Monuments
Pardubice Castle
On your travels around Pardubice you should not miss one of the most important sights - Pardubice Castle. The former water castle is now a Renaissance jewel that represents the glory of the Pernštejn family. Here you can admire the Knights' Halls, the Chapel of the Three Kings or the civil defence shelter. It is also worth mentioning the oldest Czech painted nude - "Fortuna Volubilis" or Fortuna the Grumpy. Today, the castle houses the East Bohemian Museum with various exhibitions.
The castle ramparts and the castle tower offer a magnificent view. Several times a year, various events are held here, and a café in the courtyard makes your time in the castle more pleasant.
You can find opening times and other information from the castle at this link.
Green Gate
One of Pardubice's most important landmarks towers over Pernštýnské náměstí and attracts all visitors to the historic centre of Pardubice. Your first steps should lead you to the Green Gate, from where you can enjoy a magical view of the whole of Pardubice and its surroundings. The Pardubice Castle, Pernštýnské náměstí or the nearby Kunětice Mountain are all within easy reach. However, the Green Gate is not just a lookout tower.
In the forepart there are exhibitions of mostly local artists, children can become a scribe or a builder in the little chronicler's corner, and the climb up the tower is enriched by audiovisual exhibitions about the history of Pardubice or the game "The Secret of the Green Gate"!
Opening hours and further information about current exhibitions can be found on the Green Gate website.
Pernštýnské Square
Since 1964 the square has been the centre of the town's conservation area. It covers an area of approximately 6,200 m2 and contains 30 houses which illustrate three basic stages of building development - late Gothic, characterised by stone window linings, Renaissance with terracotta window linings, and late Baroque and Classical, which can be seen in the gables and stucco decoration.
Today, the square also serves as one of the cultural centres of the city.
There is a town hall, a branch of the Gočar Gallery - the House of Jonáš, a library and many eating places where one can spend a pleasant time. Traditional events are also held here throughout the year, be it town festivals, Christmas markets, a vintage car show and more.
Town Hall
The construction of the new town hall in 1892-1894 was the biggest intervention in the original early modern core of the town. On the northern side of the square a large Neo-Renaissance town hall complex was built according to the design of architect Jan Wejrych. The statue of a knight, the guardian of the town, which adorns the gable of the town hall, was based on the figure of Vojtěch of Pernštejn on a tombstone in the Church of St. Bartholomew. The façade is decorated with medallions by Antonín Popp depicting the Czech kings Vratislav II, Přemysl Otakar II, Václav II, Charles IV, Václav IV, Jiří of Poděbrady and Rudolf II. On the walls of the second floor there are frescoes by Karel Klusáček.
Four figures express virtues important for the administration of the city - selflessness; straightforwardness and honesty; civic bravery; unity. Similarly, the wooden coffered ceiling and the walls of the so-called historic hall of the town hall are decorated with symbols of urban virtues and symbols of craftsmanship.
Automatic mills
At the end of the Old Town, behind the bridge over the Chrudimka River, stands the dominant building of the Automatic Mills. The founders of the automatic mill, powered by electricity from the nearby hydroelectric power station, built in 1910 at the same time as the regulation of the Chrudimka and the iron bridge, were brothers Karel and Egon Winternitz. The Winternitz family had the building of the mill built in 1910 according to the project of the famous architect Josef Gočár.
The mill, which was later further modified, is an example of the application of high-quality modern architecture to a production facility. The mill was closed in 2013. A year later, the mills were included in the list of National Cultural Monuments of the Czech Republic. Since 2016, thanks to the initiative of Mariana and Lukáš Smetana and their family foundation Automatické mlýny, the mill brownfield has been undergoing a transformation into a modern cultural and social urban district. At present, it houses the regional Gočár Gallery, the Gallery of the City of Pardubice (GAMPA), the Sféra Educational Centre and a branch of the Pardubice Tourist Information Centre. It also hosts many events of various kinds - markets, children's days, theatres, concerts. Follow the news about the Automatic Mills on Facebook.
The outhouse
The romantic triangular square with a fountain is a link between the historical centre and Pardubice Castle. The two entrance gates remind us of the historical function of the annexe, when it served as a fortified front gate. One of the most beautiful corners of Pardubice is complemented by an Empire fountain, benches and a book booth.
