Historical centre of Opava

The centre of Opava has retained much of its original atmosphere of an old German town. Even though it was badly damaged during the fighting at the end of the war and many buildings gave way when the modern city was built, there is still much to admire and Opava is one of the most interesting places in the Moravian-Silesian region and the whole Czech Republic.

One of the landmarks of Opava’s Upper Square is the white glowing building called “Hláska” or also “Clock Tower“. It is here that visitors can get an idea of the historical centre of the town, thanks to the view from the 60-metre high tower. Today it is the seat of the town hall.

A typical representative of Silesian Gothic church architecture is the brick red Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, whose tower rises to a height of 102 metres, making it the tallest tower in Silesia.

The Silesian Theatre is one of the oldest theatres in the Czech Republic. It was opened by the Germans in 1805 and has not stopped performing for more than two hundred years.

The Church of the Holy Spirit is one of the strongest symbols of the town’s history. It is associated with the legend that the last of the Premyslids, the family of Nicholas I, are buried underground. The church is also associated with the visit of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven, who attended a concert of his mass here and, unable to hold his seat in the audience, took up the baton and conducted the concert himself.

Not only the city centre itself is worth a walk, but also the adjacent streets and courtyards, which have created pleasant parks and rest areas between the blocks of houses. Moreover, Opava is the city with the oldest and therefore most pleasant set of parks, which have formed a green ring around the city centre, walkable, bikeable or roller-skateable.