111 sites, 6 countries, 1 World Heritage Site

The ‘Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps’ are a serial and transnational World Heritage Site. From over 1000 known sites in the six countries of Switzerland, Italy, Germany, France, Austria and Slovenia, a selection of 111 sites was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2011.
Pile dwellings are the remains of wooden houses built on piles in or near water. They can be found in the Alps in a period from approx. 5000 - 500 BC on and in lakes, on river banks and in bogs.
Due to the very good preservation conditions in the moist soil for organic materials such as wood, textiles or plant remains, the pile dwelling sites provide us with a unique insight into everyday life, agriculture, animal husbandry and exchange in the early farming societies of Central Europe. The wooden remains make it possible to date them to the exact year and thus provide insights into the emergence of settlements and make it possible to trace their development over very long periods of time. Due to these special features - its Outstanding Universal Value OUV for mankind - the ‘Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps’ are one of 1223 (as of 2025) sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List.