Czech UNESCO Heritage Sites: Holašovice
It contains a set of unique village buildings in an unmistakable Rustic Baroque style. A system of habitable homes and granaries survived to this day; these are connected via outside walls with gates and exits into the village square. The complex consists of 23 protected estates with 120 buildings. The buildings are all located around a rectangular square, shadowing the original foundation of the village – in the middle of nowhere.
Aside from the luxurious residential buildings, you’ll also find a forge, inn, chapel and a unique piston-pump well at the site.
All of the above is intertwined with a powerful village atmosphere, reflected in the colorful fronts of buildings with otherwise frugal plaster decorations. The baroque village has 140 inhabitants who took a liking to this lifestyle. They feel dedicated to the artistic value of the village, honor it and respect it. The village reminds us of what life was like in a 19th century village – and it stands firm in the 21st century thanks to its stability and picturesque nature. One could go as far as to say that time flows differently here, a bit slower.
Humble beginnings of the luxurious village and its lively historical development
The name suggests that the village was founded when the party of a certain Holas or Holaš, who could have been a member of the king’s company, settled here. The first written mention of the village dates back to 1292. Other historical sources suggest that the inhabitants were Czech. However, this situation changed after the plague, which killed most of the Czech inhabitants. Soon afterwards the deceased were replaced by a number of German inhabitants; German nationality remained predominant here for a long time, and during the World War II the village even became part of Reich. However, all of that changed in 1946.
All of the above had a profound impact on the local inhabitants. The locals surely felt their fair share of fear and concerns, but also plenty of happy times and everyday difficulties. However, they lived their lives in beautiful and one could even say luxurious architectural monuments which have lasted to this day.
