TOP 10, Sights and Architecture, Industrial heritage

There are some things that you can only experience in Ostrava. One of them is a visit to a unique industrial area formerly known for coal mining and producing iron during most of the last century. Massive and once neglected complex with an area of ten hectares received a completely new purpose and today Dolní Vítkovice serves as an educational, social and cultural centre that offers entertainment for young and old adventurers from all around the world.

The simple walk between blast furnaces and technical buildings can evoke a very specific mood in visitors and opens them up to a completely unknown and fantastic world. But if you want to learn more about the history of Dolní Vítkovice as well as the history of the entire region, you can take a guided tour around the area. There are several of them, some tours focus on the history of coal mining, others on the operation of blast furnaces. The ideal end to the tour is the ascent to Bolt Tower – a 20 meter extension of Blast Furnace No. 1. There you can enjoy a beautiful view of Vítkovice from the height of 80 metres.

Unique Science and Technology centres and Gong

The Science and Technology centre and the U6 Science and Technology centre are both very entertaining for children and adults and interactive exhibits can enchant you for several hours. Children under the age of 6 will appreciate the Children’s World, which contains the world of adults converted to children’s scale.

Dolní Vítkovice area also includes the Gong multifunctional concert hall, located inside a renovated former gas tank. It hosts not only concerts but also professional conferences and international congresses.

What else to experience?

The former Hlubina mine complex is today aptly called the Hlubina Cultural District. You can enjoy a coffee or a concert here in pleasant establishments, go to shared workshops and studios, climb a climbing wall or practice yoga. By the way, the renown Colours of Ostrava festival is taking place on these unique grounds!

Prolong your trip

It’s very easy to spend the entire day in Dolní Vítkovice but if you only have limited time in Ostrava, use the double-decker buses that connect Dolní Vítkovice with the Ostrava ZOO on weekends and (summer) holidays. The bus journey itself is a very fun and pleasant experience.

The city centre is only four tram stops away or less than three kilometres on foot. There you can see the Masaryk Square or walk along the Ostravice river.

Who to visit with?

Everyone will really enjoy themselves in the Dolní Vítkovice area. Youngest children will appreciate the Children’s World, the older ones a walk along the blast furnace structure and extensions. Young people like to visit the climbing wall, take a sightseeing tour or have a coffee in one of the establishments. But the unique complex will also enchant parents, seniors and young people, who can spend the entire day here from breakfast, through tours to an evening concert in Gong of Heligonka club.

Concluding curiosities

• The complex of a coke plant, a coal mine and a blast furnace is often called the Ostravian Hradčany, as a comparison to a picturesque city district Hradčany in Prague. This comparison started with the creativity of people during the First Republic, when a series of postage stamps was published depicting Prague’s Hradčany and the panorama of Dolní Vítkovice.
• The ironworks were founded in 1828, almost 40 years before the establishment of Austria-Hungary.
• 90 million tonnes of crude iron and 42 million tonnes of coke were produced here during 162 years of continuous production.