Zlín Region

This is the region where apostles brought Christianity to the Slavs in the ninth century and where, ten centuries later, Tomáš Baťa established his shoe factory. The Zlín Region, famous, among other things, for its natural beauties, dynamic economy, and living folk traditions, is located in the eastern part of the Czech Republic. The administrative centre of the region is Zlín, which has nearly eighty thousand inhabitants.

The eastern border of the region also constitutes the international border with Slovakia. The Zlín Region is an industrial region with a long tradition in mechanical engineering, rubber processing, metal working, electronics, leather processing, the chemical industry, and construction.

Baťa's shoe factory

Zlín is one of the most important towns in Central Moravia. Its major milestone occurred in 1894, when Tomáš Baťa established his shoe factory. Production increased rapidly and the company expanded into a large corporation and became known around the world. Today, Zlín is also known for the Zlín Film Festival, its international film festival for youth and children.

The Zlín Region is also renowned for its natural riches. The White Carpathian protected area has been placed on the UNESCO list as a biosphere reserve. The largest and best-known open-air museum in the Czech Republic is located at Rožnov pod Radhoštěm. It was first opened in 1925 and today is a national historic monument. Luhačovice spa, which offers treatment for respiratory illnesses and digestive ailments, is also famous.

The town of Kroměříž is also well worth a visit, as it has been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1998. A large number of cultural and historical sites are concentrated there; at one time, it was known as the “Athens of Haná”. Kroměříž was first mentioned in writing in 1266, and for many years it was the property, and economic centre, of the Olomouc bishopric. Visitors to the Zlín Region can also visit Velehrad, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Czech Republic. This is a location, which is directly connected with the arrival of Cyril and Methodius, who brought Christianity to Moravia in 863.

The goal of this project is to create a network of educational centres related to the environment in the Zlín Region, and to improve local awareness with respect to sustained development. The project is financed by the European Social Fund.

The Intelligent Energy - Europe Programme financed the establishment of three regional agencies, to manage energy policies in the province of Mantua (Italy), Gijón (Spain), and in the Zlín Region (Czech Republic). The Zlín Regional Energy Agency is expected to become the authority responsible for implementation strategies in the energy sector and for capacity-building for local energy agencies.

The aim of the project, which is financed through the 2004-06 Joint Regional Operational Programme, is to create a regional tourist information portal, which will unify, supplement, and update existing information on activities in tourism, regardless of local affiliation and type of services being offered.

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