| Registration Classification | cultural heritage |
| Registration Criteria | (2), (4) |
| Year of registration | 2000 |
The Wachau Valley, the entire valley along the Danube River from Melk to Krems, is registered as a World Heritage Site. The valley is dotted with magnificent monasteries, castles, and ruins, and is valued for the fact that it retains evidence of prehistoric human life, with vineyards using the Danube River.
Here, a World Heritage enthusiast explains why the Wachau Cultural Landscape is a World Heritage Site in an easy-to-understand manner. Read this and you will definitely learn more about the Wachau Valley!
What is the Wachau Cultural Landscape?
The registered area is about 80 km west of the capital city of Vienna, and covers an area of about 35 km along the Danube River from Krems to Melk.
The Danube River area has a long history of development, dating back to the Neolithic Age, but it was not until the 9th century that the area was opened up to farmland as we know it today. Thereafter, it began to be developed as vineyards, and grape growing continued until the 18th century. Farmland was also used for orchards in the 19th century.
The foundation of the town structure along the Wachau Valley was laid in the 11th and 12th centuries. Most of the town plots from that time still remain, and in the 15th and 16th centuries, the wooden houses were converted to stone, creating the townscape that we see today. The town’s many remaining buildings, including taverns, inns, coach stations, flour mills, blacksmith shops, and salt cellars, date back to the 15th and 16th centuries and are still part of the townscape. The Wachau Valley was recognized as a cultural landscape because of this series of landscapes that remain.
The Melk Monastery, located along the valley, is a representative component and a Benedictine monastery.It was founded in the 11th century, but it was not until the 18th century that it became the Baroque building seen today. The frescoed ceilings are a highlight of the building, and their power is impressive!
Since many castles and monasteries were built along the valley, the Danube River has long been an important means of transportation, and these facilities became a strategic point of transportation and a defensive base for the capital city of Vienna.
For what reason is the Wachau Cultural Landscape on the World Heritage List?
The Wachau Valley was recognized for
Registration Criteria (ii)
The Wachau Valley is a place where there is much evidence of mankind’s journey with the Danube River.
Registration Criteria (iv)
The landscape that has remained since the Middle Ages, with its architecture, mansions, and farmlands along the valley, means that the landscape has evolved with history.
世界遺産マニアの結論と感想
It may be difficult to imagine what a cultural landscape is, but in a nutshell, it means that the towns and agriculture evolved along with the Danube River. The fact that even today, the most notable buildings such as castles and monasteries, the old town, and the vineyards have been preserved is what has earned the area its reputation.
Incidentally, the area of more than 18,000 hectares has been registered, and it must be difficult to build new buildings in this area….It may be a cultural landscape, though.
*The content here is a discussion derived from research conducted by World Heritage enthusiasts. As for the data, interpretation differs depending on the media.
