The trail begins at the base of Pospíšilova Street, where the systematic demolition of the Baroque fortress commenced in 1894. This transformation allowed the city to breathe new life and expand northward along Pospíšilova Street, which seamlessly transitions into SNP Street. A grand synagogue serves as a dignified entry point to the trail from the city center, followed by a series of magnificent buildings, including the Neo-Renaissance elementary and town school, the Neo-Baroque Institute for the Deaf and Dumb, and the functionalist State Technical School. In the first section of the trail, attention is also given to selected tenement houses, including some of the first Art Nouveau buildings designed by Josef Gočár. Nearby, visitors can see the large Pilnáček factory and the Orlická kotlina housing estate, one of the most comprehensive examples of socialist realism in Hradec Králové. Addressing the city’s housing shortage, another major housing project—Slezské Předměstí (Silesian Suburbs)—became the largest local housing estate of its time. It introduced the first prefabricated buildings in the city and incorporated various amenities and valuable artistic decorations. The construction of the estate, however, required the demolition of dozens of existing structures, primarily family homes. Despite these changes, several preserved buildings still reflect the original, architecturally diverse character of the suburbs. These include the Neo-Romanesque Chapel of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, dozens of family houses, a few half-timbered villas, and modest semi-detached workers' houses known as ‘Little Berlin.’ Other distinctive structures included the wooden ‘Finnish houses’ and the surprisingly austere passenger building of the local railway station.
AW