Pardubice, Czechia

Pardubice sits on the Elbe River about 100 km east of Prague and is home to roughly 92,000 residents. The city is the birthplace of Pardubický perník, a gingerbread baked since the 16th century from flour, honey, and spices. Each year it hosts the Pardubice Steeplechase, founded in 1874 and one of the oldest horse races in continental Europe, where riders clear 31 obstacles across 6.9 km. At its center stands the 15th-century Pernštejn chateau, decorated with 13 sgraffito façades and crowned by the Great Gate, the largest defensive tower on the site.