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The Hradec Králové Region – a Natural Paradise

The Hradec Králové Region is situated in the North-East of Bohemia. More than one-third of its boundary, a stretch of about 208 km, forms the Czech Republic’s state frontier with Poland. Together with the neighbouring Liberec and Pardubice Regions, it creates the North-East area, one of the three largest areas in the CR, both in terms of surface and population. 

The region consists of five districts – Hradec Králové, Jičín, Náchod, Rychnov nad Kněžnou and Trutnov.

Statistical Data

Source: Czech Statistical Office

Economic Potential

From the economic point of view, the Hradec Králové Region is one combining agriculture and industry, with some of the sectors (engineering, textile industry, construction) enjoying a long tradition. The region, with a good supply of skilled labour, provides wide-ranging services and tourist opportunities. Its industrial base is centred mostly in the towns. Intensive farming is typical especially for the Labe lowlands, with favourable conditions for primary agricultural production. Economically, the dominant position is held by the Hradec Králové agglomeration. After 1989, the privatisation and reorganisation of the economic base led to the decline of both agricultural and industrial production. On the other hand, the services sector began to gain in importance, with a rapid development of small and medium-sized businesses. The flow of foreign investments into the region and the whole country and the development of science, research and innovation were of great importance. Unemployment in the region is below the national average on the long-term basis. Higher unemployment rates, however, can be observed in certain rural areas. Along the border with Poland, various forms of cross-border cooperation have developed. One of them has become the Glacensis Euroregion project, set up in 1995 as one of the Euroregions operating in the Polish-Bohemian borderland. There are a large number of industrial zones in the Hradec Králové Region, which boost its economic potential and greatly reduce unemployment in the region by creating new jobs.

Tourist Traffic

As regards the number and importance of natural assets, the region is one of the richest in the Czech Republic. Many areas and localities are extremely valuable and there are a large number of protected areas. From the point of view of areas of natural beauty, the most valuable are the Krkonoše National Park and the Orlické Hory, Broumov and Bohemian Paradise Protected Landscape Areas. The rich and varied natural and cultural wealth of the Hradec Králové Region, its attractive natural localities and the well-preserved environment are good prerequisites for the development of tourism. Especially attractive areas are those with a high natural potential, areas boasting a rich cultural heritage of historical sites, as well as several renowned spa resorts. To meet the requirements of the massive development of cyclotourism and its rising popularity in recent years, new cycle trails of regional and supra-regional importance are being built and marked. Hiking trails, too, have a long tradition in most areas of the Hradec Králové Region. The region also boasts several spa resorts, the most popular of which is Janské Lázně for the treatment of diseases and disorders of the nervous system and the motor system, and skin diseases. The spa is also a well-known winter sport resort. Another spa in the region is Bělohrad (diseases of the motor system) and Velichovky (treatment of the motor system and post-surgery conditions).

The Region’s Districts:

Hradec Králové District

The entire district strongly reflects its historical traditions, with Hradec Králové as its centre. The City below the White Tower, one of the most distinctive features of the Region’s centre, prides itself on Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings (Santini, Lurago). Modern Czech architecture in the spirit of Art Nouveau and Functionalism is the work of renowned architects, Professor Jan Kotěra and his disciple, Josef Gočár, whose remarkable urban development concept has been an inspiration for several generations of architects, arousing admiration to this day. An expression of this admiration is the name given to this city, which came to be referred to as “The Country’s Exhibition Hall”. Hradec Králové is an important transport junction, the seat of a number of state institutions, banks and important industrial enterprises. The city’s history is linked with the existence of three universities, which provide opportunities to thousands of students each year to acquire education in a number of branches. Students enrich life in the city with a large number of cultural projects and activities.  A feature of Hradec Králové is that it has no strictly industrial parks. Conventional branches of industry are represented by predominantly medium-sized and smaller enterprises.

Jičín District

A pearl of the District is the Bohemian Paradise Protected Landscape Area. In addition, there are seven nature reserves and 30 natural sites. Owing to its favourable climatic conditions, beautiful natural landscape and historical and cultural sites, the area is a popular place for recreation and holidaymaking. The most visited areas are the Bohemian Paradise, with its picturesque rock formations, the Jinolice Lakes area, Prachov, and the environs of Sobotka, Lužany, Dřevěnice and Hořice. At the end of 2011, there were 19,306 businesses registered in the district, accounting for 14.3% of the total number of business entities in the region. Of the total number, 16.3% were industrial enterprises, 13.6% construction companies, 5.5% farming enterprises, and up to 30.4% firms concerned with trade, accommodation and catering.

Náchod District

Nearly 62% of the district’s surface area is farmland, 64.2% of which is arable land, with grassland covering 29.3% of the overall surface. Forests cover more than one-quarter of the surface area of the district. The most valuable among the natural attractions of the Náchod Dictrict are the well-known Teplice-Adršpach Rocks area and other nature reserves, including the Broumov Walls sandstone formation, Ostaš Table Mountain, Cross Hill, Borek and Cats’ Rocks. The district’s natural wealth also includes the mineral springs in Náchod-Běloves and Hronov, with peat bogs in the vicinity of Velichovky Spa. Tourists from the Czech Republic and other countries are attracted to the district not only by its natural beauty and its spas, but also by its wealth of cultural monuments, especially the Benedictine Monastery in Broumov and the castles in Náchod, Nové Město nad Metují and Ratibořice.

Rychnov nad Kněžnou District

The mild climate and an adequate snow cover in winter attract increasing numbers of visitors to the Orlické Hory mountain resorts. Today, the Rychnov District is an attractive tourist and recreational area, with the wealth of cultural monuments combining with the picturesque beauty of the Orlice Mountains and the attractive countryside in their foothills.

Trutnov District

The Trutnov District abounds with beautiful, picturesque, as well as unspoilt natural scenery, and is one of the most beautiful and most popular areas in the Czech Republic. The Krkonoše (Giant) Mountains encircle the District in the North, while, in the South, the most visited sights are Kuks Castle, a pearl of Baroque art and architecture, and “Bethlehem”, with a gallery of famous sculptures by Matthias Braun. The Krkonoše Mountains have optimal conditions for both summer and winter tourism, with a dense network of hotels, guesthouses and mountain chalets and a good supply of services and entertainment opportunities.

Useful Contacts:

Krajský úřad Královéhradeckého kraje (Regional Office of the Hradec Králové Region), www.kr-kralovehradecky.cz 
Hradec Králové Technological Centre, www.tchk.cz 
Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Králové, www.uhk.cz  
European Design Centre – Regional Development Agency of the Hradec Králové Region, www.cep-rra.cz 
Regional Chamber of Commerce – North-East Bohemia, www.rhkhradec.cz 
Hradec Králové City Authority, www.hradeckralove.org 
Glacensis Euroregion, www.euro-glacensis.cz