With its wealth of scenic and cultural interests, Germany is a land of contrasts. From the flatlands of the north to the mountains in the south, with forests in the east and west, regional characteristics are a strong feature of German life and present a rich variety of folklore and customs. As of 2022, there are 51 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany; 48 cultural and three natural.
Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch (cultural, 1991) Lorsch [Wikipedia] [UNESCO]
⭐️ Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau (cultural, 1996) Dessau, Weimar and Bernau bei Berlin [Wikipedia] [UNESCO]
Bauhaus was a German art school that operated from 1919 to 1933, but the name has since become synonymous with the art style for which it is famous. The movement attempted to unify the principles of mass production with artistic individuality, aesthetics and functionality. The style is characterised by simple geometric shapes without elaborate decoration, straight lines softened by rounded corners, and, in architecture, large banks of windows and white-clad walls. It is often seen as the epitome of early modernism.
UNESCO designated Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau as World Heritage Sites in 1996, protecting the main campus buildings and associated buildings designed by its students.
⭐️ Fagus Factory in Alfeld (cultural, 2011) Alfeld [Wikipedia] [UNESCO]
Despite its similarities to Bauhaus, the Fagus Factory building's exterior isn't of that style. However, its interior was designed in collaboration with Bauhaus students. The factory manufactures shoe lasts - a mechanical form shaped like a human foot used in the production and repair of shoes by other manufacturers and cobblers. Construction of the modernist building started in 1911.
Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz (cultural, 2000) Saxony-Anhalt [Wikipedia] [UNESCO]
Hanseatic City of Lübeck (cultural, 1987) Schleswig-Holstein [Wikipedia] [UNESCO]
Monastic Island of Reichenau (cultural, 2000) Baden-Wüttemberg [Wikipedia] [UNESCO]
⭐️ Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin (cultural, 1999) Berlin [Wikipedia] [UNESCO]
The Museum Island in Berlin is the central museum complex, located on the northern part of the Spree Island. The island was constructed over 100 years between 1830 and 1930, having originally been a residential area. The complex consists of the following buildings:
Altes Museum (Old Museum)
Neues Museum (New Museum)
Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery)
Bode Museum
Pergamon Museum
Humboldt Forum
Berlin Cathedral
Lustgarten
Berlin Palace - the reconstructed palace stood here from 1443 until it was bombed by Allied bombs in 1945. It was subsequently demolished and the Palace of the Republic was built in its place before it was reconstructed in its original form in the 2010s.
Perhaps the best known of these two areas is Speicherstadt in the Port of Hamburg. It is the largest warehouse district in the world. Originally built as a free zone to transfer goods without the need to pay customs tax, the site opened in 1888, having displaced over 20,000 people who lived in the area prior to construction beginning.
The area was heavily bombed during World War Two and the area was rebuilt in the years afterwards. Whilst some of the units are still used as warehouses, the buildings also contain museums, commercial and residential space.
A site of heavy industrial activity, the Völklingen Ironworks opened in 1883. Although the plant closed in the 1980s, it is the only historic blast furnace complex that demonstrates the entire production process from raw materials to delivery. The factory is exactly as it was when it closed in 1986 and now houses a museum and extensive exhibition space.
The Darmstadt Artists' Colony was founded in 1899 by Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse, the last Grand Duke reigning from 1892 to 1918. It refers to both the Jugendstil art movement and the buildings in which the movement influenced. The Jugendstil movement (Young Style) was an influential German art style, similar in many ways to Art Nouveau. It reacted against histroicism and neo-classicism, in favour of more artistic, modern styles.
The colony hosted four exhibitions showcasing their designs; First Exhibition in 1901, Second in 1904, Third in 1908 and Fourth in 1914. UNESCO listed the movement and all associated works as World Heritage Sites in 2021.
Common Site(s) - sites in multiple locations and countries
Frontiers of the Roman Empire (cultural, 1987) Central Lowlands of Scotland; Northern England; Southern Germany [Wikipedia] [UNESCO]
Muskauer Park / Park Mużakowski (cultural, 2004) Upper Lusatia, Germany; Poland [Wikipedia] [UNESCO]
Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps (cultural, 2011) Austria; France; Germany; Italy; Slovenia; Switzerland [Wikipedia] [UNESCO]
Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe (natural, 2007) Albania; Austria; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Czech Republic; France; Germany; Italy; North Macedonia; Poland; Romania; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Switzerland; Ukraine [Wikipedia] [UNESCO]
The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement (cultural, 2016) Stuttgart, Germany; Argentina; Belgium; France; India; Japan; Switzerland [Wikipedia] [UNESCO]
The Wadden Sea (natural, 2009) Denmark; Germany; Netherlands [Wikipedia] [UNESCO]
Frontiers of the Roman Empire in Bavaria (cultural, 2021) Danubian Limes, Bavaria [Wikipedia] [UNESCO]
The Great Spa Towns of Europe (cultural, 2021) Germany; France; Austria; Belgium; Czech Republic; Italy; UK [Wikipedia] [UNESCO]
Ben deals with all things design, working on the visual design of our annual guides, Destinations magazine, information leaflets, social media and email campaigns, and much more across the Alan Rogers, Rallies and Worldwide brands. He also produces written content for our blogs alongside our other contributors.
Largely self-taught, Ben studied Fashion Media at a university in London before realising graphic design was his calling and joined the Alan Rogers team in 2016. He is responsible for the design of all our Europe guides since 2018, Destinations magazines since 2020 and the ongoing development of our Worldwide business.
Deeply ingrained in Britain's culture and history, the UK's UNESCO sites demonstrate pioneering Victorian industrial heritage and mining culture. In the south, Stonehenge and the Jurassic Coast make up the share of natural sites.
There are some impressive places on the list in France, as you can well imagine, such as Chatres Cathedral, the Palace of Versailles and the fortified city of Carcassone. So why not plan your next trip across the Channel to visit some of these sites, they’ve been given this status for a reason, so you know you’re in for a treat!
As of 2021, there are 43 UNESCO sites in Spain, four of which are located in the Canary Islands, one in Ibiza and one in Mallorca (we've only included mainland sites). Spain joined the 8th Session in 1984 and inscribed five sites; Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, Córdoba, The Alhambra and the Generalife, Granada, Burgos Cathedral, Monastery and Site of the Escorial, Madrid and Park Güell, Palau Güell and Casa Milà, Barcelona.
As of November 2021, there are a whopping 58 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Italy - more than in any other country in the world! The first site to be inscribed was the Rock Drawings in Valcamonica in 1979.
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