Zlín is a city in the South Moravia region of the Czech Republic. Bata shoe company started and developed here before the World War II. The city is most well known for its interesting functionalistic architecture.

Understand

Zlín was first mentioned in 1302 and soon became a local center for crafts and mining. But it was not until the industrial revolution that the rise to fame began. After the foundation of the Baťa shoe factory in 1896, the town rapidly grew into a major city, and the modernist industrial architecture, together with housing and social facilities, remains a representative of early 20th-century social and industrial architecture.

The communists took over management of Zlín and Baťa factories after the end of the WWII in May 1945, and in October the Bata company in Czechoslovakia was nationalized. Zlín was renamed Gottwaldov in 1949 after the first communist president of Czechoslovakia Klement Gottwald. After the Velvet revolution, Zlín regained its original name in 1990.

In addition to the internationally well known shoe factory Baťa, Zlín is also famous for the animation film studios, whose works from the 1960s also became popular in Western Europe.

Get in

By train

The nearest mainline railway station to Zlín is Otrokovice station, which can be reached by direct Czech Railways trains from Prague (3 hours), Brno (1.5 hours), Olomouc (35mins) and Ostrava (1 hour). From Otrokovice, you can either connect to a local train to the central 1 Zlín střed station or take the trolleybus (number 1, 2 or 6) into the centre of Zlín.

By bus

The main bus station in Zlin is 2 Zlín AN, located next to the railway station. Student Agency offers up to 3 buses a day from Prague, via Brno. The total journey time is 4 hours and 30 minutes.

See

• Shoe making museum
• Museum of South-east Moravia
• Chateau
• one of best Czech ZOOs - Zlín Lešná
• marvellous functionalistic architecture of whole city
• view from city's "skyscraper"
• 1 Church of St. Wenceslas in Sazovice. A modern church, rewarded as one of the worlds best buildings of 2017. (updated Dec 2017)
• 2 Zlín Zoo, Lukovská 112 (Take bus Nr. 34 or 36 from náměstí Práce), ☏ +420 577 577 101. 190 Kč for adults; 130 Kč for children. (updated Apr 2022)

Do

• Hiking
• Cycling trips
• River Moravia - boat trips
• Beautiful nature around the city
• Football: FC Zlín were relegated in 2024 and now play soccer in the National League, the second tier. Their Letná Stadion (capacity 5900) is on the river bank 500 m north of town centre.

Buy

Bata shoes

Drink

• Fine Moravian wines
• Wide range of brews

Sleep

• 1 Hotel Garni, nám. T. G. Masaryka 1335, ☏ +420 577 211 312, recepce@hotelgarnizlin.cz. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 11:00. (updated Apr 2022)
• 2 Hotel Ondráš, Kvítková 4323, ☏ +420 724 057 082. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 10:00. (updated Apr 2022)

Go next

• Luhačovice