Hradec Králové
about town
The city of Hradec Králové, a natural regional metropolis, is situated just one hundred kilometres east of Prague. This city of hundreds of thousands with plenty of greenery lies on the junction of the Elbe and Orlice River.
The extensive history of the city reaches far back in time. The first existing written record from 1225 documents this. In medieval times, Hradec Králové was a dowry town of Czech Queens, particularly Eliška Rejčka and Eliška Pomořanská who found a liking for the town. As of the 14th century, the town with its compact Renaissance historical centre became a natural, military and political influential centre of the region with a high level of education and culture.
The city below the White Tower, one of the most dominant focal points of the East Bohemian city also boasts other Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque building structures (G. Santini, C. Lurago). Modern Czech architecture in the spirit of Art Nouveau and Functionalism is the work of the world renowned professor of architecture Jan Kotěra and his student Josef Gočár, whose noteworthy urbanistic concept continues to evoke admiration today and has also served as the inspiration for several other generations of architects. It became the impulse for referring to Hradec Králové as the “Salon of the Republic.”
One of the best theatres for plays in the country, Klicperovo Divadlo (Klicper’s Theatre), has also significantly contributed to the cultural happenings of Hradec Králové. The marionette theatre Divadlo Drak (Dragon Theatre) is an art institute of international level. The city also has its own Philharmonic, which performs several concerts per week. The Aldis Congress Centre organises attractive programmes, cultural and social events including meetings of professional experts. Hradec Králové holds tens of international congresses and symposiums here per year.
Overview of annual significant cultural events:
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January - Dancefloor Attack - dance competition
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March - Infotour and cycling - regional trade fair
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May - On one side of the riverbank - world-music-festival
- June - Theatre of European Regions and Open Air Program - theater festival
- June - Pardubice Folklore Festival - Hradec Králové
- July - Rock for People – one of the largest music festivals in CR
- July - Anniversary of the Battle at Hradce Králové 1866
- August - Hip Hop Kemp – three-day hip-hop festival in CR
- September - Celebration of Queen Eliška (Elizabeth)
- September - CIAF - international exhibition of military airplanes and sports acrobatics
- October - Jazz Goes to Town – the most prestigious of local and European jazz festivals
- October - Music forum – festival of modern classical music
- December - Advent and Christmas markets and New Year’s fireworks
www.hradeckralove.org
Source: http://www.hradeckralove.org; http://cs.wikipedia.org
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