The inscription of Kačina Castle on the UNESCO list would benefit both the Czech Republic and the region

Kačina (Kutnohorsko) – The registration of Kačina Castle in Kutnohorsko on the UNESCO World Heritage List, according to its management, would contribute to raising the prestige of the Czech Republic and enhancing tourism and regional development. At the same time, it would draw attention to other monuments around Kutná Hora, and visitors would be dispersed to other places, said Pavel Douša, director of the National Agricultural Museum Kačina, in response to a query from ČTK. The museum has a branch at the castle and offers several tour routes.

The Central Bohemian councilors recently agreed to include Kačina and Karlštejn Castle on the so-called indicative list of the Czech Republic, which is a key step for their future nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The indicative list is currently being revised, and it should contain places that currently have potential world value and thus a chance of being included on the World Heritage List.

"Some categories of monuments are already strongly represented on the list, so in the revision process, we are also emphasizing less represented types of monuments in accordance with the strategy for a balanced and representative World Heritage List," stated Petra Hrušová from the press department of the Ministry of Culture in response to a query from ČTK. Both Kačina and Karlštejn are proposed for the indicative list, and their inclusion will be decided by an expert committee during this year.


Douša mentioned that the idea of including Kačina on the indicative list originated some time ago and has gained intensity in the last two years. "A professional team is working across the spectrum of memory institutions, conducting a detailed review of the values of the proposed site of the Neopalladian summer villa Kačina and the landscape surroundings. What is exceptional about this effort is that it is not a solitary endeavor of the monument's managers, but a joint effort of state institutions, including Lesy ČR, which manages part of the area, the proposal from the Central Bohemia Region with the support of the surrounding municipalities, and the UNESCO site of Kutná Hora," said Douša.

However, according to him, inclusion on the indicative list does not mean that the monument will automatically be inscribed on the World Heritage List in the future. "It is a declaration that Kačina shows potential outstanding value. The indicative list provides a tool for professional international cooperation and the promotion of exceptional natural and cultural heritage," Douša added.

According to him, the inscription would contribute to raising the prestige of the Czech Republic and the significance of its architectural and landscape heritage and strengthen tourism and regional development. A similar opinion is held by the mayor of nearby Kutná Hora, Lukáš Seifert (ODS), who hopes that the inscription will succeed. "It makes absolutely sense," he told ČTK. For this reason, he believes that a bike path should connect Kutná Hora and Kačina in the future.

Jan Rudolf Chotek had Kačina built as his representative residence between 1806 and 1824. The building is set within a large park established in 1789. The Choteks lived at Kačina and in nearby Nové Dvory until 1911, when their local branch became extinct. During World War II, the castle was occupied by members of the Hitler Youth and, in the last year of the war, by Nazi SS troops. In 1950, the castle was handed over for use to the agricultural museum.