![\"imperial-hotel](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/imperial-hotel-small-jpg.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nSome of the buildings were commissioned and built in this design period and when the communists took over buildings were altered to fit better with the new aesthetic. \u00a0The Imperial Hotel <\/a>\u00a0is a good example of this. However the markings on the hotel walls are not in fact the communist hammer and sickle but in fact are from the days when the area was agriculturally lead. There are several original Bauhaus buildings left intact to enjoy, just pan across the skyline to spot them.<\/p>\n Outside of that, the town square Masaryk Square, is very much the baroque candy box painting of pastel coloured buildings from the 19th century. \u00a0Little known is the fact that\u00a0many of the buildings in Ostrava\u2019s central district were designed by famous architects such as Karel Kotas, Josef Go\u010d\u00e1r, Ernst Korner and Alexander Graf.\u00a0It still houses the old \u00a0town hall standing in the corner of the square with a large clock tower still erect. \u00a0 A newer working town hall venue was built in 1912 and sits in another part of the city. Keep an eye out too for vintage stores as there are several dotted around the town.<\/span><\/p>\n So within walking distance and \u00a0literally 10 minutes walk apart are several cultural activities. \u00a0Very much targeted at families, there is firstly the Miniature village.<\/a> \u00a0Here you can find of course\u00a0miniature versions of some of the world\u2019s most famous buildings like the Pyramids, Eiffel Tower, or Big Ben. \u00a0There is also a small museum with wooden hand built sculptures of \u00a0historic churches, boats , and local postal memorabilia. The exhibition pieces were made by hand by a local craftsman and the<\/span>\u00a0site also has a mini railway track rounding around the whole of the outside exhibition.<\/p>\n Almost next door is a large space used for one off exhibitions and whilst we were visiting it held an American car show, with cars from the 1920’s to the 80’s. \u00a0This space is used for one off exhibitions through the year.<\/p>\n Next to the the local castle. \u00a0Silesian Ostrava Castle<\/a>\u00a0 is also near the square sitting where the two rivers meet. \u00a0Originally built in the 1280s\u00a0\u00a0for military purposes due to its proximity to the Polish border , although Poland didn’t exist at that point the area was very much under a feudal system hence the need for defence.<\/p>\n In the 18th century an important local family bought the castle and it was then that \u00a0coal was discovered. \u00a0This was way before any kind of \u00a0industrialisation, so the find had no real worth. Of course at the beginning of the 19th century when the industrial revolution started, the castle area was extensively mined for coal. \u00a0The mining even went \u00a0underneath the castle which eventually made the building drop down by 16 metres. \u00a0It started out on top of a hill and ended up on more or less flat on the ground and now \u00a0with gardens surrounding it.<\/p>\n About seven years ago \u00a0a complex \u00a0extensive renovation was made. \u00a0The castle cellars are now home to an aquarium with freshwater fish, a\u00a0museum of witches and torture, \u00a0music festivals (originally Colours of Ostrava music festival was held here) and even Shakespeare plays (it has its own amphitheater) are put on. <\/span>It is now a great example of where past and present of Ostrava meet.<\/p>\n Goblins and gooks dotted around the restored buildings give a peek into the\u00a0legends and folklore are at the core of the countryside . Czech legends even say there was huge treasure buried beneath the castle. Interestingly these seem to speak of a time when belief in wood nymphs or other folklore characters may well have been held in high regard. \u00a0Hence the great wooden status of goblins hiding in wells\u00a0protect the building and the potential hidden treasures.<\/p>\n Walking back towards the next attraction in the centre of the town, \u00a0you notice again the amount of lush green surrounding. \u00a0The rivers \u00a0banks make for wonderful bike rides for those wishing to escape and the \u00a0path takes people almost straight into the surrounding woods, as the city sits encased in a forrest.<\/p>\n Back into town one the the\u00a0Neo-baroque<\/a>\u00a0buildings, specifically \u00a0the\u00a0Antonin Dvorak Theatre<\/a>\u00a0 theatre which was designed by architect \u00a0Alexander Graf.\u00a0It is primarily used to stage <\/span>operas and ballets. It’s all plush golds, creams and blood red, styled in the vain of a classical theatre that houses up scale theatrical productions. \u00a0However hidden under the stage is \u00a0a circular moving floor; the kind of equipment \u00a0many a theatre would only dream to have, allowing all the performances an add level of drama.<\/p>\n Walk back across the town to the New Town Hall erected in 1930 famous for its viewing tower. \u00a0At 86 meters from the ground the tower offers sweeping views of the Ostrava basin, the mountains of Beskyd to the south, the Jeseniky mountains to the west and the Upper Silesian plateau to the east. On a clear day the view is simply majestic and probably why it’s the areas top tourist attraction. T<\/span>he observation deck \u00a0is accessible to the public via two levels of express lifts.<\/p>\n photo Lenka Jamnick\u00e1<\/span><\/p>\n The city also has a zoo, several parks and woodlands as well as churches to visits \u00a0with buses and trams that are straight forward to navigate. \u00a0Should you chose to be staying inside the city, walking is a great way to really see whats going on. \u00a0 However it is well worth noting most people live on the out-skirts not the centre of the town, so there is no discernible ‘scene’ at night with clubs and bars for hanging out. \u00a0This does mean a trip out for a drink in the evening is not over-run with noisy \u00a0groups which can often put people off city breaks and although the are plenty of places to eat, this is just not a city that as yet plays \u00a0a lot all night. \u00a0Saying that there are enough festivals going on \u00a0to cater for those that wish for full on party nights. \u00a0However there is\u00a0Stodoln\u00ed \u00a0street which is the big party street in the city.