The UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage
What do Grand Canyon, the Galapagos Islands, the Citadel in Haiti and Engelsberg Ironworks have in common? They are all treasures in our shared world heritage. They bear unique testimony to the history of the earth and its people. To protect the most valuable cultural and natural sites against decay and destruction, the UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted at the General Conference of that United Nations body in 1972. Since then this important international agreement has been signed by 190 states, which have all thereby undertaken to satisfy the requirements and obligations of the Convention. By signing the UNESCO convention, countries pledge to care for and preserve important cultural and natural sites within their own territory and to support other countries in their efforts to preserve our shared world heritage. The international work is led by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, which consists of 21 countries. In Sweden the Swedish National Heritage Board and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, together with the rel­ evant county administrative boards and local authorities, are responsible for looking after our World Heritage sites.They are also responsible for nominating suitable cultural and natural sites for inscription UNESCO’s World Heritage List. In summer 2013 the World Heritage List contains 962 sites in 157 courtiers. Sweden has 15 World Heritage sites.
Swedish National Heritage Board Tel. +46 8 519 180 00. www.raa.se. Swedish Environmental Protection Agency Tel. +46 8 698 10 00. www.naturvardsverket.se.

The Laponian Area, Lappland
The Laponian Area is one of Western Europe’s few remain­ ing areas of wilderness. Four national parks and two nature reserves are combined in this large area of 9,400 km2. Laponia is situated in the municipalities of Gällivare and Jokkmokk. This area of high mountains and open mountain plateaus, endless forests and wide-stretched swampy land is both untamed and without roads. This is also the cultural landscape of Sweden’s indigenous Saami people. This prop­ erty was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1996. The justification of the World Heritage Committee was: The area is an outstanding example of how the earth has devel­ oped, especially geologically, and how ecological and biological changes happen today. There are also unique natural phenomena of exceptional natural beauty and significant natural localities for the protection of biological diversity. The area, which has been inhabited by the Saami since prehistoric times, is one of the best preserved examples of a nomadic area in northern Scandinavia. It contains settlements and pastures for large herds of reindeer, a custom that was once very common, going back to an early stage in human economic and social development.

The Church Village of Gammelstad, Luleå
A church village is a col­ lection of small houses and stalls at a parish church in northern Sweden, where churchgoers from distant areas could stay when attending church. The village at Gammelstad dates to the early 1600s. It is unique in combining the Nordic wooden architecture of church village and the commercial town. This property was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1996. The justification of the World Heritage Committee was: The Church Village of Gammelstad is a unique example of the traditional church town found in northern Scandinavia. It illustrates in an outstanding way the adaptation of traditional town planning to the distinctive geographical and climatological conditions prevailing in a difficult natural environment.

Would you like to know more?
For more general information about World Heritage sites in Sweden, contact the Swedish National Heritage Board or the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. See also www.raa.se and www.naturvardsverket.se. For more information about the Convention and other World Heritage sites see UNESCO: whc.unesco.org The Nordic World Heritage Foundation: www.nwhf.no The Swedish National Commission for UNESCO: www.unesco.se

Struve Geodetic Arc, Norrbotten
Wilhelm Struve’s geodetic measurements at many places along a meridian resulted in a well-determined value of the earth’s flattening at its poles. They were among the earliest of their kind. Between 1816 and 1855, measurements on a total of 265 places were made, stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea. A total of 34 places in 10 countries compose this serial world heritage. Four world heritage places are located in northernmost Sweden: Perävaara, Tynnyrilaki, Pullinki and Jupukka in the respective municipalities of Haparanda, Kiruna, Övertorneå and Pajala. This property was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2005. The justification of the World Heritage Committee was: Struve’s triangulation of a long meridian segment has contri­ buted to establish the precise size and shape of the globe. The measurement meant a great step forward to science. Measuring Struve’s Geodetic Arc is also a good example of collaboration between scientists in different countries.

Swedish National Heritage Board 2013. Print: E-print AB 2013.
 Photo: Riksantikvarieämbetet, KMB. Layout: Hedh & Franke/Helena Duveborg.
 Copyright license according to Creative Commons license CC BY.
 License at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.


