Hradec Králové is a town lying on the confluence of the Elbe und Orlice rivers. It is the political, cultural, social and administrative capital of Královehradecký area. In ancient times the elevation between the two rivers, together with many tributaries and marshes, formed a natural barrier, protecting the inhabitants of this region.
The first sings of the settling of the farmers is here in the later Stone Age. Many relics from later periods are to be seen in the regional museum. In the 10th century the settlement, called Hradec, belonged to the Slavníkov family. When they were annihilated, it became the property of the Czech princes of the Přemysl family. In 1225 Hradec became a free royal town. In this age was Hradec the wealthiest and largest Czech town after Prague. At the beginning of the 14th century it became dower town of the Czech queens, Elizabeth Rejčka and Elizabeth Pomořanská and later word “Králové” was added to its name. In the same century arose in the town a new landmark – the Gothic brick-built Cathedral of the Holy Ghost. In 1337 John of Luxemburg conferred on Hradec all privileges of a royal town. A famous chapter in history of Hradec Králové was the Hussite period. In 1420 it became a Hussite town for a long period and year later it welcomed the great military commander Jan Žižka of Trocnov. He was buried in Cathedral in 1424. In the next period arose a new monument in Hradec – it was the Renaissance White Tower with the second largest bell in Bohemia – Augustin. War in 18th century made it necessary to turn the town to the fortress. It halted the development of Hradec for 100 years. In the first third of the 19th century became Hradec and surroundings the most important centre of Czech writing. In break of century was fortress pull down and was worked a building plan, which was entrusted to famous architects. In this are sprang up new flats and public buildings around the historical core and on the banks of the rivers. The famous architects Jan Kotěra and Josef Gočár built many buildings according to the new urban conception. Jan Kotěra built the Municipal museum in 1909-12. In the next years was built new suburbs and was added neighboring villages to Hradec. In Hradec were many important factories in communist age. There are ČKD, Tesla, Gumokov, ZVU, Mileta, Montas, PETROF and others. But after the take-over were most of them closed or limited. There is in Hradec only one big factories – PETROF, where are make pianos.