History and architecture

Beautiful walk through Mariánské hory

Do you want to get to know Ostrava not only as an industrial center, but as a city with an interesting history and unique architecture? Take a walk through Mariánské Hory, a neighborhood that once bore the mysterious name of Čertova Lhotka. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, it underwent dynamic development and to this day you can find beautiful Art Nouveau buildings, villas and workers' colonies here.

Start your walk through Mariánské Hory at the town hall on Přemyslovců Street. The town hall is not only the administrative center of the district, but also a great starting point for exploring a neighborhood full of contrasts - from noble buildings to workers' settlements. Continue along Korunní Street, where you will find the unique historical building of the former Falco science laboratory (595/76), where school supplies were produced as early as the 1920s. The laboratory dealt with anatomy, animal skeletons, biology and insect collections. The building was built by the Špaček brothers company and the Falco inscription as well as the panorama of Ostrava and other motifs has been preserved to this day. Today it houses a medical office, but it is worth to stop by the building just to see it from the outside.

The monumental Church of Virgin Queen Mary.

Go further to Stojan Square, dominated by the Church of Virgin Queen Mary – one of the most important sacral buildings in Ostrava. This magnificent neo-baroque church was built in 1905–1908 according to the design of the architect Otakar Bém. The interior was decorated by famous artists from the early 20th century, such as Joža Uprka, Luděk Marold, Jano Köhler or Zdeňka Vorlová-Vlčková. The chandeliers were made according to the design of Jan Kotěra. It is the third largest church in the Moravian-Silesian Region – it can accommodate up to 3,500 people. Right next to the church stands the Art Nouveau rectory from 1912. Both buildings are cultural monuments.

Mariánské square and the elegance of the Belvedere Hotel

From the square, walk through the Hudební Street, at the end of which turn left and along Přemyslovců Street you will reach Mariánské square. On the square you will find the historic building of the former Belvedere Hotel. When it was built in 1912, it had the ambition of becoming a luxury hotel that would attract important visitors. Although it never achieved the fame of Ostrava's hotels in the center, its impressive facade still reminds us of the time when Mariánské Hory tried to compete with Moravská Ostrava.

Workers' colonies

Mariánské Hory is not just about magnificent buildings. A large part of its history is made up of the workers who lived and worked here. Therefore, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, extensive workers' colonies were established. While the Lower Colony, located around Rybářská, Grmelova and Zajícova streets, was demolished in the 1990s, the Upper Colony has survived to this day. Take a walk among the brick houses on Bendlova, Slévárenská and Daliborova streets and imagine how the life of mining families used to be. The Upper Colony was also called the Colony by the Ball, named after the nearby Ball inn, which also housed a theater hall that reportedly could accommodate up to 3,000 people - at that time one of the largest in the Ostrava region. The inn stood on the right side of the mouth of the district street (today Přemyslovců street) into the busy Reich road (today 28. října street). Behind it, on today's Slavníkovců street, was the famous Slavia cinema.

Bendlova street has now been transformed into a "devil's alley" thanks to ten wooden statues of devils, which were created from felled chestnut trees that posed a safety hazard. This idea not only revitalized the public space, but also symbolically recalled the original name of the area – Čertova Lhotka.

From the colonies, continue towards Tovární Street, which was an important center of Ostrava industry. On this street you will also find an inconspicuous but historically valuable building with the number 732. In the 1930s, an apprenticeship home for students of the Jewish vocational school was built here, designed by the prominent Ostrava architect Felix Neumann. After the war, miners lived here and later the building was taken over by the army. In the 1990s, it was returned to the Jewish Community, which still uses it for administrative, social and religious purposes.

The urban plan of Mariánské Hory was created by the prominent Viennese architect Camillo Sitte. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, he designed a generous plan for this area that combined the functional needs of the rapidly growing community with the aesthetics of urban space. Although the entire project was not fully implemented, the basic elements of his vision have influenced the appearance of this part of the city to this day.

Our tips:

• If you feel like making one more stop, head to Villa Grossmann. This building was built at the beginning of the 20th century by the prominent Ostrava builder and architect František Grossmann. You can book a tour HERE. The garden is freely accessible during the villa's opening hours.
• The implementation of the Venice Forest Park and Hulvácký Hill project will soon begin, which will make this area attractive and accessible to the general public.
• You can continue to the Kopaniny cemetery, where among the many historical graves there is one that tells one of the most powerful stories. It is the now repaired tombstone of four siblings who drowned in the flooded Odra River in 1922.

Length: approx. 1.5 km

Difficulty: easy walk on sidewalks

Accessibility by public transport: trolleybus 102, 108, 109 "Strmá"