The nomination of the West Bohemian Spa for UNESCO is to be submitted in 2015

Karlovy Vary - The nomination of the West Bohemian spa triangle for the UNESCO World Heritage List is likely to be submitted in 2015. By then, the nomination documentation should already be prepared so that the Czech Republic can officially present it to the UNESCO Center along with the application for inscription on the list. This follows from the conclusions of a meeting of an international group of experts, who will prepare professional materials for the nomination of significant European spas, including Františkovy Lázně, Karlovy Vary, and Mariánské Lázně. CTK was informed of this today by the spokesperson of the regional office, Jana Pavlíková.
    The meeting of the group, convened by Karlovy Vary at the end of January, followed the conclusions of the international meeting of experts specialized in European spas. This event was organized by the Karlovy Vary Region last May and attended by experts from Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, and the Czech Republic. "The establishment of the group is another stage in the process, in which Karlovy Vary have actively participated as the project leader not only for the cities of our region but also for other European spas. The Karlovy Vary Region remains the coordinator of the nomination," said regional councilor Eva Valjentová (KSČM).
    The expert group agreed on basic points that characterize the nature of the international serial nomination of significant mineral spas in Europe and set the basic timeline for preparing the nomination. Further meetings of the committee will take place around mid-June 2012 in Bath, England, which is already listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. "This meeting should recommend to the Ministry of Culture the final selection of locations for the serial nomination," Valjentová stated.
    The spas that will compete for the serial nomination must be listed in national indicative lists by the end of 2012. Only those spa sites that have natural mineral springs can be nominated. Factors such as the overall urban concept of the cities, the architectural value of key spa buildings, or their cultural and spiritual significance will be evaluated.
    The potential inscription of spa towns on the UNESCO list does not mean that they will, so to speak, be frozen and unable to develop further, stated Jiří Klsák (KOA), Deputy Mayor of Karlovy Vary. The inscription means that the listed towns enjoy the highest level of national monument protection. This may allow them much easier access to certain grants. The Czech Republic also has a grant program intended for monuments on the UNESCO list. The funds can be used, for example, for the promotion of monuments. The number of monuments registered on the UNESCO list approaches one thousand. The largest share consists of monuments from Europe.