Vamberk

Vamberk (Wamberg) is a town in Rychnov nad Kněžnou District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,700 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The villages of Merklovice and Peklo are administrative parts of Vamberk.

Etymology
The local small castle and then the settlement were initially called Waldemberg, which was then shortened to Walmberg, and later to Wamberg, or in Czech Vamberk. It is not certain whether the origin of the name is Czech or German, because at the time of the establishment it was fashionable among the Czech nobles to give German names to castles. If the name is of Czech origin, it probably meant "Valda's hill", which was translated into German as Waldemberg. If of German origin, the name was probably derived from waldberg ("wooded hill").

Geography
Vamberk is located about 5 km south of Rychnov nad Kněžnou and 33 km southeast of Hradec Králové. The western part of the municipal territory lies in the Orlice Table. The eastern part lies in the Orlické Foothills and includes the highest point of Vamberk at 475 m above sea level. The Zdobnice River flows through the town.

History
The first written mention of Vamberk is from 1341. In 1616, Vamberk gained town privileges. The town lived for centuries from lacemaking, weaving and the timber trade. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the textile, stove and meat industries developed, and Vamberk became the industrial centre of the region.

Economy
Vamberk is known for the lace production. The first mention of the production in Vamberk is from 1642, but the tradition is probably older. In the mid-17th century, Magdalena of Gramb, a Belgian owner of the Vamberk estate, introduced Belgian lace patterns and a new technique of bobbin lace making using a lace cushion or pillow. Vamberk became a European centre of lace-making. The tradition continues to this day.

The largest employer based in the town is ESAB CZ, the world's leading manufacturer of welding and cutting equipment and welding consumables.

Transport
The town is situated at the crossroads of two main roads: I/11 from Hradec Králové to Šumperk and I/14 from Náchod to Ústí nad Orlicí.

Vamberk is located on the short railway line of local importance heading from Rokytnice v Orlických horách to Doudleby nad Orlicí.

Sights
The main landmark of the town is the Church of Saint Procopius. It was built in the early Baroque style in 1707–1714.

The Church of Saint Barbara was also built in the early Baroque style, in 1696–1697. It is a cemetery church. The family tomb of the Lützow family is located there.

The tradition of lace making is documented in the Lace Museum Vamberk. The museum is located in an architecturally valuable house from 1916, decorated with Art Deco elements.

Notable people

 * Jan Václav Voříšek (1791–1825), composer
 * Josef Richard Vilímek (1835–1911), publisher
 * Josef Kalousek (1838–1915), historian