of technology through hands-on exhibits.
River landscapes, nature and mining
Landek lies near the confluence of the Odra and Ostravice rivers and combines a national natural monument—with its rich flora and fauna—with a technical monument in the form of the mining museum. A scientific and mining educational trail also leads visitors past exposed Carboniferous coal seams. Landek is also associated with mammoth hunters who lived there about 25,000 years ago, and with the Petřkovice Venus.
Halda Ema also brings the area’s geological history to life: its thermally active interior reaches temperatures of up to 1,500 °C, creating porcelainite and jasper. Those who prefer to explore the natural environment on a guided excursion can visit Polanská niva on special tours with a nature guide. The national nature reserve covers 50 hectares of forest and is part of the Oderská niva biocentre and the Poodří European conservation and bird protection areas. Rezavka is a wetland with floodplain vegetation.
The larger Poodří landscape extends beyond Ostrava: about one tenth of the protected landscape area lies within the city limits of Ostrava; it also extends into the Nový Jičín and Frýdek-Místek districts. Poodří’s landscape features include meandering branches of the Odra, permanent and temporary pools, floodplain forests, wetlands of international importance, ponds and extensive floodplain meadows.
A cycling route follows the Ostravice and Odra rivers to Landek and runs along cycle route G. For a different way to find your bearings, there is a circular route in Poruba, marked with local blue-and-white hiking signs and accessible by tram lines 7, 8 and 17 at the Hlavní třída stop.
Food and routes through the city
The culinary scene includes Czech, regional and international cuisine, as well as pub specialities such as Utopenci and marinated Hermelín. A 3.3-kilometre visitor route explores craft breweries in Ostrava and the region; participating businesses may change. The Ostravské hospody themed route looks at the 19th century and the history of beer brewing in Ostrava. The availability of guided tours may change.
Public transport in Ostrava is integrated into ODIS and includes trams, buses and trolleybuses. Landek Park is served by DPO bus lines 34, 52, 56, 67 and 68 at the Hornické muzeum stop. Visitors can get around using both urban public transport and designated cycling and themed routes.
The experiences vary in nature—from interactive exhibitions and special nature tours to a cycling route to Landek.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Vratimov, Ostrava, Horní Lhota, Klimkovice, Šenov, Stará Ves Nad Ondřejnicí, Václavovice, Velká Polom, Čavisov, Dolní Lhota, Olbramice, Zbyslavice, Vřesina.
For the overview of the wider region: Moravian-Silesian Region.
