The town is rich in cultural traditions, with textile, stonemasonry and engineering industries, and lies at the southern foot of Hořický Chlum in the picturesque landscape of the Giant Mountains.
It was thanks to the stonemasonry tradition and the rich sandstone reserves in the area that the well-known sculpture and stonemasonry school was founded in Hořice in 1884, whose professors and pupils decorated the town with many statues and monuments. Sculptors Mořic Černil, Quido Kocián, Ladislav Šaloun, Josef Wágner and many others worked in Hořice. On the top of Gothard, where there is a monumental cemetery portal and the first statue of Jan Žižka of Trocnov in Bohemia by the sculptor Pavel Jiříček, we can find a collection of Baroque and modern art in the open air from the so-called sculpture symposia held since 1966.
The dominant feature of the town is the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary by the famous Baroque architect Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer and the neighboring pseudo-Gothic town hall, in the vicinity of which the Baroque Marian Column was restored in 2005. Sandstone lookout tower visible from afar
Other sights include the building of the Municipal Museum, the Gallery of Sculptures, the Smetana Gardens with a unique collection of sculptures by famous sculptors, the popular and frequently visited natural swimming pool Dachovy in the summer season with its First Republic architecture and the sun spa with a sandy beach and playground.
The valuable Jewish cemetery with the oldest tombstones from the 18th century testifies to the local once large Jewish community. The nearby Baroque Jewish synagogue today serves the liturgical purposes of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church.
The city of Hořice became famous at home and abroad for baking the highly sought-after Hořice tubes, the patent for which the local original production is under the protection of UNESCO, as well as the textile production of handkerchiefs or the motorcycle competition “300 Turns of Gustav Havel” and the veteran race “Czech Tourist Trophy”.
The musical tradition of Hořice is reflected not only in the activities of several local music associations, but also in the organization of a series of regular summer concerts, the so-called Hořice Music Festival or autumn jazz meetings “Jazz Nights”, usually with international participation.
The picturesque and varied surroundings of Hořice are interwoven with a dense network of hiking and cycling trails, the local newly built sports facility offers year-round swimming in an indoor pool, squash, sauna with massages and skittles. Tourists or visitors can enjoy a varied network of accommodation and traditional restaurants and hospitality. Come and hang out!
