Green neighbourhoods of Ostrava and the air
Ostrava is greener than many think, and its air differs from one neighbourhood to the next. Which neighbourhoods are closest to greenery, where there is least traffic pollution and what dust and benzo[a]pyrene mean.
How we measure greenery and air
Greenery: for every address in the neighbourhood we find the straight-line distance to the nearest park or forest according to the green areas in OpenStreetMap. For the neighbourhood we show the median, so one large garden on the edge does not skew the order. Air: the five-year average concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) from the ČHMÚ model in the one-by-one-kilometre square the address lies in. NO₂ comes mainly from traffic, so it shows well how close busy roads are.
The greenest neighbourhoods of Ostrava
Slezská Ostrava, Michálkovice and Petřkovice are closest to a park or forest. In Slezská Ostrava half of the addresses have greenery closer than 68 m. In half of Ostrava's neighbourhoods it is further than 205 m.
Greenest Ostrava neighbourhoods
- 68 m to a park Slezská Ostrava Slezská Ostrava
- 86 m to a park Michálkovice Michálkovice
- 92 m to a park Petřkovice Petřkovice
- 102 m to a park Radvanice Radvanice a Bartovice
- 108 m to a park Heřmanice Slezská Ostrava
- 125 m to a park Bartovice Radvanice a Bartovice
- 135 m to a park Poruba Poruba
- 136 m to a park Výškovice Ostrava-Jih
- 147 m to a park Hrušov Slezská Ostrava
- 162 m to a park Stará Bělá Stará Bělá
Where the most trees grow and where it is coolest in summer:
Ostrava’s neighbourhoods with the most trees
- 53 % of the area under trees Radvanice Radvanice a Bartovice
- 48 % of the area under trees Slezská Ostrava Slezská Ostrava
- 39 % of the area under trees Petřkovice Petřkovice
- 35 % of the area under trees Michálkovice Michálkovice
- 32 % of the area under trees Bartovice Radvanice a Bartovice
Ostrava’s coolest neighbourhoods in summer
- -2.6 °C against the city average Radvanice Radvanice a Bartovice
- -2.4 °C against the city average Heřmanice Slezská Ostrava
- -2.4 °C against the city average Stará Bělá Stará Bělá
- -2.0 °C against the city average Polanka nad Odrou Polanka nad Odrou
- -1.9 °C against the city average Svinov Svinov
Air: traffic or heating
The NO₂ ranking shows how far away roads with heavy traffic are. Krásné Pole, Polanka nad Odrou and Bartovice have the least traffic pollution:
Ostrava neighbourhoods with the cleanest air
- 10.7 µg/m³ NO₂ Krásné Pole Krásné Pole
- 13.1 µg/m³ NO₂ Polanka nad Odrou Polanka nad Odrou
- 13.8 µg/m³ NO₂ Bartovice Radvanice a Bartovice
- 14.0 µg/m³ NO₂ Heřmanice Slezská Ostrava
- 14.0 µg/m³ NO₂ Michálkovice Michálkovice
- 14.3 µg/m³ NO₂ Stará Bělá Stará Bělá
- 14.4 µg/m³ NO₂ Petřkovice Petřkovice
- 14.4 µg/m³ NO₂ Slezská Ostrava Slezská Ostrava
- 14.5 µg/m³ NO₂ Nová Bělá Nová Bělá
- 14.7 µg/m³ NO₂ Výškovice Ostrava-Jih
But Ostrava has another concern besides traffic: dust and benzo[a]pyrene. According to ČHMÚ, the Ostrava region has long been among the places with the highest concentrations in the Czech Republic. Benzo[a]pyrene comes mainly from household heating with solid fuels; in Radvanice and Bartovice, around the steelworks, industry adds to it, and dust levels tend to be highest there. Winter without wind tends to be the worst. A neighbourhood with few cars may therefore not have clean air in winter if the houses around it burn coal or wood.
What this means when choosing a flat:
- Find out how the area is heated. Housing estates on district heating are in a different position from streets of family houses with boilers.
- Follow winter inversions live. ČHMÚ shows current station measurements and issues warnings during smog episodes.
