The biggest tourist attraction in Ostrava is the area of a former mining combined collective Dolní Vítkovice. The former industrial facility is an exceptional example of an industrial monument, stylishly transformed into a cultural centre. Dolní Vítkovice is the first historic site in the Czech Republic that is entered on the list of European Cultural Heritage.
In the recent years, Dolní Vítkovice has become the greatest tourist attraction of Ostrava. The old industrial complex is a unique example of an industrial monument which has been tactfully transformed into a cultural and social centre. Dolní Vítkovice is the first historic site in the Czech Republic to be entered on the list of European Cultural Heritage.
The visitors will learn about the whole process of iron production. They can visit the former Hlubina Mine, which was one of the deepest mines in Ostrava. After that, they can see the cokery, which is where coal was used to make the coke needed for the open-hearth furnace. The next step is a visit to the ironworks where iron was smelted. Everything has been preserved in a perfect condition and the guides explain what the whole process looked like. One unique feature of this place is the old, massive gasometer, which in the recent years has been converted into a modern concert hall named Gong.
Recently, a café offering a view of the whole city has also been opened. It is situated nearly eighty metres above ground level, which makes it the highest vantage point in the town – higher than the terrace of the New Town Hall in the centre of the Moravian-Silesian metropolis.