<\/span><\/p>\n Step slightly outside of the central town and you will see exactly this in motion. \u00a0Ostrava holds possibly Europes’ \u00a0biggest dance music festival, Beats for Love<\/a>. \u00a0This is no ordinary festival, in no ordinary location, far from it, this is a 11 stage dance spectacular integrated in the old\u00a0Central Energy Station a former coal and steel plant. \u00a0This is no regular former industrial unit either but a vast sprawling metropolis of twisted steel and iron. \u00a0Gigantic rusted \u00a0structures populate this post apocalyptic park. \u00a0But unlike most modern European cities, the very nature of the areas initial use has been preserved and rather than knock things down and rebuild, the site has been celebrated, utilised and given a second life with events going on in and \u00a0around the rusty towers, drums and stairs. \u00a0It’s a gigantic monolith of days gone by bought together with the days to come. \u00a0\u00a0The area is known as Lower V\u00edtkovice Area (DOV)<\/a> and is\u00a0very much a cultural hub for the city as well as a truly innovative use of a former mining plant.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Towards the beginning of the plant the one piece of modern architecture has been added, \u00a0the Bolt Tower<\/a>. \u00a0Initially not named after the world renowned Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt, but Bolt because of the fact that the construction was build around an original blast furnace\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>(Blast Furnace 1) so the build<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>symbolises the fire that raged from out of the furnace \u00a0in its working days.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>However the English play on words worked so well as the\u00a0athlete\u00a0whilst running at the <\/span>G<\/a>olden Spike<\/a> (yearly athletics event is held in Ostrava) the well known Jamaican fast footer didn’t just win three races he also went on to christen the tower in the park. \u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n Photo Lenka Jamnick\u00e1<\/span><\/p>\n A walkway spirals around the tower and for those brave enough can walk all the way from bottom to top.\u00a0<\/span>The glass-walled tower serves as a multipurpose observation point with views across the whole of the city and includes a cafe should you wish to take a view whilst enjoying coffee and cake, but know there are new lifts should the idea of walking sounds too much!<\/span><\/p>\n Precisely because the city has not been over-developed and neither has the\u00a0V\u00edtkovice Area<\/a>,\u00a0the idea of over cautious health and safety ‘nimby’ style rules\u00a0, has not ruined a wonderfully unique venue. The whole area only stopped producing coal and steel in the late nineties and so is now one of the best places in Europe to go to for festivals. \u00a0The the industrial complex has transformed into a unique educational, social and cultural centre too. \u00a0 The home to a vast landscape of now debunked industrial sized machinery hosts alongside a \u00a0Science and Technology Centre <\/a>\u00a0aimed very much at kids and families, with lots of interactive practical examples to engage. The whole site is home to many music festivals, international conferences, sports activities and cultural events. \u00a0In fact the site is used often for activities with among the best known of which are \u00a0the\u00a0Colours of Ostrava<\/a>\u00a0multi-genre music festival, the\u00a0Jan\u00e1\u010dek May<\/a>\u00a0classical music festival, the Summer Shakespeare Festival and of course \u00a0Beats for Love\u00a0<\/a>(B4L).<\/p>\n In June each year the venue hosts Beats for Love <\/a>(B4L)\u00a0music festival. \u00a0This June ’16 was the festivals the third and most successful event to date. It ran over the four days covering a space of over \u00a0100,000 m2 with more than\u00a0<\/span>\u00a042 000 visitors coming through the festival’s gates to enjoy dancing and music which included quite the international round up of musician and DJ’s. With 11 stages allowing for a huge variation of dance genres from\u00a0Psytrance, Hardstyle & Hardcore, electro-swing, Breakbeat, Urban, Reggae 2 Jungle, Techno, House to Trance & EDM and Drum & Bass. \u00a0The Dj’s and musicians came mainly from across Europe and although not the biggest names in the world within each genre, there were certainly enough known names to make this a great event. Speaking with the organisers, a key part of the festivals philosophy is the keep prices very reasonable so that local as well as international guests are not priced out of coming and so the balance is to have big named artists \u00a0but not so expensive to pay for that tickets become unattainable for all that want to visit. However the Cezech \u00a0Dj’ community was well represented with names such as DJ Lucca (one of the only female techno DJ’s) \u00a0Chris Sadler, DJ Trava, Michael C, Ravic, Underground Children, Mr Teacher, Forbidden Spociety, Ian Blond and many many more with the event having its first sponsor this year a condom company Pepino<\/a><\/p>\n The site does come alive in a very different way than seeing it in the daytime. \u00a0It brings up the question as to what it is like for the artists to play at. So we asked \u00a0British junglist singer and musician David Boomah<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0about his experience of B4L:-<\/p>\n How\u00a0does a nice boy from South East london do end up playing in a festival in Ostrava?