Hradec Kralove is the capital of the East Bohemia. Located at the mouth of the Orlice to the Elbe, the city has a historic center and is the seat of several museums. Every year one of the largest rock festivals in the Czech Republic, Rock For People, takes place here.
The city's history dates back to the beginnings of the Czech state. In the tenth century, it was the seat of the prince, and in the thirteenth century, the castle received city rights and became a royal city. In the Middle Ages, Hradec Kralove was a market town at the intersection of important routes, including the one leading to Prague. The spatial arrangement of this period has survived to this day, and the Holy Spirit cathedral is the most important Gothic monument of the city.
Next to the temple there is a baroque chapel of St. Clement, the Renaissance White Tower. It is the best vantage point in the city, and in good weather you can admire the peaks of the Karkonosze and the Orlické Mountains from here. Within the Old Town there is also a market square with colorful tenements and the eighteenth-century church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
A popular place for rest and recreation for the inhabitants of Hradec Kralove is Jirasek Park. In addition to walking paths, there are sports fields, and an Art Nouveau Small Hydroelectric Power Plant stands by the Elbe at which the Renewable Energy Information Center operates. Another attraction of the park is the wooden Orthodox church of St. Nicholas.
Hradec Kralove is the seat of the East Bohemian Museum, which is housed in an Art Nouveau building from the early 20th century, designed by Jan Kotera. His exhibitions show the history of these areas from prehistoric times to the present day. The city also has a Modern Art Gallery and a private doll and toy museum, Panenkarium.
