Visit Ostrava

1. Visit Ostrava www.ostrava.cz

2. Location of the City www.ostrava.cz

3. Location of the City www.ostrava.cz

4. City Map Poland 15km D1 Prague Slovakia 380km D1 50km www.ostrava.cz

5. Ostrava • 3rdlargest city in the Czech Republic • Metropolis of the Moravian-Silesian Region • Area: 214 km2 • Nearly 311,000 inhabitants • Strategic location between Poland (15 km to the border) and Slovakia (50 km to the border) • International Airport 25 km from the city centre • Adjacent to the D1 highway and railway corridor www.ostrava.cz

6. History • Ostrava owes its name to the river Ostravice, which divides the city into the Moravian and Silesian parts • 1267 – first mention of the town – in the testament of Bruno of Schauenburg, bishop of Olomouc • 1763 – discovery of coal, revival of economic life • 1828 – setting up of steelworks, rapid growth of the agglomeration • 1918 (after the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic) – thanks to its steelworks and coal mines, Ostrava gained an important economic position and slowly grew into an administration, social and cultural centre • 1989 – major economic and political changes, restructuring of industry • 1994 – closing down of black coal mines in Ostrava www.ostrava.cz

7. Ostrava is changing • Industrial manufacture geared exclusively towards heavy industry has subsided • Ostrava is a green city – there is 30 m2 of greenery per inhabitant • Original mines have been transformed into unique industrial monuments unlike anything else in the Czech Republic • Ostrava is an entertainment Mecca and home to many international cultural and sporting events www.ostrava.cz

8. Technical monuments • Lower area of Vítkovice or the Hlubina Mine, Blast Furnaces and Coking Plant of the Vítkovice Ironworks - a unique industrial complex listed as a European Cultural Heritage Site • Michal Mine – national cultural monument, whose tour route enables visitors to walk in the footsteps of miners as they made their way down to work each day • Landek park with the exposition of mining museum – the largest museum of its kind in the Czech Republic, offering visitors the chance to head down into the coal seam or examine the world’s largest mine rescue services exhibit www.ostrava.cz

9. Tourist attractions • Silesian-Ostrava Castle • World of miniatures Miniuni • Fairytale Ghost Cellar • Zoo Ostrava • The Ostrava Museum • The Fire-fighting Museum of Ostrava • Brewery Museum • Zither Museum • Museum of Keltička the Blacksmith • Observatory and Planetarium of Johann Palisa • Geological Pavilion of Professor F. Pošepný • New City Hall Viewing Tower • Ema Slag Heap • Ostrava Sea Aquarium www.ostrava.cz

10. Architecture • numerous and varied architectural styles – both historizing and modern • 4 urban monument zones – Moravská Ostrava, Ostrava-Přívoz, Ostrava-Vítkovice and Ostrava-Poruba • churches – Church of St. Wenceslas (oldest in Ostrava), Cathedral of the Devine Saviour, wooden Church of St. Catherine, Church of St. Paul, Evangelist Church • Buildings built by famous architects (Mendelsohn, Kotas, Sitte, Hilbert, Korner, Gočár …) www.ostrava.cz

11. Entertainment Stodolní – the street that never sleeps • over 60 bars and clubs with various themes • center of entertainment and nightlife Not just Stodolní • There are several fantastic places found off of Stodolní street, like clubs (ex. Parník, Fabric, Atlantic), coffee shops (ex. Beseda, Daniel, Minikino kavárna, Sedmé nebe) and entertainment centers (ex. Zuzana, Alexandria, Koruna) www.ostrava.cz

12. Culture • Fantastic festivals and cultural events • The International Janáček’s May Festival • The Spectaculo Interesse Puppet Festival • The International Colours of Ostrava Music Festival • 5 theatres, 1 world-class puppet theatre • several galleries (Ostrava House of Fine Arts, Beseda, Chagall, etc.) • The Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra www.ostrava.cz

13. Sport • Sport event of international importance • The Golden Spike Ostrava International Athletics Championship • Davis Cup • Ice Hockey World Championship in 2004 and many others • Multi-purpose sports halls, tennis courts, squash clubs, indoor/outdoor swimming-pools, horse riding • The largest natural swimming pool in the country • 5 golf courses close to the city • The Beskydy Mountains and the Jeseníky Mountains www.ostrava.cz

14. Nature • Protected Landscape Area Poodří • National Nature Reserve Polanská Niva • Landek National Natural Monument • Nature Reserve Rezavka • Štěpán Pond Nature Reserve • Nature Reserve Přemyšov • Nature Reserve Turkov • Ema Slag Heap • Wandering boulders • hiking, cycling and water routes www.ostrava.cz

15. Accommodations • wide and diverse range of accommodations facilities • 4* hotels (Clarion Congress Hotel, Brioni, Hotel Park Inn, Ruby blue, Jan Maria, Zámek Zábřeh, MaMaison Business&Conference Hotel Imperial, Hotel Mercure Ostrava Center) • 1 - 3* hotels • guesthouses, boarding houses, hotel houses, dormitories www.ostrava.cz

16. Incentives, conferences, exhibitions • long exhibition tradition • venue for holding many workshops, seminars, conferences and congresses (ex. Investment & Business Forum, the international congress TICCIH, Transport, etc.) • many places to choose from for conferences and exhibitions: • Black Meadow Exhibition Grounds • ČEZ ARENA • Technical University of Ostrava auditorium • Landek park with the exposition of mining museum • hotels and houses of culture • Project for a hall with 1,500 person capacity in former gas container of the so-called Lower area of Vítkovice www.ostrava.cz

17. Transport • The Czech Republic’s north-eastern hub for transportation and logistics • Leoš Janáček Ostrava International Airport(25 km from the city centre) • The largest regional airport in the Czech Republic • regular travel links • The D1 highway • part of TEN’s Multiple Mode Corridor No. VI, • a north-south link from the Czech-Polish border, through Ostrava to the D1 highway to Brno • the D1 highway will join up with the Polish A1 motorway through Katowice – Gdaňsk and on to Helsinki • Important railway hub for both regional and international trains www.ostrava.cz

18. Shopping • Moravian Silesian Region shopping center • several shopping malls and plazas (ex. Avion Shopping Park, OC Futurum, OC Galerie) • shopping zone in the city center • hypermarkets, specialized shops www.ostrava.cz

19. Summary • 3rd largest city in the Czech Republic • Rich mining history – today’s unique technical monuments • Tourist attractions • Architectural wonders • Entertainment centers • Numerous sports opportunities and international competitions • Nature • Wide range of accommodation facilities • Venue for workshops, seminars, conferences and congresses • The Czech Republic’s north-eastern hub for transportation and logistics • Moravian Silesian Region shopping center www.ostrava.cz

20. www.ostrava.cz