1. The Laponian Area www.laponia.nu, www.laponia.info.
 Norrbotten County Administration, tel. +46 920 960 00. 
 Ájtte, Swedish Mountain and Saami Museum, tel. +46 971 170 70. 
 Gällivare Tourist Agency, tel. +46 970 166 60.


2. Struve Geodetic Arc www.heartoflapland.com.
 Norrbotten County Administration, tel. +46 920 960 00. 
 Pajala kommun, tel. +46 978 120 00. 
 Pajala Tourism and Events tel +46 978 100 15. 


3. The Church Village of Gammelstad www.lulea.se/gammelstad. Norrbotten County Administration, tel. +46 920 960 00. Världsarvskontoret/Luleå Municipality, tel. +46 920 45 51 11. Gammelstads Visitor Centre, tel. +46 920 45 70 10.

The Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland
The Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland consist of seven timber houses from the 19th century.They show how inde­ pendent farmers who had accumulated wealth through for­ estry and flax production built new homes with special rooms or separate buildings designated for festivities.The timber houses with adjacent farm buildings represent the zenith of a building tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages.The suites and buildings are lavishly decorated with paintings. The owners would commission itinerant and local artists to compose these works.Today there are approximately 1000 Hälsingland farmhouses remaining. Of these, seven farm­ houses have been selected: Kristofers in Stene, Gästgivars in Vallsta, Jon-Lars in Långhed, Pallars in Långhed, Fågelsjö gammelgård (Bortomåa), Bommars in Letsbo and ErikAnders in Asta.The farmhouses of Hälsingland were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2012. The justification of the World Heritage Committee was: The large, impressive farmhouses of Hälsingland, with their highly decorative rooms for festivities, reflect an extraordinary combina­ tion of timber building and folk art traditions, the wealth and social status of the independent farmers who built them, and the final flowering of a long cultural tradition in Hälsingland.

Engelsberg Ironworks, Fagersta
Engelsberg is a well preserved ironworks with its eighteenth and nineteenth century buildings and industrial structures still intact. This type of ironworks was the foundation for Sweden’s international position as a producer of high-quality iron. Today this property is part of the museum complex Ecomuseum Bergslagen. This property was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993. The justification of the World Heritage Committee was: Engelsberg is an outstanding example of an important European industry from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries, with important technical remains and with both offices and homes preserved.

The High Coast/ Kvarken Archipelago, Ångermanland
The High Coast is the only hilly stretch of coast along the Baltic. The area provides a clear, concentrated picture of the geological forms and the development of vegetational condi­ tions and the cultural history characterising the area, which rose out of the sea after the last Ice Age. The High Coast was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000. In 2006, the area was expanded to include the Kvarken Archipelago in Finland – a flat, rocky landscape with tracks from the Ice Age and continued land uplift. Both areas together form a geologic whole where high meets low. The justification of the World Heritage Committee was: The site is one of the places in the world that is experiencing iso­ static uplift as a result of deglaciation. Isostatic rebound is well­ illustrated and the distinctiveness of the site is the extent of the total isostatic uplift which, at 285 m, exceeds others. The site is the ‘type area’ for research on isostasy, the phenomenon having been first recognised and studied there.
4. The High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago Västernorrland County Administration, tel. +46 611 34 90 00. www.hogakusten.com, www.highcoast.net, www.naturumhogakusten.se.

The Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun
Shiny red copper metal was shipped from the Falun copper mine to become the roofs of churches and palaces all across Europe. Stora Kopparberget and its surrounding landscape are memorials to Sweden’s earliest history as an industrial nation.This property was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2001. The justification of the World Heritage Committee was: The historical landscape around the Great Copper Mountain and Falun is one of the world’s most important areas for mining and metal production. Mining came to an end in the closing years of the 20th century, but it exercised a profound influence on the tech­ nical, economic, social and political developement of Sweden and Europe for many centuries.

Birka and Hovgården, Ekerö
These are the sites of a Viking age town and royal estate situated on the islands of Björkö and Adelsö in Lake Mälaren. Its cultural landscape, ancient monuments and museum, with models and finds, give a good picture of the town’s former appearance and lifeways. This property was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993. The justification of the World Heritage Committee was: The Birka-Hovgården area is a well preserved example of the Vikings’ trading networks during the two centuries when they expanded economically and politically in Europe. Birka is one of the most complete and untouched Viking Age trading sites from the years 700–900 ad.

