The UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Hungary

The World Cultural / Natural Heritage Sites of
Hungary, Protected by UNESCO

Budapest guide > what to see in Budapest > UNESCO World Heritage sites

1. Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the
Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue (since
1987)
This site has the remains of monuments such as the
Roman city of Aquincum and the Gothic castle of Buda,
which have had a considerable influence on the
architecture of various periods. It is one of the world's
outstanding urban landscapes and illustrates the
great periods in the history of the Hungarian capital.

2. The old village of Hollókő and it's surroundings
(since1987)
Hollókő is an outstanding example of a deliberately
preserved traditional settlement. This village, which
developed mainly during the 17th and 18th centuries,
is a living example of rural life before the agricultural
revolution of the 20th century.

3. The Aggtelek National park (since1995)
The variety of formations and the fact that they are
concentrated in a restricted area means that the 712
caves currently identified make up a typical temperate-
zone karstic system. Because they display an
extremely rare combination of tropical and glacial
climatic effects, they make it possible to study
geological history over tens of millions of years.

4. The 1000 years old benedictine monastery of
Pannonhalma (since 1996)
The first Benedictine monks settled here in 996. They
went on to convert the Hungarians, to found the
country's first school and, in 1055, to write the first
document in Hungarian. From the time of its founding,
this monastic community has promoted culture
throughout central Europe. Its 1,000-year history can
be seen in the succession of architectural styles of the
monastic buildings (the oldest dating from 1224),
which still today house a school and the monastic
community.

Justification for Inscription: The Committee decided to
inscribe the nominated property on the basis of
cultural criteria (iv) and (vi) considering that the site is
of outstanding universal value illustrating in an
exceptional manner the structure and setting of an
early Christian Monastery that has evolved over a
thousand years of continuous use. Its location and the
early date of its foundation bear unique witness to the
propagation and continuity of Christianity in Central
Europe.

5. The Hortobágy National park (since 1999)
The cultural landscape of the Hortobágy Puszta
consists of a vast area of plains and wetlands in
eastern Hungary. Traditional forms of land use, such
as the grazing of domestic animals, have been
present in this pastoral society for more than two
millennia.

Justification for Inscription: Criterion (iv): The
Hungarian Puszta is an outstanding example of a
cultural landscape shaped by a pastoral human
society. Criterion (v): The landscape of the Hortobágy
National Park preserves intact and visible the evidence
of its traditional use over more than two millennia and
represents the harmonious interaction between
human beings and nature.

6. The early Christian catacombs in Pécs (since
2000)
In the 4th century, a remarkable series of decorated
tombs were constructed in the cemetery of the Roman
provincial town of Sopianae (modern Pécs). These are
important both structurally and architecturally, since
they were built as underground burial chambers with
memorial chapels above the ground. The tombs are
important also in artistic terms, since they are richly
decorated with murals of outstanding quality depicting
Christian themes.

Justification for Inscription: Criterion (iii): The burial
chambers and memorial chapels of the Sopianae
cemetery bear outstanding testimony to the strength
and faith of the Christian communities of Late Roman
Europe. Criterion (iv): The unique Early Christian
sepulchral art and architecture of the northern and
western Roman provinces is exceptionally well and
fully illustrated by the Sopianae cemetery at Pécs.

7. The area around the Fertő tó (Neusiedlersee)
(since 2001)
The Fertő/Neusiedler Lake area has been the meeting
place of different cultures for eight millennia. This is
graphically demonstrated by its varied landscape, the
result of an evolutionary symbiosis between human
activity and the physical environment. The remarkable
rural architecture of the villages surrounding the lake
and several 18th- and 19th-century palaces adds to
the area's considerable cultural interest.

Justification for Inscription: Criterion (v): The Fertö-
Neusiedler Lake has been the meeting place of
different cultures for eight millennia, and this is
graphically demonstrated by its varied landscape, the
result of an evolutionary and symbiotic process of
human interaction with the physical environment.

8. The historical Tokaj wine region
(since 2002)
The cultural landscape of Tokaj graphically
demonstrates the long tradition of wine production in
this region of low hills and river valleys. The intricate
pattern of vineyards, farms, villages and small towns,
with their historic networks of deep wine cellars,
illustrates every facet of the production of the famous
Tokaj wines, the quality and management of which
have been strictly regulated for nearly three centuries.

Justification for Inscription: Criterion (iii) The Tokaji
wine region represents a distinct viticultural tradition
that has existed for at least a thousand years and
which has survived intact up to the present. Criterion
(v) The entire landscape of the Tokaji wine region,
including both vineyards and long established
settlements, vividly illustrates the specialized form of
traditional land-use that it represents.

Pictures from whc.unesco.org

About World Heritage
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to
future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life
and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa’s Serengeti, the
Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin
America make up our world’s heritage.

What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World
Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which
they are located.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to
encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage
around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in
an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World
Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.

UNESCO's World Heritage mission is to:

encourage countries to sign the World Heritage Convention and to ensure the
protection of their natural and cultural heritage;
encourage States Parties to the Convention to nominate sites within their national
territory for inclusion on the World Heritage List;
encourage States Parties to establish management plans and set up reporting
systems on the state of conservation of their World Heritage sites;
help States Parties safeguard World Heritage properties by providing technical
assistance and professional training;
provide emergency assistance for World Heritage sites in immediate danger;
support States Parties' public awareness-building activities for World Heritage
conservation;
encourage participation of the local population in the preservation of their cultural
and natural heritage;
encourage international cooperation in the conservation of our world's cultural and
natural heritage.

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Acquincum, Budapest, Holloko, Hollókő, Aggtelek, Aggtelek caves, Aggtelek National Park, benedictine monastery, Pannonhalma,
Hortobagy National Park, Hortobágy, Christian Catacombs, Pecs, Pécs, sopianae cemetery, Fertő tó, Ferto lake, Neusiedler see,
Neusiedlersee, Tokaj, Tokaj wine, Tokaji wine