Regions

Moravia-Silesia Region

Uniqueness of the region: unusually rich technical and historical heritage monuments and natural sights.

Significant historical event: discovery of coal and beginning of coal mining (1763)

Outstanding historical personality: The most outstanding personality of the region is the composer Leoš Janáček (*1854 in Hukvaldy, † 1928 in Ostrava). The musical festivals Janáčkův Máj (Janáček's May) and Janáčkovy Hukvaldy (Janáček's Hukvaldy) are held regularly to his honour. Other famous personalities of the region are Jan Ámos Komenský (a pedagogue and founder of modern pedagogy), Jan Gregor Mendel (a biologist and founder of genetics), Sigmund Freud (the founder of psychoanalysis) and Emil Zátopek (a world athletic champion).

Significant cultural monument:
The Landek Hill, famous for its finding of burnt coal in the ashes of a primeval fireplace, which provides a unique proof of the first use of coal by man nearly 30,000 years ago. Venus of Landek or Petřkovice - a 46 mm tall torso of a woman's body, cut from red iron ore, which was found under a large stool made from mammoth bones. The age of the statuette is estimated at approximately 23,000 years. The original statuette is deposited in Dolní Věstonice.
 
A set of medieval wooden churches and chapels (approximately 20 in the entire region).
 
The town of Štramberk - located at the bottom of Bílá hora (White Mountain) with "Štramberská trúba" (a castle ruin tower of the 13th century, which was changed into a sightseeing tower in 1903). Inside the opposite legendary Kotouč Hill, there is the cave "Šipka" with remnants of a primeval settlement. The square in Štramberk is surrounded with late baroque style brick houses, and is dominated with the church of Saint John Nepomucensis, the interior of which is decorated by a unique set of statues "Calvary" from 1660. Štramberk also has a botanic garden and a museum of the painter and illustrator Zdeněk Burian.

Significant natural locality: the Protected Landscape Areas of Beskydy, Jeseníky and Poodří (a meander of the river Oder with the national natural reserve Kotvice).

Significant investment project: the construction of Highway D47, modernization and increase of the capacity of the Ostrava - Mošnov Airport

Outstanding contemporary personality: Jiří Raška (a world ski jumping champion) and Ivan Lendl (a former world tennis champion)

Typical product: Ostrava - steel (cranks), Krnov - the Rieger-Kloss organs, Kopřivnice - TATRA trucks

Typical food: Traditional dishes include stuffed goose, "valašská kyselica" (a sauerkraut soup), a special sausage dish "klobásník", cakes from the town of Hlučín, pretzels from Hukvaldy and "Štramberk ears" (a typical local sweet and spicy pastry).

Folklore: Folk dances from the area of Lašsko are preserved around Hukvaldy and on the Štramberk area.

Tourist destination: Beskydy and Jeseníky Mountains, the region of Ostrava and Opava

Cooperation with Japan:

• Janáček's Philharmonic Orchestra from Ostrava performed in Japan in 1999, 2000 and 2003. Its foreign guests included Japanese conductors like K.I. Eto, H.Hirai, H. Mutó, T. Otaka, M. Muroi, S. Ishikava, T. Kobayashi, T. Urakava, T. Tsutsumi.
• BorsodChem - MCHZ,s.r.o. sold an aniline manufacturing license to Japan
• Shimano - a Japanese investor in our region (Karviná)

Other: the mine "Hlubina" with a coke plant and blast furnaces in Vítkovice, which represent a combination of a deep coal mine, a coke plant and blast furnaces, which is unique in Europe. A national heritage monument, which was proposed together with other technical monuments in Ostrava, for the registration in UNESCO's list of world cultural heritage.

Contact:
Regional Office of the Moravian and Silesian Region
Moravskoslezský kraj, Krajský úřad
28. října 117
702 18 Ostrava
Phone: +420 595 622 222
Fax.: +420 595 622 126
e-mail: posta@kr-moravskoslezsky.cz
www: www.kr-moravskoslezsky.cz

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