Since then, this organization, in accordance with the adopted convention, has been protecting, restoring and trying by any means to preserve selected monuments created by both man and nature. The organization is trying to preserve these attractions for future generations.

Czech Republic to UNESCO (or rather, at that time - Czechoslovakia) joined in 1990. After the collapse of Czechoslovakia, the newly created Czech Republic also supported an already existing project to protect its own monuments.

12 objects from the Czech Republic were included in the lists of UNESCO monuments. Such a number of objects under the care of UNESCO is almost a record in relation to the area of ​​the state itself. Monuments of the Czech Republic are equated with their cultural value to the pyramid complex in Egypt, as well as the Athenian Acropolis.

Actually, UNESCO sites in the Czech Republic(next is the year when the object was included in the list):

• Historical center of Prague - 1992
• Historical Center of Cesky Krumlov – 1992
• Historic center of Telč – 1992
• Ždiar nad Sazavou - Church of St. John of Nepomuk on Green Mountain - 1994
• Historical center of Kutna Hora – 1995
• Lednice – Lednice-Valtice complex – 1996
• Rural reservation Holasovice 1998
• Kroměříž – complex of castle and gardens -1998
• Litomysl castle and its area -1999
• Pillar of the Holy Trinity in Olomouc – 2000
• Villa Tugendhat Brno – 2001
• Trebic - Basilica of St. Prokop and the Jewish Quarter - 2003
• Reserve Czech Paradise - 2005

I would like to tell you more about the Czech Paradise. This is a very old reserve, which this year celebrated the 50th anniversary of its foundation. The Czech Paradise reserve covers almost the entire territory of the region of the same name. In 2005, it was included in the list of protected European geoparks by UNESCO. To date, this park, among the parks of other newcomer states in the EU, is the only one that is equated with such reserves as the petrified forest on the island of Lesvos, in Greece.

Biosphere reserves of the Czech Republic

UNESCO also has a program called Man and the Biosphere. It includes a number of biosphere reserves. This program contains all the existing varieties of ecosystems in the world.

In the Czech Republic, the status of such reserves has been assigned to the White Carpathians, Palava, Sumava, Trebonsko, Krkonoše, and Křivoklátsko regions.

So far not on the lists of UNESCO sites, but the following attractions claim to be such:

• Mount Landek;
• city ​​of Pardubice;
• Eronim mine (Sokolovsky region), built in the Middle Ages;
• Renaissance houses in Slavonice;
• area of ​​military fortification in Gluchin-Darkovichki-u-Opava;
• paper factory in Velkie Losiny;
• rock towns in Bohemian Paradise;
• fishing places in Třeboňsko - lakes Zlata stok, Svet, Rožmberk with "Rožmberska Bashta", Old and New rivers (monument - "Rožmbersky fishery complex"); the city of Třeboň itself, as an urban object reservation;
• Cheb city;
• a hotel in the mountains with the Jested TV tower;
• rock sculptures “Bethlehem (near Kuks);
• Müller's Villa, Břevnov Monastery, Zvezda summer residence with a nature reserve (as an extension of the boundaries of the UNESCO Historical Core of Prague);
• Lazne Luhacovice,
• city ​​of Karlstejn,
• Mikulčice – Velkomaros hillfort,
• Ostrava industrial complex - Anselm mine in Petrškovice - Mining Museum, Mikhail mine in Michalkovice, Vrbice wind shaft, Vitkovice metallurgical plant with the Glubina mine;
• a horse breeding farm in the town of Kladruby nad Laboi;

If you have been to the Czech Republic "a million" times and we are sure that you are perfectly familiar with all the beauties of the "Bohemian pearl", we still We will try to convince you otherwise!
And not just to convince, but to offer you a unique, exclusive, author's tour in a mini group(up to 7 people) and in the most touching and romantic period - when the whole Czech Republic is in "bloom"- May holidays 01 May - 08 May.

All 12 UNESCO sites Czech Republic in one round: Prague - Brno - Cesky Krumlov - Holasovice - Kutna Hora - Litomysl - Telc - Trebic - Zelena Gora - Olomouc - Kromnerzhizh - Lednice-Valtice!

