Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops

has incribed

on the UNESCO World Heritage List

Riyadh, Žatec, 18th September, 2023

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.

For the Czech Republic, this means the seventeenth consecutive successful inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. At the same time, it is the first hop growing landscape in the world to receive this prestigious status.

Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops is situated in the north-western part of the Czech Republic in a location that provides ideal conditions for growing hops, a central aroma ingredient in beer brewing. It consists of two component parts that together illustrate the entire cycle of cultivating, processing and trading the world’s most renowned variety of hops.

The Saaz Hop Landscape consists of rural hop fields and the small villages of Stekník and Trnovany. The second component part is Žatec that consists of the historic urban centre of the town of Žatec and its industrial part "Pražské předměstí" - the Prague Suburb form 19th century.

The inscription was also welcomed by representatives of hop growers. Lubos Hejda, Chairman of Board of the Hop Growers Union of the Czech Republic, spoke for all of them: "We welcome the decision of the Committee, which appreciated the preserved heritage assets connected with the growing and processing of Saaz hop variety, the best quality fine aroma hop variety grown in the Czech Republic."

For more information have a look at the Press Release here

The website of the property:

https://www.zatec-and-the-landscape-of-saaz-hops.com/

The official incription on the website of UNESCO:

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1558

The Extended 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, discussed the nomination of the Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops

Czech delegation at the Extended 45th session of the World Heritage Committee, from left Z. Rosa (Vice-chair of the Hop Growers Union of the Czech Republic)

The press conference was held to sucessful incription of the Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops on UNESCO World Heritage List, from left L. Hejda, Chairman of the Board of the Hop Growers Union of the Czech Republic, and vice-mayor, mayor, vice-mayor of the Town of Žatec and director of Temple of Hops and Beer

Czech hop harvest reached 4 453 metric tons

ÚKZÚZ (Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture) has released the 2022 hop crop figures. The very poor harvest was thus confirmed officially.

Czech hop growers picked total 4 452,43 metric tons of dry hops. It is an yield across the all varieties only 0.90 tons per hectar.

2022 crop was 46,4 per cent or 3 854 metric tons of hops down in comparison to record-breaking year ago. 2012-2021 average yield has been 1.30 metric tons per hectar.

Czech Embassy in DC hosted I.H.G.C. spring

meeting & special evening for beer and hops

The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington, DC in cooperation with Bohemia Hop a.s. and Hop Growers Union of the Czech Republic hosted the spring meeting of International Hop Growers Convention on April 9. The meeting was attended by 40 delegates from the Czech Republic, USA, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Slovenia, New Zealand etc. President of I.H.G.C. Mr. Leslie Roy appreciated hospitality of the Embassy. Summary report of Economic Committee was updated by 13 member countries. The merchant report also was presented. I.H.G.C. total hop acreage in 2016 crop after correction reached almost 55 thousands hectars, production almost 108 thousands tonnes. The hop area strung for harvest in 2017 are expected higher more than 3 thousands hectars compared to previous year.

Delegates from Ministry of Agriculutre of the Czech Republic also joined the meeting. I.H.G.C. delegates exchanged their views on upcoming hop season. 

Hop Harvest 2016

The Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture (CISTA) announced the official 2016 crop results. The total hop harvest in the Czech Republic reached 7 712 t of hops.

This official figure includes Saaz, Auscha and Tirschitz regions. Average national yield was 1,61 t/ha (including all varieties grown in the Czech Republic).  It has been historically the best yield for Czech hops since 1920. Czech Hop harvest reached good result after a very poor crop of 2015 where we recorded one of the lowest results in yields and alpha content. The combination of 2015 and 2016 crop gives us an average result which corresponds to crop 2014. The quality of 2016 crop can be regarded as good as the the plant health and slightly above the long term average with regards to alpha acid content.

Current demand for Czech hops encouraged growers to increase their acreage. It has led to growing hop area back to almost 5 thousands hectars that the Czech Republic had in 2010. Hops from current acreage have been already contracted to a high level for next few years.

For further information and figures click here

http://www.czhops.cz/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=35&Itemid=105&lang=en