Hradec Králové (; ) is a city of the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
. It has about 94,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the
Hradec Králové Region
Hradec Králové Region (, ) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic located in the north-eastern part of the historical region of Bohemia. It is named after its capital Hradec Králové. The region neighbours the Pardubice Region in t ...
. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and is protected as an
urban monument reservation, the wider centre is protected as an
urban monument zone.
Administrative division

Hradec Králové consists of 21 municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):
*Březhrad (899)
*Hradec Králové (14,782)
*Kukleny (2,617)
*Malšova Lhota (869)
*Malšovice (2,557)
*Moravské Předměstí (4,966)
*Nový Hradec Králové (22,458)
*Piletice (186)
*Plácky (1,108)
*Plačice (737)
*Plotiště nad Labem (2,087)
*Pouchov (2,007)
*Pražské Předměstí (13,045)
*Roudnička (873)
*Rusek (411)
*Slatina (742)
*Slezské Předměstí (8,948)
*Svinary (1,064)
*Svobodné Dvory (2,632)
*Třebeš (7,225)
*Věkoše (2,436)
Etymology
The city was originally named ''Hradec'', which is a
diminutive
A diminutive is a word obtained by modifying a root word to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment, and sometimes to belittle s ...
of ''hrad'' (i.e. '
castle
A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
'). Later, when it was owned by Bohemian queens, the ''Králové'' attribute (genitive of ''
králová'', 'queen' in Old Czech) was added. So the name literally means "queen's castle".
Geography
Hradec Králové is located about east of
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
and forms an
agglomeration
Agglomeration may refer to:
* Urban agglomeration, in standard English
* Megalopolis, in Chinese English, as defined in China's ''Standard for basic terminology of urban planning'' (GB/T 50280—98). Also known as "city cluster".
* Economies of agg ...
with the city of
Pardubice
Pardubice (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 92,000 inhabitants. It is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the Elbe River. The historic centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Repub ...
, which is located about south of Hradec Králové. It lies in the
East Elbe Table, in the eastern part of the
Polabí lowlands. The highest point is the hill Slatina at above sea level. The city is situated at the confluence of the
Elbe
The Elbe ( ; ; or ''Elv''; Upper Sorbian, Upper and , ) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Republic), then Ge ...
and
Orlice rivers. The municipal territory is rich in small fishponds.
Climate
Hradec Králové has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: ''Dfb'';
Trewartha: ''Dcbo''). The annual average temperature is , the hottest month in July is , and the coldest month is in January. The annual precipitation is , of which July is the wettest with , while February is the driest with only . The extreme temperature throughout the year ranged from on 10 February 1956 to on 2 August 1934.
History
11th–16th centuries
The first written mention of a castle named Hradec is in ''
Chronica Boemorum'' written in 1119–1125, when the record of the castle is associated with the year 1091. The document from 1073 that mentioned Hradec is a
forgery
Forgery is a white-collar crime that generally consists of the false making or material alteration of a legal instrument with the specific mens rea, intent to wikt:defraud#English, defraud. Tampering with a certain legal instrument may be fo ...
from the 12th century. The first written mention of the settlement of Hradec is from 1225 and it was already referred to as a city. In 1306, Hradec became a
dowry town ruled by Bohemian queens. It was the residence of
Elizabeth Richeza of Poland in 1308–1318 or
Elizabeth of Pomerania
Elizabeth of Pomerania (, ; – 15 April 1393) was the fourth and last wife of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia.
Life
Elizabeth was the daughter of Bogislaw V, Duke of Pomerania and Elisabeth of Poland. Her mater ...
in 1378–1393. In the 14th century, thanks to the presence of the queens, the city became a military and political center of a region with a high level of education and culture.
Extensive fires in 1290, 1339 and 1407 accelerated the reconstruction of the city. In 1420, during the
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, a ...