- The street matters too. A flat by a four-lane road and one in a side street can breathe quite different air within the same neighbourhood.
Ostrava's big green spaces
Right in the centre, on the left bank of the Ostravice, lie Komenského sady, at more than 30 hectares one of the largest city parks in the Czech Republic. In the south of the city stretches Bělský les, a forest park of about 160 hectares, mostly in the Ostrava-Jih district. Above the confluence of the Odra and the Ostravice is Landek Park with its mining museum, trails and viewpoints. Exactly where they lie and which neighbourhoods are closest is shown on the map.
Greenery for families, sports fans and dogs
For children, besides a park, a playground close to home matters; for sports fans, outdoor sports grounds. The rankings show where they are closest:
Ostrava neighbourhoods with a playground nearby
- 100 % of addresses with a playground within 500 m Bělský Les Ostrava-Jih
- 100 % of addresses with a playground within 500 m Dubina Ostrava-Jih
- 95 % of addresses with a playground within 500 m Mariánské Hory Mariánské Hory a Hulváky
- 94 % of addresses with a playground within 500 m Moravská Ostrava Moravská Ostrava a Přívoz
- 93 % of addresses with a playground within 500 m Výškovice Ostrava-Jih
Ostrava neighbourhoods with sport nearby
- 89 % of addresses with sport within 500 m Bělský Les Ostrava-Jih
- 68 % of addresses with sport within 500 m Moravská Ostrava Moravská Ostrava a Přívoz
- 52 % of addresses with sport within 500 m Mariánské Hory Mariánské Hory a Hulváky
- 44 % of addresses with sport within 500 m Dubina Ostrava-Jih
- 44 % of addresses with sport within 500 m Poruba Poruba
With a dog, a park or forest for the daily walk is handy; dog parks are in the guide dog parks in Ostrava.
The best neighbourhoods for life with a dog
- 88 Radvanice Radvanice a Bartovice
- 71 Michálkovice Michálkovice
- 71 Slezská Ostrava Slezská Ostrava
- 70 Petřkovice Petřkovice
- 68 Koblov Slezská Ostrava
Families with children will find the full order in the guide the best neighbourhoods for families in Ostrava.
The best neighbourhoods for families with children
- 74 Slezská Ostrava Slezská Ostrava
- 71 Pustkovec Pustkovec
- 68 Hošťálkovice Hošťálkovice
- 66 Proskovice Proskovice
- 60 Kunčice Slezská Ostrava
Check a specific address
A neighbourhood is an average. Before you sign a contract, check the flat's own address: we show the nearest parks, the air compared with Ostrava, public transport stops and the catchment school.
Greenery need not mean a high rent: a typical 2+kk in Ostrava costs CZK 11 100 a month, and the cheapest neighbourhood is Heřmanice. More in the guide cheap housing in Ostrava.
Frequently asked questions
Which neighbourhood in Ostrava is the greenest?
Slezská Ostrava, Michálkovice and Petřkovice are closest to a park or forest. In Slezská Ostrava half of the addresses are closer than 68 m, in half of Ostrava's neighbourhoods it is further than 205 m.
Where is the air cleanest in Ostrava?
According to the ČHMÚ model, Krásné Pole, Polanka nad Odrou and Bartovice have the least nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) from traffic. Dust and benzo[a]pyrene are not shown by this ranking: according to ČHMÚ they come mainly from household heating and, around the steelworks in Radvanice and Bartovice, from industry as well.
Why is the air worse in the Ostrava region?
According to ČHMÚ, the Ostrava region has long been among the places with the highest concentrations of dust and benzo[a]pyrene in the Czech Republic. Household heating with solid fuels, industry, traffic and pollution coming from Poland all contribute; in winter, without wind, the pollutants stay close to the ground.
How do I find out the greenery and air at a specific address?
Enter the address in the address check on Městomat. We show the nearest parks, the air compared with Ostrava, stops, shops and the catchment school.
How do you measure greenery in a neighbourhood?
For every address in the neighbourhood we calculate the straight-line distance to the nearest park or forest according to OpenStreetMap and show the median for the neighbourhood: half of the addresses are closer, half further.