The district of Chrudim now has over 24 thousand inhabitants. The whole district, located in Eastern Bohemia, is 1,030 km
2, has more than 106 inhabitants, and includes 110 villages.
Within the city there is a historical settlement and church dating back to the year 1055 when the Duke Bretislav died. The settlement was located on a headland facing west, toward a fort in the Chrudimka river.
Around the year 1216, a yeoman's town was established and later borrowed by many Czech queens. The main square in town - actually shaped like a square - has an arterial road coming from
the Down Gate situated at the fort in Chrudimka. The road leads from the fort to the square and divides into two roads leading to the Upper Gate. The oblong shaped walls of the castle copied the shape of the river on the western side. On the eastern side of the settlement there is a ditch. The east side, which was easily accessible, had fortifications built into the side of the wall. In addition, two gate houses were also built because the space of the cliff was limited. Later on a so-called New Town around
the church of St. Michal was built east of the old center. A suburb within the town was created and named Katerina after the consecration of the church. This church was built over ruins from the fourteenth century.
In approximately 1470 a presbytery was built, and in 1514-1536 three naves were built in this small but very beautiful church. The main town church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Chrudim is situated on the highest eastern side of the
square. This church was established in 1291 as
a three naved basilica with a polygonal presbytery, and in the second half of the fourteenth century the king's smelters supplied additional iron works to the building of the church. The double towered front was designed in the baroque period, including the entrance portal, windows, and the gable between the towers. The builder Frantisek Schmoranz strongly re-gothicized the church between 1850-1880, and the quality of the work represents the importance of the church during this time period. Within the church you will find a wide range of late Gothic art work, wood paintings, and
a collection of Gothic and Renaissance epitaphs.
You will be reminded of the past by the new town fountain and a range of statues of signs which formally decorated the parapet in front of the main Chrudim temple. The author of the statues, Jan Pavel Cechpauer, created sculptures in Baroque style in memory of the plague. The so-called Mydlarovsky house represents the development of the town during the renaissance period. The house was built between 1573-1574. This three-floored house was built with an architectural style unheard of in this time period - on the first and second floor are porticos built from corbel, which made it possible to raise the height of the ceiling and make use of more space without narrowing the streets outside.
Out of all historical sights in the area, the most attractive tourist site is the ruins of the Lichnice castle, which was established by Smil from Lichtenburk. Also the Rychmburk castle used frequently throughout history and the Kosumberk castle, mentioned in 1318 and castles in Nove Hrady, Chroustovice, and Malec.
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