, the city was conquered by the
Hussites
upright=1.2, Battle between Hussites (left) and Crusades#Campaigns against heretics and schismatics, Catholic crusaders in the 15th century
upright=1.2, The Lands of the Bohemian Crown during the Hussite Wars. The movement began during the Prag ...
and became their military centre. In 1423, the Hussites completely destroyed the castle where the queens used to live. During the rule of King
George of Poděbrady
George of Kunštát and Poděbrady (23 April 1420 – 22 March 1471), also known as Poděbrad or Podiebrad (; ), was the sixteenth King of Bohemia, who ruled in 1458–1471. He was a leader of the Hussites, but moderate and tolerant toward the ...
, the city experienced a new period of economic, political and cultural prosperity.
[
The development ended in 1547, when Hradec Králové joined the campaign against Emperor Ferdinand I, and as a result many of its properties were confiscated and its privileges were taken away. The city did not recover economically until the end of the 16th century. At this time, the houses were rebuilt in the Renaissance style.][
]
17th–18th centuries
Hradec Králové was hit hard by the Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
. It was conquered by the Swedish army in 1639 and several more times in the following years. At the end of the war, the city was depopulated and almost destroyed. However, the city recovered and in the 17th and early 18th century acquired a Baroque character. During the War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italian Peninsula, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related conflicts include King Ge ...
, the city was again involved in the war due to its strategic location.[
In 1766, Joseph II decided to build a large modern military fortress in the city. Its construction changed the character of the city and its surroundings, some suburbs were demolished and the inhabitants moved into newly established settlements. A nearby hill was dismantled to build the massive walls and the riverbed of both the Elbe and the Orlice were changed. A complete defense infrastructure was built inside the walls. The fortress was finished in 1789 and occupied , but during its existence, it was never used in the war.][
]
19th–20th centuries
In the mid-19th century, the industrialisation began and several industrial enterprises were founded inside the fortifications. The Battle of Königgrätz, the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War (German: ''Preußisch-Österreichischer Krieg''), also known by many other names,Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Second War of Unification, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), ''Deutsc ...
, took place on 3 July 1866 near Hradec Králové. This event is commemorated in the famous " Königgrätzer Marsch". Moreover, the battle put an end to the age of fortifications. The fortress was formally abolished in 1884 and gradually demolished between 1893 and 1914. The last remnants were demolished between 1929 and 1930.[
In 1884, a then-unique international competition for the city's regulatory plan was announced. In the 1890s, several representative buildings (monastery, synagogue, high school, etc.) were built. Before World War I, the development of the city and its high architectural level were influenced especially by the architect ]Jan Kotěra
Jan Kotěra (18 December 1871 – 17 April 1923) was a Czech architect, artist and interior designer, and one of the key figures of modern architecture in Bohemia.
Biography
Kotěra was born in Brno, the largest city in Moravia, to a Czech fath ...
. In the 1920s, his pupil, another prominent Czech architect Josef Gočár, became the leading figure in the city's development, and his regulatory plan created in 1926–1928 became the basis for the construction activity in the years to come. The urban development of Hradec Králové in the 1920s and 1930s was also appreciated abroad and the city was nicknamed the "Salon of the Republic".[
]
Demographics
Economy
The largest industrial employers with headquarters in the city are ARROW International, a manufacturer of medical instruments and technology owned by Teleflex, and Trelleborg Bohemia, which focuses on the production of rubber and rubber products.
A traditional industry is the musical instrument manufacturing. Hradec Králové is known for the Petrof piano manufacturer, founded in 1864.[
The largest non-industrial employer is the hospital.
]
Transport
Hradec Králové is connected with Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
by the D11 motorway, which runs along the western municipal border. Three main roads cross the city centre: the I/11 (which connects the D11 motorway with Šumperk
Šumperk (; ) is a town in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 25,000 inhabitants. It is an industrial town, but it also contains valuable historical and architectural monuments. The historic town centre is well preserved and i ...
and continues to Ostrava
Ostrava (; ; ) is a city in the north-east of the Czech Republic and the capital of the Moravian-Silesian Region. It has about 283,000 inhabitants. It lies from the border with Poland, at the confluences of four rivers: Oder, Opava (river), Opa ...
