World Heritage Sites in Finland – Shared treasures
UNESCO World Heritage Sites represent some of humankind’s most valuable cultural and natural heritage. There are seven World Heritage Sites in Finland. The Kvarken Archipelago is a natural heritage site, while the other six are cultural heritage sites: Struve Geodetic Arc, Suomenlinna Sea Fortress in Helsinki, Old Rauma, Petäjävesi Old Church, Verla Groundwood and Board Mill near Kouvola, and the Bronze Age burial site of Sammallahdenmäki near Rauma.
Visit the Luontoon.fi service to learn more about the Kvarken Archipelago or Struve Geodetic Arc survey points.
Land uplift coast of the Kvarken Archipelago
The Kvarken Archipelago was the first designated natural heritage site in Finland. The Kvarken Archipelago off Vaasa and the High Coast of Sweden on the other side of the Gulf of Bothnia make up a common geological World Heritage Site of the two countries. This is the best place in the world to experience and understand the land uplift process that started after the last Ice Age.
During the last Ice Age, the continental ice sheet was at its thickest precisely where the World Heritage Site is located today. When the heavy ice sheet melted, the land that had been weighed down began to lift. This process continues today at the rate of approx. 9 millimetres a year.
The traces of ice and the effects of land uplift can be clearly seen in the nature and landscapes of Kvarken, where new land is continuously rising from the sea. The flora and fauna are constantly changing, which makes this area a living example of how nature adapts to change.
Struve Geodetic Arc - Science and collaboration
Struve Geodetic Arc is a World Heritage Site that tells the story of humans’ desire for knowledge and international cooperation. This great achievement of early 19th century science helped to determine the size and shape of the globe.
Struve Geodetic Arc extends from Ukraine to Norway, and the huge surveying task took 39 years. The inscribed World Heritage Sites include 34 survey points. Six of them are found in Finland, for instance in Tarvantovaara, Aavasaksa and Mustaviiri.
The World Heritage Sites in Finland, such as the land uplift coast of the Kvarken Archipelago and Struve Geodetic Arc, represent values that are irreplaceable for humankind. They offer unique opportunities to explore the wonders of nature and human achievements.