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Unesco World Heritage

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Welcome to the Kvarken Archipelago

A Valuable Natural Heritage Site

The unique Kvarken Archipelago is Finland's only Natural World Heritage Site on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Together with Sweden's High Coast, the Kvarken Archipelago is the best place in the world to experience and understand the land uplift phenomenon caused by the last Ice Age.

Boat houses by the water

Experience the Kvarken Archipelago

In the Kvarken archipelago, you can experience the fresh nature, the idyllic villages and the breathtaking land uplift scenery.

Find your experience
World Heritage Gateway Visitor Center

Visitor Centre World Heritage Gateway

Located next to the longest bridge in Finland, the Visitor Centre World Heritage Gateway is the starting point of your visit! At the gate you will receive information about our World Heritage and get tips on sights and things to do in the Kvarken Archipelago. Welcome!

Visit World Heritage Gateway
Small wooden box, a padlock on top of it.

Kvarken’s Sea Monster – Escape Game

The mysterious sea monster has been seen in the Kvarken Archipelago in the 1800s. Now it seems to be back in our rocky kingdom. Step in to the exhibition Weichsel in the visitor centre World Heritage Gateway, and see if you can catch the monster in time!

Read more and book your game here
Velvet scoter landing into water.

Audio Guide for the Kvarken Archipelago

Stories from the Kvarken Archipelago World Heritage area collected in one audio guide! Listen anytime, anywhere, no app needed. The audio guide has 75 place-specific episodes, making it a great companion for your archipelago excursions.

Listen to stories of the Kvarken Archipelago
In the Kvarken, the scenery is rough but beautiful.

World Heritage Site in a nutshell

High meets low: the Kvarken Archipelago and Sweden's High Coast are a joint World Heritage Site on UNESCO's list. Traces of the Ice Age and continuous land uplift feature the both sides.

Learn more about the World Heritage Site
Two people watch as a drone is flying away.

Projects in the Kvarken Archipelago World Heritage area

Read more about the ongoing projects in the Kvarken Archipelago World Heritage area.

Read more about the projects

Environmental Management Certificate to The World Heritage Gateway Visitor Center

On December 9th in 2022, the Kvarken World Heritage association was awarded the EcoCompass environmental management system certificate for managing and developing environmental issues in accordance with the environmental management system. The organisation commits to compliance with the 10 EcoCompass criteria.

Read more about the environmental certificate
Wonderful underwater world - no wait a minute, there's trash! Let's keep the World Heritage's shores and waters clean ➡️ take part in Yle campaign to reach million trash bags in Finland! Report your collected trash bags here (site in Finnish): yle.fi/aihe/miljoona-roskapussia Photos: Metsähallitus Forststyrelsen Aija Nieminen
23.05.2023 - 07:31

Kvarken Archipelago - World Heritage Site
Wonderful underwater world - no wait a minute, there's trash! Let's keep the World Heritage's shores and waters clean ➡️ take part in @yle campaign to reach million trash bags in Finland! Report your collected trash bags here: https://yle.fi/aihe/miljoona-roskapussia Photos: Metsähallitus Forststyrelsen Aija Nieminen #kvarkenworldheritage #miljoonaroskapussia #enmiljonsoppåsar #finnishworldheritagesites #yle #finnishparks #luontoonfi #worldheritage #maailmanperintö #världsarv #unesco
23.05.2023 - 07:24

kvarkenworldheritage
Now you can check the current weather in Svedjehamn in Björköby before you go on an excursion! Or follow the forces of the weather in our unique world heritage area, the Kvarken archipelago, in real time. Or study wonderful sunsets in the sea. The cameras have been realized by VASEK in collaboration with Visit Vaasa. https://rtsp.me/embed/3y7bF83A/
22.05.2023 - 12:17

Kvarken Archipelago - World Heritage Site
World Heritage Gateway prepares for the upcoming summer season! Read the captions to find out more about what's new at the visitor centre. Implemented as part of the project Creative Kvarken which aims, among other things, to develop World Heritage's spaces. The project is funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
19.05.2023 - 13:19

Kvarken Archipelago - World Heritage Site
🍀 A free tip for tomorrow 18th of May, when the international Musem Day is celebrated: you can see for example the exhibition Terranova at the Ostrobothnian Museum free of charge! Terranova tells about the Kvarken Archipelago World Heritage. 🍀 Besides the Ostrobothnian Museum, you get in without a fee also to Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art and Tikanoja Art Museum in Vaasa. See the museums' opening hours here: https://vaasankaupunginmuseot.fi/en/
17.05.2023 - 07:31

Kvarken Archipelago - World Heritage Site
The summer cruises in the world heritage archipelago are booked now! Do you want to go on a boat trip to the world heritage archipelago? This summer you can book a cruise with M/S Corina from The World Heritage Gateway/Berny's next to Replot Bridge or with West Coast Rib Charter from Molpe fishing harbour. M/S Corina cruises between 1.7-6.8.2023, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 14-16.30. Book here: https://visitvaasa.bookingonline.fi/stable/tapahtuma.jsp?teema_id=2462&id=14975-36682&kieli=UKN West Coast Rib Charter starts crusing to Molpehällorna islands on Friday June 2nd at 4 p.m. In June and August, the rib boat departs on Fridays and Saturdays. 1.7–5.8 you can take a cruise every day at 12.00. In addition, trips are made to Strömmingsbådan and Rönnskär in June and August. Check out the booking calendar here: https://www.westcoastribcharter.com/book-online Do you want to make your own boat trip according to your own timetable in the world heritage archipelago? Then you will find other boats available here: https://www.vaasa.fi/en/see-and-experience/the-kvarken-archipelago-world-heritage-site/experience-kvarken/to-do-in-the-kvarken/cruises-and-boat-trips/
16.05.2023 - 07:55

