SILESIAN OSTRAVA CASTLE

The castle was built in the second half of the 13th century at the meeting-point of two rivers. Its first owners were local dukes from the Piast dynasty. The purpose of the castle was to guard the main provincial road from Opava via Hlučín and Těšín (Cieszyn) to Krakow – and also to guard the frontier of the Polish state, which at that time ran along the Ostravice River. The discovery of coal which enabled Ostrava to grow into a modern industrial metropolis also caused the destruction of the castle, which sank by 16 metres due to subsidence in mine tunnels directly underneath it. But today the castle has been completely reconstructed according to the original plans, and it is now a popular venue for cultural events, conferences, and much more.