), the I/35 (from Liberec
Liberec (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 108,000 inhabitants, making it the fifth largest city in the country. It lies on the Lusatian Neisse River, in a basin surrounded by mountains. The city centre is well preserved and is pr ...
to Mohelnice
Mohelnice (; ) is a town in Šumperk District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 9,800 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument zones, urban m ...
, further continuing to Olomouc
Olomouc (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 103,000 inhabitants, making it the Statutory city (Czech Republic), sixth largest city in the country. It is the administrative centre of the Olomouc Region.
Located on the Morava (rive ...
as the D35 motorway) and the I/37 (which connects Hradec Králové with Pardubice
Pardubice (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 92,000 inhabitants. It is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the Elbe River. The historic centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Repub ...
).
The city is located on the intraregional railway lines Pardubice–Liberec and Prague–Trutnov
Trutnov (; ) is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 30,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone.
Administrative division
Trutnov consists of 21 ...
. The municipal territory is served by five train stations and stops: ''Hradec Králové hlavní nádraží'' (main station), ''Hradec Králové zastávka'', ''Hradec Králové-Kukleny'', ''Hradec Králové-Slezské Předměstí'' and ''Plotiště nad Labem''.
Hradec Králové is served by the Hradec Králové Airport. It is a public domestic and private international airport, located about from the city centre.
Intra-city transport is provided by the company Dopravní podnik města Hradce Králové, a.s., which is owned by the city of Hradec Králové. In addition to buses, trolleybus
A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...
es also provide intra-city transport. Trolleybus service was started in 1949. There are eight trolleybus lines in operation.
Education
Hradec Králové serves as the educational centre of the region. The first school was founded here in 1362. Today the University of Hradec Králové
The University of Hradec Králové (in Czech ''Univerzita Hradec Králové'', UHK; in Latin ''Universitas Reginaegradecensis'') is a public university in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, founded on 21 June 2000. It traces its roots back to 195 ...
, established in 2000, is located in the city. Charles University
Charles University (CUNI; , UK; ; ), or historically as the University of Prague (), is the largest university in the Czech Republic. It is one of the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest universities in the world in conti ...
in Prague has two faculties in Hradec Králové: Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Pharmacy. The University of Defense in Brno has its Faculty of Military Medicine in Hradec Králové.
Culture
The Klicpera's Theatre is one of the best regional drama theatres in the country. The puppet
A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or Legendary creature, mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. Puppetry is an ancient form of theatre which dates back to the 5th century BC in anci ...
Drak Theatre is a world-class artistic institution.[
The REGIONS International Theatre Festival Hradec Králové is an annual cultural event held in the city. It is one of the largest theatrical showcases in the country. It was founded in 1995 by the Klicpera Theatre.
Jazz Goes to Town is an international jazz festival, which has been held in Hradec Králové every October since 1995. Since 2003 the city hosts Hip Hop Kemp. It is the biggest hip hop festival in Central and Eastern Europe. Since 2007 the city hosts ]Rock for People
Rock for People (RfP) is a large open-air summer multi-genre festival in the Czech Republic. The festival began in 1995 in the town of Český Brod. In 2007, it was moved to an unused airport in Hradec Králové. Headlining acts have included Mu ...
, the biggest rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
festival and one of the largest open-air music festivals in the Czech Republic.
The city is home to one of the Czech Republic's leading orchestras, the Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra. It was established in 1978.
Religion
Hradec Králové is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hradec Králové
The Diocese of Hradec Králové (, ) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church located in the city of Hradec Králové in the Ecclesiastical Province of Prague in the Czech Republic.
History
On 10 November 1664, the diocese was established from ...
