2nd OÖ KulturEXPO I April – December 2027
The OÖ KulturEXPO is an adaptable cultural format which is always redefining itself. With its history, nature and people, Upper Austria always serves as the starting point.
From April to December 2027, the second OÖ KulturEXPO invites visitors to rediscover both UNESCO World Heritage at four World Heritage Sites as well as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Upper Austria.
“Whether it is UNESCO World Heritage or intangible cultural heritage, both testify to the variety, the history and the special identity of our federal state. It is our duty to both preserve this heritage and to keep it alive. And that is what we are proud to do. We look into it!”
LOOK CLOSER
The concept of World Heritage expresses the need to protect outstanding cultural and natural assets. Since 1972, UNESCO has listed cultural and natural sites particularly worthy of protection on the basis of the UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The list currently includes more than 1,200 sites in 168 different countries. Austria is represented with 12 World Heritage Sites, four of which are in Upper Austria.
The venues of the OÖ KulturEXPO 2027 encompass four UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These sites have evolved over centuries and millennia – whether by chance or intention, or as the product of human intervention or natural processes.
© Wolfgang Simlinger
© Kuratorium Pfahlbauten
© Wolfgang Simlinger
© Wolfgang Simlinger
This UNESCO World Heritage Site, which has been shared by Austria since 2011, lies hidden beneath calm waters. The remains of four of these prehistoric settlements can be found in lakes in Upper Austria: three in Lake Atter and one in Lake Mond.
The Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. Salt has been mined here since prehistoric times, being one of the most important economic products and export goods in this cultural landscape. This region also gave its name to an entire epoch in the Iron Age: the Hallstatt period.
The frontier of the Roman Empire, a social and cultural development that shaped large parts of Europe for many centuries, once ran beside the River Danube. In this context, Upper Austria is home to the following archaeological sites: Oberranna, Schlögen, Wilhering, Linz and Enns.
More than one fifth of Europe was once covered in forest. As people began to develop more permanent settlements, however, these forests were cut down to make way for farming. This part of Upper Austria has been included on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2017 with the Nationalpark Kalkalpen, an extensive area spanning some 5,252 hectares.
© iStock / Francesco Corticchia
© iStock / lorenzot81
© iStock / Nikada
© iStock / Maksym Belchenko
© iStock / MTStock Studio
PASSING ON WHAT IS CLOSE TO OUR HEARTS
The UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was signed in 2003. It encompasses time-honoured traditions, the performing arts, social customs and festive events as well as knowledge about nature and craftsmanship. It currently recognises more than 182 cultural practices in Austria alone.
Discover cultural heritageLOOK LOOK
The OÖ KulturEXPO 2027 cordially invites you to discover Austria’s World Heritage Sites in a new and thrilling way. With a wide range of activities for adults and children alike, World Heritage and intangible cultural heritage will be brought to life and made tangible and available to experience at first hand. The different formats will spark curiosity, convey knowledge in an understandable way and inspire visitors to engage with the culture, history and special attributes of our region.
World Heritage³ is a three-tiered educational program which introduces school pupils to UNESCO World Heritage and Upper Austria’s intangible cultural heritage in a hands-on way. Following an interactive workshop especially for schools concerning Upper Austria’s four World Heritage Sites, the pupils work together with the holders of intangible cultural heritage to complete their own projects, before then building on their understanding further in field trips.
World Heritage³
An in-school interactive workshop explains what UNESCO World Heritage status means. With the help of a giant book, the pupils delve into the fascinating history of the four World Heritage Sites in Upper Austria. Across four chapters, they discover where these special places are located, why they are so important, and what they have to do with us.
World Heritage³
Buddies of Intangible Cultural Heritage are people who are passionate about traditions and share their knowledge and enthusiasm with young people.
Together with a Buddy, pupils develop their own project: they discover a tradition, get to know the people behind it and turn it into something new.
World Heritage³
To wrap up the course, the students visit a World Heritage Site in Upper Austria or delve deeper into intangible cultural heritage. An overview detailing contacts and available options makes it easier to plan and book suitable field trip destinations.
QUESTIONS?
