live in Ostrava
- Introduction
- Place for relaxation
- Place for sport
- Place for entertainment
- Place for culture
- Place for children
- Place for study
- Place for work
The location of the block of flats logically brings up the question of living in the city centre and taking advantage of the possibilities connected with such a location. An exclusive place in a close proximity of the lively city centre, culture and historical monuments on one side, a relaxation zone of the Kostelní street and the Kostelní Square close to the beautiful surroundings of the Ostravice river on the other side. Ostrava was marked as the best place to live in a foreign survey; in the following paragraphs, we will present Ostrava to you as a place to live.
Place for relaxation
Ostrava is situated in a valley between the Beskydy and Jeseníky mountains, so-called Moravská brána. A significant part of the city is covered with forests, parks and greenery in housing estates. Largest forest areas are to be found in the eastern and southern part of the city. Flood plains in the Oderská niva valley are considered most valuable, with numerous endangered species of plants and animals living there. Vast parks and tree-lined avenues can be found in the city, serving as places of relaxation together with forests. The Pustevny mountain with a complex of reconstructed wooden buildings and the nearby Radhošť hilltop (1,129 meters above sea level) with a statue of the pagan god Radegast are very popular among visitors. The open-air museum in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm presents an exhibition of ancient rustic architecture, crafts and customs of the region of Walachia.
The popular spas of Darkov in the region of Karviná and Sanatoria Klimkovice were established thanks to the occurrence of iodine-bromine waters. The Priessnitz spa in Jeseník is named after the founder of hydrotherapy.
More than one hundred and thirty important landscape elements, three natural reserves and four natural monuments can be found in the location, with two parts of the Poodří protected landscape area (Polanecký forest and Polanecká flood plains) situated directly within the territory of the city. The natural reserves of Rezavka and Turkov with floodplain forests and the natural reserve circumscribing the Štěpán pond have been granted protection recently. There are 30 square meters of greenery per inhabitant.
Landek
The protected landscape area of Poodří
The Beskydy mountains
The Jeseníky mountains
The Hukvaldy Castle
The Sovinec Castle
The palace of Hradec nad Moravicí
The palace of Fryštát
The palace of Kravaře
The palace of Raduň
The palace of Kunín
The Museum of the Region of Nový Jičín
The Slezskoostravský castle
The Walachian Open-Air Museum
The Tatra Technical Museum
The Wagon Museum in Studénka
The Silesian Province Museum in Opava
Štramberk
Sanatoria Klimkovice
The Darkov Spa
The Priessnitz Spa in Jeseník
Place for sport
Sporting grounds, swimming pools, playgrounds or tennis courts offer varied relaxation and rest opportunities to the dwellers and visitors of the city. Both amateur athletes and professionals can use the facilities of indoor swimming pools as well as winter sports and athletic stadiums. Those who enjoy volleyball, badminton, golf, table tennis, skiing or skating will also be satisfied. Junior figure skating championships as well as standard and Latin dance competitions are held regularly in the ČEZ ARÉNA multi-purpose sports hall (venue of the 2004 hockey world championship). The international athletic meeting of Zlatá tretra (Golden Spike) of the Super Grand Prix category, regularly attended by the top world athletes, is held at the Municipal Stadium in Ostrava-Vítkovice every year.
There are 205 sports grounds, 5 stadiums, 130 gyms, 3 winter sports stadiums, 5 open-air swimming pools, 11 indoor swimming pools, 264 sports clubs and 15 riding clubs in the city. The natural bathing place in Ostrava-Poruba with an area of 41,000 sqm is one of the largest in Central Europe. The enjoyment of water is amplified with giant 55 meters long slides, roller coasters and diving platforms. In the very proximity of the city, there are 3 golf courses and the same number of small aircraft airports. There is also a vast network of cycle paths and routes.
Place for entertainment
It is almost useless to mention the name of the Stodolní Street. Representing a new phenomenon of the city, the area adjoining the Stodolní Street used to bear the characteristics of all the negative aspects of living in an industrial city only 15 years ago. According to the latest marketing survey among the dwellers and visitors of the city of Ostrava, it is among the most attractive places intended for entertainment, offering daily music performances. It is popular mainly among the young and intermediate generation. Close to eighty entertainment establishments are virtually crammed in a small area, many of them open till early morning. The profiles of the respective clubs differ – some of them focus on the music of the sixties, others prefer the most trendy music styles.
In 2006, a general reconstruction took place, creating a new pedestrian zone. Residential buildings as well as office blocks were reconstructed and new night clubs were built in vacant spaces. You are 800 metres from the centre of entertainment in a beeline.
The Colours of Ostrava festival offering various styles of music attracts young people of many European countries every year. Compositions of contemporary authors are performed at the New Music Festival within the framework of the Ostrava Days biennale.
Place for culture
In Ostrava, there are 37 galleries. The Gallery of Visual Arts, with its seat at the Arts House, has the longest history and administers important collections of Czech and world art of the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as works of art created by regional artists.
There are 5 cinemas in the city, among them the Cinestar multi-cinema, offering dozens of film performances in several air-conditioned halls every day.
The Moravian-Silesian National Theatre is a four-ensemble theatre. Opera, drama, ballet and operetta performances are held in two buildings – Antonín Dvořák Theatre and Jiří Myron Theatre. The Petr Bezruč Theatre Company and the Arena Chamber Scene are drama ensembles. The performances of the Ostrava Theatre of Puppets are intended for children. The Spectaculo Interesse international puppeteers festival is held there every two years.
