Tip for an extended weekend with OSTRAVACARD!!!
Are you going to Ostrava for a trip or a short holiday?
Save with OSTRAVACARD!!! Stay in the city for at least two nights and get a tourist card with which you can enjoy many benefits in various places. Take a few tips on what you can do in three days in Ostrava.
Welcome!
Day 1 – Discover the city centre
After receiving your OSTRAVACARD!!! in one of the partner accommodation facilities, your steps can lead to the New City Hall. From the City Hall Tower there is a beautiful view of the city and its surroundings. Access to the tower is barrier-free, the elevator leads to the observation deck. In the tourist information centre under the tower, they will be happy to advise you and give you tips on staying in Ostrava, and you can buy there souvenirs with Ostrava motifs. In addition, you will receive a discount on selected products with OSTRAVACARD!!!
After visiting the City Hall Tower, walk through the city centre. It is small, but all the more attractive. On the route from the city hall to Masaryk Square, the Evangelical Church in Husovy sady, the Cathedral of the Divine Saviour and the former National House on Msgre Šrámka Square or the picturesque Art Nouveau houses on Jirásek Square are worth seeing. For a more peaceful walk, you can choose a route from the New City Hall along the Ostravice river embankment around the Regional Court building and the Miloš Sýkora bridge. Masaryk Square with its pedestrian zone forms the pure centre of Ostrava. Here you will find shops, cafés and restaurants.
Then, for an even deeper knowledge of Ostrava, visit the Ostrava Museum, which is located on the square inside the Old Town Hall - the only building with a preserved arcade. The extensive exhibition offers a look not only into the history of the city through archaeological finds, period photographs or other unique collection items. You will also find here departments dedicated to mining, ethnography, nature and geology. For a better view of the square, you can ascend to the museum tower, where you can see the carillon of 22 bells. The carillon plays every hour, always two minutes before the hour.
From Masaryk Square, head in the direction of 28. října Street to the Antonín Dvořák Theater on Smetana Square. On the way, you will come across an interesting monument dedicated to the local cancelled tram line or the impressive street art painting of Madona Ostravica, which is the largest in the country. Have a coffee or dessert at the Sladký časy confectioner's on Smetana Square, where you can also apply for a discount on OSTRAVACARD!!! From here, it is only a few steps to the House of Arts, where the Ostrava Gallery of Fine Arts is located. In addition to works from the permanent collections, there are countless highly regarded exhibitions every year. There is free admission to the gallery on Sundays.
Day 2 – Industrial Ostrava
Have you got acquainted with Ostrava enough? In that case, it's time to get to know its "well-worn" location. Dolní Vítkovice Area (DOV), which has been declared a national cultural monument, offers a program for the whole family for a large part of the day. In addition to the well-preserved blast furnaces, coke ovens and buildings of the Hlubina mine, exteriors of which you can enjoy without a guide within the open area, you can also take part in several guided tours, including a trip to the blast furnace, or visit interactive exhibitions of the Small and Big World of Science and Technology. In the area of Dolní Vítkovice there is a sufficient number of parking spaces (free parking) and excellent public transport access. You will also find here several businesses where you can satisfy your hunger and quench your thirst.
With a visit to Dolní Vítkovice Area, connect a short stop around Mírové Square in Vítkovice only a 10-minute walk or one tram stop away. Directly on the square, which was the heart of the industrial town built during the second half of the 19th century, you can see the town hall and church, a short distance away in Lidická street a typical colony of gabled residential houses, or on the Jiřího z Poděbrad Square a former boys' and girls' school. You will surely be captivated by the view of the uniform architectural style of the brick masonry, which you will meet at almost every step during this short walk through Vítkovice.
From Vítkovice, move to Petřkovice, where the largest mining museum in our country is located below the Landek hill. In the Landek Park area, not only the buildings of the former Anselm mine, including the mining tower, can be seen on the exteriors, but also the freely accessible exposition of mining and extracting machinery and the exposition of the historical settlement, which refers to the mammoth hunters' settlement. The most attractive, however, are undoubtedly the commented circuits that you can go through with experienced former miners. A small circuit will guide you through the issue of mine rescuing, which introduces a unique set of breathing techniques and their historical development. Within a large circuit, you can descend by the mine cage to the promotional shaft, where everything that the demanding work of miners involved is displayed.
If you still have energy after a demanding day, climb the easy path to the Landek hill and walk to the wooden lookout tower, from where you can enjoy the view of Ostrava again from a different perspective. The Landek site has been declared a national natural monument.
Day 3 – To Silesian Ostrava not only to see animals
Silesian Ostrava is the largest district in Ostrava. Start your journey at the Silesian-Ostrava Castle. The fortress built in the 13th century above the confluence of Ostravice and Lučina met a difficult fate. The change of owners, several conquests and also undermining caused that in the first half of the 20th century it was practically desolate and fell by 17 meters compared to its original level. However, it was saved and is currently open to the public. Other castle exhibitions are dedicated mainly to children. Guided tours take place at the castle during the season.
From the castle, follow yellow tourist signs that lead around the church of St. Josef and the Ostrava central and Jewish cemetery to the top of the Ema heap. An iconic place with a view of the whole of Ostrava is a conical heap, which began to be piled up around 1920. There are very specific conditions on the heap. It is still burning and its internal temperature is estimated at up to 1200 ° C. That is why there are unusual species of fauna and flora for our climate zone. The Ema heap is open all year round. In the final few tens of meters below the top, the ascent is more challenging, both in terrain and incline.
Descend from the heap and walk along the footpath and Miloše Svobody Street to the Ostrava Zoo, which is the second largest in the Czech Republic. You will find here 4000 animals from 400 different species. The most popular pavilions are those inhabited by elephants and African animals. In the Tanganyika pavilion you can see hippos and crocodiles, the Chitwan pavilion is inhabited by bears and the Evolution pavilion by representatives of the monkey kingdom. The Na statku exposition is attractive especially for children as they can come here into direct contact with domestic animals. Ostrava Zoo is also a botanical park. Four themed botanical trails are an ideal option in hot weather or for relaxation or meditation.
