Czech gold for future generations?
In the earth beneath the Czech Republic lies gold worth €20 billion. But unlike the country's lithium reserves, this gold is not planned to be mined — due to environmental concerns and economic factors.
Jilove u Prahy is a picturesque town with almost 5,000 inhabitants and a great many historical monuments. This region, along the River Sazava, a tributary of the Vltava near Prague, is a popular recreational area for citizens of the Czech capital.
In the 14th century, Jilove u Prahy was the third-most-important town in the kingdom of Bohemia, after Prague and Kutna Hora, and its population was more than double that of today. Back then, King Charles IV of Bohemia (1355-1378) was Holy Roman Emperor, and during his reign Jilove was the empire's most important source of gold.