5. “Hälsingegårdar” – The Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland County Administrative Board of Gävleborg, tel. +46 26 17 10 00. www.lansstyrelsen.se/gavleborg. Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland www.halsingegardar.se.

6. The Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun Dalarna County Administration, tel. +46 23 810 00. Falu gruva +46 23 78 20 30. Dalarnas museum, tel. +46 23 76 55 00. Visit Södra Dalarna AB, tel. 0771 62 62 62. www.varldsarvetfalun.se.

7. Engelsberg Ironworks www. fagersta.se, www.ekomuseum.se.
 Västmanland County Administration, tel. +46 21 19 50 00. 
 Fagersta Municipality, tel. +46 223 440 00. 
 Fagersta Tourism, tel. +46 223 131 00. 


8. Birka and Hovgården Birka Museum, tel. +46 8 560 515 40. www.stromma.se, www.ekero.se, www.raa.se/birka.

Skogskyrkogården, Stockholm
The landscape and architecture of Skogskyrkogården blend together in unified harmony. This is a prominent place and concept constructed in the first half of the twentieth cen­ tury, and it has become a prototype for woodland cemeteries throughout the world. This property was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1994. The justification of the World Heritage Committee was: Skogskyrkogården, created by Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Lewerentz between 1914 and 1940, is an outstanding example of how architecture and landscaping from our century combine to make a cemetery. This creation has had a great influence on the design of cemeteries all over the world.

The Hanseatic Town of Visby
Visby is the characteristic image of a Hanseatic town, complete with a defensive wall, church ruins, well-preserved early street plan and small-scale buildings from the Medieval period and later. Because of its particular character, the central part of Visby has an extraordinary atmosphere. This property was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1995. The justification of the World Heritage Committee was: Visby is an outstanding example of a northern European walled Hanseatic town which has in a unique way preserved its townscape and its extremely valuable buildings, which in form and function clearly reflect this significant human settlement.

World Heritage Sites in Sweden
Fifteen sites inscribed on UnESCo’s list of properties of outstanding universal value

The Royal Domain of Drottningholm, Ekerö
The royal estate of Drottningholm is an exceptionally well­ preserved example of seventeenth and eighteenth century architecture, building on French prototypes. The Chinese pavilion and the royal theatre are particularly outstand­ ing and unique. The theatre’s auditorium has remained unchanged since the time of its construction in 1766. This property was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1991. The justification of the World Heritage Committee was: The Royal Domain of Drottningholm – the castle, the theatre, the Chinese Pavilion, and the park – is the best example in Sweden of a royal eighteenth-century residence, representative of all European architecture from this period. Drottningholm Castle was influenced by the French king’s Versailles, as were many other castles in Europe at this time.
9. The Royal Domain of Drottningholm www.royalcourt.se. Stockholm County Administration, tel.+46 8 785 40 00. Drottningholms slottsförvaltning, tel.+46 8 402 62 80. Drottningholms Slottsteater, tel.+46 8 556 931 00. www.dtm.se. 10. Skogskyrkogården www.skogskyrkogarden.se. Stockholm County Administration, tel. +46 8 785 40 00. Stockholm Cemetery Department, tel. +46 8 508 301 00. Stockholm City Museum, tel. +46 8 508 316 20.

The Rock Carvings in Tanum
Tanum is part of an area with rock carvings from the Scandinavian Bronze Age, currently with 1,500 known carv­ ings. These rich and extraordinary pictorial treasures from prehistory were carved into the exposed and smooth bedrock surfaces of the landscape. This property was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1994. The justification of the World Heritage Committee was: The rock carvings in the Tanum area are unique examples of Bronze Age art of the highest quality. The range of motifs provides rare evidence of many aspects of life in the European Bronze Age. The interaction between continuous settlement and land use, as reflected in the rock carvings, the cemeteries and the landscape make Tanum into a unique example of continuous human settlement during eight thousand years.
11. The Rock Carvings in Tanum Västra Götaland County Administration, tel. +46 31 60 50 00. Tanum Municipality, tel. +46 525 180 00. www.tanum.se. Vitlycke Museum, tel. +46 525 209 50. www.vitlyckemuseum.se. 12. The Hanseatic Town of Visby Gotland County Administration, tel. +46 498 29 21 00. www.lansstyrelsen.se/gotland. Region Gotland, tel. +46 498 26 90 00. www.gotland.se. Gotland Tourist Association, tel. +46 498 20 17 00. www.gotland.info.

