On 23 June, the international training programme V4 Heritage Academy, dedicated to professionals involved in the protection of cultural heritage in Central Europe, began in Kutná Hora.

The V4 Heritage Academy is a summer training programme designed for professionals working in heritage conservation services, cultural institutions, and non-governmental organisations engaged in the protection of cultural heritage. Its aim is to facilitate the exchange of experience and good practices in the management and protection of sites inscribed on, or aspiring to be inscribed on, the UNESCO World Heritage List.

As every year, the V4 Heritage Academy: Management of UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Sites in Visegrad Countries 2025 will bring together participants from Czechia, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. The programme includes lectures, discussions, workshops, and study visits in Kutná Hora and other historic sites in the region.

The themes of this year’s V4 Heritage Academy focus on the protection of historic cultural landscapes and the challenges related to climate change. Participants in the summer school will visit, among others, the historic centre of Kutná Hora, including the Czech Museum of Silver and St Barbara’s Church, the Sedlec Ossuary, the Průhonice Park and Castle, the Kladruby nad Labem stud farm, and Kačina Palace.

The faculty of the V4 Heritage Academy is composed of members of the Working Group of Experts on Cultural Heritage of the Visegrad Group countries, as well as invited guests. In 2025, one of the guest lecturers will be Graham Bell, Director of Culture Trust and a member of the Europa Nostra Council.

The V4 Heritage Academy is implemented by the International Cultural Centre as part of the cooperation of the Working Group of Experts on Cultural Heritage of the Visegrad Group countries. The project’s permanent partners are the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Monuments Board of the Slovak Republic, and the Ministry of Construction and Transport of Hungary.

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