01 May. Upon arrival in Prague, transfer to the railway station (luggage will be deposited). Tour of Prague Castle.
First part walking tour around Prague Prague Castle “: Strahov Monastery - Loretta - Hradchany - St. Vitus Cathedral - Golden Lane - Small Side - Charles Bridge.
At 16:49, the high-speed train Prague - Brno leaves. Arrival in Brno at 19:22. Transfer to the hotel, hotel accommodation 4*

02 May. Breakfast in the hotel. Excursion around Brno.Excursion to Litomysl and Zelena Gora.
Pedestrian tour of Brno- city great history and culture, located at the confluence of the Svratka and Svitava rivers, and representing the center of all South Moravia! A noteworthy fact is the constant settlement of the Brnov depression from prehistoric times to the present day. The rapid economic development at the end of the 19th century turned it into an elite "suburb" of Vienna, since that time many buildings unique in their architecture have been built in Brno, among them the Villa Tugendhat (UNESCO monument) - the famous modernist work of the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
In the afternoon - bus excursion to the cities of Litomysl and Zielona Gora.
In 1999, UNESCO recognized the architectural ensemble of the castle-palace in the city of Litomysl, built in the style of the Italian Renaissance, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The walls of the castle are richly decorated in the traditional Czech sgraffito technique. The castle in Litomysl is recognized as one of the purest examples of Renaissance architecture in Eastern Europe!
Church of St. John of Nepomuk (UNESCO World Heritage Site) in Zelena Hora is one of the most original buildings in Europe! It was built by the ingenious architect Jan Blazeja Santini Aichel in the form of a five-pointed star.

03 May. Breakfast in the hotel. Bus tour to Kromneriz castle and the city of Olomouc.
Lock Kromnerzhizh, recreated in the 17th century on the foundations of an even older building, is an exceptional example of baroque architecture in the form of a well-preserved residence of the highest nobility, typical of central Europe. Adjacent to the castle is a garden and park ensemble, consisting of a landscape English park and a magnificent flower garden in the early Baroque style.
Olomouc located in the heart of the Ghana region, this city with a population of 100,000 belongs to the most important Moravian metropolises. The commemorative column (plague column), built in the early years of the 18th century, is an exceptional example of this type of monument, as it was created in a separate style known as the “Olomouc Baroque” with an extremely rich sculptural decoration, the author of which is the outstanding Moravian sculptor Ondřej Zahner. The consecration of this 35 (!) meter monument took place in 1754, Empress Maria Theresa and her husband Franz Joseph I of Lorraine personally took part in the celebration. The Holy Trinity Column was included in the UNESCO list of monuments in 2000.

04 May. Breakfast in the hotel. bus excursion to the cities of Telc and Trebic.
Since the historical core of the city Telc, limited by ponds and gates, for many centuries has retained its unique look, in 1992 it was included in the list of UNESCO monuments. Thanks to its uniqueness, thousands of tourists from all over the world come here every year.
In the past the city Trebic was the center of Jewish culture in Moravia, the uniquely preserved Jewish part of the city remains a mute witness to the local neighborhood of Jews and Christians. Acquaintance with the sights of the city will definitely lead you to the Jewish quarter and the Basilica of St. Procopius, which in 2003 were included in the list of UNESCO monuments.

05 May. Breakfast in the hotel. Lednice-Valtice. Prague, Old Town.
Morning visit Valtice-Lednice area. This is not only an amazing romantic palace, but above all it is a masterpiece of park design of an unprecedented size! Today's complex with an area of ​​almost 300 sq. km. is the result of work characteristic of English landscape parks. Thanks to this, baroque and neo-gothic architectures meet here. The Lednice-Valtice complex is one of the masterpieces of world cultural and natural heritage UNESCO, was listed in 1996.
In the afternoon, transfer to high-speed train to Prague. Transfer and accommodation in hotel Abri 3*+(5 minutes walk to the historic center).
In the afternoon - the second part of the pedestrian excursions in Prague« Old city«: Wenceslas Square - Powder Tower - People's House - Royal Route - Old Town Square - Astronomical Clock - Tyn Church.

06 May. Breakfast in the hotel. Excursion to Kutna Hora.
For its unusual beauty, this most picturesque city nicknamed "treasury, precious box of the Czech land"! The entire center of Kutná Hora is an architectural treasure of European importance, listed in 1995 as a World cultural heritage UNESCO. The most visited objects of the "cultural" capital of the Czech Republic are: the Cathedral of St. Barbara (1388), the Church of All Saints with the Ossuary, decorated with human skulls and bones , Mint and Royal Chapel.

07 May. Breakfast in the hotel. Excursion to Cesky Krumlov and Holasovice.
Czech krumlov- one of the most beautiful cities Czech Republic, on the territory of which there are more than 300 unique architectural monuments of various historical eras! The dominant feature of the city is the second largest castle in the Czech Republic with a luxurious garden and baroque theater. In 1992, the entire historical center of the city was included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list.
On the way to Cesky Krumlov we will stop in a small landscaped village Holasovice, which features many colorful rural buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries in a style known as South Bohemian Folk Baroque. In 1998, the village was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

There are 12 UNESCO sites in the Czech Republic. To see them, I went on tour " UNESCO Masterpieces of the Czech Republic". The tour operator is Turtransvoyage (TTV).

