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List of World Heritage Sites in Austria

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972.[1] Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural features (consisting of physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty, are defined as natural heritage.[2] Austria ratified the convention on December 18, 1992, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list.[3]

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Locations of World Heritage Sites in Austria[nb 1]

Sites in Austria were first inscribed on the list at the 20th Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Mérida, Mexico in 1996. At that session, two sites were added: the Historic Centre of Salzburg, and the Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn.[4] As of 2025, Austria has 12 sites inscribed on the list and a further 2 on the tentative list. Five World Heritage Sites are shared with other countries: Fertő / Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape is shared with Hungary; Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps with France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland; Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe with 17 European countries; the Great Spa Towns of Europe with Belgium, Czechia, Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom; and the Danube Limes with Germany and Slovakia. In 2017, the site Historic Centre of Vienna was inscribed on the list of World Heritage in Danger due to planned new high-rise buildings.[5] All but one of the World Heritage Sites in Austria are of the cultural type.[3]

World Heritage Sites

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UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural.[6]

  * Transnational site
  † In danger
Site Image Location Year listed UNESCO data Description
Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg   Salzburg 1996 784; ii, iv, vi (cultural) Salzburg played a crucial role in the interchange between Italian and German cultures, resulting in a flowering of the two cultures and a long-lasting exchange between them, which is visible especially in the Baroque architecture. Salzburg is a prime example of a European ecclesiastical city-state, resulting in many important buildings, both secular and religious, from the Gothic period to the 20th century. The city is also well known for its associations with the arts, especially with the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.[7][8]
Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn   Vienna 1996 786; i, iv (cultural) Schönbrunn was the residence of the Habsburg emperors from the 18th century to 1918. It was built in the Rococo style as a single, unified project. It was designed by the architects Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Nicolaus Pacassi and is the site of the world's oldest continuously operating zoo.[9]
Hallstatt–Dachstein / Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape   Styria and Upper Austria 1997 806; iii, iv (cultural) The mining of salt deposits, exploited since the 2nd millennium BCE, brought prosperity to the region. The town gave name to the Hallstatt culture, the Iron Age society. The region is also known for its mountain ranges and caves, the longest of the latter reaching a length of 81 km (50 mi).[10]
Semmering railway   Lower Austria and Styria 1998 785; ii, iv (cultural) The Semmering railway was built between 1848 and 1854 and covers 41 km (25 mi) of rugged mountains. This project was undertaken in the early days of railway construction and required a number of innovations. The tunnels, viaducts and other works are still in use today.[11]
City of Graz – Historic Centre and Schloss Eggenberg   Styria 1999 931; ii, iv (cultural) A branch of the Habsburg family lived in Graz for centuries. The Habsburgs and other local nobles beautified and expanded Graz over centuries, leading to a city with grand buildings in a number of styles.[12]
Wachau Cultural Landscape   Lower Austria 2000 970; ii, iv (cultural) The Wachau is a 40 km (25 mi) long valley along the Danube river between Melk and Krems. The valley was settled in prehistoric times and has been an important region since then. It is home to a number of historic towns, villages, monasteries, castles and ruins.[13]
Fertő / Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape*   Burgenland 2001 772; v (cultural) The Fertő/Neusiedler Lake area has been occupied by different peoples for eight millennia. The original network of towns and villages dates to the 12th and 13th centuries. Several palaces were constructed in the 18th and 19th centuries. The site is shared with Hungary.[14]
Historic Centre of Vienna†   Vienna 2001 1033; ii, iv, vi (cultural) Vienna, the capital of the Habsburg Empire, has long been acknowledged to be the musical capital of Europe. The historic centre is rich in architectural ensembles in various styles, including Baroque castles and gardens, as well as the late-19th-century Ringstraße.[15] In 2017, the site was inscribed on the list of World Heritage in Danger due to planned new high-rise buildings.[5][16]
Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps*   Carinthia and Upper Austria 2011 1363; iv, v (cultural) The site encompasses the remains of prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements in and around the Alps built from around 5000 to 500 BCE on the edges of lakes, rivers or wetlands. They contain a wealth of information on life and trade in agrarian Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures in Alpine Europe. There are five sites listed in Austria.[17] The site is shared with France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, and Switzerland.[18]
Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe*   Lower Austria and Upper Austria 2017 1133quater; ix (natural) Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians are used to study the spread of the beech tree (Fagus sylvatica) in the Northern Hemisphere across a variety of environments and the environment in the forest. The site was first listed in 2007 in Slovakia and Ukraine. It was extended in 2011, 2017, and 2021 to include forests in a total of 18 countries. Five forests in Austria were listed in 2017, one in Dürrenstein and four in Kalkalpen (pictured).[19]
Frontiers of the Roman Empire – The Danube Limes (Western Segment)*   Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Vienna 2021 1608rev; ii, iii, iv (cultural) The Danubian Limes, a network of fortifications along the Danube river, protected the borders of the Roman Empire. The Austrian section is 357.5 km (222.1 mi) long and includes sites at 46 locations. The site is shared with Germany and Slovakia.[20]
The Great Spa Towns of Europe*   Lower Austria 2021 1613; ii, iii, iv, vi (cultural) The Great Spa Towns of Europe comprises 11 spa towns in seven European countries where mineral waters were used for healing and therapeutic purposes before the development of industrial medication in the 19th century. The town of Baden bei Wien is listed in Austria.[21]

