Zlin

Bata’s Skyscraper—Building No. 21—was completed in 1938 and remains a defining symbol of Zlin’s industrial heritage. This 16-story tower, designed by Frantisek Lydie Gahura, exemplifies Functionalist architecture with its clean lines, horizontal ribbon windows, and steel-and-glass façade. Its most intriguing feature is the original movable office—an elevator cabin fitted out as a boardroom—that once transported company executives seamlessly between floors. Today, visitors can ascend in that same elevator to the observation deck, where sweeping vistas encompass factory complexes, Otakar’s Park, and rolling Moravian hills. Inside the restored lobby, a mosaic floor and polished concrete columns evoke the era’s ethos of industrial elegance. Interactive displays recount Tomas Bata’s pioneering social welfare programs—from affordable worker housing to company-sponsored community cinemas. In the evening, dynamic lighting underscores the skyscraper’s geometric form against the dark sky. With guided tours that detail its innovative production lines and community impact, Bata’s Skyscraper stands as both a corporate icon and a testament to modernist vision.

Founded in 1936, Film Studios Zlin is celebrated as one of Central Europe’s oldest cinema production sites, renowned for its pioneering role in animation and children’s films. The sprawling complex includes preserved sound stages, a historic film laboratory, and the Czech Animation Museum, where puppets and artifacts from award-winning shorts are displayed under glass. Each year, the Zlin Film Festival—the world’s longest-running children’s festival—brings young cinephiles and filmmakers for screenings, workshops, and street parades. Guided tours lead guests through original camera equipment rooms and editing suites, while hands-on animation workshops teach stop-motion and cel-painting techniques. Outdoor courtyard screenings under the stars recreate the studio’s golden era. The on-site café screens classic Czech films and serves popcorn alongside local craft beers. Film Studios Zlin remains a vibrant center of cinematic heritage, inspiring future generations of storytellers with its blend of history, innovation, and creativity.

Housed in a former Jesuit college dating to 1670, the Museum of Southeast Moravia presents a rich panorama of regional culture, history, and natural heritage. Its folk costume gallery displays Moravian embroidery and silk weaving, while the archaeology wing exhibits Bronze Age pottery and iron-age burial artifacts. Dedicated halls honor the Bata Shoe Company with original factory machinery, archival photographs, and records of pioneering social housing programs. Natural history exhibits showcase local minerals, fossils, and mounted Central European mammals. Rotating art exhibitions feature works by contemporary Moravian painters, and children’s hands-on workshops teach traditional crafts such as pottery and lace-making. The courtyard café, set beneath vaulted arcades, serves regional wines and pastries. Guided tours explore the building’s baroque architecture and Jesuit heritage, blending educational depth with engaging presentation. With permanent and temporary galleries, the museum offers an immersive journey through Southeast Moravia’s evolution from feudal estates to industrial dynamo.

Opened in 1933 and designed by Frantisek Lydie Gahura, the Tomas Bata Memorial embodies Functionalist design with its striking glass-and-steel structure. This monument to entrepreneur Tomas Bata stands atop a hill overlooking the factory quarter, symbolizing his vision of transparency and innovation. Visitors enter under a cantilevered canopy into multimedia halls featuring interactive exhibits on Bata’s global expansion and his pioneering use of scientific management. Original marble floors and brass fixtures evoke the 1930s aesthetic, while a rooftop viewing platform offers sweeping perspectives of worker housing blocks and the Otakar’s Park boulevard. Each September, the annual Bata Days event revives the founder’s legacy with factory tours, entrepreneurship seminars, and archival film screenings. A permanent display of vintage footwear traces the evolution from handcrafted boots to mass-produced footwear. The Memorial stands as a testament to a visionary leader whose ideals still shape Zlin’s identity and urban fabric.

Set within the landscaped grounds of the 19th-century Chateau Lesna, Zlin Zoo blends wildlife conservation with period elegance. Over 400 species roam themed habitats—from the African savanna enclosure with giraffes and zebras to the Asian garden showcasing red pandas among bamboo groves. A towering aviary invites flocks of tropical birds to swoop above shaded pathways. Daily keeper talks and interactive feeding sessions educate visitors on endangered species, while immersive nocturnal safaris reveal the secret lives of owls and rodents under lantern light. The neighbouring Chateau Lesna offers guided tours of its restored Victorian salons and an upper turret with panoramic views of the park and zoo below. Families linger on picnic lawns dotted with peacocks and koi ponds, and seasonal butterfly exhibits transform the old stables. A courtyard café serves Moravian delicacies amid Baroque ornamentation. Zlin Zoo and Chateau Lesna together create a seamless fusion of cultural history and engaging environmental education for all ages.