The ancient tradition associated with building rafts and floating them on rivers made it to the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage UNESCO on 1st December.
Timber rafting got into UNESCO on the basis of a transnational nomination. Under the name "Timber rafting", it was jointly prepared by six European countries: the Czech Republic, Latvia, Germany, Poland, Austria and Spain.
"The Czech Republic now has eight items on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list, which makes a total of 31 entries in UNESCO." says the director of the Czech Tourism Office - CzechTourism, Jan Herget, adding: "In addition to rafting registered today, the handmade production of beaded Christmas decorations is now also registered in UNESCO as of 2020, as well as blueprint production, puppetry, falconry, Ride of the kKngs in Slovácko, carnival tours and masks in Hlinecko, and Slovak verbuňk.'
Rafting represents the traditional knowledge and skills associated with building rafts and navigating rivers.
"Timber rafting can be experienced for example in Český Krumlov. Advent cruises on the Vltava river have their own charm, and if you combine it with a visit to the rafting museum, for example, you'll have a good time, but you'll also learn something new," says Veronika Janečková, director of the product management and regional cooperation department of the Czech Tourist Auhority - CzechTourism.
Although rafting has died out as a commercial transport due to the construction of dams, the traditions associated with it are still alive and passed down to younger generations. It is not only a question of craftsmanship in the construction of a raft, but also knowledge of its navigation on the river, and to a large extent also a specific culture associated with this tradition.
"The Czech Republic now has eight items on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list, which makes a total of 31 entries in UNESCO." says the director of the Czech Tourism Office - CzechTourism, Jan Herget, adding: "In addition to rafting registered today, the handmade production of beaded Christmas decorations is now also registered in UNESCO as of 2020, as well as blueprint production, puppetry, falconry, Ride of the kKngs in Slovácko, carnival tours and masks in Hlinecko, and Slovak verbuňk.'
Rafting represents the traditional knowledge and skills associated with building rafts and navigating rivers.
"Timber rafting can be experienced for example in Český Krumlov. Advent cruises on the Vltava river have their own charm, and if you combine it with a visit to the rafting museum, for example, you'll have a good time, but you'll also learn something new," says Veronika Janečková, director of the product management and regional cooperation department of the Czech Tourist Auhority - CzechTourism.
Although rafting has died out as a commercial transport due to the construction of dams, the traditions associated with it are still alive and passed down to younger generations. It is not only a question of craftsmanship in the construction of a raft, but also knowledge of its navigation on the river, and to a large extent also a specific culture associated with this tradition.