<\/strong><\/p>\n “I think I would have to attribute that opportunity to the power of Music ….I’ve ended up playing all over the place over the last 20+ years: Kolkata, Sao Paolo, Lithuania, Slovenia, Germany, Guatemala Toronto. Jungle Music is truly an international phenomenon and it continues to take me to new places each year.<\/span><\/p>\n What was you experience of playing at the festival after all it is still quite new and in an area not well known?<\/strong><\/p>\n “I had an amazing time at the Reggae to Jungle stage. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to see any of the other stages.<\/span>The crowd were ready to have a good time which always make it easier and they got involved from the start to the end of my set. This was my first time at Beats For Love and I would definitely do it again. There were some teething issues around organisation and hospitality but nothing they can’t fix easily. My experience was memorable in a positive way so thanks to the organisers and lets do it again!!!”<\/p>\n How much of your life is about travelling around the world to play at festivals?<\/strong><\/p>\n “My life is so fragmented and unpredictable it is hard to answer that question. Singing is but one of my career commitments. I<\/span>\u00a0also teach English, provide Youth Work Consultancy Services and work with youth at risk of social exclusion. It all depends on what year it is and what my priorities are at the time. This year the focus has been on teaching but the previous two years I was touring all over the place”.<\/p>\n \u00a0So w<\/span>hats next in the world of David Boomah?<\/strong><\/p>\n “I really don’t know to be honest. I just released a single called “Wish Upon A Star Feat Rowpieces” on my own Record Label “Forward Ever Recordings” and I’m really proud of it as the original is amazing and the array of Remixes are outstanding!!!\u00a0<\/span>I have 3 other singles out as the moment as well on the legendary labels Philly Blunt, Ram Recordings and Spearhead so I gues I will be busy promoting them over the next few months. I am also getting ready to release another single on “Forward Ever” and attach both tracks to a forthcoming album but it all depends on how well the songs are received …..it’s a tough game out here so only time will tell. Whatever happens I will be making music somewhere ….it’s the air I breathe.<\/p>\n David Boomah (Singer\/Songwriter\/DJ\/Radio Host) Forward Ever Recordings<\/p>\n www.davidboomah.com<\/a>\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>soundcloud<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0twitter<\/a>\u00a0instagram<\/a>\u00a0www.forwardever.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n facebook.com\/Forward-Ever-Recordings<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0Photo Lenka Jamnicka<\/p>\n As a festival site the\u00a0V\u00edtkovice Area<\/a>\u00a0is mammoth and \u00a0spectacular. \u00a0A wonderful inspiring site for not just the industrial style music of Beat4Love but for the myriad of festivals going on at the location. \u00a0There is of course camping areas and unlike many festivals the size (being relatively small in comparison) is easy to navigate which makes for a relatively intimate experience.<\/p>\n Well whilst on the idea of anything mammoth and historical,visitors really can have a truly get to grips with the local history of mining by actually going down a once working mine, and in the same spot mammoth bones have been found. \u00a0This gives just a small idea of how old the area is and also how the area lived and worked.<\/p>\n Landek Park <\/a>is the largest Czech coal mining museum. It is 250-m-long underground with credible guided tours available from ex miners. \u00a0In fact to go below to the twisted veins of the old working mine visitors are taken down in the lift the miners themselves used. The tour gives a step by step \u00a0of the process used, with original \u00a0mining equipment and even sound effects. \u00a0This is as authentic an experience as it gets to be down a mine, which in its day was a traitorous place to work. \u00a0 Hence there is a mine rescue workers exhibition\u00a0 alongside the original \u00a0changing rooms that have been transformed onto \u00a0an art installation almost fit for the Turner prize with lastly the original mine train from the 60s which visitors can travel in the tiny caged carriages too.<\/p>\n So from the hyper-real to the \u00a0fairytale, a trip up to the quaint little town of Stramberk. \u00a0Because of the town’s location and \u00a0its historical collection of timbered houses from the 18th and 19th centuries, the town has been declared a\u00a0conservation area. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The area is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>dominated by the ruins of the Strallenberg castle an\u00a0important fortified site on a hill which includes the Truba Tower<\/a>. \u00a0The small hill roads that lead to the castle are tight and twisted so do involve a little bit of an effort\u00a0\u00a0but worth it for the magnificent views of the surrounding countryside.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u0160tramberk is also famous for the gingerbread \u201c\u0160tramberk Ears\u201d which have been baked here for many centuries in memory of the legendary victory of the Stramberk Christians over Mongolian soldiers, (the ear shaped gingerbread relates to the cutting off the locals’ ears as proof to the Mongolian chiefs of how many \u00a0were killed). \u00a0The town square has shopped dedicated to the confectionary as well as several restaurants. \u00a0For one of those extra little visual treats the restaurant by the\u00a0Truba Tower has the most beautiful reproductions of original stencils on the walls. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n