Hradec Kralove

Hradec Králové is a city in eastern Bohemia, situated at the confluence of the Elbe and Orlice rivers, about 100 km east of Prague. The historic centre, built around the Grand Square (Velké náměstí), features the Gothic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit and the White Tower, a well-known city landmark. Hradec Králové is often nicknamed the “Salon of the Republic” thanks to its notable early 20th-century architecture, including functionalist and Cubist buildings designed by Jan Kotěra and Josef Gočár, among them the Museum of Eastern Bohemia. The city is also linked to the Battle of Königgrätz (1866), a significant event in European military history, and the surrounding battlefields still draw history enthusiasts. The landscaped banks of the Elbe offer popular walking and cycling routes, while the town centre is home to cafés, local breweries and shops. The surrounding countryside, quiet and green, makes for a convenient base from which to explore eastern Bohemia, combining architectural heritage, riverside nature and regional history.