Hradec Králové, Regional capital in northeastern Bohemia, Czech Republic
Hradec Králové is a regional capital in northeastern Bohemia at the confluence of the Elbe and Orlice in the Czech Republic. The old town occupies a sandstone rise above both rivers and is surrounded by a more spacious modern part.
The settlement received town rights in 1225 and later became a dowry town for Queen Elizabeth Richeza, wife of Bohemian King Wenceslaus II. During the Thirty Years' War the town suffered heavy damage.
The name derives from the word for castle and refers to the role this settlement played as a fortified location where two rivers meet. Residents walk through lanes in the old town or sit on benches along the embankment of the Elbe.
The train connection from Prague takes around 100 minutes and runs several times a day between both cities. From the station a short walk leads to the center of the old town with its main squares.
The Petrof piano factory has been producing instruments in town since 1864 and supplies concert halls on several continents. At the factory museum visitors can follow the manufacturing process and view historical examples.
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