In September, over 1000 otherwise closed locations will be accessible to the public

Uherské Hradiště - Nearly 300 municipalities and more than 1000 monuments of local and world significance from across the country are registered for this year's European Heritage Days. The national opening of this pan-European event, which is held under the patronage of the Council of Europe and is participated by 48 states of the European Cultural Convention every year, will take place on September 8 at 10:30 in Uherské Hradiště. This was announced to reporters by the chairman of the Association of Historical Settlements of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia, Petr Sedláček.
    As part of the European Heritage Days, history and culture lovers will have a unique opportunity to view monuments that are usually not accessible to the public; special tour routes and various accompanying events will also be available at other sites. The entrance fee will be lower than usual at most locations, while some places will allow people to enter for free. The event will last until September 16.
    The national opening is held in a different city each year. The organizers are selected by the Association of Historical Settlements of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia. The city of Uherské Hradiště won in strong competition. According to Sedláček, the city administration is taking extraordinary steps to preserve monuments and make them accessible to the public. "Especially after the floods in 1997, when water flooded its historical center, the city managed very well," noted the association's chairman.
    During the ceremony, Minister of Culture Václav Jehlička will award selected folk craftsmen the title of Bearer of Folk Craft Traditions for 2007. This year, it will be awarded to Rozálie Blažková, who weaves objects from corn husks, Hana Buchtelová for weaving fabric using an ancient tradition, Iveta Dandová, who weaves with bulrush, Blanka Mikolajková for frame weaving, and handmade shoemaker František Tureček.
    European Heritage Days have been held in Europe since 1991 under the auspices of the Council of Europe. In the Czech Republic, not only officially declared cultural monuments are opened to the public, but dozens of doors to private and public buildings, such as town halls, courts, religious institutions, schools, and residential buildings, are also opened. A detailed list of open sites is published on the internet portal www.ehd.cz. The theme of this year's edition is Monuments, Crafts, and Folk Culture.