The Czech Republic is full of smaller towns and cities that are often overshadowed by more popular destinations, yet they deserve a visit, too. One of those places is Opava, a very pleasant place located near the Polish border and not too far from Ostrava. The city has been on my list for a long time, and when I finally made it there, I was impressed from the very first moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Opava is one of the most important places in Czech Silesia, with a history dating back to medieval times. It gained town rights in 1224, and for years it has been a historical capital of the region. Still today, you can find many important monuments all over the city, from Gothic to 20th-century sites. The city is even known as the white gem of Silesia.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With its proximity to Ostrava and good train connections between the cities, visiting Opava is very easy, and you should definitely include it in your Czech itinerary. Here\u2019s your guide to Opava, Czech Republic!<\/p>\n
Planning a trip to the Czech Republic?<\/strong><\/p>\n Here are the services I always use and personally recommend:<\/p>\n Opava, a city of around 55,000 inhabitants, is located in the northeast of the Czech Republic, right at the border with Poland. Prague<\/a>, the capital of the country, is 300 km west; Ostrava is a bit over 30 km east, and Olomouc<\/a> is 90 km south of Opava.\u00a0<\/p>\n The best way to get to Opava is by train from Ostrava. There are frequent trains between the cities (usually twice per hour), and the travel time is about half an hour, making Opava a perfect day trip from Ostrava. Most trains to Opava depart from Ostrava-Svinov station, but fortunately, the place is well connected to the rest of the city. In Opava, you will arrive at Opava Vychod station, which is only a few steps away from the Old Town and all the attractions. You can check the train schedule here.<\/a><\/p>\n If you want to stay overnight in Opava, there are a few fine accommodation options to choose from. Here are the recommended ones:<\/p>\n After a short walk from the train station, you will reach the park surrounding the Old Town. In the past, this was where the city\u2019s fortifications stood, but in the 19th century, the area was rebuilt and turned into a public green space. It\u2019s such a pleasant place and a perfect start to your Opava sightseeing. That\u2019s also where you will find the first Opava attractions, such as the Church of St. John the Baptist (originally from the 14th century, with further reconstructions) or the so-called \u201cbird hill\u201d, with a sculpture of two big sparrows.\u00a0<\/p>\n A bit behind the Church of St. John the Baptist, in the corner of the park, you can visit the Silesian Museum. Located in the beautiful grand building from the late 19th century, this is the first museum in the Czech Republic, founded in 1814 in the nearby grammar school. Inside, you can see diverse yet interesting exhibitions focusing on the history and nature of the Silesia and North Moravia regions.\u00a0<\/p>\n The heart of Opava is the Upper Market Square (Horn\u00ed n\u00e1m\u011bst\u00ed). It\u2019s been the most important place in Opava for centuries and served as the commercial heart of the city in medieval times. The best-known attraction of Opava \u2013 the town hall with its distinctive Hlaska Tower \u2013 is located here. What makes this building unique is the fact that, at first, only the Renaissance tower was built here in the 16th century. The rest of the town hall was added to the structure only in the 19th century, but the current grand building is newer, from the early 20th century. If you want to relax a bit and enjoy the atmosphere of Upper Market, there\u2019s a really good cafe \u2013 Kupkafe \u2013 located in the town hall, on the right side of the building.\u00a0<\/p>\n Across the Town Hall, still on Upper Market Square, there\u2019s another place worth seeing \u2013\u00a0 the Silesian Theater. The neo-Renaissance building dates back to the end of the 19th century, but the theater itself was founded in 1805 and is one of the oldest institutions of this kind in the Czech Republic.\u00a0<\/p>\n Next to the Silesian Theater, you can find one of the most impressive buildings in Opava \u2013 the Co-cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The massive red-brick structure was built in the early 14th century and is a perfect example of the medieval Gothic style. <\/p>\n There are three naves and two towers \u2013 the southern one, with its Baroque addition, is 102 meters tall, making it the tallest church tower in Silesia; it is even taller than the castle tower in Prague. Unfortunately, the co-cathedral was closed during my visit, but I can only imagine how beautiful it might be inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n While the Upper Market Square is the heart of the city, the nearby Lower Market Square is actually the more beautiful of the two. It is surrounded by historic townhouses with colorful facades; there is also the Baroque St. Adalbert\u2019s Church from the 17th century and the St. Mary\u2019s Column, typical of the region. <\/p>\n The highlight of the square, however, is the cute yet controversial little sculpture of the so-called \u201cspy from Opava\u201d (which looks like an anteater). It was created by the famous artist Franti\u0161ek Sk\u00e1la from Prague and installed in Opava in 2003.<\/p>\n The Old Town of Opava is rather small, but, as in other places in the region, it\u2019s packed with winding lanes, beautiful pastel townhouses, and charming corners. Wandering around here is a real pleasure. My favorite streets to explore in Opava were Ostro\u017en\u00e1, Hrn\u010d\u00ed\u0159sk\u00e1, and Masarykova. <\/p>\n On the last one, you can find the Church of the Holy Spirit, one of the most important and oldest sacred places in the city, dating back to 1290. It is believed that in its underground, members of the Bohemian royal P\u0159emyslid dynasty were buried. Another legend about the Church of the Holy Spirit says that in the 19th century Ludwig van Beethoven attended a concert here, but he didn\u2019t like the performance, so he played the music himself. Across the street from the church, you can see a beautiful Baroque Sobek\u2019s Palace from 1733, which is now privately owned.<\/p>\n While most of Ostrava\u2019s attractions are in the Old Town, there are a few interesting places worth seeing not far from it, too. The most impressive one is the former department store Breda, designed by the Viennese architect Leopold Bauer and built in 1928 in the Art Deco style. When it opened, it was the most modern department store in the Czech Republic, so it\u2019s really sad to see it so neglected and abandoned now. <\/p>\n Fans of 20th-century architecture will also appreciate a modernist commercial building located across the street from the Breda department store. A bit farther away, there is also the unique St. Hedwig Church, built in 1937 and designed by Leopold Bauer, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you travel around by car, 7 km east of Opava, you can visit the impressive Krava\u0159e Castle. The history of the place dates back to the 14th century, but the castle had a rather unlucky history, mainly with fires destroying the place. The recent reconstruction took place between 1955 and 1971, and today the Krava\u0159e Castle is home to a museum and a restaurant.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you found this article useful, I would really appreciate a small donation to help me run this website and provide you with even more practical content to help you plan your trips.<\/strong><\/p>\n You can also subscribe to my newsletter to get updates on new articles I publish; just click here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n I published many articles about the Czech Republic that you might find useful when planning your trip there. Here are some of them:<\/p>\n If you are looking for articles about a specific destination \u2013 check out the map with all the articles I\u2019ve published (and their locations).<\/a> You can also join my Facebook group about traveling in Central Europe<\/a> and ask your questions there. <\/p>\n Below you can find the brands I trust and use when planning trips:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n For the end I left a few announcements that might interest you:<\/p>\n LIKED IT? PIN THIS POST FOR LATER!<\/p>\n If you enjoyed that post why don”t you share it with your friends? That would mean so much to me! Also be sure to join 30.000+ fellow travelers and follow me on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, or Instagram<\/a> for travel updates and even more pictures! If you don’t want to miss new posts sign up to my newsletter<\/a> or follow on Bloglovin<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n
Where is Opava<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nHow to get to Opava<\/span><\/h2>\n
Where to stay in Opava<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nWhat to see in Opava<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nWhat to see near Opava<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nFurther reading<\/span><\/h2>\n
Travel Resources<\/span><\/h2>\n
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