Zlín: Baťa Architecture, Culture and Nature

Zlín brings together Baťa history, functionalist architecture, cultural events and walks through green landscapes. If you’re looking for a hotel for your stay, these themes can help you decide where to go: would you rather explore exhibitions and architecture, or make time for an outdoor route? The stops below offer specific, varied points of reference.

Baťa History and Functionalist Architecture

Zlín is a distinctive example of functionalist urban planning and interwar architecture. One clear point of reference is the 14|15 Baťa Institute, created by converting two former Baťa factory buildings into a cultural centre. The institute houses the Museum of South East Moravia in Zlín, the Regional Gallery of Fine Arts and the František Bartoš Regional Library. The complex thus brings together a museum, a gallery and a regional library.

Visitors can see three permanent exhibitions at the institute. Their titles are “Princip Baťa: Dnes fantazie, zítra skutečnost”, “+ - Zlín” and “František Bartoš: Pedagog, jazykovědec, etnograf”. Together, the titles take you from Baťa to the city and then to a figure associated with education, linguistics and ethnography. Several named exhibition themes are therefore presented side by side in the same cultural centre.

Another architectural landmark is the Tomáš Baťa Memorial. This functionalist building is made of concrete, glass and steel. While the 14|15 Baťa Institute is defined by its conversion from former factory buildings, the Memorial can be understood through its design and materials. It takes 10 to 15 minutes to walk to the Tomáš Baťa Memorial from either the bus station or the railway station.

Experience the Cultural Programme and Baťa Architecture

Every year during the summer season, the 14|15 Baťa Institute runs a guided bus tour of Zlín’s Baťa architecture. It is open to the general public. The tour offers a way to explore the architecture with a guide, rather than focusing only on buildings and exhibitions. If you’re planning your stay especially to take this tour, check the programme for that summer.

ZLÍN FILM FESTIVAL offers another cultural highlight. Each year it screens nearly 300 films from almost 50 countries and is the oldest festival of its kind in the world. Its scale makes it a recurring event in Zlín in its own right. If you’d like to plan your trip around it, check the dates for the year in question.

Green Landscapes and Walks

Zlín spreads across the lush green Dřevnice River valley. A walk through the Přílucká countryside leads after about 470 metres to Přílucký rybník, one of the most picturesque natural destinations around Zlín. The route also includes a protected service tree surrounded by a fence. The pond and the tree provide clear points of reference along the walk.

The Mladcovská Skalka–Přední vrch route takes about an hour and a half to walk. These details help with different planning questions: the walk through the Přílucká countryside has a specific destination about 470 metres away, while the approximate walking time is the more useful guide for Mladcovská Skalka–Přední vrch. You can choose a nature outing based on whether a destination along the way or the duration of a route matters more to you.

Discover more destinations: Bělov, Vlčková, Pohořelice, Tlumačov, Komárov, Jestrabi, Zádveřice-Raková, Ostrata

For the wider travel overview: Okres Zlín.