Why Trutnov
Trutnov is a Czech town of roughly 29,000 residents, situated in the Hradec Králové Region about 39 kilometres north of the regional capital. Nestled within the valley of the Úpa River, the town lies predominantly among the Giant Mountains Foothills. Its wider municipal borders stretch east toward the Broumov Highlands and north into the Giant Mountains, reaching an elevation of 965 metres on the slopes of Dvorský les Mountain. Trutnov also shares a very small border segment with neighboring Poland. The name of the settlement stems from an Old German phrase meaning cute floodplain.
Established around 1250 by the Švábenský of Švábenice noble family, the settlement was originally named Úpa after the nearby river, with its first recorded mention appearing in 1260. King Wenceslaus II acquired the region in 1301 under the name Trutnov. Between 1400 and 1599, the community held status as a dowry town designated for Bohemian queens. Historic events later shaped the town, including its capture by Jan Žižka in 1421 during the Hussite Wars and the Battle of Trautenau during the 1866 Austro-Prussian War. World War II brought forced labor camps, a subcamp for Allied prisoners, and the destruction of the local synagogue, followed by the post-war expulsion of the town's German inhabitants in 1945.
Visitors can explore a well-preserved historic center, protected as an urban monument zone. Central to this district is Krakonošovo náměstí, a square bounded by traces of 14th-century town walls. It features the neo-Gothic Old Town Hall, which currently serves as a tourist information venue, as well as a statue of Joseph II, a stone fountain showcasing the mythical figure Krakonoš, and the 1704 Baroque Holy Trinity Column. Architectural landmarks include three notable historic churches: the Neoclassical Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the early 14th-century Church of Saint Wenceslaus in Horní Staré Město—rebuilt in the Renaissance style in 1581—and the neo-Gothic Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Poříčí. Additionally, the former neo-Gothic Lutheran church from 1900 now operates as the Bohuslav Martinů Concert Hall.
Cultural and recreational opportunities abound in Trutnov. The town hosts the annual Trutnov Open Air Music Festival and the Obscene Extreme metal festival. Sports enthusiasts can follow the HC Trutnov ice hockey team or visit the slalom course along the Úpa River, home to the recurring Trutnovské slalomy event since 1965. Local traditions also include brewing, with the Krakonoš Brewery operating since 1582. Trutnov is accessible via regional train connections, serving as the terminus for a line running from Prague while offering direct rail routes to Kolín and Vrchlabí.
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