Radnice (Hořice) Town hall

Welcome to the beautiful city of Hořice. Right now, in the midst of George of Podebrad's busy square, you're standing in front of a state that is the heart and face of this whole place. Before we go into deeper exploration, just stop for a moment and feel the atmosphere of this space. Can you feel the weight of history that has settled here over the centuries? Before your eyes, there is a town hall, a building that dominates the whole area with its presence, and which is much more than just a simple office seat. He's a witness to the many events that have shaped this city.

Now, if you look at the overall shape of this building, you're probably interested in its specific appearance. It's a neo-gothic building, which means her face refers to ancient, medieval shapes that were back in fashion at the time of its creation. However, this town hall is not entirely new in the whole sense of the word, as it stands at the place where the older city management used to be. Imagine the old days when there was another building that no longer performed its role over time. In order for the city to grow and look dignified, it was decided to create something new and lasting here.

This new story began by architect František Poličanský. It was in 1872 that he came up with a proposal that gave the city hall its present, unmistakable character. Political was not just a builder, he was the creator of the new identity of this square. Thanks to his work, the City Hall has acquired the noble and firm look you admire today. Although the building has undergone repairs in recent years, especially at the turn of the twentieth and twentieth centuries, its soul remains the same. Since 1958, this building has been protected as an important cultural monument, which tells us that its value for all of us is immense and must be carefully preserved for future generations.

Now, I want to ask you to raise your eyes upwards to the tall tower above the roof. Towers are always important at city hall because they served as a symbol of power and as a place where the city was seen on all sides. Look at the clock hanging there. These clocks measured time for people in the square for many years and still do so. But the most interesting thing is in the details. If you look closely, you can see the express seal of the city Hořice on the tower. And here comes something that can really surprise you. Even though the very building that you are currently watching dates back to the late nineteenth century, this seal is much older. It comes from 1585. It's like a piece of the old world being transferred to a new building to connect the past to the present. It's an incredible reference to the roots of this town that were fixed long before the first stone of this town hall was laid.

Now let's move a little bit towards the main entrance and look at what's right near it. If you look to the ground or just next to the entrance, you can see the dust. This element now seems a little strange, possibly scary, but in 1736 when it was built, it had a very serious function in this city. It was not just a piece of stone or wood, it was an instrument of justice, but justice in a form that was difficult for us to understand today. It was for public punishment to see the consequences of bad deeds. It is a silent reminder of how laws were dealt with in the past and how order was maintained in the community.

If you look a little further beyond City Hall, notice another significant neighbor. Next to the town hall stands the Town House, which was built in 1864 in a neo-Renaissance style. This neighboring house complements the overall face of the square and creates a harmonious whole along with the town hall, which immediately transmits you to a time when cities began to change and develop quickly.

You may now be asking what's going on in this building today. City Hall isn't just a museum or a dead memorial. It's a living part of the city. In its premises there is a municipal office where many things important to the lives of the people are decided. You will also find a city information centre, which is an ideal place for anyone who wants to get to know our surroundings better. There is also a large hall in the building, an auditorium that serves for various meetings and events. So the town hall still performs its original function - it's where the town meets, where the decision-making and information is shared.

Imagine all the people who have walked through this door in the last 150 years. Officials, citizens, tourists, and prominent personalities who visited the city. Each of them left an invisible trail in this place. And even though the world is changing around us, the City Hall in Horice remains a fixed anchor that reminds us where we come from.

I hope this short journey over time has helped you better understand the beauty and importance of this place. But now you have everything you need to go on another survey. Walk around the square, look at other buildings and feel Hořice all senses. I wish you a nice walk and enjoy every moment spent in this historic heart of our city. Goodbye.