The Pardubice Region (Pardubický kraj) is a higher self-governing territorial unit in the eastern part of Bohemia that also extends onto the north-western edge of historical Moravia. Its seat is Pardubice, home to 17.4% of the region's inhabitants.[1] According to the Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ), the region had 530,950 inhabitants on 31 December 2025.[4]*
Location and neighbours
The region borders the Central Bohemian, Hradec Králové, Olomouc and South Moravian regions and the Vysočina Region. Part of its north-eastern boundary is also the state border with Poland. Together with the Hradec Králové and Liberec regions it forms the North-East cohesion region.[1]
Nature
In the north-east the region is bounded by the southern part of the Orlické hory and the westernmost slopes of the Hrubý Jeseník, in the south and south-east by the Žďárské vrchy and the Železné hory. The centre and west of the region lie in the Elbe Lowland.[1] The Orlické hory, Žďárské vrchy and Železné hory are protected landscape areas.[1] The highest point is Králický Sněžník (1,424 m), whose summit area is a national nature reserve. The lowest point lies on the Elbe near Kojice on the western boundary of the region (201 m).[1]
The region is a headwater area with a surplus of water resources. The largest bodies of water are the Seč reservoir on the Chrudimka, the Bohdaneč pond and the Pastviny reservoir on the Divoká Orlice.[1]
Area, population and divisions
With an area of 4,519 km² (5.7% of the country) the Pardubice Region is the fifth smallest region. Agricultural land makes up 59.6% of its area, forests 29.9%.[1] The region is divided into four districts: Chrudim, Pardubice, Svitavy and Ústí nad Orlicí. On 31 December 2024 it had 451 municipalities, including 38 towns, where 60.8% of the population lived. The largest towns are Pardubice, Chrudim and Svitavy; the most populous district is Pardubice.[1]
Creation and administration
The region was created on 1 January 2000 under Constitutional Act No. 347/1997 Coll. on the creation of higher self-governing territorial units. Like those of the other new regions, its name is derived from the seat of the regional authority.[2] The Act on Regions No. 129/2000 Coll. took effect on 12 November 2000 with the election of the first regional assemblies. When four regions were renamed in 2001, the name of the Pardubice Region remained unchanged.[2] In November 2024 the assembly elected Martin Netolický (3PK) as governor (hejtman).[3]
Transport and economy
The region has 581 km of railway lines. Pardubice and Česká Třebová are junctions on the international line Berlin, Prague, Brno, Vienna.[1] Pardubice has an international airport with military and civilian operations. The Elbe is navigable in the region only along a short stretch up to Chvaletice.[1] In 2024 services accounted for 54.3% of the region's gross value added and industry for 36.2%.[1] The region's university is the University of Pardubice with seven faculties.[1]
Monuments and sport
The château complex in Litomyšl was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999. The National Stud Farm in Kladruby nad Labem was inscribed in 2019 as the first stud farm in the world.[1] Litomyšl hosts the Smetanova Litomyšl opera festival, and Polička, the birthplace of Bohuslav Martinů, holds music festivals.[1] The Velká pardubická steeplechase is run at the Pardubice racecourse.[1]