Dolní Vítkovice

One of the biggest tourist attractions of Ostrava is undoubtedly Dolní Vítkovice. The former industrial complex is a unique example of an industrial monument sensitively transformed into a unique educational, cultural and social centre. Dolní Vítkovice is the first monument in the Czech Republic to be listed as a European Cultural Heritage Site.

The entire process of iron production will be explained to you during your tour by guides – often former employees of the ironworks. You will be guided through the former Hlubina mine, which was one of the deepest in Ostrava, the coking plant, where coke was made from coal, and you will take a look inside the blast furnace. You will be taken to the top of the blast furnace by a real skip lift, which used to be used to transport coke here.

The Bolt Tower, the helical lookout christened by the legendary athlete Usain Bolt, was literally built right on top of a blast furnace. Inside, you can enjoy a coffee in the café with a view of the whole city. At almost 80 metres above the ground, it has become the highest observation point in the city – it is even higher than the terrace of the New Town Hall observation tower in the centre of the Moravian-Silesian capital.

Another unique feature of Dolní Vítkovice is the former huge gas tank, which has been transformed into a unique concert and exhibition building, the Gong Multifunctional Hall.

If you don’t visit the Big and Small World of Technology in Dolní Vítkovice, it’s like you have never even been here! Both exhibitions, which will keep the whole family entertained, are full of interactive educational attractions. A new feature of the industrial complex is a branch of the National Museum of Agriculture, which was created in one of the industrial halls.

Dolní Vítkovice has become a centre of cultural and social life. Highlights include the legendary Colours of Ostrava and Beats for Love festivals, two of the biggest music festivals in Europe!

Vítkovice Ironworks was founded in 1828 by the Archbishop of Olomouc, Archduke Rudolf, as the most modern ironworks in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. All ironworks and mining works were completed approximately 160 years later. 

If you are interested in the industrial history of the “Steel City”, continue on to Landek Park, where you can visit the Mining Museum, or the former Michal Mine.

Contact

Návštěvnické centrum Dolní Vítkovice
Ruská 2993/20
703 00 Vítkovice
E-mail: nkp@dolnivitkovice.cz
Web: https://www.dolnivitkovice.cz
Tel.: +420 724 955 121