Pardubice is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the river Elbe, 96 kilometres east of Prague. Pardubice has an antique centre square and old town, with many restaurants that stay open until late in the evening. There is an old Tower and a recently renovated Castle. Factories include the Synthesia chemical factory (manufacturer of Semtex, a plastic explosive), an oil refinery Paramo, a heavy machinery factory and an electronic equipment plant.
The Czech Open Chess Tournament is the biggest in Europe, with roughly 1200 players from all over the world competing in the main groups, and many side-events such as a team championship, a Rubik's Cube competition and a Go-tournament.
Pardubice is home to one of the top hockey teams in the Czech Extraliga, HC Pardubice (former Tesla). The local hockey club has bred international stars such as Vladimír Martinec, Dominik Hašek, Otakar Janecky, Ales Hemsky, Jan Bulis (all natives of Pardubice) and Milan Hejduk. Ex- NBA player Jirí Welsch is also a native of the city.
It's also home of a famous steeplechase, the Velka pardubicka
