Cultural
Žatec et le paysage du houblon Saaz
République tchèque
Photo : ŠJů (CC BY 4.0)
Located in the Bohemian region of the Czech Republic, this cultural landscape centres on the town of Žatec and its surrounding hop-growing territories. The site represents a significant example of European agricultural heritage, shaped by centuries of hop cultivation that has profoundly influenced the region's economic, social and visual character. The distinctive terraced fields, traditional farming practices and integrated processing infrastructure demonstrate the development of specialised horticulture linked to the brewing industry. The landscape reflects the interconnection between agricultural production, trade networks and settlement patterns that emerged from the cultivation of the prized Saaz hop variety. The architectural heritage of Žatec itself, including merchant houses and civic buildings, bears witness to the prosperity generated by the hop trade throughout the medieval and modern periods. This combination of cultivated landscape, traditional agricultural methods and built heritage documents an important chapter in European agricultural and economic history.
