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Dear Visitors,
The name of Zatec was first mentioned in the Thietmar of Merseburg Chronicle in 1004. Written sources dating back to the 11th to 13th century describe Zatec as an important church and administrative centre. It was raised to a feudal town by the Royal Charter of 1256, when the king Přemysl Otakar II granted Zatec important rights. Crafts, agriculture and trade become the source of the town's prosperity. Later became Zatec the centre of a famous hop-producing area.
The cultural history of the town should not be omitted - especially the town's Latin School. Around the year 1400, Jan of Zatec, the author of "The Ploughman of Bohemia", was active as rector. Under his leadership the Zatec town school turned into one of the best known and most important schools in Bohemia. In the 15th century Zatec was loyal to the Hussite movement. In 1421 the II nd crusade army was defeated at the town walls. In the 16th century Zatec was one of the most densely populated towns in Bohemia. The town's old appearance is shown on Jan Willenberg's picture from 1602. Because of the Thirty-Years War many inhabitants emigrated and the town's economical situation declined. Even the religious and national character of the town was changed. In spite of all these events, Zatec remained the country centre up to 1850, then it become the seat of district authorities.
The historical centre of the town was in 1961 proclaimed an urban reservation containing many important buildings and a wide variety of architectural styles from Romanesque to Art Nouveau. We would like to invite you to the town of Zatec, a town with hop-growing and hop-producing traditions stretching back over 700 years. All that, as well as the traditions of malt-production and quality beer-brewing, have played an important role in the development of the town, its surroundings and the people who live here. It will certainly have a lot to tell you, our visitors.