Opava

From the Gothic to the edge of the Solar System

The Gothic church, with its massive, steep roof and two spires, is a dominant feature of the town and visible for miles around. It is regarded as the largest building in the Silesian brick Gothic style in the Czech Republic; furthermore, the southern tower is, at 102 m, the highest tower in Silesia. Not far from the church you’ll find the Sun – or rather, a model of it, to a scale of 1:626,576,000. This marks the start of the Planet Trail, which leads you around all planets of the Solar System, spread around Opava and the surrounding area. The farthest object is Pluto, which has a diameter of 3.6mm and can be found in front of the entrance to the exquisite Nový Dvůr Arboretum, which is located about 9.5 km from the centre of Opava and contains many native and foreign wooded plants.

Modern architecture and the surrounding area

Amongst the attractions in Opava is the Silesian Museum, the oldest museum in the Czech Republic, founded in 1814. 20^th-century architecture is represented by the Breda building, the first department store in the Czech Republic, dating back to 1927/28, and the Municipal House, a cultural and community centre containing a gallery, café and permanent exhibition on the history of Opava, entitled A Journey of the City (Cesta města), where you can see, for example, the Opava executioner’s sword from the Middle Ages or a model of the city as it was in the years 1750-1800. For excursions in the surrounding area, why not visit the romantic chateaux in Hradec nad Moravicí, Raduň or Kravaře? You can also go for a round of golf in the chateau grounds or visit the Second World War Memorial in Hrabyně.