The first monuments from the Czech Republic were inscribed on the UNESCO list 30 years ago

Prague - Czech Republic currently has 16 monuments on the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage list and eight entries on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. It will be 30 years since the first entries, the historic centers of Prague, Český Krumlov, and Telč, were inscribed on December 13.

Overview of Czech entries on the UNESCO World Heritage list:

1) Historic Center of Český Krumlov (inscribed in 1992) - a town dating back to the 13th century showcases Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque elements, representing a medieval settlement whose architectural heritage has remained intact for nearly five centuries.

2) Historic Center of Prague (1992) - a unique ensemble of urban buildings where architectural styles from Romanesque to Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Cubism, and Functionalism intermingle. In 2010, the inscription was expanded to include the Central Bohemian Průhonice Park, a unique piece of natural landscape architecture.

3) Historic Center of Telč (1992) - particularly valued for its well-preserved Renaissance square with arcades and late Gothic castle.

4) Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk at Zelená Hora in Žďár nad Sázavou (1994) - a pinnacle work by builder Jan Blažej Santini from the 18th century, merging Baroque with Gothic.

5) Historic Center of Kutná Hora with St. Barbara's Church and the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Sedlec (1995) - an exceptional medieval urban structure with numerous preserved private houses. The Sedlec cathedral is one of the first examples of the restoration of an older damaged Gothic structure in the style of Baroque Gothic.

6) Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape (1996) - covering an area of 283 km2, the site combines Baroque architecture with the Gothic castles of Lednice and Valtice, alongside landscape adaptations based on English parks.

7) South Bohemian Village of Holašovice (1998) - a complex of 23 historically protected farmhouses with a total of 120 buildings, characterized by gables with stucco decor in the style of so-called South Bohemian (peasant or folk) Baroque. An example of an exceptionally preserved traditional village.

8) Complex of the Archbishop's Palace and the Flower and Lower Gardens in Kroměříž (1998) - the palace and its gardens are an exceptionally preserved example of a Baroque castle residence.

9) Renaissance Castle Complex in Litomyšl (1999) - a castle in the Italian style from the 16th century, which two centuries later was enhanced with late Baroque elements, is a unique example of a noble residence.

10) Baroque Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc (2000) - a 35-meter-high plague column built between 1716 and 1754 forms the largest grouping of Baroque statues in one sculpture in Central Europe.

11) Brno Functionalist Villa Tugendhat (2001) - the villa is often described as a building that set new standards for modern housing and is considered one of the key works of global modern architecture. The villa was designed in 1928 by renowned German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for Brno industrialist Fritz Tugendhat.

12) Jewish Quarter and the Benedictine Monastery Complex with the Basilica of St. Procopius in Třebíč (2003) - the Jewish quarter is one of the most architecturally preserved in Europe, with two synagogues, 123 buildings, and a Jewish cemetery. The basilica was built around the mid-13th century in the transitional Romanesque-Gothic style and is one of the gems of medieval architecture.

13) Mining Cultural Landscape Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří (2019; with German Saxony) - the Ore Mountains region provides unique testimony to the influence of Czech and Saxon metal mining on the development of mining and related technologies. From the Renaissance to the 20th century, the Ore Mountains were a center from which mining innovations spread worldwide.

14) Kladruby Horse Breeding Farm (2019) - the oldest large breeding farm in the world, founded in the second half of the 16th century. In 1918, the state took over the farm, and its new purpose became the production of breeding stallions. In the Czech Republic, horses are often showcased at various celebrations, used by the mounted police, and excel in harness racing and classical dressage.

15) West Bohemian Spa Towns (2021; joint nomination by Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Great Britain) - UNESCO inscribed 11 spa towns in Europe, including Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně, and Františkovy Lázně, due to their exceptional architecture and the phenomenon of spa stays, including treatments and balneological practices. Besides the West Bohemian spa triangle, three other spa towns were inscribed - Baden-Baden, Bad Ems, and Bad Kissingen in Germany, Spa in Belgium, Vichy in France, Montecatini Terme in Italy, Baden near Vienna in Austria, and the City of Bath in Great Britain.

16) Jizera Mountains Beech Forests (2021; extension of the previous inscription of ancient beech forests and primeval forests originally from 12 European countries from the Pyrenees to the Black Sea; besides forests in the Jizera Mountains, eight additional locations were unconditionally added and six with conditions) - The Jizera Mountains beech forests cover an area of approximately 27 square kilometers on the northern slope of the Jizera Mountains from Oldřichov in Hájích to Lázně Libverda. The area is remarkable for its mixed and beech forests on steep slopes with unique geomorphology.

Czech entries on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list (customs, traditions, or cultural events):

1) Verbuňk (inscribed in 2005) - a traditional Slovak dance whose origins date back to the 18th century and are associated with the conscription of soldiers (hence the name).

2) Masopust Processions with Masks in Hlinecko (2010) - Reliable evidence of the form of the custom in Hlinecko comes from the first half of the 19th century, but the form of masks handed down from father to son is likely older according to ethnographers. The roots of the celebrations, which were meant to ensure a good harvest, fertility, and also welcomed the coming spring, trace back to pre-Christian times.

3) Falconry (2010; also pertains to ten other countries) - A traditional method of hunting using trained birds of prey, which has been successfully revived over the past half-century. Falconry originated in the second millennium BC in the Middle East, from where it spread eastward and westward. In the territory of present-day Czech Republic, it was brought by the Huns in the first half of the fifth century, with hunting using birds experiencing significant growth especially from the 14th to 16th centuries.

4) Ride of the Kings (2011) - one of the most famous folklore customs in the Czech Republic, maintained in five villages or towns in the Uherskohradišťsko and Hodonínsko regions; it occurs annually only in Vlčnov. Written records date back to 1808, but the custom is reportedly even older.

5) Czech Puppetry (2016; jointly with Slovakia) - Puppetry is a phenomenon whose tradition dates back to the second half of the 18th century and expanded significantly during the national revival. The Czech Republic has the oldest puppetry department at a university, established in 1952. Numerous festivals also help maintain the puppetry tradition.

6) Indigo Printing (2018; joint nomination with Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic) - the unique method of so-called negative printing has a long tradition in the territory of today's Czech Republic. In the 19th century, almost every small town had an indigo printing workshop; currently, there are workshops operating in Olešnice and Strážnice.

7) Production of Christmas Ornaments from Blown Glass Beads (2020) - Christmas ornaments made from hollow glass beads have been produced in Poniklá in the Semily region for over 100 years. Rautis is now the only manufacturer in the world. The nomination of this traditional Giant Mountain production of Christmas ornaments succeeded on the second attempt, as the committee rejected it in 2018. The glass ornament manufacturer has operated at the same location since 1902.

8) Rafting (2022; joint nomination of the Czech Republic, Latvia, Germany, Austria, Spain, and Poland) - Represents traditional knowledge and skills associated with the construction of rafts and their navigation down rivers. Although the commercial use of rafting disappeared due to dam construction, the traditions associated with it are still alive and passed on to younger generations. This includes not only the craft techniques of building a raft but also knowledge related to its navigation and a specific culture associated with this tradition, unique customs, and raft-oriented literature etched into songs and slang. Rafting has a long-standing tradition in Bohemia, with the first mentions of rafting on the Vltava dating back to the 11th century.