Cultural transformation: From coal mining to the knowledge economy; The Tatra Truck Museum in Kopřivnice, the ‘Slovakian Arrow’ train and the Industrial Complexes at Ostrava (2-day excursion)
CANCELLED
The metropolitan area of Ostrava – the second largest in the Czech Republic after Prague – is a place whose economic structure has seen the typical, slow transformation from heavy industry towards the knowledge economy. Luckily for us, however, the original industrial character of the area can still be seen.
To start our two-day excursion, discover with us the wonders of Tatra, an iconic automotive manufacturer, at the newly-opened Tatra Truck Museum in Kopřivnice. Remarkably, Tatra is the third oldest carmaker in the world, with only Peugeot and Daimler AG having longer histories. Besides automobiles, another technical wonder awaits you at the museum – the uniquely preserved and restored express train Slovenská strela (‘Slovakian Arrow’). This railcar, also manufactured by the Tatra company, operated between Prague and Bratislava from 1936 to 1939, reaching speeds of 130 km/h and covering the distance in slightly over 4 hours.
After an overnight stay in Ostrava, you will have a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the old industrial zone in Vítkovice, a national site of industrial heritage which consists of former ironworks, coal mines, coke ovens and blast furnaces, and is included on UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative Lists. It is the second most visited area within the Czech Republic after Prague castle, and a showcase of how a revitalized industrial zone can be successfully restructured into a cultural and educational hub.
A new initiative from the Czech Ministry of Culture is the renovation of the site’s blast furnaces, which in the near future should hold a brand new and innovative museum infrastructure called MUSEum+.
The industrial zone in Vítkovice is also home to a branch of the National Museum of Agriculture – the Museum of Food and Agricultural Machinery, whose exhibition area was built by renowned architect Josef Pleskot. A visit to the museum will close our two-day excursion before departure back to Prague.
Recommended for members of: CIMUSET, ICAMT, INTERCOM, CECA, ICOMON, ICethic, ICOM-CC
Additional fee - 101 EUR
Museums Visited
Tatra Truck Museum Kopřivnice
https://www.muzeumnj.cz/en/tatra
National Museum of Agriculture: Museum of Food and Agricultural Machinery
https://www.nzm.cz/en/news/ostrava-the-museum-of-food-and-agricultural-machinery
Industrial Complexes at Ostrava
https://www.dolnivitkovice.cz/en/
Itinerary
Day 1 - 26 August 2022
9:25
Departure by train for Ostrava from Prague’s Main Railway Station
12:45
Arrival in Ostrava
13:15
Departure by bus to Kopřivnice
14:00
Arrival in Kopřivnice
14:15
Buffet lunch in Slovenská strela pavilion
15:30
Tatra museum visit
18:30
Departure for Ostrava, hotel check-in
Dinner on your own
Overnight stay in Ostrava
Day 2 - 27 August 2022
9:00
Visit to the Industrial Complexes at Ostrava
9:30
Guided tour of the area
11:30
Visit to the Museum of Food and Agricultural Machinery
12:30
Lunch
14:30
Departure for Prague
Please be at the railway station at least 15 minutes prior to departure.
