Ostrava and its surroundings – 3 days filled with activities for kids 

I always thought Ostrava and its surroundings is not interesting at all, because the opinions I heard were not very inviting. What I heard was: it’s dirty, smelly, boring and there’s nothing to see. But I’m glad I had to check it on my own and form quite the contrary point of view. And so, it’s green, with plenty of cycle/hiking paths and places to see. Those into sightseeing, history, nature or even sport can come to the Moravian-Silesian Region and enjoy their stay. 

OSTRAVA 

We started of our extended weekend trip in Ostrava and its famous Dolni Vitkovice areal, which is the former industrial area of the Hlubina Mine, coke ovens and blast furnaces of Vítkovice Ironworks. The complex is a unique industrial monument and the symbol of Ostrava and the entire Moravian-Silesian Region. It’s a great history lesson, not only for kids but for adults as well.  

One of the biggest attractions of Dolni Vitkovice is the Bolt Tower, which is situated 345 meters above sea level. It’s possible to enter the rooftop observation deck, equipped with telescopes, where you can enjoy the view of Vitkovice, Ostrava and Beskid Mountains. In general, this is the place, where up to 1,200 tons of pig iron were produced in the bowels of Blast Furnace No. 1 daily. Nowadays visitors can follow in the footsteps of iron production. Next, beloved by kids is the Kids’ World, located in the Science and Technology Centre. It’s designed for small kids, aged 2 to 6 years old accompanied by an adult. Adults help children to complete tasks and play with them. It’s a 950 m2 big exposition, built as a world of adults transformed into a children’s size. There’re a patisserie, a shop, a mine or a building site for example. All for kids to try different professions.  

REMEMBER! It’s recommended to book your spot in advance and the entry is limited to 110 minutes.

Additional attraction for kids is the biggest trampoline park in OSTRAVA!!! The 20-metre -high old hall offers four floors of fun, dozens of trampolines, 12 unique attractions and 90 meters of slides and toboggans from the roof to the ground floor. While kids play, parents can enjoy delicious coffee at the CØKAFE Dolní Vítkovice. 

DINOPARK OSTRAVA 

Next on our itinerary was the biggest Dinopark in the Czech Republic, which lays around 20-minute car drive from Ostrava. There’re plenty of 1:1 size dinosaur, some of them with sound effect, a 3-D cinema, playgrounds for kids and a huge sandpit, where kids can play archeologist and dig some excavation. It’s better if you take your own snacks to the park, as the offer was limited. But we were in May, so maybe the season hasn’t fully started yet. The entrance fee is quite high – it’s 750 CZK for a family 2+2.

Practical: 

STRAMBERK 

It’s a picturesque, beautiful small town located in the Silesian region around 40 kilometers from Ostrava. It’s known from the Tube visible from every point in the town and its sweet gingerbread specialties: Stramberk’s ears. We tried several one, and the winner was the one on the main square, serving them with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. Except roaming around the city center, we visited the Sipka cave, climb on top of the viewing point, rang the bell and found a retro playground nearby. Obviously the last one was the point, where girls wanted to spend most of the time, but we managed to climb the Tube and see the city as well.  

Practical:

FRENSTAT POD RADHOSTEM 

Straight after visiting Stramberk we drove to the nearby Frenstat pod Radhostem to walk the educational path called: Beskydske Nebe. Its most attractive part hangs above the gorge of the Vlcak stream 16 meters above the ground. It’s the 85-meter-long wooden footbridge, which consist of interesting facts about the life of local birds. The whole1,8-kilometer long trail goes through the wooden playground, barefoot walk and the Bell Tower. It’s ideal for families with kids to spend some quality time outside. We’ve spent here several hours.  

Practical:

CIESZYN  

Cieszyn is a small border town between Poland and the Czech Republic. It is known for the castle hill, with the XIV century Romanesque rotunda, which can also be found on the 20 zlotych note. Right next to the rotunda is the XIV century Piast Tower, which is 29-meter-high gothic tower with 120 stairs to reach the top. At the bottom you may found tourist information. The castle hill is also a good place for a picnic or a walk. When in Cieszyn don’t forget to visit Cieszyn’s Venice, which is nothing alike the real one, but the houses by the canal are quite picturesque. Unfortunately, at the time we were in Cieszyn, the main square was under reconstruction, so nothing to recommend here.

ACCOMMODATION

It’s impossible to make it all in one day. The good thing is that all the places mentioned in this article are within 50 kilometer radius from Ostrava. We stayed in the quiet village nearby called Velopoli, but if you prefer a city Ostrava is a good place to stay.