Tradition of hop growing, breeding,
processing and hop trade
Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops represents an important site associated with unique history of continuous development in cultivation, processing and international trading with hops which is an important ingredient in the beer brewing process all over the world.
This cultural landscape is situated in the north west of the Czech Republic, in the basin of Žatec, by the middle of the course of the river Ohře, and consists of two component parts which naturally complement each other and jointly represent the uniqueness of the local hop heritage.
Rural component, Saaz Hop Landscape, contains the most valuable and fertile hop fields in the region, on which hops have been grown for centuries and have been subjected to long-term breeding research, as well as historic settlements and buildings associated with the processing of harvested hops.
The center of hop region is town of Žatec which is significant by the amounts of technical buildings related to hop processing, storing, trading and export to the world.
On Monday, September 18, 2023, at a meeting of the World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it was decided to inscribe the hop landscape and the town of Žatec, its center, on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The effect of growing, harvesting and processing hops is clearly recognizable and visible in the following attributes:
On Monday, September 18, 2023, at a meeting of the World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it was decided to inscribe the hop landscape and the town of Žatec, its center, on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Czech delegation, led by Jirina Valentová, the permanent representative of the Czech Republic at UNESCO, included Dita Limova, head of the Unit for Relations with UNESCO from the Ministry of Culture, Monika Eretová from the Ministry of Culture and representatives of the Directorate General of the National Heritage Institute, Director General Nadezda Goryczkova and Vera Kucova from the Unit of Heritage with International Status. The Steering Group of the nominated property was represented by Zdenka Hamousova and Zdenek Rosa from CHMELARSTVI, cooperative Zatec, who is also the vice-chair of the Hop Growers Union of the Czech Republic, and Olga Bukovicova for the Town of Žatec, where she works as a coordinator for the World Heritage.
Vytvořeno: 25. 9. 2023
