Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PENSION
PENSION KAPLANKA €
with bathroom 900/1000Kč; )
This white-washed heritage place has a variety of
rooms ranging from so-so to respectable midrange (prices and bathroom facilities in-
crease accordingly). Sample the local wine in the garden as you look across the Dyje
River valley, and you could almost be in Tuscany.
PENSION
REZIDENCE ZVON €
1400Kč; )
Concealed in a restored 18th-century residence near the castle are six
very comfortable rooms combining wooden floors, flat-screen TVs and modern fur-
niture.
WORTH A DETOUR: ZLÍN'S FUNKY FUNCTIONALISM
In the early 20th century, Moravia was a hotbed of ground-breaking modern ar-
chitecture. Brno is recognized as the centre of the action, but the smaller indus-
trial town of Zlín (pronounced 'zleen') was home to some radical and fascinating
experimentation in Functionalist town planning, following the vision of philan-
thropist shoe millionaire Tomáš Baťa ('bah-tya').
Adhering to Bat'a's plan, the factories, offices, shopping centres and houses
all use lookalike red bricks and a Functionalist template, to provide 'a total envir-
onment' to house, feed and entertain the workers at Baťa's massive shoe fact-
ory. Wide avenues and planned gardens produce a singular ambiance, giving
Zlín an expansive and unnervingly modern appearance, in contrast with the sac-
charine historical centres of other towns.
The
Zlín Tourist Information Office
(Městské Informační a Turistické Středsiko;
of information on hand about the town's architectural heritage, including maps
and walking tours (in English) of the most important buildings. One of the top
sights is the surprisingly interesting
Zlín Shoe Museum
(Obuvnické muzeum;