, established in 1664.
Sport
The football club FC Hradec Králové
FC Hradec Králové is a Czech professional football club based in the city of Hradec Králové. The club, which was founded in 1905, won the Czechoslovak First League in the 1959–60 season. Since 2021, the club has played in the Czech Fir ...
plays in the Czech First League
The Czech First League () also known as the Chance Liga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in the Czech Republic and the highest level of the Czech Republic football league system. Seasons typically run from A ...
in the Malšovická aréna stadium with a capacity of 9,300 people.
The ice hockey club of Hradec Králové is Mountfield HK, which plays in the Czech Extraliga.
The women's basketball team, Hradecké Lvice, plays in the national women basketball league.
A motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four clockwise, anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that ...
track existed in Svobodné Dvory from 1951 until the mid-1960s. The track hosted a team called Východočeský KV Hradec Králové, which won two bronze medals in the Czechoslovak Championship in 1961 and 1962.
Sights
The historic city centre is located around the Velké Square, where all the most valuable historic buildings are located. The face of the modern city dates from the end of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, when many monumental representative buildings in the Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...
and Functionalism styles were built here.[
The main landmark of Hradec Králové and the most important monument is the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. The Church of the Holy Spirit was founded by Elizabeth Richeza in 1307, the two massive towers were added in 1360. It was promoted to a cathedral by ]Pope Alexander VII
Pope Alexander VII (; 13 February 159922 May 1667), born Fabio Chigi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 April 1655 to his death, in May 1667.
He began his career as a vice- papal legate, and he held various d ...
in 1664. It is the only Gothic church, which survived the construction of the fortress in the 18th century.[
The second landmark and the tallest building in the city with is the White Tower. The originally Renaissance bell tower was built in 1574–1580 and completed in 1589. It includes the third biggest bell in ]Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
. Today the tower serves as a lookout tower and space for exhibitions.[
The Church of Saint John of Nepomuk was built on the site of the former castle in 1710–1729. The interior contains valuable paintings from 1887, created in the Beuron Art School style.
The Museum of Eastern Bohemia in Hradec Králové was founded in 1880. The large museum building was designed by architect Jan Kotěra and built in 1909–1912. The museum has approximately 3,000,000 items in archeological, scientific and historical collections. One of the most valuable exhibits is the oldest surviving collections of Czech Renaissance ]polyphony
Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice ( monophony) or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chord ...
, the Codex Speciálník manuscript.
Notable people
*Elizabeth of Pomerania
Elizabeth of Pomerania (, ; – 15 April 1393) was the fourth and last wife of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia.
Life
Elizabeth was the daughter of Bogislaw V, Duke of Pomerania and Elisabeth of Poland. Her mater ...
( – 1393), queen; lived and died here
*Jan Šindel
Jan Šindel (1370s – between 1455 and 1457), also known as Jan Ondřejův ( or ''Joannes de Praga''), was a Czech medieval scientist and Catholic priest. He was a professor at Charles University in Prague and became the rector of the university ...
(1370s – ), scientist and professor
* Cyprián Karásek Lvovický (1514–1574), astronomer and mathematician
* Bohuslav Balbín (1621–1688), writer, historian and geographer
* Václav Kliment Klicpera (1792–1859), playwright; lived and worked here
*Carl von Rokitansky
Baron Carl von Rokitansky (, ; 19 February 1804 – 23 July 1878) was a Czech-born Austrian empire, Austrian physician, pathologist, humanist philosopher and liberal politician, founder of the Viennese School of Medicine of the 19th century. He ...
(1804–1878), physiologist, pathologist
* Antonín Petrof (1839–1915), piano maker
* František Plesnivý (1845–1918), architect
* Viktor Mucha (1877–1933), dermatologist
* Josef Gočár (1880–1945), architect
* Josef Čapek (1887–1945), painter, writer, poet
*Otakar Vávra
Otakar Vávra (28 February 1911 – 15 September 2011) was a Czech film director, screenwriter and pedagogue.