Tentative list

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In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage list, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage list are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list.[22] As of 2025, Austria recorded 2 sites on its tentative list.[23]

World Heritage Sites
Site Image Location Year listed UNESCO criteria Description
Iron Trail with Erzberg and the old town of Steyr   Upper Austria 2002 i, ii, iii, iv (cultural) The Erzberg region, between the towns of Leoben and Hieflau in Styria, is home to large deposits of iron ore. The open pit mining has transformed the mountainsides, while the area features several facilities connected to iron smelting and trading activities. The old town of Steyr is one of the most significant historic industrial towns in Austria, situated at a confluence of two rivers which both powered the iron industry and provided transportation routes.[24]
Großglockner High Alpine Road / Großglockner Hochalpenstraße   Carinthia and Salzburg 2016 i, ii, iv (cultural) The road was built in the 1930s into a pristine mountain landscape to make it accessible to a large public, following the popularisation of tourism in the High Alpine region. It showcases the technical development of high mountain road building and the management of tourism sites in the early 20th century.[25]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The site Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps consists of 111 separate sites spread over six countries. The dot in the map indicates the Attersee which is home to three of Austria's five UNESCO pile dwellings. The site Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe consists of 78 separate sites spread over twelve countries. The dot in the map indicates "Kalkalpen – Hintergebirg" which is the largest of Austria's five UNESCO beech forests. There are 46 sites of the Danube Limes in Austria, they are not shown on the map.

References

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  1. ^ "The World Heritage Convention". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Austria – Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 24 October 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Report of the Rapporteur". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. March 10, 1997. Archived from the original on May 11, 2002. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Historic Centre of Vienna inscribed on List of World Heritage in Danger". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 8 July 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  6. ^ "UNESCO World Heritage Centre – The Criteria for Selection". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 12 June 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 4 November 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  8. ^ "UNESCO World Heritage List : This is Salzburg". salzburg.info. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  9. ^ "Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 22 July 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  10. ^ "Hallstatt-Dachstein / Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 1 December 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  11. ^ "Semmering railway". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 27 November 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  12. ^ "City of Graz – Historic Centre and Schloss Eggenberg". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 19 November 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  13. ^ "Wachau Cultural Landscape". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 8 December 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  14. ^ "Fertö / Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 10 November 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  15. ^ "Historic Centre of Vienna". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 1 December 2005. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  16. ^ "Unesco puts Vienna's historic centre on 'in danger' list – The Local". Thelocal.at. Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  17. ^ "Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps – Maps". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  18. ^ "Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  19. ^ "Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  20. ^ "Frontiers of the Roman Empire – The Danube Limes (Western Segment)". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  21. ^ "The Great Spa Towns of Europe". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  22. ^ "Tentative Lists". UNESCO. Archived from the original on April 1, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  23. ^ "UNESCO World Heritage Centre – Tentative Lists". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  24. ^ "Iron Trail with Erzberg and the old town of Steyr". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  25. ^ "Großglockner High Alpine Road / Großglockner Hochalpenstraße". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
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