In the far east of the Czech Republic, just a stone’s throw from the Polish border, lies Ostrava. It’s the country’s third-largest city, but also one of its least understood. Built on coal and steel in the 19th century, Ostrava grew fast, got rich, and then had to reinvent itself when the mines closed. What was once known as “Black Ostrava” is now one of the greenest cities in Czechia – a place where blast furnaces were turned into cultural venues, and former mining sites now host museums, concerts and festivals.
When I first flew to Ostrava as a journalist in 2016, I had no real idea where I was headed. To fix that, I skimmed through my Prague and Czech Republic travel guide on the plane. To my surprise, Ostrava didn’t seem to exist. Exactly zero words were devoted to it – the name wasn’t even listed in the index. For a city of almost 300,000 inhabitants, this felt remarkable to say the least, as well as slightly suspicious.
At the time, I took it as a bad sign. In retrospect, it was mostly lazy writing. Of course Ostrava can’t compete with Prague, it’s rightly one of Europe’s most popular city trips. As a relatively young industrial city, it lacks the postcard charm and architectural heritage of the capital, but there’s no shame in that. When you aren’t the prettiest, you have to be smart (believe me), and Ostrava understood this better than most. What followed was not an attempt to imitate Prague, but a decision to embrace and cultivate its own identity.
1. Ostrava’s industrial past and unlikely resurrection
Like many former industrial cities, Ostrava had to reinvent itself in the late 20th century. The collapse of heavy industry in the 1980s suddenly left cities across Europe without their economic backbone. Some dealt with that transition better than others.
As a Belgian, Ostrava is often compared to Charleroi, but the resemblance only goes so far. While much of Charleroi’s industrial heritage was left to rot, Ostrava chose a different path. The factories that once covered the city in soot became the starting point of its revival. Old mining and steel sites were renovated and repurposed as museums, event spaces and cultural venues. Sports facilities were developed, green spaces expanded, and nature was brought back into the city.
A few years after this shift, a music festival called Colours of Ostrava was launched. It eventually moved to Dolní Vítkovice, one of the largest former mining and steel complexes in North Moravia, and grew into an international event. Today, it’s one of the most visible symbols of Ostrava’s transformation (and what got me invited to the city) but it’s just one chapter in a much broader story.
“Ostrava had to reinvent itself when the mines closed. They decided to bet on culture, sports and nature.”
Because of its industrial past, Ostrava was long nicknamed “Black Ostrava” by the rest of the country. The label stuck, even after it stopped being true. These days, Ostrava is officially the greenest city in Czechia. Traces of its past are still everywhere though – sometimes in unexpected ways. On the outskirts of town lies Mound Ema: a 300-metre-high slag heap formed from mining waste. A chemical reaction deep inside the hill caused it to ignite decades ago, and the fire is still burning today. In winter, the hill stays green while the rest of the city is covered in snow. Ostrava accidentally created its own volcano, which to be fair is kind of impressive.
Mining also left its mark above ground. A castle outside the city once sank more than sixteen metres due to some shafts collapsing, and one local football pitch suddenly disappeared overnight due to the same reason – imagine having just mown the grass. To understand Ostrava today, you have to understand how it was built. So let’s dig in, shall we?
2. Michal Mine: a glimpse into life underground
One of the best places to immerse yourself in Ostrava’s industrial history is Michal Mine, located just outside the city centre and preserved as a mining museum. The mine closed in 1995, and for safety reasons visitors can no longer go underground, but everything above the surface still looks exactly like it did 30 years ago. Offices, showers, engine rooms: they all feel as if the last shift just ended.
Working in the mine was not for the faint-hearted. One glance at the soot-covered faces staring at me from an old group picture says it all. Try to imagine: you’re hundreds of metres below the surface, temperatures rising well above 30°C, only the beam of light on your helmet to guide you. You’re cutting into the ceiling only centimetres from your face. Dust clogs your pores, your tongue feels like sandpaper and somewhere in the back of your head a little voice whispers that one mistake is all it takes for your mom to be mourning next to an empty casket.