The Ostrava Janáček Philharmonics is an orchestra with an international reputation. The international classical music festival Janáček May is a popular event.
The history of the city is documented by the expositions and exhibitions of the Ostrava Museum. The OKD Mining Museum and the national culture monument of the Michal Mine record the development of mining in the Ostrava region. The Fire-Fighting Museum and the Zither Culture Centre offer interesting exhibits, too. Some other museums located in the region include the Technical Museum in Petřvald, Wagon Museum in Studénka, Tatra Technical Museum, Museum of Hats in Nový Jičín and Silesian Province Museum in Opava with its Nový Dvůr Arboretum.
The most important historical monuments of the region include the palaces of Hradec nad Moravicí, Raduň, Kunín, Kravaře and Fryštát v Karviné, palace of the Žerotín family in Nový Jičín, the castles of Hukvaldy and Sovinec (in the region of Bruntál), ruins of the Štramberk castle and fortress with the Trúba tower and the Šipka cave famous for its findings of relics of prehistoric humans.
The Chagall Gallery
The Gallery of Visual Arts
The Ostrava Museum
The OKD Mining Museum
The Michal Mine
The Fire-Fighting Museum
Lower part of Vítkovice
The Citerarium
The Moravian-Silesian National Theatre
The Ostrava Theatre of Puppets
The Arena Chamber Scene
The Cinestar multi-cinema
The Librex bookstore
The House of Culture of the City of Ostrava
The Janáček May festival
The Janáček Conservatory
The Janáček Philharmonics
The Janáček Hukvaldy festival
The Archive of the City of Ostrava
Place for children
Even the youngest dwellers of the city will enjoy themselves thanks to numerous attractive facilities. At the Černá louka fairgrounds, they can see the Scary Cellar with fabulous creatures, marine aquarium or models of famous world buildings in the Miniuni area. Various events are held at the premises of the Slezskoostravský castle, with its courtyard used for concerts and theatre performances. There is also an exposition of fairy creatures, freshwater fish aquarium and a museum of Middle-Ages torture.
One of the largest zoological gardens in the Czech Republic, the Ostrava zoo breeds 200 animal species, among them some very rare and endangered ones. The visitors can see commented feeding, take a rest in the children’s zoo or take part in an evening ride by a special train with a guide’s commentary.
The Johann Palisa Observatory and Planetarium in Poruba offers not only the night sky observation, but also meetings, education programmes and concerts.
Miniuni
The Johann Palisa Observatory and Planetarium
Ostrava exhibitions
The Ostrava zoo
Place for study
Besides other characteristics, it can be said that Ostrava is a city of students. There are three universities with more than twenty thousand students. The city has six colleges, thirty vocational schools including apprentice training centres, more than sixty elementary schools and one hundred kindergartens.
VŠB – Technical University of Ostrava in Poruba is one of the most famous Ostrava universities. It has a vast university campus. Established in Příbram in 1849, it was relocated to Ostrava after WWII. With six faculties, it has more than fifteen thousand students at present.
The University of Ostrava was established in 1991, transformed from the former Faculty of Pedagogy which had been relocated to Ostrava from Opava in 1959. Now it has five thousand students at the Faculties of Education, Natural Sciences, Philosophy and Health and Social Studies.
Established in 2000, Business School Ostrava is a private school with 220 students.
Janáček Conservatory is one of the largest and most modern schools specializing in arts in the Czech Republic. Established as the College of Music and Education, it continues the tradition of Masaryk Institute of Music and Singing since 1953.
Matiční gymnázium (grammar school) on Šmeralova street was established thanks to the Matice ostravská society struggling for the first Czech secondary school in Ostrava. That was in 1897; the present school building began to serve to students in 1905-6.
As for technical colleges offering secondary education, the following schools can be mentioned: the College of Mechanical Engineering in Vítkovice, the College of Chemistry or the College of Civil Engineering. Ostrava has also secondary nursing schools , business academies, Academy of Social and Law Studies, College of Applied Arts, College of Horticulture and a grammar school focusing on sports.
Place for work
Hrabová and Mošnov. Two industrial zones forming the strategic development location of the statutory city of Ostrava. The projects situated in these zones have a crucial importance for the improvement of the economic attractiveness of the city and reduction of the unemployment rate in Ostrava. The total area is 280 hectares with partial infrastructure already built. Further extension by another 40 hectares is planned for the years 2007 – 2010. The following companies are among the important investors offering jobs: ASUS Czech, SungWoo Hitech, CTP Invest, s.r.o. (GE Money Multiservis, CTS Corporation, Goodyear, UPS, Ringier Print, GDX Automotive), Briggs&Stratton, Behr, Plakor, Cromodora Wheel and some others.
Another new investor within the region is the Hyundai car manufacturer that has already commenced the construction of a car assembly hall, as well as the recruitment of new employees.
The current important employees include: Severomoravská plynárenská, Severomoravská energetika, Mittal Steel Ostrava, Vítkovice Steel, Energetika Vítkovice, Pivovar Ostravar (Pivovary Staropramen), Pivovar Radegast (Plzeňský Prazdroj), Progress – Moravia etc.