During the tour, we saw 10 of the 12 UNESCO sites in the Czech Republic. I list them in the order in which we saw them.

1. Renaissance castle in Litomysl

3. Historic center of Prague

4. Village Holasovice

7. Church of St. John of Nepomuk in Zdiar nad Sazavou

8. Lednice and Valtice - residences of the Liechtensteins

One of the halls in Lednice

9. Kroměříž: archbishop's castle and gardens

10. Column of the Holy Trinity in Olomouc

The Basilica of St. Procopius in Třebíč and Villa Tugendhat in Brno were not covered (although we spent two nights in Brno itself, we could go if we wanted to).

In addition, the program included two Polish UNESCO sites (Krakow and Wieliczka) and two Austrian ones - the historical center of Vienna and. And we also visited a region that was once on the UNESCO list, and then excluded from it. A rare case (there were only two such precedents). We are talking about the historical center of Dresden. In this case, a monument of world importance ceased to be such because of the construction of a 4-lane bridge over the Elbe, 2 km from the center of Dresden - the decision to exclude was made by the UNESCO committee.

The funny thing is that it was this excluded object that I liked the most (specifically, the Bastei Rocks in Saxon Switzerland).

The general impression is ambiguous. Some liked it less, some more. There were two days of complete delight - the Wachau Valley and. Prague with Krumlov is also, of course, delightful under any circumstances. The day in Krakow turned out to be rich and exciting, I finally got to Kazimierz(and the Czartoryski Museum was still closed for renovation). Yes, and many other interesting and beautiful things appeared before my eyes during these days.

At the same time, some objects from the UNESCO list caused bewilderment. Well, let's say, Holašovice, a church in Zdar, gardens in Kroměříž. And why, say, the castle in Litomysl (very nice, I do not argue) is included in the list, but the magnificent castle of Gluboka nad Vltavou is not. Of course, I'm not an art historian, but somehow it seemed strange to me. In my opinion, very unequal objects.

The tour was intense, densely packed excursion objects. There was no talk of rest, it was a real study. As one of the Czech educators (“awakeners”) said, there are four levels of education: 1) primary, 2) secondary, 3) higher and 4) travel. Here we are in this case intensively passed the program of the 4th level. “Pumping” knowledge went on from morning to evening: on the bus - the guide's stories, brochures, printouts, maps.

In addition to stories and explanations, in order to consolidate the material, we watched thematic selections and films on the bus. The films were documentaries and feature films, all on the topic. Let's say, approaching Krakow, we watched a story about Major Bereznyak, who served as the prototype for Major Whirlwind. His group, abandoned behind enemy lines, managed to prevent the destruction of Krakow by the Germans. We watched films about the history and culture of the Czech Republic, as well as about the production of Czech crystal, beer, dumplings, about Czech pomegranates and Moravian wines. Full immersion in the subject.

From feature films we were given:

“The Joys and Sorrows of a Little Lord” by Govorukhin is a kind, sweet fairy tale (filmed in the castle of Gluboka nad Vltavou), “The Last Vacation” is about how you can change your fate if you start living without looking back at tomorrow (filmed in Karlovy Vary ), “The Best Offer” is an exciting adventure, although with an obvious denouement (it was filmed in Vienna and Prague), the magnificent Czech film “Kolya” is about the time of the collapse of the socialist camp and universal human values. We did not have time to watch The Illusionist (it was filmed in Konopiste Castle and Cesky Krumlov). The selection of films is wonderful, special thanks for "Kolya", now I warmly recommend it to everyone.

In the cities we had excursions with local guides. I “glued” to some guides, from others, after listening a little, I left along my route. Unsurpassed was the guide to Vienna - Juliet, who conducted a tour of the Belvedere.

In terms of learning, the trip was rich. It remains to rethink and sort through the "passed" material, to shake down all the Liechtensteins, Schwarzenbergs, Rozhmberks with the Habsburgs.

Individual travel stories

Twelve monuments Czech Republic was inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage List UNESCO.

1. Historic center of Prague

The historical center of the capital of the Czech Republic combines elements classic for ancient European cities. Magnificent squares (Staromestska, Vaclovska), surrounded by numerous Gothic and Baroque buildings; narrow, paved streets; magnificent cathedrals (St. Vitus, Tyn Church, Anezhsky Monastery, etc.); various architectural buildings of the medieval and subsequent eras (local Town Hall, Powder Tower, etc.).

2. Historic center of Český Krumlov

Located in the South Bohemian Region, on the Vltava River, ancient cityČeský Krumlov has a unique type of building: the medieval buildings of the historic center repeat the river bends in such a way that you can’t immediately understand whether this city was built on the banks of the river, or whether the river slowly entered the city. Krumlov Castle (XIV-XVII centuries), Cloak Bridge, St. Vitus Church (XIV-XVII centuries), Town Hall (1580) are among the local architectural sights.

