Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps
Cultural
1363
2011
Cultural
Description
This serial property of 111 small individual sites encompasses the remains of prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements in and around the Alps built from around 5000 to 500 B.C. on the edges of lakes, rivers or wetlands. Excavations, only conducted in some of the sites, have yielded evidence that provides insight into life in prehistoric times during the Neolithic and Bronze Age in Alpine Europe and the way communities interacted with their environment. Fifty-six of the sites are located in Switzerland. The settlements are a unique group of exceptionally well-preserved and culturally rich archaeological sites, which constitute one of the most important sources for the study of early agrarian societies in the region.
Inscription details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| WHS ID | 1363 |
| Inscribed | 2011 |
| Category | Cultural |
| Criteria | (iv)(v) |
| State party | Italy,France,Austria,Slovenia,Switzerland,Germany |
| Transboundary | Yes |
| French name | Sites palafittiques préhistoriques autour des Alpes |
Protected monuments
| Monument | Commune | Protected |
|---|---|---|
| Eglise Saint-Jean-Baptiste | Chevry-sous-le-Bignon | 1950 |
| Château du Boullay-Thierry | Le Boullay-Thierry | 2007 |
| Ancienne commanderie de templiers du Gué-Lian | Moitron-sur-Sarthe | 2005 |
| Ancien hospice de Beaugency | Beaugency | 1929 |
| Eglise Saint-Martin de Louvigné | Louvigné | 2018 |
| Ancien champ de Foire | Saint-Aignan | 1946 |
| Ancienne mine de charbon de la Tranchée | Montjean-sur-Loire | 2004 |
| Eglise de Savennières | Savennières | 1840 |
| Hôtel Tissier de la Motte | Angers | 1975 |
| Eglise Saint-Etienne de Meslay-le-Vidame | Meslay-le-Vidame | 1967 |
| Hôtel particulier (hôtel Mabille-Duchêne) | Baugé | 1992 |
| Couvent de la Visitation (ancien) | Le Mans | 1906 |
| Villa de la Bastière de Vertou | Vertou | 1997 |
| Eglise Saint-Etienne (collégiale) | Dun-sur-Auron | 1840 |
| Immeuble de Nantes | Nantes | 1954 |
Loire appellations
| Appellation | Avg score | Reviews | Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sancerre | 89.3 | 554 | White |
| Muscadet Sèvre et Maine | 88.6 | 237 | White |
| Pouilly-Fumé | 89.6 | 153 | White |
| Vouvray | 88.4 | 153 | White |
| Touraine | 86.3 | 85 | White |
| Chinon | 88.7 | 72 | Red |
| Menetou-Salon | 87.3 | 69 | White |
| Crémant de Loire | 87.5 | 54 | Sparkling |
| Val de Loire | 85.6 | 41 | White |
| Saumur | 88.4 | 40 | White |
| Anjou | 87.6 | 36 | White |
| Rosé d'Anjou | 84 | 35 | Rosé |
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Updated: April 14, 2026.