UNESCO World Heritage Sites are those extraordinary places that are so significant that they transcend the value of a single nation - treasures that are considered the common heritage of all humanity. They tell of the creativity, courage and knowledge of previous generations as well as the power of nature. Whether medieval cathedrals, revolutionary architecture, ancient documents or legendary cultural landscapes: World Heritage is where history is not only preserved, but made tangible.
For UNESCO, cultural heritage includes human-made features such as historic cities, works of art, architecture or cultural landscapes that make the development of human civilization visible. Natural heritage, on the other hand, refers to exceptional natural landscapes, geological formations or habitats that were created without human intervention and are protected due to their beauty, diversity or scientific importance.
But World Heritage is more than stone and landscape: it also includes the fleeting treasures of culture - the intangible heritage. Traditions, craftsmanship, music, rituals. Everything that cannot be touched but can be experienced. Then there is the world's documentary heritage, the Memory of the World, so to speak: documents, manuscripts, maps, photographs - the evidence of our collective knowledge.
