Ostrava smells of coal, or used to, and the memory is part of its charm. For a century and a half this was the industrial heart of Czechoslovakia, a city of mines, coke ovens and steelworks on the border of Silesia, built on rich seams of black coal that ran under the plain. The last mine closed in 1994, and the great Vítkovice ironworks stopped producing iron in 1998, but the buildings were not demolished. Instead, the blast furnaces, gasholders and coking plant of the old works have been turned into a cultural quarter, and the result is among the most interesting industrial heritage sites in Central Europe.
The skyline is the best part. A gasholder, a huge cylinder, has been converted into a concert hall called Gong, and Blast Furnace Number One, a tangle of pipes, stoves and walkways, can be climbed to a viewing platform for a sweeping look over the city and the distant Beskydy mountains. Nearby, the Landek Park museum, on a hill, takes you down a real mine. Ostrava, with about three hundred thousand people, is the third largest city in the Czech Republic, and it hosts an annual music festival, Colours of Ostrava, in the industrial site.
For a rider, Ostrava is a base for two distinct kinds of ride. To the south and east, the road climbs into the Beskydy mountains, a range of long, forested ridges with winding roads, mountain huts and views over Silesia, while the peak of Lysá hora, at 1,323 metres, is the highest in the range. To the north-east, the border with Poland is only a short ride away, and beyond lies Tarnowskie Góry, a historic lead, silver and zinc mining town whose old mine tunnels and drainage system are on the UNESCO list. Both rides start on busy industrial roads, with trams, trucks and lots of lights, before the countryside opens up.
Fuel and food are easy in a city of this size. Look for a pub serving Czech goulash with dumplings and local beer, and the old town's square has cafes with terraces. The Czech Republic requires a motorway vignette, and fines for speeding are firm, with frequent radar checks. Winters are cold and grey, with snow in the hills, and summer is warm and sometimes humid. May to September offers the best conditions for riding, with long days and dry roads.