Hradec Králové is a city of the Czech Republic. It has about 93,000 inhabitants. it is the capital of the Hradec Králové Region. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and historically significant and is protected by law as urban monument reservation.

The city’s economy is based on food-processing technology, photochemical, electronics manufacturing services (EMS) and IT. Traditional industries include musical instrument manufacturing – the best known being Petrof pianos. The University of Hradec Králové is located in the city, the University of Defense has its only medical faculty in Hradec Králové and Charles University in Prague also has its Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Pharmacy there.

Geography

The city lies at the confluence of the Elbe and the Orlice rivers close to Krkonoše (Giant Mountains), the highest of the Czech mountains, with its peak, Sněžka (Snowhill), at 1,603 m.

Airport

Hradec Králové Airport is a public domestic and private international airport located about 3 km (1.9 mi) from the city centre.

There are currently no scheduled flights operating to the airport. It is sometimes visited by private jet traffic.

Culture

Throughout the year, there are a number of festivals and events. These may include a range of Music Festivals during Summer months, or other traditional Czech festivals that are celebrated across the country.

Theatre

Every May, an Air Ambulance Show is held for both the general public and Air Ambulance personnel. Every June the Theatre of European regions, an international theatre festival, takes place.

Music

Since 2004 the city hosts Hip Hop Kemp, one of the biggest European hip hop festivals, in August.

Since 2007 the city hosts Rock for People, the biggest rock festival in the Czech Republic, in July.

“Jazz goes to town”, an international jazz festival, is held in Hradec Králové every October.

The city’s museum currently holds one of the oldest surviving collections of Czech Renaissance polyphony, the Codex Speciálník manuscript.

The city is home to one of the Czech Republic’s leading orchestras, the Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra.

Sport

The ice hockey club of Hradec Králové is Mountfield HK, which plays in the Czech Extraliga.

The most successful football club is FC Hradec Králové, which plays in the Czech National Football League.

The women’s basketball team, Hradecké Lvice, plays in the national women basketball league.