Ostrava is the centre of the Moravian Silesian region in northeastern Czechia, close to the Polish border. For two centuries it was the heart of the country's coal and steel industry; the last mine closed in 1994 and the Vitkovice blast furnaces in 1998. Rather than clear that inheritance the city converted it: the Dolni Vitkovice works are now a museum, a concert venue and a viewing tower, and carry the European Heritage Label. Every July the Colours of Ostrava festival is set up among the same furnaces. The Beskid mountains are an hour away and Krakow about two hours by road.
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See flights to Ostrava →When to visit Ostrava
May to September is the easiest stretch, with daytime temperatures between 20C and 26C and the open air walks around the industrial sites comfortable. The Colours of Ostrava festival in mid July is the busiest week of the year and accommodation fills early. December to February is cold and snowy with temperatures below freezing, which is when the ski areas in the Beskids are running.
Things to do in Ostrava
Dolni Vitkovice
The ironworks founded in 1828, where production stopped in 1998, were preserved as they stood, blast furnaces and coal washing halls together. The Bolt Tower added on top of the sixth furnace rises to 78 metres in glass and shows the whole site from above, and the old gasholder is now a concert hall.
Landek Park
The park on the hill where the Odra and Ostravice meet holds the largest mining museum in Czechia. Visitors ride a cage down and walk the galleries underground, and the same hill is where the Venus of Petrkovice, a figurine of about 23,000 years ago, was found in 1953.
Silesian Ostrava Castle
Founded in the 13th century to guard the border between Moravia and Silesia, the castle sank about 16 metres because of the mining beneath it, leaving its ground floor below the surface. After restoration the tower, courtyard and exhibition halls opened to visitors, and concerts run in the courtyard through the summer.
Ema Slag Heap
Heaped from the waste of the coal mines, this 315 metre hill is the highest man made point in the Moravian Silesian region, and because the coal inside it still burns its surface stays clear of snow in winter with smoke rising from the cracks. It is climbed on foot, and the top takes in the city, the Vitkovice furnaces and on a clear day the Beskid mountains.
Michal Mine
Opened in 1843 and closed in 1993, this coal mine was left exactly as it stood on its last working day and was declared a national cultural monument. The visit follows the route the miners took, through the changing room, the lamp store and the machine hall, all with their original equipment in place.
Cathedral of the Divine Saviour
Completed in 1889, the neo Renaissance cathedral is the second largest church in Moravia and its twin towers rise to 67 metres. It was built for the fast growing population of the industrial city and planned to hold six thousand people, and its interior was returned to its original colours in a restoration in the 1990s.
Flights from Turkey to Ostrava
Direct flights to Ostrava from Turkey leave from Antalya: SunExpress opened the route on 23 May 2026 and runs it on Wednesdays and Saturdays until the end of October. The flight takes about 3 hours 5 minutes. Leos Janacek Airport is roughly 20 kilometres southwest of the city at Mosnov, with a rail station beside the terminal and direct trains into the centre. Out of season, or from Istanbul, the route is to fly into Prague or Krakow and continue by train.
Ostrava FAQ
How many days do you need in Ostrava?
Two days cover Dolni Vitkovice, Landek Park and the centre. Adding the Beskid mountains and Olomouc stretches the trip to three or four days, and with Krakow two hours away by road the two cities can be planned together.
How far is the airport from the city centre?
Leos Janacek Airport is about 20 kilometres from the centre. The train from the station next to the terminal reaches town in roughly 25 minutes, and driving takes about the same.
Do you need a visa for Czechia?
Czechia is in the Schengen area and a Turkish passport needs a Schengen visa obtained in advance. Appointments get harder to find in summer, so it is safer to start the application at least two months before travel.
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