STATUTORY TOWN OSTRAVA, Ostrava City Council.
The city of Ostrava was established in 1267. Ostrava was a small serfdom town up to the second half of 18th century. The discovery of hard coal, especially its usability in industrial production, brought a fundamental breakthrough in its development. This contributed also to general expansion of trade and crafts and to construction of railway in 1847, last but not least.
Further expansion of heavy industry and continuing increase in number of the population, educational system quality, cultural development and public facilities went on during the 20th century.
After 1989 the city has been going through many, and
often very basic, changes. The industry has been markedly restructured and coal mining was reduced (last coal was mined in the city area in 1994). A structure and orientation of manufacturing companies is changed, the city environment is on the mend.
Ostrava is situated in the valley of the Moravska brana (Morava Gate), approximately 360 km east of the capital Prague, 10 km south of the Polish state border and 60 km northwest of Slovak border.
Moravska brana is a through place between Jeseniky and Beskydy mountains. City altitude ranges from 200 to 335 m asl.
The size of the city is 21 422 ha,
the city area measures 20.1 km as the crow flies in east-west direction and 20.5 km in north-south direction.
Ostrava, with 310 thousand of inhabitants, is nowadays the residential town of Moravian-Silesian Region and the third biggest city in the Czech Republic. During last fifteen years it has incredibly changed.
From former purely industrial city it has become a metropolis of culture, sport, trade and tourism.
Current beautifying of city applies to all city districts step by step, Ostrava city centre in particular. Considerable improvements have also prepared the city for steadily increasing number of foreign visitors and travellers, Ostrava has become a setting for many important cultural and sporting events after all, not excepting World Hockey Championship in 2004.
Nowadays the city offers a broad cultural background with theatres, concerts, festivals, exhibitions, tens of clubs (in famous Stodolni street) and galleries. Among five city theatres, presenting drama, opera, operetta and ballet, Divadlo loutek (Theatre of Puppets ) for children is the most popular.
The character of Ostrava life is also marked by good transport connections via railway, proximity of international airport, well organized urban transport, quality health service, educational system, organization of exhibitions.
Tourism, cycle paths, renovated historic and famous industrial monuments and also cooperation of neighbouring regions attract more and more visitors and people interested in social events to Ostrava region. All mentioned phenomenons thus transform Ostrava into interesting destination for travellers and also businessmen.