Ostrava, Czech Republic - 13 tips for things to see and do

Writer: Helena Bergström

Ostrava, located in the eastern Czech Republic, is a city that tells the story of mining and industrial history, of coal and steel and blast furnaces. But you will also find beautiful nature, interesting museums and a colourful music festival. We've visited Ostrava twice, and today we're sharing our top tips for things to see and do.

Ostrava in the Czech Republic

In the 18th century, large amounts of coal were found in Ostrava, making it an industrial city. Mining activities largely ceased in 1994, although there is still steel production and mining in neighbouring areas. 

There are beautiful areas in Ostrava, but there are also grey concrete buildings and houses waiting to be refurbished and see better days. Still, the city has its charm, with restaurants, pubs and street art. If you ask the locals? Well, nature is the best part! According to our guide, Ostrava residents love nature and the mountains, and many have summer houses in the countryside where they go when they're off duty.

Ostrava is located in the eastern Czech Republic, less than two hours south-west of Krakow by car.

1. See the view from the tower of Ostrava's new town hall

The New Town Hall in Ostrava, built between 1925 and 1930, is the largest town hall in the Czech Republic, and the 85.6 metre town hall tower is the tallest town hall tower in the country. The city hall is worth seeing both for its impressive architecture and for the views from the tower.

Situated at a height of 73 metres, the tower's vantage point offers good views of the city in all directions.

2. Ride the Paternoster lift in the new city hall

Another thing to do in the new City Hall is to try the special Paternoster lift. You don't have to take it to get to the observation tower though, so the ride is completely optional. So, what is a paternoster lift? Well, it's a lift without doors that runs continuously, and you get to jump on and off "on the fly".

3. Stroll around the square by the old town hall

If you like classically beautiful cities, you'll like Masaryk Square and the Old Town Hall in Ostrava. This part of the city is really charming.

4. Take a guided city walk

Of course, if you have the opportunity, it is always interesting to go on a guided city tour. We walked around with a guide, and then you discover things that you would never have discovered on your own.

For example, our guide made us look down to see memorials to Jews deported during World War II.

5. Check out churches

If you like churches, there are of course a bunch to check out in Ostrava. We saw The Roman Catholic Parish of Ostrava (beige church), The Evangelical Church of Christ (brick church) and the Church of Saint Wenceslaus (white church).

6. Walk along (or paddle in) the Ostravice River

The river Ostravice flows through Ostrava, and along the river there are nice walking paths. This time we settled for walks, but on a previous visit we actually took a rubber boat ride here!

You can either canoe or rubber boat, and on our last visit we had great fun with a group of European journalists.

7. Experience the Dolni Vitkovice industrial area and Bolt Tower

One of the most interesting sights in Ostrava is the industrial area of Dolni Vitkovice, where you can also find the Bolt Tower. Once upon a time, steel and iron were processed here at the large blast furnaces. Today you can take a guided tour of this special environment and climb to the top of the Bolt Tower, where there is a restaurant and a view.

READ MORE: Dolni Vitkovice and Bolt Tower in Ostrava, Czech Republic

8. participate in the Colours of Ostrava music festival

If you come on the right weekend in July (and if there is no corona pandemic), you can experience a music festival in the cool industrial environment of Dolni Vitkovice. We were here in summer 2016, and it was a really cool experience.

READ MORE: Colours of Ostrava - music festival in an industrial environment

9. Learn about nature and technology at the Science and Technology Centre.

Right next to the Dolni Vitkovice industrial area is the Science and Technology Centre museum and experience centre. It is actually located so close that you can see the industrial area reflected in the facade, and so you can sit on the terrace and look at old industrial buildings.

The Science and Technology Centre is free of charge and the museum is large with many interactive sections. You will probably get the most out of your visit if you have children or young people with you. But even for us it was interesting to guess which penis belonged to which animal ...!

10. Visit the Landek Park mining museum

Another museum that is interesting is Landek Park Mining Museum. Here you can go down into the mine shafts and learn about life as a miner in the past. If you come by camper, you can also stay at the campsite right next door.

11. Enjoying food and drink

When you're in the Czech Republic, you want to enjoy Czech beer, and there are plenty of popular beer bars. The last time we were in Ostrava we also had really good burgers at a restaurant called Hogo Fogo Bistro.

Although you might think of beer in the context of the Czech Republic, we tried a completely different drink, namely burcák. This is a young partially fermented wine from the Moravia region of the Czech Republic, which is only drunk at a certain time of the year. We went into a small wine shop where the sign said "Vinotéka vinný sklep u kusaly" and asked to buy a bottle of red and a bottle of white of this speciality.

The lady in the shop filled two bottles for us and told us that the wine should be drunk relatively soon after buying it, and that you have to be a bit careful when opening it so that it doesn't spray out in all directions. What did it taste like? Fruity and good! Not like a meal drink really, but more like cider.

