The inscription of Kladruby to UNESCO could be clear in the summer of 2019

The Czech Republic has long been striving for the inscription of the landscape for the breeding and training of ceremonial carriage horses in Kladruby nad Labem on the UNESCO list. The horse breeding landscape was included on the UNESCO indicative list in 2007. This January, representatives of the Czech Republic officially submitted the nomination documents to UNESCO in Paris.

Participants of the August evaluation included representatives from the Ministries of Culture and Agriculture, the National Heritage Institute, the Pardubice Region, the Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection, the town of Přelouč, and Kladruby nad Labem. "The program of the event was filled with thorough inspections of the entire landscape modeled for the breeding and training of Old Kladruber horses, as well as the breeding farm and adjacent buildings," Douša stated.

According to a member of the mission and Deputy Minister of Culture Vlastislav Ouroda, the breeding and training of the Kladruber horse significantly influences the surrounding landscape and simultaneously allows for the preservation of traditional procedures and techniques, crafts, and traditional knowledge associated with the everyday life of the breeding farm. "The inscription of this cultural landscape would be a confirmation of the cultural, natural, and historical values of the entire area associated with the breeding of unique Kladruber horses," Ouroda stated.

The breeding farm hopes that the UNESCO listing will significantly increase the number of visitors. Last year, about 80,000 people visited the stud farms in Kladruby and Slatiňany, as well as the training center in Heřmanův Městec, which is part of the National Stud Farm. The management of the breeding farm believes that the UNESCO listing could bring up to ten times more visitors.

The landscape in Kladruby combines the influence of horse breeding and long-term agricultural management and landscape modifications. Covering a total area of 1,310 hectares, several types of landscapes are represented. The breeding farm has been a cultural monument since 1995, including the core breeding stock of Old Kladruber horses, and has been a national cultural monument since 2002.

In recent years, the Kladruby breeding farm, which is a contribution organization of the Ministry of Agriculture, has been undergoing extensive reconstruction. The first phase of repairs was completed two years ago. For 350 million crowns, the breeding farm renovated 17 buildings and three open spaces with sculptures, receiving 300 million crowns from European grants.

The breeding farm in Kladruby is the oldest large breeding farm in the world. Its foundation was laid by Emperor Maximilian II, who established the stud in 1563. Rudolf II then elevated the original horse park to an imperial court stud farm on April 4, 1579, and this date is considered the date of establishment. In 1918, the state took over the breeding farm.