Jindřichův Hradec
about town
Jindřichův Hradec is a city that lies in the eastern part of the Southern Bohemia Region, on the banks of the Nežárka River in the district of Jindřichův Hradec.
The first written record of the city dates back to 1220. Before that, there was most probably a Slavic fortress here and extensive uninhabited deep forests. More people settled in this area with the arrival of the Vitkovs at the end of the 12th century. Just as other Vitkovs, even the Lords of Hradec used the five-petalled rose for their coat-of-arms (till the present, the five-petalled golden rose held by two lions is the coat-of-arms of the city). At the beginning of the 13th century, a Gothic castle was built on the foundation of the Slavic fortress. The city reached its prime in the 16th century. Renaissance building structures were added to Gothic ones and during a census after the Thirty Years War Jindřichův Hradec turned out to be the second largest city of the Bohemian Kingdom.
The focal centre of the city is the tower of the Provost Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which reaches a height of 68.3 m. The 15th East Meridian passes through the corner of the church. The state castle and chateau in Jindřichův Hradec is the third largest chateau complex in the Czech Republic. At the Museum of the Jindřichův Hradec Region you can see the largest mechanical nativity scene in the world – Krýza’s Nativity Scene. Visitors can end their stroll through the historical centre on Míru Square at Langr’s House with graphite ornamentation, which is one of the oldest buildings in the city.
The city attracts many tourists each year with its charm and numerous cultural events.
Overview of annual significant cultural events:
- June – South Bohemian festival Concertino Praga
- July – Folk Rose Festival
- August – a festive farewell to the summer holidays City for the Children
- September – music festivities of Adam Michna of Otradovice
- September - October - Jindřichův Hradec musical autumn
- December - advent in Jindřichův Hradec
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Source: http://www.cot.cz; http://www.jh.cz; http://cs.wikipedia.org
