The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated 171 World Heritage Sites in Western Europe (including international dependencies). These sites are located in 9 countries (also called "state parties"); Germany and France are home to the most with 46 and 45, while Liechtenstein, Monaco and the British Crown Dependencies of the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey have no sites. There are twelve sites which are shared between state parties both in and out of Western Europe. The first site from the region to be included on the list was the Aachen Cathedral in Germany in 1978, the year of the list's conception.
Each year, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee may inscribe new sites on the list, or delist sites that no longer meet the criteria. Selection is based on ten criteria: six for cultural heritage (i–vi) and four for natural heritage (vii–x). Some sites, designated "mixed sites," represent both cultural and natural heritage. In Western Europe, there are 151 cultural, 18 natural, and 2 mixed sites.
The World Heritage Committee may also specify that a site is endangered, citing "conditions which threaten the very characteristics for which a property was inscribed on the World Heritage List." Presently, none of the sites in Western Europe are currently listed as endangered, though two German sites and an English site were previously listed: the Cologne Cathedral was marked as endangered in 2004 due to the construction of several high-rise buildings around it, but it was removed from the list in 2006. The Dresden Elbe Valley site was listed in 2006 in hopes of halting the construction of the four lane Waldschlösschen Bridge through the valley. When construction continued as planned, it became the second site to be delisted as a World Heritage in 2009, the first being Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary two years earlier. Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City was listed in 2004, marked as endangered in 2012 due to planned developments in the protected area, and removed from the list in 2021 when development plans went ahead.
List
Legend The list below uses a cultural definition of Western Europe (which includes Ireland and the United Kingdom, contrary to the United Nations Statistics Division's definition). It also omits eight sites outside of Europe belonging to European state parties: Curaçao (Netherlands), French Austral Lands and Seas (France), French Polynesia (France), New Caledonia (France), Reunion Island (France), Gough Island (United Kingdom), Henderson Island (United Kingdom), and Bermuda (United Kingdom). These sites are included in the African, American, and Oceania lists.
Site – named after the World Heritage Committee's official designation Location – sorted by country, followed by the region at the regional or provincial level and geocoordinates. In the case of multinational or multi-regional sites, the names are sorted alphabetically. Criteria – as defined by the World Heritage Committee Area – in hectares and acres, followed by buffer zones if applicable. A value of zero implies that no data has been published by UNESCO Year – during which the site was inscribed to the World Heritage List Description – brief information about the site, including reasons for qualifying as an endangered site, if applicable
World Heritage Sites Site Image Location Criteria Areaha (acre) Year Description Aachen Cathedral GermanyAachen, Cultural:GerAac(i), (ii),(iv), (vi) 1978 An iconic feat of architecture that sparked copies around Germany for centuries to come, Aachen's cathedral became the first-built vaulted structure since antiquity. The town itself was closely tied to Charlemagne during the cathedral's inception, which explains why it became his burial place when he died in 814. Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch GermanyLorsch, Cultural:GerLor(iii), (iv) 1991 The abbey and gate or 'Torhall', are from the Carolingian era. The notable Carolingian sculptures and paintings are still in good condition. Abbey Church of Saint-Savin sur Gartempe FranceVienne, Cultural:FraVie(i), (iii) 1983 Often referred to as the "Romanesque Sistine Chapel", the church features well-preserved murals from the 11th and 12th centuries. Amiens Cathedral FranceAmiens, Cultural:FraAmi(i), (ii) 1981 Amiens Cathedral is known as one of the classic Gothic churches of the 13th century. Following a devastating fire in 1218, it spent almost an entire 200 years under construction before taking on its current form in 1401, after which it has remained in great shape. Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe Germany*;*;*;*;*;*;*;*;*;*;*;* Natural:Ger1(ix) ; buffer zone 2007Extended in 2011 to include the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany and name change from Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians. Extended again in 2017 to include additional sites in other countries and changed named again to present name. 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 addition of the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany in 2011 included five forests totaling that are added to the of Slovakian and Ukrainian beech forests inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2007. The site was further expanded in 2017 to include forests in 9 additional European countries. Archaeological Border complex of Hedeby and the Danevirke GermanySchleswig, Schleswig-Holstein, Cultural:GerEss(iii), (iv) 2018 Hedeby was an important settlement of Danish Vikings and Swedish Varangians. It is considered an early medieval city in northern Europe and was an important trading place and main hub for long-distance trade between Scandinavia, western Europe, the North Sea region and the Baltic States.