The town of Pardubice was founded on the confluence of the Labe and Chrudimka rivers in the 14th century. The first Prague Archbishop, Arnošt of Pardubice, supported the town. It flourished especially during the reign of the Pernštejn family. The Pernštejns had the Gothic water-castle rebuilt into a luxurious Renaissance chateau. The interiors boast unique Renaissance wall paintings and original painted panel ceilings.
After the great fire in1538, the town with its elongated square and unified facades was rebuilt in the Renaissance style; nowadays most of the facades are adapted in the Baroque style with typical terracotta elements replacing stone. The best-known house is called “U Jonáše” ("Jonah's House"), decorated with plastic reliefs of the whale swallowing the prophet Jonah. The tower of the Green Gate and the Church of St. Bartholomew are the largest features of the skyline. The town is famous for horse races, namely the Velká Pardubická Steeple-Chase and excellent local gingerbread.