Hradec Králové is a city of the Czech Republic, in the Hradec Králové Region of Bohemia. The city's economy is based on food-processing technology, photochemical, electronics manufacture and IT. Traditional industries include musical instrument manufacturing – the best known being PETROF pianos. The University of Hradec Králové is located in the city, the University of Defense has its only medical faculty in Hradec Králové and Charles University in Prague also has its Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové and Faculty of Pharmacy there.GeographyThe city lies at the confluence of the Elbe and the Orlice river close to Krkonoše (Giant Mountains), the highest Czech mountains, with its peak, Sněžka (Snowhill), of 1602m.HistoryThe original name of one of the oldest settlements in the Czech Republic was Hradec ; Králové was affixed when it became one of the dowry towns of Elisabeth Richeza of Poland, who lived there for thirty years having been the second wife of two Bohemian Kings, Wenceslaus II and then Rudolph I of Habsburg. In Latin, the Castle of the Queen was called Grecz Reginae, the original German Königingrätz was shortened to Königgrätz by 1800. It remained a dower town until 1620.