Czech UNESCO Heritage

Parts of our presentation Project introduction What is UNESCO? List of towns on the UNESCO heritage list List of cultuar traditions on the UNESCO heritage list

Project introduction Our presentation is about the Czech Unesco Heritage. It is a great honour to have its sites on this list. There are 12 towns and 4 cultural traditions of the Czech Republic on the Unesco list.

What is UNESCO? The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN). Its purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through education, science, and culture.

List of towns on the UNESCO heritage list

Prague Firstly we should mention Prague - the capital of the Czech Republic. However, in addition to Prague there are some other cities. In Prague you can find really interesting buildings and sights.

Český Krumlov Český Krumlov is an admirable town located on the river Vltava with a magnificent castle.

Brno The ancient capital of Moravia, in the picture you can see the functionalistic villa Tugendhat.

Holašovice This village in South Bohemia represents a rural style architecture, known as folk baroque, from the mid 19th century.

The gardens in Kroměříž received the most praise for being an example of the period´s landscaping.

Kutná Hora is a medieval royal town famous for its silver mines a minting coins, in the picture is the Gothic church of St.Barbara.

Lednicko-valtický areál In the next picture is Lednice chateau surrounded by a vast natural park.

Litomyšl Castle in Litomyšl is one of the most important examples of Renaissance architecture in the Czech Republic.

Olomouc An important medieval town and a university centre, the UNESCO attraction is one of the tallest Baroque memorial columns in the Czech Republic /35 m/, it is a monument to a plague epidemics.

Telč Telč is one of the best preserved ancient towns in the Czech Republic.

Třebíč Historical centre of Třebíč includes St.Prokopius basilica as well as the remains of the Jewish quarter, which you can see in the next picture.

Žďár nad Sázavou The most outstanding monuments in Žďár nad Sázavou are concentrated in the monastery area founded in 1252.

List of cultural traditions on the UNESCO heritage list

Carnival/Masopust In South Moravia the carnival has been celebrated since the end of the 19th century. Men in traditional masks walk through a village – they sing, dance, play music and the homeowners offer them some refreshment – mainly doughnuts and alcohol.

Men in masks in a carnival parade

Characters in costumes are walking through a village

A bear – a typical mask of Moravian carnival

Verbuňk-Slovácko Verbuňk is a male saltation dance, originally a dance of recruits. The show is not choreographed. It starts with a special choir song – men are standing in a circle and singing. It is followed by a very fast individual dance. Performers wear traditional folk costumes.

Verbuňk is a very lively show

Verbuňk dance is one of traditional celebrations in Slovácko/southeast part of Moravia

Some dance performances are physically demanding, but very attractive

Men are wearing traditional costumes

The Ride of the Kings The Ride of the Kings is a unique and colourful tradition practiced in Moravian villages. It goes back to the 15th century when the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus was running away from Bohemia dressesed in a traditional women’s folk costume to ‘mask’ his identity. Vlcnov is the most popular village where this tradition is kept.

The king is escorted by his two bodyguards

A decorated horse and a rider in a traditional folk costume

A young king in a traditional women´s folk costume

After the parade through the village people enjoy themselves

Falconry The Czech Republic is among countries also protecting falconry. A falcon is adjusted to hunt and it helps to keep the natural habitat in balance. Falconry is a sporting activity which enables falconers to spend time in the countryside. People can see falconry performances at many Czech and Moravian castles.

Falconers and their falcons are ready

There is a deep empathy between a falconer and his falcon

Falconers in the countryside

Women take part as well

Thank you for your attention Roland Leisztner Vojtěch Stejskal Jan Jochman