Hradec Králové

Hradec Králové (German, Königgrätz), town in the northern Czech Republic, capital of Hradec Králové Region. Situated at the confluence of the Orlice and Elbe (Labe) rivers, it is an important commercial, manufacturing, and transport centre; products include musical instruments, chemicals, and machinery. The old town, with many medieval buildings set round a 14th-century cathedral, is on a hill between the two rivers. On the western bank of the Elbe is the new town, mostly constructed between the two world wars. Prussia won a decisive victory over Austria at nearby Königgrätz (Sadowa) in 1866. Population 97,155 (2003 estimate).