Norway | World Heritage Explorer

Norway has been a State Party to the World Heritage Convention since 1977. With 8 inscribed properties, the country maintains a well-established presence on the World Heritage List. The majority of its sites are cultural properties, reflecting a strong emphasis on historical and architectural heritage. One of these properties is shared with neighboring countries, demonstrating cooperation across borders in heritage conservation.

Norway as a State Party to the World Heritage Convention

State Party since: May 12, 1977

Status: Ratification

Mandates to the World Heritage Committee: 1983-1989, 2003-2007, 2017-2021

Total of Mandate Years: 14

Total of Mandates: 3

WHC Electoral Group: I (Western Europe/North America)

World Heritage Sites in Norway (8)

Cultural: 7 | Natural: 1 | Mixed: 0

Bryggen · Cultural
Rjukan-Notodden Industrial Heritage Site · Cultural
Rock Art of Alta · Cultural
Røros Mining Town and the Circumference · Cultural
Struve Geodetic Arc · Cultural (Transboundary)
Urnes Stave Church · Cultural
Vegaøyan – The Vega Archipelago · Cultural
West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord · Natural

Map of World Heritage Sites

This interactive map shows the location of all UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Norway.

Tentative World Heritage Sites (6)

Várjjat Siida · submitted: August 27, 2025
Viking Monuments and Sites / Vestfold Ship Burials and Hyllestad Quernstone Quarries · submitted: January 10, 2011
Svalbard Archipelago · submitted: June 21, 2007
Islands of Jan Mayen and Bouvet as parts of a serial transnational nomination of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge system · submitted: June 21, 2007
The Laponian Area - Tysfjord, the fjord of Hellemobotn and Rago (extension) · submitted: October 7, 2002
The Lofoten islands · submitted: October 7, 2002

Source: UNESCO Tentative Lists

Country Profile Norway

Official Name: Kingdom of Norway

Continent: Europe

Subregion: Northern Europe

UNESCO Region: Europe and North America

Capital: Oslo

Population (2024): 5,572,272

Land Area: 364,270 km²

Currency: Norwegian krone (NOK)

Country Data Sources

Links

UNESCO World Heritage Convention: State Party Norway

About States Parties

States Parties are countries that have joined the World Heritage Convention. They commit to identifying, nominating, and protecting properties of outstanding cultural or natural value on their territory. States Parties are also expected to monitor and report on the condition of inscribed sites.

World Heritage Insights

How Politics and Institutions Shape the UNESCO World Heritage List

The UNESCO World Heritage List is usually seen as a catalogue of the world’s most important cultural and natural places. Yet behind every inscription there is a structured decision process: countries must first join the Convention, run for a seat on the World Heritage Committee, prepare nominations through a fixed procedure, and finally obtain enough votes for inscription.

World Heritage Info

Background

Learn about UNESCO, the World Heritage Convention, Tentative Lists, and how World Heritage Sites are selected and preserved. Explore the history, structures, and processes that protect humanity’s cultural and natural treasures.

Portions of this page are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset. Changes made. Original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE) is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Commission. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.