12. Get out to nature in the neighbourhood

As we've said before, Czechs love nature. As soon as they are free, they head out to summer cottages and nature reserves. And you take your cue from where you are, right? Here are three excursions to enjoy nature.

Prosper Golf Resort Celadna and Lake Olesna

Do you like to play golf, or maybe go horseback riding? Then head to Prosper Golf resort Celadna, located half an hour south of Ostrava by car. Here you will find a fine golf resort surrounded by beautiful scenery. On the way back to Ostrava you can stop at the beautiful Lake Olesna, where you will find camping, restaurants and boat hire.

READ MORE: Golf in the Czech Republic and camping on Lake Olesna

Tree top course at Pustevny and Stezka Valaska

Another great nature experience is to go to the treetop railway at Stezka Valaska in the Beskids mountain range. You go to Pustevny, which is just over an hour south of Ostrava. Once there, you can take a lift up the mountain, where you'll find the wonderful treetop railway.

READ MORE: Tree top course in Czech Republic - Pustevny and Stezka Valaska

Mount Praděd in the Hrubý Jeseník mountain range

For a longer excursion, you can head to Mount Praděd, which is two hours northwest of Ostrava by car. The peak is 1492 metres high and it's popular to get there by a combination of bus and hiking. There is a summit hut at the top and a variant is to descend the mountain on a scooter.

READ MORE: Mount Praded in the Czech Republic - down the mountain on a scooter

13. Take a trip to local culture and cities

If you want to experience not only nature but also culture, there are also a lot of interesting excursions to do, starting from Ostrava. Here are three suggestions.

Open air museum Wallachian Open Air museum

The Wallachian Open Air Museum is located near Pustevny, about an hour south of Ostrava by car. The large museum, popularly known as "Skansen", showcases more than 100-year-old buildings, interiors and still functioning mills and workshops from the eastern Czech Republic. Surprisingly nice and interesting!

Village of Štramberk

Štramberk is a cozy little village in the eastern Czech Republic, with an old castle and small colorful houses climbing a hill. Here you can visit the Šipka Cave, where a jawbone from a Neanderthal child was found in 1880, drink locally produced beer and eat ”Štramberk's ears” – a pastry reminiscent of a violent time in history when the Tatars saved the severed ears of people they killed.

Olomouc

Last but not least, we want to recommend the city of Olomouc, which is just over an hour west of Ostrava by car. Olomouc is a student town with a nice atmosphere and a beautiful square with a very special carillon, where the communist regime once had the angels replaced by workers ...

READ MORE: Olomouc - a gem in the eastern Czech Republic

More to see and do in Ostrava

There is, of course, much more to see and do in Ostrava than our tips. Here are some more suggestions:

• Michal mine, with mining mice
• Ostrava zoo
• Silesian Ostrava Castle
• Dinopark - the largest dinosaur park in the Czech Republic
• Ema slag-heap
• Gallery of Fine Arts
• Ostrava Planetarium
• Shopping in the Karolina mall
• Nature at Mount Prašivá in the Beskid mountain range

Where to stay in Ostrava?

There are of course many different hotels in Ostrava to choose from. However, we have only stayed in a hotel in Ostrava once, and since it was during the popular music festival "Colours of Ostrava", it was relatively difficult to find available rooms. That time we ended up at the small hotel Garni, which was located a little bit outside the city centre.

Campsites in and around Ostrava

This time we travelled by motorhome and had time to try a few different campsites. The most central campsite in Ostrava is Landek Park. The other campsites are located around the region, and can be good for excursions.

• Camping Landek Park, Ostrava - Right next to the mining museum Landek Park, cycling distance to Ostrava.
• Camp U Kateriny, Štramberk - Good location for visiting the village of Štramberk.
• Camp Olesna, Frydek-Mistek - Great location on Lake Olesna, close to restaurants, boat hire and more.
• Camp Koprivna, Mala Moravka - Good campsite at a resort with a ski slope, mountain biking and the possibility to visit Mount Praděd.

Even more to see and do in the Czech Republic

There is of course even more to see and experience around the Czech Republic. Below you will find lots of reports with tips and inspiration.

More tips for things to do in Ostrava?

Have you been to Ostrava in the Czech Republic? How was your experience?

Facts about Ostrava in the Czech Republic

• Country: Czech Republic
• Classification: Moravia-Silesia
• Location: Eastern Czech Republic
• River: Ostravice
• Population: Around 289 000 (2018)
• Read more: You can find more info on Visit Ostrava's website

Travelling to Ostrava

• Flight: Fly to Prague and then continue by train to Ostrava.
• Trains: Trains from Prague to Ostrava take about 3.5 hours. Trains are comfortable with WiFi and food and drink sales.
• Car: It takes 7 hours 45 minutes to drive from Rostock, if you count pure driving distance. It takes about 6 hours to drive from Gdansk.

READ MORE: What to do in Prague - 30 tips for sights and experiences