These are the kinds of stories you hear while walking through the complex today. Former miners often act as guides. They’ll set the mood right away, but there’s room for laughter as well. At one point, women were no longer allowed to work in the mines after a national decree was passed. Once a year, they were invited to join their husbands down below to see how the family income was earned. Legend has it that on those visits, miners did their utmost to make the already brutal conditions look even worse. All to try and raise the marital pity levels to the max in the hope of an appreciative shag later. Boys will be boys.
3. Landek Park: descend into Ostrava’s actual mines
Where Michal Mine shows you how miners lived and worked above ground, Landek Park actually takes you down below. Also just outside the city centre, this former mining site is now one of Ostrava’s most popular recreational areas, but it also houses the largest mining museum in the Czech Republic.
A 250-metre stretch of the former mine was opened to the public, allowing you to immerse yourself into the miner’s life with a guide at your side. The tunnels are narrow and damp, and it doesn’t take much to imagine how it must have felt back in the days.
As in Michal Mine, the stories told along the way are not always the most cheerful. Did you know, for example, that humans weren’t the only ones working in the mines? Teams of blindfolded ponies used to pull the coal carts from shaft to shaft. When the miners went home at the end of their shift, the ponies stayed behind in the dark. Only twice a year were they allowed to take the elevator back to the surface, in the hope of smelling a hint of fresh grass. If horses could cry, this is probably where they would.
4. A walk through central Ostrava
Ostrava’s city centre doesn’t try to impress in the way Prague or even Brno does. The city only really began to grow in the mid-19th century, when coal and steel turned it into an industrial powerhouse. This relatively short history is clearly reflected in the way it looks. There’s no medieval old town bursting with historic city palaces here.
What you do get, is a centre that feels lived-in and green. The main square is pleasant and very Czech, a handful of Art Nouveau façades pop up where you don’t quite expect them and large parks break up the neighbourhoods. The river cuts straight through the city and is lined with trees and walking paths. Standing here, you’d never suspect this was once one of the country’s most polluted places.
“Take a walk through Ostrava’s city centre, and notice how far the place has come.”
The most striking building downtown is the New City Hall. This is a massive, modernist structure with an observation tower perched on top. At 86 metres high, it’s well worth a visit. An elevator takes you straight up, and from the balcony the city suddenly starts making sense. Ostrava reveals itself as a patchwork of neighbourhoods, parks and former industrial zones, with forests and hills on the horizon. This is the moment where the nickname “Black Ostrava” really starts sounding a bit silly.
The city centre is a good place to hang out and eat as well. HogoFogo Bistro has a slightly ridiculous name but serves excellent food in a great location. La Petite Conversation is run by a Belgian from Liège and his Czech wife, and offers perfectly executed Liège meatballs with fries. For something more casual, Pavilon is a relaxed beer garden in a park, with several food and drink stalls. And if you’re craving something less Czech, Rodem is a very good Korean restaurant, enthusiastically tested and approved by the two cheerful Korean colleagues in my press group.
5. PLATO Ostrava: modern art in a former slaughterhouse
One building in Ostrava captures the city’s transformation better than any other. PLATO is Ostrava’s contemporary art museum, housed in a monumental former slaughterhouse just a short walk from the main square – another perfect example of repurposing the industrial past instead of destroying it.
From the outside, the building looks as it always has. The historic brick façades were largely preserved, with the most noticeable change being a series of heavy, revolving concrete doors. Step inside however, and the contrast is striking. The interior was completely reworked into a couple of spacious exhibition halls: a transformation that won the museum multiple international architecture awards.
PLATO has no permanent collection, which means there is always something new to discover. But it’s not just a place to look at art. The museum actively positions itself as a neighbourhood space. Visitors can walk in without a ticket to take part in workshops, do some handicrafts, or simply spend time inside. You can support the project by buying a plant grown on site, you can grab a free banana (this is genuinely a thing), and locals can grow their own vegetables in the garden outside. Wonderful place, with a unique and inclusive vision on what a modern art museum is supposed to be.
