The Czech Republic is also home to many interesting engineering sights.

For example, one is the inland waterway known as the Baťa Canal. About 50 kilometers runs from Otrokovice close to Hodonín, partly down the Morava River and partly through a new artificial channel.
The Baťa Canal was built in 1936–38. However, the waterway construction was interrupted by the war, and its original purpose became defunct after 1960, when navigation on the canal was completely terminated for economic reasons. In 1993, the local municipalities initiated efforts to renew the navigation, and launched a common project supported by the European Union. Due to these efforts, the water channel has gradually been reconstructed and made accessible to tourists, who have shown considerable interest in visiting this unique point of interest.

Another unique water structure in the Czech Republic is the Schwarzenberg Canal in South Bohemia. It was built in 1789-1822 in order to float timber from the forests of Šumava to Vienna. The canal is 45 kilometers long and connects the basins of the Vltava and the Danube.

The open-air mining museum at the Mayrau Mine in Vinařice is a sight from a much later period. There you can learn about the early and also quite recent history of black coal mining. You will find all the machines and equipment laid out as if the miners had left them just yesterday.

Another monument worthy of attention is a part of the mining industry of Ostrava. The Michal Colliery, which dates back to 1843, is an exceptionally significant industrial area in regards to its construction and technology. It owes its appearance to the reconstruction completed in 1915, carried out by the architect František Fiala. The area includes a singular collection of electric mining machinery and compressors dating back to the dawn of the electric era. Other subjects of interest include a mining bath, a former lamp house, transport bridges and wagons as well as a mine shaft and steel cage. A tour through the facility allows visitors to follow the same path that miners would make every day on their way to work. Operations at the Michal Colliery stopped in 1994. The mine is now a national cultural monument and may be added to the UNESCO list of world heritage sites. The main building is often used for exhibitions, theater performances and other cultural and social events.

Ostrava’s Vítkovický complex including the Hlubina Mine and blast furnace dates back to the first half of the 19th century. In the spring of 2002 it was declared a national, cultural technical monument. Because of its unique nature, it may also be included on the list of UNESCO world heritage sites. The first blast furnace was put into operation here in 1836. The Hlubina mine became an integral part of the manufacturing process in 1843. Soon the site provided for an entire industrial process from start to finish, from the mining of coal as a raw material, through the manufacture of coke, to its use in the production of iron. This continued uninterrupted until 1998.

Ostrava is also host the largest mining museum in the Czech Republic. Extending to the Landek site, this museum is world-renowned as an area of geological, archeological and historical interest. In addition to the natural sciences, mining is the main focus of the museum. It is famous for the discovery of the Landecky Venus, the only Venus of its kind in Europe. The machinery included as part of the exhibition is still running and is often put into operation to acquaint visitors with the intricacies of the mining profession. The original Albrecht and František gallery dating back to the first half of the 19th century provides and authentic view to the roots of mining. A typical mining pub also makes up part of the exhibition. The Barborka, as it is called, is richly decorated with mining-related items. Part of the museum includes a sports complex and recreation facility, a rope park, cycling paths and a children’s play area.

Another engineering-related sight is the greenhouse of the Lednice Chateau in South Moravia. The greenhouse was built in 1843–45 using a unique light and buoyant structure. Today, it is used as a winter garden with many tropical and subtropical plants.

Tags: Engineering sights, Lednice Chateau, Michal Colliery, Moravia, Schwarzenberg Canal, Vítkovický