World Heritage Sites in Switzerland

Bern, May 5, 2010 – swissinfo.ch is presenting special multimedia reports on the country’s growing and diverse list of Unesco World Heritage Sites. The special dossier, available online in Switzerland’s national languages, is now also in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese. The reports invite visitors on a virtual journey through the centuries to discover Switzerland’s cultural and natural treasures that are considered by Unesco to be of “outstanding value to humanity”.

The Unesco list includes 890 World Heritage Sites in 145 countries. Ten of the sites are in Switzerland with the unique 19th century town planning of the watchmaking centres Le Locle und La Chaux-de-Fonds the latest to be recognised. Switzerland gained entry to the exclusive World Heritage club in 1983 when Bern’s old town and the convents of St Gallen and St John at Müstair were listed. Added over the years have been the three castles of Bellinzona (2000), the Lavaux vineyard terraces (2007) and the Rhaetian Railway lines in the Albula and Bernina area (2008).

Switzerland is the only alpine nation to be home to three Unesco World Heritage Natural Sites: the Jungfrau-Aletsch region (2001), Monte San Giorgio with its Triassic period fossils (2003), and the Tectonic Arena Sardona (2008).

The Swiss are also involved in the candidature of two cross-border proposals: the prehistoric pile dwelling sites spread across the Alps and the works of architect Le Corbusier.

The multimedia reports including videos, galleries and interviews are presented on swissinfo.ch in eight languages. Visitors to the website can also test their World Heritage knowledge in a quiz.

Contact:

Stefania Summermatter, Project Manager
[e-mail]
[phone]