Hradec Králové Region ( cs, Královéhradecký kraj, ; pl, Kraj hradecki) is an administrative unit ( cs,
kraj
A kraj ( ''kraje'') is the highest-level administrative unit in the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. For lack of other English expressions, the Slavic term is often translated as "province", "region", or "territory", although it approxi ...
) of the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
located in the north-eastern part of the historical region of
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
. It is named after its capital
Hradec Králové
Hradec Králové (; german: Königgrätz) is a city of the Czech Republic. It has about 91,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Hradec Králové Region. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and is protected by law as an ...
. The region neighbours the
Pardubice Region in the south, the
Central Bohemian Region
The Central Bohemian Region ( cz, Středočeský kraj, german: Mittelböhmische Region) is an administrative unit ( cz, kraj) of the Czech Republic, located in the central part of its historical region of Bohemia. Its administrative centre is in ...
in the south-west, and the
Liberec Region in the west. It also shares a 208 km long international border with
Polish Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Lower Silesian Voivodeship, or Lower Silesia Province, in southwestern Poland, is one of the 16 voivodeships (provinces) into which Poland is divided. The voivodeship was created on 1 January 1999 out of the former Wrocław, Legnica, Wałbr ...
in the north and the east.
Administrative divisions
After the state administration reform took place (1 January 2000); the Hradec Králové Region is divided into 5 districts:
As for area, Trutnov District is the largest taking almost one fourth of the entire region's territory, followed by the Rychnov nad Kněžnou District with 21% and as for the three remaining districts each has about 18%. As of 2003, 15 municipalities with extended powers and 35 municipalities with a delegated municipal office were established in the region.
Population
As of January 2019, the Hradec Králové Region had 551,021 inhabitants, which was 5.2% of the total population of the Czech Republic. With its 116 inhabitants per square kilometer, the region has a lower density than the national average (135 inhabitants per km
2). The region has in total 448 independent municipalities, whereof 48 enjoy the status of town. The share of urban population is ca. 67%.
The region’s centre is
Hradec Králové
Hradec Králové (; german: Königgrätz) is a city of the Czech Republic. It has about 91,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Hradec Králové Region. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and is protected by law as an ...
(92,742 inhabitants). About 12.5% inhabitants in the region live in a municipality of 500 inhabitants or less.
Out of all Czech regions, the Hradec Králové Region has the lowest share of inhabitants aged 15–64 (67%) and the highest share of population aged 65+ (18%). Average age of both men and women is also above the national average.
The table below shows the municipalities in Hradec Králové Region with the largest population (as of 1 January 2019):
Geography
The Hradec Králové Region has the area of 4 759 km
2 and accounts for 6% of the total area of the Czech Republic. In terms of size it is the ninth largest region of the Czech Republic.
Krkonoše and
Orlické mountains which are situated in the northern and northeastern part of the region pass to fertile
Elbe lowland. Two thirds of the area of the
Krkonoše National Park
Krkonoše National Park ( cs, Krkonošský národní park, often abbreviated as KRNAP) is a national park in the Liberec and Hradec Králové regions of the Czech Republic. It lies in the Krkonoše Mountains which is the highest range of the ...
lie within the region’s territory.
Krkonoše and
Orlické mountains are separated by Broumovský výběžek with its large rock towns –
Adršpach-Teplice Rocks, Broumov Hills, Křížový vrch and Ostaš.
Main watercourses are
Elbe
The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Re ...
(Czech: Labe) and its tributaries
Orlice
Orlice (german: Adler) is a river in the Czech Republic. It is tributary of the Labe (''Elbe'') river, which it enters in the city of Hradec Králové. Its main tributaries are Divoká Orlice and Tichá Orlice. Part of the Divoká Orlice acts as t ...
and
Metuje
The Metuje (; german: Mettau) is a river in north-eastern Czech Republic. It is a left tributary of the Labe River. It is long, and its basin area is about 610 km2, of which in the Czech Republic. The Metuje flows through several towns, in ...
. Almost the entire territory of the region falls into the Elbe’s basin and only a marginal part of the Broumovský výběžek area falls under the basin of the River
Oder
The Oder ( , ; Czech, Lower Sorbian and ; ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river in total length and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and Warta. The Oder rises in the Czech Republic and flows ...
(Czech: Odra).
Sněžka
Sněžka or Śnieżka (in Czech and Polish respectively; german: Schneekoppe, sk, Snežka) is a mountain on the border between the Czech Republic and Poland, the most prominent point of the Silesian Ridge in the Giant Mountains. At , its summit ...
mountain is with its elevation of 1603 m above sea level the highest point of the region,
Krkonoše mountains and also of the Czech Republic. The lowest point of the region is the surface of the River
Cidlina (202 m above sea level).
