This world wide organization was established November 16, 1945.
UNESCO’s World Heritage List is only one of its programs. Its main role is to create a list of the world's natural and historical monuments to guarantee their preservation and protection.
Several of our cultural and natural properties were inscribed into the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Bardejov and Banská Štiavnica's historical centre and its technical monuments, Spiš Castle- the biggest castle in central Europe, Vlkolínec Village with its wooden houses documenting our traditions and culture, wooden churches situated in eastern Slovakia are just examples of our historical monuments inscribed into the List. We would like to mention some natural treasures from the UNESCO List: unique caves lying in Slovak Paradise, Oak Primaeval Forest in North-East Slovakia. On the other hand, there are some treasures waiting to be inscribed into the List: Gothic wooden altar chiseled out by Master Pavol from Levoča, Limes Romanus-an ancient Rome’s border defence system or Tokai vineyards.
Spiš Castle is one of the biggest castles in Europe and the biggest one in the Central Europe. It was inscribed into the UNESCO’s World heritage List in 1993. The castle is formed by a complex of Renaissance and Gothic buildings constructed by several owners. Nowadays it houses an exhibition of arms.
Location: northern Slovakia, Spišské Podhradie or Žehra villages, nearby Spišská Nová Ves
The village is a nice example of a typical old northern Slovakian architecture. It is interesting that unlike other open-air folk museums, 45 original wooden houses forming Vlkolínec are still inhabited. The village was inscribed into the UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1993.
Caves lying in Slovak Karst were added to the UNESCO’s World Heritage List together with caves located in Hungary in 1995. Some of them are accessible to tourists, some not. Dobšinská Ice Cave and Ochtinská Aragonite Cave lying in Rožňava and Spišská Nová Ves districts are the most precious and popular ones.
Bardejov and its Town Hall Square were included into the UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2000. The square is surrounded by many precious historical buildings built in Renaissance and Baroque styles: Catholic Parochial Church of St. Egidius, Town Hall from the sixteenth century, noblemen’s mansions and an exposition of Icons- paintings on wood in Šariš Museum.
Former Jewish Spa with a synagogue situated not far from the city centre is a unique preservation of the eighteenth century city centre constructed following the Talmud prescriptions (a central text of Rabbinic Judaism).
Location: eastern Slovakia, Bardejov
Carpathian Beech Primaeval Forest in Carpathian Mountains was included into the UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2007. It lies in:
Vihorlat – surrounding Vihorlat Mountains
Havešová – Snina District, between Kalná Ráztoka and Stakčínska Ráztoka
Rožok – North-West from Ulíč Village, Poloniny National Park
Eight wooden churches located in eastern Slovakia were included into the UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2008. The oldest ones were constructed in the sixteenth century and some are still places of regular church services. Being inscribed into the list was the greatest honor they could ever received.
In UNESCO World Heritage were insigned the following wooden churches:
Greek catholic churches:
In Ruská Bystrá
Roman catholic churches:
In Hervartova pri Bardejove