The royal town of Žatec is one of the oldest historical towns in Bohemia; the first written reference to it dates back to 1004. There is no other place in the world where you can find such a unique complex of hop-growing buildings, streets and squares in close vicinity of medieval walls. As early as a thousand years ago, Žatec was already an important centre and hub of hop growing. Thanks to its typical characteristics, hop from Žatec has always been the standard defining the quality and prices in the world market. At the same time, it experienced the rise of the most famous beer brands, and it still is the symbol of quality of this frothy beverage.