Hradec Králové
a city of culture and splendid experiences
Favorable location, rich history and opulent life pulsing in the present. Fascinating cultural experience, that is Hradec Králové – one of the beautiful metropoles of the Czech Republic.
Museum of East Bohemia
A large Art Nouveau museum building with an asymmetrical layout designed by Jan Kotěra, who was also the designer of the architectural rendering of the Okresní dům hotel. It is located on a city quay, approximately 100 meters from the hotel.
Gallery of Modern Art
The Gallery of Modern Art in Hradec Králové (GMU HK) is an institution receiving contributions from the State Budget and its promoter is a Hradec Králové Region.
Gothic in Hradec Králové
The High Gothic is represented in Hradec Králové by a distinct building which dominates the Old Town – the Cathedral Church of the Holy Ghost – a brick three-aisled building dating back to the early 14th century.
Renaissance in Hradec Králové
The most significant preserved Renaissance structure in Hradec Králové is the White Tower, a belfry, which was also a watchtower and fire tower, built between 1574 and 1589, i.e. in the era around the milestone between the High and Late Renaissance.
Baroque in Hradec Králové
The Church of the Ascension of Our Lady was built between 1654 and 1666 on the basis of plans by a monastic architect named Carlo Luraga. In 1762, the church was considerably damaged by fire, however, shortly before that it had been raided by Prussian soldiers. As early as 1765, the church was restored by an architect named F. Kermer, and it was reconsecrated as well.
The building of the former City Hall
on Velké náměstí (Great Square) has undergone a number of stylistic reconstructions. Its Gothic cellars now evoke the time when the original house was established, however, there is no detailed information about when this was.
The first reference to the City Hall dates back to 1418. In 1588, the City Hall building was rebuilt and acquired a Renaissance appearance. At that time, a prison was established there. In 1696, a wooden clock turret was built on it.
In 1742, an architect named Fr. Kermer prepared the reconstruction of the City Hall. However, the new clock towers were not built until 1786 and put into operation in 1790, when the original turret was pulled down.
After a Late Classical reconstruction (1851-1852) carried out by an architect named Fr. Dobrkovský on the basis of plans by an architect named K. Wittmann, the building housed the chambers of the Land Court, the District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Regional Chief Executive Officer’s Office.
Marian Column
The Great Square is overlooked by a 19-meter tall Baroque Marian Column built to commemorate the year 1716, when the town was spared from a plague epidemic.
Klicpera’s Theater
The first reference to a theater in Hradec Králové dates back to the early 17th century. Professor Václav Kliment Klicpera, who had taught for 27 years at the local grammar school, managed to acquire many notable personalities from Czech culture as a result of his literary dramatic activities. The new building of the Klicpera’s Theater was opened in 1885.
Cathedral of the Holy Ghost
A Gothic brick structure built in the early 14th century. Its structural and decorative parts were made from sandstone. It consists of three aisles.
WHERE TO FIND US
Hotel Okresní dům
The reconstructed Hotel Okresní dům is located in a quiet part of the center of the East Bohemian metropolis of Hradec Králové.