Economy
In terms of economic activities, the region can be described as agricultural-industrial with well-developed tourism. The region is part of the so-called
Black Triangle, an area of heavily industrialization and environmental damage on the three-way border of Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
[ page 9] The industry is concentrated in big towns while the agriculture in the
Elbe lowland (Czech: Polabí). The tourism is concentrated in
Krkonoše.
In 2012, the
gross domestic product
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is of ...
of Hradec Králové Region accounted for about 4.5% of the total
GDP of the Czech Republic. Region’s GDP per capita amounted to 85.7% of national average and ranked as the fourth highest. As of September 2014, the unemployment rate in the region was 5.9%. The average gross salary was 22,842 CZK.
According to Labour Force Survey, there were in total about 253,200 employees in the region in 2012. Hereof, the largest proportion (31.1%) worked in manufacturing, followed by trade and repair of personal and household goods (12.2%), health and social care (7.9%), construction (7.3%), public administration and defence (6.5%), transportation and storage (5.9%), etc.
Manufacturing prevails over the other industries and focuses on motor vehicles, electrical equipment and textiles. However, Hradec Králové Region does not rank among key industrial areas – its 2012 share in sales of industrial enterprises accounted for 3.8% of the national’s total. With regard to agriculture, crop production focuses on cereals (wheat and barley), rape and maize, with industrial sugar beet production playing an important role too. Animal production focuses on raising cattle and pigs. About 4.1% of region's workforce worked in agriculture, forestry and fishing in 2012. As of 2012, agricultural land covered 58% of the total region's territory and the share of arable land was 40%, while forests covered 31% of the territory.
In 2012, the 954 statistically monitored collective accommodation establishments in the region reported 887,000 guests, including about 213,000 foreigners coming especially from Germany, Poland and the Netherlands. The average length of stays per guest was 4.5 days.
During the last few years, many forms of cross-border co-operation have been developed. One of them is the Glacensis Euroregion that had been established in 1995 as one of the Euroregions covering the Czech-Polish border areas.
Places of interest
*
Adršpach-Teplice Rocks
*
Broumov
Broumov (; german: Braunau) is a town in Náchod District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,100 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.
Administrative ...
and its monastery
*
Dvůr Králové Zoo
*
Hradec Králové
Hradec Králové (; german: Königgrätz) is a city of the Czech Republic. It has about 91,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Hradec Králové Region. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and is protected by law as an ...
*
Josefov Fortress
Josefov Fortress ( cs, Pevnost Josefov, german: Josefstadt or ) is a large historic defence complex of 18th-century military architecture in Jaroměř in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It was built between 1780 and 1787. Toge ...
*
Kost Castle
*
Krkonoše National Park
Krkonoše National Park ( cs, Krkonošský národní park, often abbreviated as KRNAP) is a national park in the Liberec and Hradec Králové regions of the Czech Republic. It lies in the Krkonoše Mountains which is the highest range of the ...
*
Prachov Rocks
*
Probošt's mechanical Christmas crib
Probošt's Mechanical Christmas Crib is a wooden mechanical nativity scene that was made by Josef Probošt (1849–1926), Josef Kapucián (1841–1908) and Josef Friml (1861–1946).Zemanová. ''Třebechovický Proboštův betlém''. p. 156.
The c ...
*
Ratibořice Chateau
Photo gallery
File: Adršpach from air 3.jpg, Adršpach-Teplice Rocks from air
File: Rytirak2.JPG, Knight's hall in Častolovice castle
File: Dobruška - radnice.jpg, Dobruška
File: Tyrannosaurus-03-ZOO.Dvur.Kralove.jpg, Dvůr Králové Zoo
File: Labský důl, z vyhlídky nad Pančavským vodopádem.jpg, The Elbe
The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Re ...
valley
File: Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic, August 2006.jpg, Hradec Králové
Hradec Králové (; german: Königgrätz) is a city of the Czech Republic. It has about 91,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Hradec Králové Region. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and is protected by law as an ...
File: Jicin1.jpg, Jičín
File: Kost-letecky-pohled.jpg, Kost Castle
File: Náchod from air 2.jpg, Castle in Náchod
File: Zamek-nove-mesto-nad-metuji-2.JPG, Nové Město nad Metují
File: Zámek Opočno.JPG, Castle in Opočno
Opočno (; german: Opotschno) is a town in Rychnov nad Kněžnou District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,100 inhabitants. Opočno is known for the Opočno Castle, one of the most magnificent examples of Ren ...
File: Spindlersmuehle.JPG, Špindlerův Mlýn
References
External links
*
Region statistics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hradec Kralove Region
Regions of the Czech Republic