Otrokovice, Zlín Region, Czech Republic

🇨🇿 Otrokovice is a town in Zlín District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It is known as an industrial centre.

Economy In past the town was significantly connected with the Bata company which owned multiple local industries including the large shoe factory that created its initial wealth.

Continental Barum has a manufacturing facility in Otrokovice and is the largest employer with headquarters in the Zlín Region. This tyre producer was founded in 1948 by merger of three tyre manufacturers. The company became part of the German Continental AG conglomerate in 1993.

Another important manufacturing sites are the large TOMA Industrial Zone where various companies of various industries are located, and Zlin Aircraft that operates from the airfield next to the Barum factory.

Transport In Otrokovice is a major railway junction of the Zlín Region. Otrokovice railway station lies on the railroad of the national importance and has connection to main Czech cities. It lies on the lines Prague – Otrokovice – Uherské Hradiště – Luhačovice, and Brno – Hodonín – Otrokovice – Olomouc.

Otrokovice has a regular bus service, linking main areas of the town. The town operates a transport company together with the neighbouring city of Zlín. Trolleybus line connects Otrokovice with Zlín.

The D55 motorway runs through the town. In addition to the conventional modes of transport, Otrokovice is also equipped with private domestic airport and a wharf at the Morava River.

Sights Společenský dům (i.e. "Social House") is architecturally the most valuable building from the Baťa's era. It was designed by Vladimír Karfík and built in 1936. This functionalist building serves today as a hotel and is protected as a cultural monument.

The Church of Saint Michael the Archangel is located on the town square in the original centre of Otrokovice. It was built as a chapel in 1769 and expanded into a church a hundred years later.

The Church of Saint Adalbert was built in 1995 and is modern landmark of the town.

The statue of St. John of Nepomuk on the town square was created in 1823. The statue of St. John of Nepomuk in Kvítkovice comes from 1723. According to a legend, the statue in Kvítkovice was originally in Otrokovice and was bought for beer.

The statue of Tomáš Baťa is cast from the original located in the English Tilbury. There is also a memorial to the site of the plane crash in Otrokovice, when Tomáš Baťa died in 1932.