Page 66 - UNESCO_Zatec_2021_A4

2. Description

2.a DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTY

2.a1 PRESENTATION OF THE PROPERTY on the border of the Středočeský (Central Bohemian)
and the Ústecký Regions of the Czech Republic,
Northwest of the capital city of Prague, by the middle approximately at the level of the 50 parallel north,
th
of the course of the river Ohře, lies a unique area in in a geographical zone generally very convenient for
which hop bines have thrived for centuries, a specific growing hops.
plant whose infructescence – hop cones – are the basis
of the delicate hop taste and bitterness of many of the The unique combination of the quality of soil and
most famous beer brands in the world. Famous Czech climatic conditions enabled the continuous cultivation
sayings such as, "Hops are our gold", "The hops welds the of hops in reasonable and less prosperous times when in
nation together", "Green gold", "Hops are the only holy many other countries, the owners of the fields resigned
thing to us, only hops, only hops!", show how highly our from its cultivation. The local hops, bearing a European-
ancestors appreciated the value of this climbing plant. recognised quality mark, have transformed the town of
However, few people know the complexity of the process, Žatec into a hop growing centre. Žatec is also the seat
2. Description processing of fresh and dried Saaz hops before reaching on science, research, and trade is global.
which is associated with the cultivation, certification and
of scientific and growing institutions whose influence
the places where they are used in brewing beer. The
Žatec region still is one of the world’s most productive
specific characteristics of Saaz hops were even intergral
areas for hops. New cultivation techniques and hop
in the origin of the most widespread type of beer in the
world, Pilsner beer. The unique tradition of growing and
not changed the fundamental landscape. The tangible
processing hops in the Žatec region, the hundreds of facilities have been developed through time, but they have
years of hard work, and ingenuity, have been imprinted evidence for hop culture from the late Middle Ages to the
66 on the face of the landscape around the town of Žatec. present remains. The town and its surroundings form an
ensemble that expresses sustainability of the technical,
The home for growing the original hops, which may bear economic and social development of hop culture. The
the prestigious name of Saaz hops, is known as the Saaz layout and skyline of the landscape have kept their
hop growing region. It is a certified name for the area distinct character.

The river Ohře and hop fields, from Trnovany to Hradiště, 2019