Northern Moravia and Silesia

North Moravia and Silesia boast a whole array of intriguing industrial heritage sites belonging to the Ostrava-Karviná coal mining area, but this is also a region where you can discover quite unexpected places of natural beauty. These include meadowland along the River Odra, waterfalls on the Bílá Opava River and the Rešovské waterfalls. And neither will anyone who prefers traditional sightseeing leave disappointed; castle gates are open wide at Sovinec and Hukvaldy, and the chateau at Hradec nad Moravicí and the town of Štramberk (nicknamed the Wallach Bethlehem) are lovely places for romantic strolls.

The region is also known for its typical folk architecture, especially timber churches. Or if you prefer places of natural beauty, take a walk onto the wooded slopes of the Jeseníky and Beskydy mountains, admire the sunrise from the top of Lysá and Praděd, or head off along the River Odra. And don’t forget to return in the winter time when the Jeseníky and Beskydy are transformed into a ski paradise. And thanks to North Moravia and Silesia’s strong industrial tradition, you can also look forward to museums full of cars, carriages and trams and the Ostrava Mining Museum. You can also visit military forts along the Czechoslovak defensive line near Opava.

Ostrava – The main centre of the region dates back to the 13th century and was built on a trade route called the Amber Way which led from the Baltic to the Mediterranean. The town has many unique pieces of industrial heritage as well as a castle, the Miniuni complex, a zoo and a Dinopark.

Castles and chateaux – Why not pay a visit to chateaux such as Hradec nad Moravicí, Raduň, Kravaře, Kunín, Linhartovy and Fryštát in Karviná? You can also look forward to majestic castles such as Sovinec, Hukvaldy, Štramberk (with its Trúba Tower) and Ostrava Castle. There are also substantial castle ruins at Šostýn and Starý Jičín.

Ostrava Zoo – This large area of forest park allows visitor to admire various species of animal against an interesting botanical setting incorporating a number of interactive attractions and themed walks. A sightseeing train tours the zoo and there are animal feeding times when talks are given, as well as falconry demonstrations and night-time tours.

Ostrava Mining Museum – On the city’s Landek Hill you’ll find this mining complex incorporating a rope centre and several sports facilities. At the Mining Museum itself there’s an exhibition of mining technology and a special display on the Colliery Search & Rescue Service. You can also head down into 250m of underground passageways where you’ll find a mock up of a working coalface. Landek is also known for a 46mm-tall Venus figure found here.

Spas – The best known are Darkov and Klimkovice where a unique iodine and bromide-rich mineral water is used in cures. Then there’s Karlova Studánka with its timber spa houses and the herb spa in Komorní Lhotka, where novel hydrotherapy procedures are offered.