6. Ostrava after dark: bars, beer halls and Stodolní Street
You’re probably thinking a rough-edged city like Ostrava should have a rough-edged party scene as well, and you wouldn’t be wrong. This is not a city for fancy cocktails and Michelin dinners, but there’s plenty of pubs and music bars, plenty of beers and plenty of pleasant company to enjoy.
Ostrava’s nightlife scene used to be concentrated around Stodolní Street. For years it was infamous as one of the wildest nightlife streets in Central Europe, but after covid it got a little quieter. It’s close to PLATO and still packed with bars, so go and have a look for sure, but it’s more of a weekend hangout these days.
Want to go dancing instead? Fabrik Club is a cool club inside an old steel mill. In Ostrava, repurposing the industrial infrastructure works in many ways.
7. Dolní Vítkovice: from steel complex to cultural playground
Just a few tram stops from Ostrava’s city centre lies Dolní Vítkovice, one of the most striking reminders of what the city used to be. This enormous former mining and steel complex is open all year round and now functions as a cultural, educational and event hub.
At first glance, Dolní Vítkovice looks almost dystopian. Massive structures loom overhead, pipes criss-cross the sky, and the scale of the place is hard to grasp. But look a little closer and you’ll see this is not a ruin left to decay. Many of the industrial buildings have been carefully repurposed, turning the area into one of the most ambitious examples of industrial reuse in Central Europe.
A gigantic former gas tank now houses a steampunk-like concert and conference hall with seating for 1,500 people. Nearby, a large science and technology museum attracts school groups and families, while exhibitions and performances regularly fill the other spaces.
Dolní Vítkovice’s most eye-catching structure is impossible to miss. The Bolt Tower rises from what used to be the central blast furnace, topped with a spiralling glass construction. An elevator takes you up to the viewing platform 80m above the ground, where you can enjoy both sweeping views and a nice cocktail (oh look: they do have fancy cocktail bars).
Once a year in July, Dolní Vítkovice becomes the setting for one of Europe’s most unusual festivals. Since this was the main reason I got invited on this trip, let’s hop right into it.
8. Colours of Ostrava: a music festival under the blast furnaces
For Belgians, Colours of Ostrava can best be described as a mix of Rock Werchter and Sfinks Mundial, but in an industrial setting and with a price list pulled straight out of 2008. Prices have of course gone up since I was last here in 2016, but compared to most Western European festivals, you’re still getting an excellent deal. A four-day ticket will set you back about €180, and children under 1.40m can enter for free. Half a litre of Czech beer will cost roughly €2.5. In Belgium, you’d be lucky to get half of that for the same price.
Colours of Ostrava runs for four days and spreads out across the entire Dolní Vítkovice complex, with massive blast furnaces towering over the main stages. The industrial backdrop is what makes the whole experience unique. This year’s closing acts included Sting on the opening night and Iggy Pop on day two. Now almost eighty and walking with a limp, the man still got shirtless before the first song even started and went all out on every tune, like he has something left to prove.
Add a couple of contemporary headliners like Justice and Chainsmokers, a symphonic orchestra, and huge K-pop idol DPR Ian (who got the biggest crowd going), and you have yourself a varied main stage line up. This is already excellent, but there are no less than seven other big stages on site.
9. Colours of Ostrava beyond the main stage: discovery and surprise
What makes Colours so unique to me, is everything happening away from the main stage. Dolní Vítkovice is not a classic festival site but a labyrinth of hangars, pipes and chimneys where you’ll discover something new behind every turn: a bar in an old train wagon, a lounge area on the grass or some obscure stage you didn’t even know was there.
Between the blast furnaces near the back of the grounds, I found my favourite spot of the entire festival. Three smaller stages faced each other across a pleasant patch of grass. Energetic dance acts were followed by techno DJs, classical musicians, local punk bands and some strange Ukrainian singer with a rug pulled over his head who called himself Carpetman (great show by the way).
This is where Colours really shines. The programme leaves plenty of room for artists you won’t easily see on most other European festivals. On the larger Orlen Drive Stage a steady stream of non-Western bands passed by. Benin International Musical (they should probably work on a better band name) stood out to me, effortlessly combining African vocals and percussion with American rock, blues and funk.
