List of World Heritage Sites in Denmark


The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Denmark ratified the convention on 25 July 1979, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list.
The first site in Denmark to be added to the list was Jelling Mounds, Runic Stones and Church, inscribed at the 18th Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in 1994 in Phuket, Thailand. Further sites were added in 1995, 2000, 2004, 2009, 2014, 2017, and 2018. As of 2019, Denmark has ten sites inscribed on the list and a further four on the tentative list. Three sites, Kujataa, Aasivissuit – Nipisat, and Ilulissat Icefjord, are located in Greenland, which is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Seven sites in Denmark are cultural and three are natural. The natural site Wadden Sea is shared with Germany and the Netherlands. In 2014, the Danish part of the site was added to the existing site in the other two countries, listed in 2009.

World Heritage Sites

UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, whereas vii through x are natural.

Tentative list

In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage list, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage list are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list., Denmark has recorded four sites on its tentative list.
SiteImageLocationYear listedUNESCO criteriaDescription
Amalienborg and its districtCopenhagen1993i, ii, iv Amalienborg was built in the 18th century as an extension of medieval Copenhagen. The main square contains four identical palaces, designed by Niels Eigtved in the Rococo style for chosen noble families. The equestrian statue of king Frederick V is erected in the middle.
Moler landscapes of the Liim FiordJutland2010viii, ix The Western Liim Fiord contains deposits of rare diatomite from the Lower Eocene, locally known as mo-clay. The largest deposits are found around the islands of Mors and Fur. The deposits contain large quantities of fossils, including birds, reptiles, and fish.
Viking Age Ring FortressesFyrkat, Aggersborg, Nonnebakken, Trelleborg, Borgring2018iv These fortresses, all following the same standard circular shape, were built in a very short time window, around AD 975–80, during the reign of king Harald Bluetooth. Since they functioned for only a short period of time and were later mostly undisturbed, they provide an important insight into the Viking Age Denmark.
The Maritime Heritage of Dragør Old Town and Harbour - A ‘skipper-town’ from the era of the great tall ships in the 18th and 19th centuriesDragør2019ii, iii, iv, v The town of Dragør is strategically located on the coast of the Øresund strait. Both the well-preserved Old Town and the Harbour bear testimony to the time when Denmark was an important seafaring nation, with ships from Dragør sailing not only to the Baltic and Northern Europe but also to the Americas, Africa, and Asia.