Biography and career
Vávra attended universities in Brno and Prague, where he studied architecture. During 1929–30, while still a stud ...
(1911–2011), film director
* Avigdor Dagan (1912–2006), Israeli diplomat
* Jiří Horák (1924–2003), politician
* Václav Snítil (1928–2015), violinist
*Jiří Petr
Jiří Petr, Prof., DrSc. Dr.h.c. (13 May 1931 in Hradec Králové – 12 November 2014 in Prague) was a Czech agroscientist, university professor and Emeritus Chancellor (Rector Emeritus) of the Czech University of Agriculture Prague.
Biograph ...
(1931–2014), agroscientist, Rector Emeritus of CZU
* Dušan Salfický (born 1972), ice hockey player
*Sonja Vectomov
Sonja Vectomov (born 21 May 1979) is a Czech- Finnish electronic musician and composer who descends from a family rooted in the classical music world.Poncar, M."Sonja Vectomov právě vydala album ''Lamprophrenia''" Techno.cz, Sep 26, 2016. Vec ...
(born 1979), Czech-Finnish electronic musician
* Vít Jedlička (born 1983), politician and publicist
*Kateřina Siniaková
Kateřina Siniaková (; born 10 May 1996) is a Czech professional tennis player. She is the current List of WTA number 1 ranked doubles tennis players, world No. 1 in doubles. She also has a best singles WTA rankings, ranking of No. 27 by the W ...
(born 1996), tennis player, Olympic winner
* Filip Hronek (born 1997), ice hockey player
Twin towns – sister cities
Hradec Králové is twinned with:
* Alessandria
Alessandria (; ) is a city and commune in Piedmont, Italy, and the capital of the Province of Alessandria. It is also the largest municipality of the region. The city is sited on the alluvial plain between the Tanaro and the Bormida rivers, ...
, Italy
* Arnhem
Arnhem ( ; ; Central Dutch dialects, Ernems: ''Èrnem'') is a Cities of the Netherlands, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands, near the German border. It is the capita ...
, Netherlands
* Banská Bystrica
Banská Bystrica (, also known by other #Etymology, alternative names) is a city in central Slovakia, located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Greater Fatra, Veľká Fatra, and t ...
, Slovakia
* Chernihiv
Chernihiv (, ; , ) is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within the oblast. Chernihiv's population is
The city was designated as a Hero City of Ukraine ...
, Ukraine
* Giessen
Giessen, spelled in German (), is a town in the Germany, German States of Germany, state () of Hesse, capital of both the Giessen (district), district of Giessen and the Giessen (region), administrative region of Giessen. The population is appro ...
, Germany
* Kaštela
Kaštela () is a town in Dalmatia, Croatia. The town is an agglomeration of seven individual settlements which are administered as a single municipality, with populations individually ranging from 3,000 to 7,000 residents. The town is located no ...
, Croatia
* Metz
Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...
, France
* Wałbrzych
Wałbrzych (; ; or ''Walmbrich''; or ) is a city located in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in southwestern Poland, seat of Wałbrzych County. Wałbrzych lies approximately southwest of the voivodeship capital Wrocław and about from the Czec ...
, Poland
* Wrocław
Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...
, Poland
Cooperation agreements
Hradec Králové also cooperates with:
* Montana
Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...
, Bulgaria
* Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár (; ; ; ; Serbian language, Serbian: ''Стони Београд''; ), known colloquially as Fehérvár (), is a city in central Hungary, and the country's ninth-largest city. It is the Regions of Hungary, regional capital of C ...
, Hungary
See also
* New Hradec, North Dakota
References
External links
*
Tourist Information Centre Hradec Králové
Virtual show
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hradec Kralove
Cities and towns in the Czech Republic
Populated places in Hradec Králové District
Populated places on the Elbe
Populated riverside places in the Czech Republic