Pardubice is an East Bohemian city that rewards a slow day more than its industrial reputation suggests. The old centre is compact and handsome, with arcaded houses around Pernstynske Square, a Renaissance gate tower, and a castle set behind broad earth ramparts.
The city is also more Czech than postcard-Czech. It is known for gingerbread, the Velka pardubicka steeplechase, speedway racing, and the revived Automatic Mills complex on the river. That mix of Renaissance facades, sports folklore, and red-brick modern architecture gives Pardubice a character of its own.
It makes an easy stop between Prague, Hradec Kralove, and Moravia. Come for the castle and square, then cross to the mills if you want to see how a working industrial landmark has been turned into one of the city's livelier cultural spaces.