The 2013 Historical City of the Year competition knows 14 regional finalists

Valašské Meziříčí

Prague - The twentieth edition of the Historical Town of the Year competition already knows 14 regional finalists. The winner will be announced on April 18th, on International Monuments and Sites Day. This was announced today by Vilém Řehák, Secretary of the Czech Republic's Centre for Regional Development. The competition organized by the state and the Association of Historical Sites of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia evaluates the care for monuments and their protection.
    A total of 51 historic zones and reserves competed for the title. "Compared to last year, the number of applicants increased by five. The fiercest battles were fought in the South Bohemian and Liberec regions, where eight and seven towns applied, respectively. In contrast, only one application was submitted in Prague," stated Řehák.
    According to him, the commission evaluates care for monuments and the approach to the protection of historical cultural heritage. "This is reflected in the financial participation of the city in monument restoration, the conceptual preparation for the regeneration of the historic zone, as well as the care for residents, visitors, social life, and the overall appearance of the town," he reported.
    The Association of Historical Sites of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia organizes the competition in collaboration with the ministries of regional development and culture. In 1993, it also contributed to the establishment of a program for the protection of monuments, from which approximately four billion crowns have been allocated since then.

Finalists of the Historical Town of the Year 2013 competition:

Region	Finalist
Prague	Prague 2
Central Bohemian	Kutná Hora
Ústí nad Labem	Kadaň
Karlovy Vary	Bečov
Plzeň	Klatovy
South Bohemian	Prachatice
Liberec	Frýdlant
Hradec Králové	MPZ Hradec Králové
Pardubice	Chrudim
Moravian-Silesian	Příbor
Olomouc	Lipník nad Bečvou
Zlín	Valašské Meziříčí
Vysočina	Třebíč
South Moravian	Boskovice