Don’t feel like music? Strange, given you bought a ticket to a music festival, but still: there’s plenty of other things to enjoy on Colours. Open lectures were held all day long and chill zones, beer tents and eateries were scattered all over the grounds. No need to really queue anywhere for food or drinks either – another thing you don’t often see on the big European festivals.
Colours of Ostrava is a festival for the open-minded, that rewards curiosity. Don’t stick to a rigid schedule. You won’t know half of the artists anyway, so just walk around and find out what you like. Your Spotify playlist will appreciate the new additions.
10. Escape to the Beskids: hiking and fresh air around Pustevny
Most people who visit Ostrava outside the festival season don’t spend all their time in the city centre. Instead, they head out into the surrounding region. North Moravia is at heart a nature destination. Forests, hills and hiking trails begin surprisingly close to the city, making Ostrava an easy base for day trips into the outdoors.
An hour’s drive from the city lie the Beskids: a densely forested mountain range perfect for hiking. A cable car ride – which in the morning fog looked like it was headed straight to Silent Hill – took us to Pustevny: a small mountain hamlet with a handful of beautifully decorated wooden buildings. In winter, people come here to ski, but for the rest of the year Pustevny is a relaxed hiking hub. The most eye-catching building is Libušín: a historic lodge more than a century old, with an interior straight out of a fairytale. The restaurant serves traditional Czech dishes – the blueberry dumplings were delicious.
From Pustevny, several hiking routes branch out, leading to scenic viewpoints along the way and refreshing forest walks. A short distance away is Stezka Valaška. This is a huge wooden observation tower and one of the main attractions in the area. You reach it via a treetop walk and a long suspension bridge. If you feel like it, you can race back to the other side with a bicycle on a tightrope (it’s safer than it sounds) or reinvigorate your fear of heights by going for a selfie on the transparent platform on the top.
Practical tips for visiting Ostrava (and Colours of Ostrava)
**There are a couple of affiliate links to interesting activities or hotels in this chapter. These were personally selected to make sure they actually add value. If you’re already planning to book something in Ostrava, consider doing so via one of my links. Doesn’t cost you an extra dime and I’ll get a small compensation for my efforts. Thank you in advance.**
Getting to Ostrava:
Ostrava is easy to reach by train, especially from Prague. I took a Czech Railways long-distance train and was pleasantly surprised by how smooth it all went. The ride takes around three hours, the carriages are comfortable, you get a free bottle of water and there’s even a small catering cart on board. Please take notes, Belgian train providers.
Ostrava’s main station (Ostrava Hlavní Nádraží) is well connected to the city centre and the festival grounds by tram. Dolní Vítkovice is just a few stops from the centre, and rides of under 15 minutes are free. Heading back into the city after the last concert should technically cost you nothing at all.
Where to stay in Ostrava:
I didn’t camp at the festival (which is perfectly possible), but opted for a hotel instead. Below are a few solid options in different price ranges, all suitable for both city exploration and festival visits.
Midrange/Boutique:
–Hotel City City: where I stayed. A boutique hotel with a light industrial vibe, a cosy restaurant and an excellent location: two minutes from the main train station and close to tram lines heading straight to Dolní Vítkovice. Very practical during the festival.
–Ruby Blue Hotel: located right on Stodolní Street in the centre. Modern, surprisingly large rooms and a good breakfast. Close to both train station and trams.
Higher end:
–Mercure Ostrava Center: modern, comfortable and well located near the historic centre. A good choice if you want a bit more comfort without going overboard.
–Imperial Hotel Ostrava: large, functional and usually very affordable if you book early. Good value for money.
Best time to visit:
If you’re coming for Colours of Ostrava, July is obviously the moment to go. Outside the festival period, late spring and early autumn are ideal for combining city visits with hikes in the surrounding nature.
Useful links and further reading:
For more info on North Moravia, click here.
For more info on the Czech Republic as a destination, click here.
Fancy some other destinations in Central Europe? Read my articles about Prague, Warsaw or Lodz here. Looking for another former industrial city done right? Duisburg might surprise you.
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