The Agricultural Landscape of Southern Öland
The medieval land division and land use of the agricultural
 landscape of southern Öland is unique. Its important values
 lie in the early historical landscape with linear villages, fields and pastures.The limestone bedrock and grazing animals
 have created the conditions for the important biological
 values of the Great Alvar and the island’s wetlands.This
 property was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000.
 The justification of the World Heritage Committee was: The landscape of Southern Öland takes its contemporary form 
 from its long cultural history, adapting to the physical constraints 
 of the geology and topography. Southern Öland is an outstanding example of human settlement, making the optimum use of diverse 
 landscape types on a single island.


World Heritage Sites in Sweden 1. The Laponian Area, Lappland 2. Struve Geodetic Arc, norrbotten

Date of visit

1

2 3

3. The Church Village of Gammelstad, Luleå, norrbotten 4. The High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago, Ångermanland 5. Hälsingegårdar – The Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland, Hälsingland

Varberg Radio Station
The Varberg Radio Station represents a decisive step in the develop­ ment of wireless communication. The long wave communicator with its gigantic multiple antennas is 
 the only surviving example of the tens of similar stations which were 
 constructed in many parts of the world in the 1920s. This property was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2004. The justification of the World Heritage Committee was: The Varberg Radio Station is an outstanding monument repre­ senting the process of development of communication technology in the period following the First World War. The Varberg radio station is an exceptionally well preserved example of a type of telecommunication centre, representing the technological achievements by the early 1920s, as well as documenting the further development over some tree decades.
13. Varberg Radio Station www.grimeton.org. Halland County Administration, tel. +46 35 13 20 00. World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station, tel. +46 340 67 41 90.

The Naval Port of Karlskrona
The need for a naval base in southern Sweden grew in 
 the 1600s, when Sweden was a great power. The foremost experts on fortifications were called to Karlskrona to con­ struct a state-of-the-art, efficient naval base in Europe. The 
 town of Karlskrona was established in 1680 and its shipyards, architecture and town plan, with its structure and technique 
 of defense, attracted much attention from Europe. This property was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998. The justification of the World Heritage Committee was: Karlskrona is an exceptionally well preserved example of a European planned naval town which incorporates elements from earlier establishments in other countries and which was in its turn to serve as a model for subsequent towns with similar func­ tions. naval bases played an important role in the centuries dur­ ing which naval power was a determining factor in European Realpolitik, and Karlskrona is the best preserved and most complete of those that survive.

6. The Mining Area of the Great Copper

4

Mountain in Falun, Dalarna 7. Engelsberg Ironworks, Västmanland

5 6 7 8 9 10

8. Birka and Hovgården, Uppland 9. The Royal Domain of Drottningholm, Uppland 10. Skogskyrkogården, Södermanland 11. The Rock Carvings in Tanum, Bohuslän

11 13 15 14 12

12. The Hanseatic Town of Visby, Gotland 13. Varberg Radio Station, Halland 14. The Agricultural Landscape of Southern Öland, Öland 15. The Naval Port of Karlskrona, Blekinge

14. The Agricultural Landscape of Southern Öland Kalmar County Administration, tel. +46 480 820 00. Ölands Tourist AB, tel. +46 485 890 00. www.morbylanga.se, www.olandsturist.se, www.lansstyrelsen.se/kalmar.

15. The Naval Port of Karlskrona www.orlogsstadenkarlskrona.se.
 Blekinge County Administration, tel.+46 10 224 00 00. 
 Karlskrona Municipality, tel. +46 455 30 30 00. 
 VisitKarlskrona, tel.+46 455 30 34 90. www.visitkarlskrona.se.