Zlin is an industrial city in Moravia, known primarily as the seat of the most important Czech footwear company Bata. Although its buildings mostly come from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, several traces of earlier history have survived here.
The history of the city dates back to the Middle Ages, but to this day only the rebuilt Malenovice Castle, which was rebuilt several times and standing on the hill, has survived from that time, which is now a branch of the Museum of Southeast Moravia. In the very center of the city, you can see the baroque Zlin Castle, which now houses a cultural center.
In the nineteenth century, Zlin began to develop as a thriving industrial center. It was then rebuilt from scratch and today is known for its characteristic red brick buildings. An example of this building is the church of St. Filip and Jakub. New buildings were built until the interwar period, and many of them were designed in the spirit of modernism. The best-known example of this style is the Tower of Whip, a functionalist former headquarters of the factory management, which now houses the provincial office.
A big attraction of the city is the Zoo and the Zlín-Lešná Castle. In addition to animals from around the world, you can also see an interesting botanical collection grouped into themed gardens. One of them is the Japanese Mu-Shin garden.
