Pardubice: Culture, Landscapes and Cycling Routes

Pardubice offers a trip where urban history, exceptional cultural sites and diverse landscapes can be combined. The Elbe Lowland lies in the centre and west of the Pardubice Region, while the hilly landscapes of the Žďárské vrchy and Železné hory extend to the south and south-east. This allows you to spend your days exploring museums, castles, waterscapes and cycling routes.

Landscapes between lowlands and protected areas

The protected landscape areas of the Pardubice Region include the Orlické Mountains, the Žďárské vrchy and the Železné hory. In the Králický-Sněžník Massif, the central and highest areas form a national nature reserve. Water also shapes the region: its three largest bodies of water are the Seč Reservoir, Bohdanečský Pond and Pastviny Reservoir. These contrasts make Pardubice appealing if you would like to combine cultural stays with trips into different landscapes.

Castles, museums and living history

Litomyšl Castle is an outstanding Renaissance country estate with arcades in the Pardubice Region. The castle preserves a neoclassical theatre with its original auditorium design, stage decorations and stage machinery. The brewery associated with the castle is also considered the birthplace of the composer Bedřich Smetana. Litomyšl therefore offers several cultural themes that can be explored in different ways during a visit.

In the Pardubice area, Pardubice Castle houses the East Bohemian Museum with a diverse selection of exhibitions. In good visibility, the distant views from one of the castle towers extend across the surrounding landscape as far as the Giant Mountains. Kladruby nad Labem is also home to the National Stud Farm, one of the oldest stud farms in the world. As a public museum, it is dedicated to the breeding of Old Kladruber horses and the development of the landscape.

The site for breeding and training ceremonial carriage horses in Kladruby nad Labem was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019. The UNESCO site in the Pardubice Region includes fields, meadows, enclosed pastures, a landscaped park, a wooded area, buildings and farmyards established for the breeding and training of Kladruber horses.

Gingerbread, family discoveries and regional tradition

Pardubice gingerbread is a traditional honey pastry closely associated with the city and one of its best-known symbols. The tradition of making it in Pardubice dates back to the 16th century. Near Kunětická hora Castle lies the Gingerbread House, with its gingerbread museum and fairy-tale attractions. Perník Janoš and JaJa Pardubice offer guided tours of their production facilities. Together, these places provide an engaging introduction to a regional speciality—from its historical background to its production.

Cycling routes and transport connections help determine where to stay

Pardubice offers a direct connection to the signposted CT 2 Elbe Trail. A 3.4-kilometre-long, flat cycling route follows the Chrudimka River and can be combined with a visit to the Fairy-Tale Garden. Another route leads from Pardubice along the Opatovický Canal to the National Stud Farm in Kladruby nad Labem. When choosing your accommodation, you can therefore first decide whether your trip will focus on the city, cycling connections, castles or the surrounding landscapes.

Railways also help with regional orientation: the Pardubice Region has 581 kilometres of railway lines. Pardubice and Česká Třebová lie on the international Berlin–Prague–Brno–Vienna railway corridor. Passenger services operate seasonally on the Kunětice–Pardubice–Srnojedy route.

Other regions nearby

If you would like to narrow down the right location for your trip, you can also compare the subregions Pardubice District, Chrudim District, Ústí nad Orlicí District and Svitavy District. For more destinations in the same higher-level region, you can also find Central Bohemia, South Bohemian Region, Pilsen and the Moravian-Silesian Region.