Pardubice
city, north-central Czech Republic, at the confluence of the Labe and Chrudimka rivers, east of Prague. Originating in the 13th century as a trade mart, it received civil rights in 1340 and by 1490 had become a possession of the Czech Pernstejn family, who renovated it in Renaissance style during the 16th century. The town was razed by Swedish troops in 1645. Its square is an architectural showplace, with a row of outstanding patrician houses, a 16th-century Gothic castle, and the Green Gate (Zelena brana, 1507). The Italian arcade-style Litomysl Castle was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. Mount Kuneticka, 4 miles (6 km) northeast, is a cone-shaped basaltic hill (1,006 feet [305 m]), site of a prehistoric burial ground, topped by a 15th-century castle ruin.
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