MfD: Holašovice wants to fell the linden trees in the village square listed as UNESCO heritage

ČESKÉ BUDĚJOVICE - People from Holašovice in the České Budějovice region, a village listed in the UNESCO registry, want to fell the linden trees in the village square, which is a unique example of South Bohemian architecture known as rural Baroque. Nature conservationists and preservationists are opposed to this, writes today's Mladá fronta DNES.
There are 22 linden trees in the square, at least eight of which the municipality wants to remove and replace with other, shorter trees, said Jan Jílek, the mayor of Jankov, under which Holašovice falls.
The residents are bothered by pollen and leaves; additionally, the linden trees sometimes cast shadows over the baroque gables of the Holašovice cottages. Tourists reportedly find them obstructive when taking photos.
The intention of the municipality has been opposed by the civic association Calla and the Administration of the Blanský Les Protected Landscape Area, to which the village belongs. "We definitely do not agree with the felling. We cannot cut down healthy trees for the sake of Japanese tourists. Some are already being unsatisfactorily modified," quotes the newspaper Vladimir Molka from Calla.
According to preservationists, felling the linden trees would change the appearance of the protected village square, which was added to the UNESCO list in 1998. "In the heritage zone of Holašovice, the trees are part of the protected area, and therefore, the opinions of state heritage care must be considered in their maintenance," said Ludmila Kadrnková from the Ministry of Culture to MFD. Generally, according to her, felling linden trees is undesirable.
Holašovice, located 15 kilometers from České Budějovice, is a unique ensemble of brick folk architecture. It was declared a heritage reserve in 1995 and has been on the UNESCO list since 1998. It is visited by around 80,000 tourists annually.