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Travel with me to Ostrava: what to see & where to eat

Writer's picture: Kristýna RichtrováKristýna Richtrová

Updated: Apr 24, 2023

As one of my biggest hobbies is traveling and exploring the world, I am starting this new series of Travel with me for various Czech cities. Where else to start than in my home-town - Ostrava.

 


General information

  • Ostrava is the third biggest city in the Czech Republic. It is located in the north-east of the Czech Republic, very close to the Polish and Slovakian borders.

  • It is located 360 km from Prague, but connected to it by D1 motorway for an easy 3-4h drive. There is also various trains and busses going to Ostrava from Prague many times a day, which may be more comfortable way of transport.

  • (In November 2022) There is around 280 000 people living in Ostrava, making it the third biggest city of the Czech Republic by habitants too. Out of this number, there is 19 300 foreigners in Ostrava, which is the double comparing it to 2013.

  • The logo of Ostrava has !!! in it. For some it may look very aggressive, however according to the official explanation of the city, it should represent the "energy, confident and the humour of the city."


Things to see

Dolní oblast Vítkovice (DOV)

One of the biggest landmarks when you google Ostrava is actually a huge industrial complex. Black coal used to be mined and raw steel used to be produced here in the 19th up until late 20th century.

Since 2002 it is registered as national culture heritage.

The city did not let it rust away and instead made the most of it by holding various events here, e.g. the biggest music festival Colours of Ostrava.

There is also Science and Technology Centre with many interactive exhibits for children but also adults.




Ostrava Poruba

This must be my favourite city part. The lengthy Hlavní třída is lined with cafés and restaurants. Sometimes the whole street closes for traffic and is used for roller-blading or cycling! It is known for its socialist realism architecture - Oblouk is surely a must see!

Poruba is home to the second largest boulder in the Czech Republic, and the largest summer swimming pool in Central Europe (Koupaliště Vřesina)



New city hall

The tower of the New City hall has a terrace offering a lovely view on the city centre and surrounding areas. In case of a clear sky, you will be able to spot even Poland! It is the biggest city hall complex in the Czech Republic. The tower is 85,6m high, making it the tallest City hall tower in the Czech Republic.


Plato Bauhaus

Plato is a contemporary art gallery located in an old Bauhaus (hobby market) building! This bizarre concept gives this gallery a unique feeling. Apart from the gallery, there is also a space for public events. Some schools are using the space for their art classes.


Where to eat

Ollies - Ollies is a café selling delicious cakes. It is also a place to get a great (and cheap) brunch. Their pancakes are simply to die for!




Na Kávičku is located in Ostrava-Poruba (very close to my heart as that is where I went to high-school). In the summer, you can sit in their patio and admire the special atmosphere of the socialist realism architecture around.

A Café - very nice café, serving lovely brunches.

El Amigo Muerto - amazing Mexican restaurant in Ostrava-Poruba, serving huge portions of delicious (and spicy) food. Their frozen margherita is also highly recommended :)

Polo Caffé - this is a very unique concept of a café - you get to have it in the bedroom! Located at Masaryk's square, one of the biggest squares in Ostrava, where unfortunately there is almost no people lately.

Faency Fries - I am very proud of the fact that the founder of Fancy Fries is from Ostrava too! This very cool concept of selling "only" French fries with various sauces can now be found even in Prague, but the very fist shop was opened in Ostrava.


Bolt Tower, also called café in the sky, is actually a café located in DOV. It provides lovely view on the whole city. Ticket to this tower includes a voucher for consumption in the café.


Culture

Colours of Ostrava is a music festival held in the DOV. It was found in 2002 and since then many famous artist have performed here, such as The Cure, Florence + The Machine, Imagine Dragons, Rudimental, Norah Jones and others. It is always held in July.

Puppet Theatre - great place for children.

Gallery of Fine Arts - located in a functionalist building; its architecture reflects the local mining colonies.

Klub Atlantik - many film festivals are held in this culture centre.


Nearby places worth visiting

Hradec nad Moravicí - a beautiful castle complex where many famous figures used to stay - Beethoven, Liszt or Paganini.



Štramberk - picturesque village full of wooden houses, where the delicious Stramberske usi (Stramberk's ears) originated. There is a caste with a tower on top of a hill, offering lovely views.




Hukvaldy - a village where Leos Janacek was born. It is also home to the ruins of the third-largest castle in the Czech Republic. The castle is surrounded by a huge park in which you can spot many deers or mouflons. You can also find a monument of a fox here, to commemorate Leos Janacek and his opera The Cunning Little Vixen.


For more tips, I recommend following Nase Ostrava on Youtube, who makes videos on various Ostrava-connected topics. Most of the videos are in Czech, but some are in English too.

 

All of the above places are my personal tips that I visited. I was not paid to write these recommendations. All photos in this article are also taken by me!


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