Denmark gets two new places on the UNESCO World Heritage List

Moravian Church-founded Christiansfeld and King Christian V’s forest make the grade

The little hamlet of Christiansfeld in south Jutland and King Christian V’s forest in north Zealand have been recognised as two of the world’s unique culture and nature heritage sites by UNESCO.

Christiansfeld – founded by members of the Moravian Church (one of the oldest Protestant denominations in the world) in 1773 – is very well preserved and the original buildings and architecture reflect the values of the Moravian Church.

King Christian V’s forest was designed by the king himself in the 1680s in order to have the best possible surroundings for hound hunts. The riders and hounds would hunt deer and wildlife until exhaustion, before the king or other noble guests could finish it off with a sword or spear.

“Denmark’s nature is a magnet for tourism, and every year it sets the stage for over 110 million visits,” said Eva Kjer Hansen, the food and environment minister.

“It’s proof that Danes and tourists appreciate good experiences in nature. I am sure that the two new beautiful Danish spots on UNESCO’s world heritage list will be a great benefit to the tourism industry.”

READ MORE: Denmark tipped to gain two UNESCO World Heritage Sites

No to the Vikings
The Danish kingdom, which includes Greenland and the Faroe Islands, already had six places on the list: Vadehavet, Stevnsklint, Roskilde Cathedral, Kronborg Castle, Jelling Monuments and Ilulissat Ice Fjord in Greenland.

The third Danish UNESCO candidate for this year, the Viking monuments and sites in northern Europe – a joint application with Iceland, Latvia, Norway and Germany – did not make the list. UNESCO recommended that the countries improve their application.




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