Page 158 - UNESCO_Zatec_2021_A4

related to the climate and natural conditions, breeding The nominated property thus perfectly represents the
and cultivation and processing methods for centuries interaction between the landscape and the settlements
transferred and improved from generation to generation. situated there. Without adequate premises and
This knowledge did not only concern the hop bines and technology available in component part 01 the high
crops as such and the work to be performed during quality of hop processing would not have been achievable.
each growing season but it also included the detailed The same applies to the warehouses, transport network
knowledge and deep understanding of the landscape, its and administrative facilities in Žatec because without
qualities and processes taking place in it. The technical them the hops certification and international trade
knowhow and professional experience has been would not have been possible either.
exchanged and business culminated particularly in the
18 and 19 centuries. The nominated landscape is thus the only region in the
th
th
world in which the story of hop growing, processing and
The set of specific experience and work management skills trading is captured in its entirety, from the selection of
acquired over the centuries resulted in a well-developed a suitable land plot and preparation of the soil for the
3. Justification for Inscription This had also a crucial impact on the appearance of the 3.1.c STATEMENT OF INTEGRITY
and intertwined social and technological systems on the
erection of trellises and establishing hop gardens to the
site of the nominated property. This is an unprecedented
shipping of the final product.
achievement worldwide.

Saaz landscape which is well demonstrated by the hop
The nominated property of Žatec and the Landscape
fields with a fixed structure of the trellis, usually made of
of Saaz Hops is a very well-preserved site which, within
wooden poles and wires and every year complemented
its boundaries, documents the entire "hop cycle" and
by hop strings, which are guiding wires providing support
represents all the essential attributes of hop cultivation
to the twining hop bines. The present visual quality of the
Saaz hop landscape is the outcome of its continual and
systematic shaping driven by the ongoing changes in
The productive character of the hop growing landscape
the hop growing methods. There are still visible traces of
with specific climate conditions is still fully reflected in
these changes which form distinctive layers. Its key visual and processing.
feature are hop fields where one of the fastest growing the preserved functional integrity of its composition
158 crop in the world – hop bines - twining on extremely as well as in its attributes the most distinctive of which
high trellises. A good example is the trellis to support the are the following ones: hop fields situated near the river,
hop plants which consists of poles where those at the and villages where hop growers lived, the town where
perimeter are leaning and fixed with the anchoring wires. most of the hops were processed for trade purposes, the
The trellis also includes fixed and temporary guiding wires. transport network enabling the access to the hop fields
The development of this design of trellis for support of the and export of hops, sets of functionally diverse buildings
plants was the outcome of the exchange of local empirical used for drying, sulphurisation, packaging, certification
knowledge. On the basis of this knowledge this structure and storage of hops as well as traditional knowledge of
developed into a specific design of Saaz hop wire trellis specific climate conditions, hop growing and processing
called "žatecká drátěnka" which replaced the original developed over the centuries. The transport network
one/structure consisting only of densely applied single based on the historic roads also underlines the integrity
thin wooden poles, and which is now used in many other of the property as it has enabled access to the hop fields
hop growing regions around the world. It also profoundly and facilitated the export of hops.
changed the character of the landscape and enabled its
more intense use, increased sustainability and continuous Component part 01 with hop fields around the villages of
use of hop fields. This new approach brought about the Stekník and Trnovany represents an area which has not
innovations in farming which in turn resulted in economic changed much over the centuries and the current use
stability of the hop growing business. of which copies its historical use. There are settlements
where no major building modifications which could
Typical hop drying kilns and other processing facilities have an adverse impact on the overall character of the
were built in the rural area and the processing of hops landscape have been carried out. The village of Stekník
impacted the overall appearance of Žatec where the with its well preserved integrity emphasised by the
architecture of residential buildings as well as industrial typical brick buildings surrounding the central village
facilities, educational institutions and amenity centres square and chateau of the same name whose main
designed for different groups of local residents associated construction phase is related to the time when its owner
with the hop processing business is unmistakable. was actively involved in growing hops on the surrounding
fields as well as other village buildings until recently
All this makes the landscapeˈs look dynamic that is used for their original purpose, document the methods
incomparable with any other agricultural landscape and of drying freshly harvested hops in the rural area before
ensures its unique and distinctive visual qualities. transporting them to the nearby town for certification and