Three Czech spa towns are listed together with foreign sites on the UNESCO list

Fuzhou/Prague – Eleven spa towns in Europe, including Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně, and Františkovy Lázně, have received the title of UNESCO World Heritage. This was decided today by the intergovernmental World Heritage Committee at its 44th session in the city of Fuzhou, China. The Czech Ministry of Culture reported this to ČTK. Due to the global pandemic, the meeting is being held online from July 16 to July 31.

In addition to the West Bohemian spa triangle, eight other spa towns were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List - 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 England. All 11 spa towns now collectively represent one entry on the World Heritage List. The number of monuments that the Czech Republic has on this list has thus increased to 15.

The application for the inscription of the Famous Spa Towns of Europe among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites was prepared jointly by Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Great Britain, and the Czech Republic, which sponsored and coordinated the project. The nomination was recommended for inscription by the International Council on Monuments and Sites ICOMOS, which focuses on the protection of cultural heritage worldwide. In its assessment, ICOMOS highlighted mainly two criteria - the exceptional architecture of the spa towns and the phenomenon of spa stays, including treatments and balneological procedures.

“The project is an excellent example of international cooperation among resorts, institutions, and experts in seven European countries. I greatly appreciate the support from the mayors of the relevant towns, who tirelessly supported this project and provided financial backing during its lengthy preparation. I am proud that the Czech Republic became the coordinator of the entire project and successfully led it to inscription as the leader of the participating European countries,” said Minister of Culture Lubomír Zaorálek.

The Famous Spa Towns of Europe, which largely developed around natural mineral springs, together bear witness to the phenomenon of European spa culture, which flourished especially from the early 18th century to the first third of the 20th century, the ministry stated. A characteristic feature of this phenomenon is the combination of spa and therapeutic treatments both indoors and outdoors with a diverse range of leisure activities, which has also reflected in the specific form of the spa towns and their architecture.

The groups of spa buildings, including spa houses, pump rooms, drinking halls, and colonnades, are complemented by social houses, casinos, theaters, and other cultural facilities, all integrated into the landscaped environment with mineral spring outlets, parks, gardens, promenades, and sports facilities. The surrounding landscaped area is utilized for physical activities as part of therapeutic therapy, relaxation, and entertainment. The spa towns in Europe were the only places that culturally competed with large metropolises and became sources of intellectual, artistic, social, and political inspiration, the ministry noted.