3. Historic center of Telč

The historical center of Telc is called the Moravian Venice: located near Prague, this city is surrounded on all sides by reservoirs and a canal. Initially, all the buildings of Old Telc were wooden. After a fire that happened at the end of the 14th century, the houses were reconstructed in stone. The main sights of the historical center of Telč are made in the Gothic and Baroque style. These include Zahariev Square, the Church of the Holy Spirit and St. Anna, the local Town Hall, the ruins of the fortress wall.

4. Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk on Zelena Gora

The church dedicated to the holy martyr Jan Nepomuk is located near the town of Ždiar nad Sazavou. It was erected in the 20s of the eighteenth century by the architect Santini. Built in the form of a five-pointed star, the church is a striking example of the unique Baroque Gothic style. The number five is embodied in the entire structure of the church, which has five exits, five altar niches, five angels and stars decorating the main altar. The digital symbolism comes from a legend according to which a crown topped with five stars rose over the body of the drowned John of Nepomuk.

5. Kutná Hora: Historical city center with the Church of St. Barbara and the Cathedral of the Virgin in Sedlec

Founded in the first half of the thirteenth century, the Czech city of Kutna Hora is known for its numerous monuments of Gothic architecture. The Cathedral of St. Barbara is the second most important Catholic church in the Czech Republic. It is made in the late Gothic style. Cathedral Virgin Mary in Sedlec combines elements of Gothic and Baroque. The circle of historical sights of Kutná Hora includes the Cathedral of St. Jacob, the Archbishopric, the Jesuit College of the 17th century.

6. Cultural landscape of Lednice-Valtice

The Moravian residence of the Dukes of Liechtenstein consists of a baroque palace located in small town Valtice and neighboring Lednice manor. The Feldsberg building is surrounded by an elegant English park covering an area of ​​two hundred square kilometers. The palace is connected with Lednice by a seven-kilometer linden alley. Moravian wines are tasted and sold every year in the palace cellar.

7. Gardens and castle of Kroměříž

Standing on the Morava River in Eastern Moravia, Kroměříž is known for its unique fifteenth-century palace and park ensemble. It includes a large late Baroque archbishop's castle and adjacent gardens. The interior of the castle is made in the Rococo style, and its halls contain masterpieces of world art. Founded in the second half of the 17th century, the Flower Garden is decorated with antique sculptures and an octagonal rotunda.

8. Historic village of Holasovice

The Czech village of Holasovice is a classic rural settlement Central Europe. Local houses were built in the XVIII-XIX centuries. Their architectural style refers to the South Bohemian folk Baroque. In the center of the village there is a picturesque pond, surrounded by three dozen houses built in the first half of the nineteenth century. The streets of Holasovice are distinguished by medieval sophistication and elegance. The number of villagers is about one hundred and fifty people.

9. Castle in the city of Litomysl

Litomysl Castle was erected on the site of an ancient Slavic fortification at the beginning of the 16th century as a family nest of the Pernstein family. The architectural concept of the castle is made in the style of the Renaissance. The main distinguishing feature of the building are numerous arcades. Currently, inside the castle there is an art gallery with paintings by famous artists. After World War II, Litomysl functions as the Museum of Czech Music.

10. Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc

The Column of the Holy Trinity in the city of Olomouc is a classic plague column, installed in Europe as gratitude for delivering the region from a terrible epidemic or war. The Olomouc monument took thirty-eight years to build, from 1716 to 1754. At the base of the column is a small chapel. On the lower level there are sculptures of Saint Mauritius and Wenceslas (he is considered the patron saint of the Czech Republic), on the middle level - local saints, on the upper level - people related to the earthly life of Jesus Christ.

11. Villa Tugendhat in Brno

Villa Tugendhat was built in the first third of the 20th century by the famous German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The two-storey building, made in the Art Nouveau style, does not contain any picturesque images. As a decor, it uses an onyx wall, which freely passes the sun's rays and changes its color during sunrise and sunset. Since 1994 Tugendhat Villa has been turned into a museum.

12. Jewish district and the Basilica of St. Prokop in the city of Trebic

The city of Trebic, located in Western Moravia, has almost completely preserved the area of ​​​​the Jewish ghetto, consisting of one hundred and twenty houses and eleven thousand graves. The Basilica of Saint Prokop, built in the first half of the thirteenth century, rises in the center of the city and is an example of the architectural transition of the Romanesque style to the Gothic. Two monuments of Jewish and Christian culture are a vivid historical example of the coexistence of two different peoples within the same city.