UNESCO World Heritage in NRW

The most important heritage sites in NRW

Cologne Cathedral, Aachen Cathedral, the castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust in Brühl and the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen. These are NRW’s most important cultural monuments to bygone times. Since 2014, Schloss Corvey has been added to this list.

Emperors and electors, men of the church and big industrialists have all left their mark in North Rhine-Westphalia in the form of five splendid monuments that are now included in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. Imposing cathedrals, magnificent castles, an immense former Benedictine abbey and the most beautiful coal mine in the world all have a fascinating history waiting to be discovered.

Corvey Höxter

Westphalia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site

Westphalia gained its first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014: The former Benedictine abbey at Corvey with the same name as the lost monastery town is permitted to carry this title.

The Brühl Palaces Brühl

Baroque buildings of exemplary character

Visitors find the baroque splendour of the Brühl palaces simply breathtaking. Anyone who stands in the stairway will understand why other royal courts can only look at Brühl with envy. Today, both structures and their gardens and parks are listed as Unesco World Heritage sites.