Pardubice: gingerbread and horse racing in eastern Bohemia

Known for centuries of gingerbread production and for one of the world's most difficult horse races, Pardubice preserves a Renaissance center in eastern Bohemia.

The center, celebrated for its gingerbread and horse races, can be comfortably visited on foot.

The Pardubice Castle, a medieval fortress transformed into a Renaissance residence in the sixteenth century, today hosts a contemporary art museum.

A few steps away, the Pernštýnské Square, with its coloured Renaissance facades, remains the heart of the historic city centre.

Continuing you visit the Gingerbread Museum, dedicated to the famous spiced sweet produced in Pardubice since the Middle Ages according to recipes transmitted in local convents.

As evening approaches, the Velká Pardubická racecourse, which hosts one of the world's most difficult steeplechase races every October, closes the day with a visit to the historic circuit.

The Velká Pardubická, a steeplechase race held continuously since 1874, is considered among the most dangerous in the world due to the presence of the famous 'Taxis' obstacle, a hedge over one and a half meters high with a hidden ditch.

The gingerbread of Pardubice, protected by a controlled origin mark, is still produced today according to secret recipes handed down by generations of local pastry chefs.