Currently, the newly opened Library Centre u Vokolků is located here, which falls under the Regional Library in Pardubice. Visit the Literary Museum.
Church of St. Bartholomew
The Church of St. Bartholomew was built at the beginning of the 16th century. It was intended to serve the Catholic minority of the town's inhabitants and also as the family tomb of the Czech branch of the Pernštejn family. The presbytery of the church is dominated by a massive sandstone tumulus, covered by a marble tombstone with the figure of Vojtěch of Pernštejn. In 1912 the building received a richly decorated extension on the west side.
The preserved original layout and painted decoration make this church one of the unique examples of the form of a church space in the 16th century.
Larisch Villa
A long neglected gem in the form of a hunting lodge or also the Larisch Villa is located in the Pardubice part of the town. The place where Pardubice's elite once gathered for parforsnival hunts and horse races is overshadowed by another less glorious stage of our history - World War II. The villa became the headquarters of a battalion of the Böhmen reserve police regiment, the so-called Schutzpolizei, and 194 Czech citizens from Pardubice and its surroundings and from the burnt-out village of Ležáky were executed in its vicinity after the assassination of Heydrich.
At present, this chateau is the property of the Czechoslovak Legionary Community and is enjoying intensive repair and care. It can be visited once a year during the European Heritage Days (mid-September), when guided tours take place.
Commemorative area Zámeček
The Zámeček is a memorial area associated with the events of World War II. 194 Czech citizens from Pardubice and its surroundings were executed here in 1942 during the Heydrichiad. One of these days - 24 June 1942 - was reserved for the execution of inhabitants from the village of Ležáky. In October 2021, a new museum opened to commemorate this dark part of Pardubice's history. The Zámeček Memorial has already won several awards and its visit is recommended to all who do not want to forget.
For more information, you can visit the Zámeček Memorial website.
Crematorium
An important building of 20th century architecture documenting the turbulent development of Pardubice. The flagship work of architect Pavel Janák and painter and artist František Kysela was selected from almost a hundred projects in an architectural competition in 1918. Designed in the post-war rondocubism style, the work emphasises mainly spiritual content and is based on the principle of an old Christian basilica.
In 1968, Juraj Herz used the exteriors and partly the interiors of this crematorium for the film The Cremator of the Dead. The crematorium is a national cultural monument.
East Bohemian Theatre
It is one of the oldest permanent theatre venues in Bohemia. The laying of the foundation stone took place exactly on the 39th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the National Theatre. The Art Nouveau building of the Municipal Theatre was built between 1906 and 1909. The project was prepared by architect Antonín Balšánek. Above the tympanum, decorated with the city emblem, is the statue of "Genius" with the face of Emma Destinova, a famous Czech opera singer of the 20th century.
Would you like to see a performance in our theatre? More information and the current programme on the East Bohemian Theatre website.
Kunětická hora state castle
The Kunětická hora castle forms a natural landmark of the local region. The first actual mention of the castle in the Hussite chronicle of Vavřinec of Březová dates back to 1420. The castle was undoubtedly royal from the beginning and was an important stronghold in eastern Bohemia. It was built at the beginning of the Hussite wars by the governor Diviš Bořek of Miletínek, but its monumentality was only lent by the building modifications undertaken by the Lords of Pernštejn at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. The stone window lining and the chapel vault in the castle premises are late Gothic, the entrance portal from 1509 is early Renaissance.
The castle tower is the highest point in the area and offers beautiful views from the surface of the Labe ponds to the Krkonoše Mountains. The tower is regularly accessible in the season, as is the castle palace, whose premises are used for exhibition purposes. The castle is a national cultural monument, offers a total of four sightseeing tours with many exhibitions and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Pardubice Region. In the 1970s, the cult TV series Arabela was filmed on Kunětická Hora, and the castle was the seat of the second-rate wizard Rumburak. In summer, the castle comes alive with fairs, historical festivals and theatre. Almost under Kunětická hora you can also sail on the ship Arnošt z Pardubic, which is moored in Pardubice near the Enteria Arena (currently under reconstruction). The decoration of the Kunětice sub-castle is also a game-preserve. Among its jewels are a pair of majestic bison, a small herd of deer, brawny muflons and wild boars.
For current information and opening hours, please visit the Kunětice Mountains website.