Kvarken Archipelago - World Heritage Site
Visitor survey in Kvarken Archipelago! From May to September you have the chance to participate and give feedback on your experience as a visitor. Our staff is out on different locations about once a week. Today Malin is in Svedjehamn. Come say hi if you see us! #visitvaasa #kvarkenworldheritage #kvarken #merenkurkku #metsähallitus #forststyrelsen
15.05.2023 - 10:41

kvarkenworldheritage
Interested in World Heritage and climate change? Join Conversations with communities on Wednesday at 3 pm. Discuss and hear experiences from High Coast / Kvarken Archipelago and heritage sites in Nigeria and Mocambique. Program and registration via the link.
08.05.2023 - 07:56

Kvarken Archipelago - World Heritage Site
08.05.2023 - 07:53

Kvarken Archipelago - World Heritage Site
New communication materials are starting to appear at our info points around the World Heritage municipalities! 🤩 Here's a sneak peak from the library of Korsnäs. The wooden tern really is a cherry on top of the cake! 🍒 For a listing of all our info points, scroll down the World Heritage Gateway's webpage: www.kvarkenworldheritage.fi/world-heritage-gateway/
03.05.2023 - 11:39

Kvarken Archipelago - World Heritage Site
02.05.2023 - 11:56

Kvarken Archipelago - World Heritage Site
28.04.2023 - 20:30

kvarkenworldheritage
Spring is late in Ostrobothnia, but now the fish still gather to spawn in Bodvattnet. On Thursday 27th Svenska Yle's live broadcast from the playground of the roaches, perches and pike begins. We get to follow the fish that come up along the stream at Märaryggen in Svedjehamn (Björköby) to play. Svenska Yle's live broadcast runs for 24 hours from 12 o'clock on Thursday April 27th until 12 0'clock on Friday April 28th. The broadcast is shown online. ATTENTION! Direct link to the broadcast - the broadcast starts at 12:00 Finnish time (EET) on Thursday April 27th! This broadcast can be seen abroad without restrictions!
27.04.2023 - 07:17

Kvarken Archipelago - World Heritage Site
Can we collect one million rubbish bags by mid-June? We can! 💪 Participate @yle Million Trash Bag campaign by collecting trash anywhere and report the bags on the online counter. #kvarkenworldheritage thanks you! 🤗 Which World Heritage community is the most active, Korsholm, Vaasa, Malax, Korsnäs or Vörå? 😉 The campaign's official partners include @metsahallitus_forststyrelsen, @korsholm_mustasaari and @vaasavasa. Report your trash bags here: www.yle.fi/aihe/miljoona-roskapussia #finnishworldheritagesites #finnishparks #luontoonfi #miljoonaroskapussia #enmiljonsoppåsar #yle
21.04.2023 - 09:38

kvarkenworldheritage
What could World Heritage education in the Kvarken Archipelago look like? 🌱 This is answered in the pilot project World Heritage Educator in the Kvarken Archipelago, led by a project manager Fia Antus. The goal of the project is to create a plan for the work and activities of the future World Heritage Educator, to achieve the objectives of UNESCO's World Heritage Education. 🌍 The project is ongoing 1.3-31.12.2023 and it’s funded by Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY/Ympäristökasvatus ja -valistus), Stiftelsen Brita Maria Renlunds minne, Svenska kulturfonden, Konstsamfundet, Aktiastiftelsen i Vasa, City of Vaasa and Kvarken World Heritage Association. The project’s website in Finnish and Swedish: www.merenkurkku.fi/merenkurkun-hankkeet/maailmanperintopedagogi/ www.kvarken.fi/projekt-kvarken/varldsarvspedagog/ #kvarkenworldheritage #finnishworldheritagesites #unesco #världsarvspedagog #maailmanperintöpedagogi #merenkurkku #kvarken #merenkurkunsaaristo #kvarkensskärgård
20.04.2023 - 10:10

kvarkenworldheritage
Weekend in the Kvarken Archipelago ☀️🌜 Now it's a perfect time to experience our unique land uplift forests. You can clearly see the different vegetation zones that follow the land rising from the sea 🌾 #kvarkenworldheritage #finnishworldheritagesites #merenkurkku #Kvarken #Merenkurkunsaaristo #kvarkenskärgård #unesco #worldheritage #maailmanperintö #världsarv #visitvaasa #luontoonfi #finnishparks
02.04.2023 - 18:56

kvarkenworldheritage
Greetings from Røros, Norway! 👋 Kvarken gang visited the beautiful mining town of Røros, which forms an UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the area's cultural sceneries that are connected to the copper mining of 333 years. We even walked in Olav's mine in 50 metres depth! The visit was part of the Nordic World Heritage's VR network. We learned about Norwegian VR innovations and brainstormed how @rorosmuseet could tell the story of the copper smeltery (in the second picture). #nordicworldheritage #rørosmuseet #røros #unesco #worldheritage #världsarv #maailmanperintö #olavsgruva #olavsmine #kvarkenworldheritage #visitnorway
29.03.2023 - 08:45

kvarkenworldheritage
Couldn't agree more, Kvarken Archipelago offers many amazing spots for different activities 👌 #repost @mariaelinalla Ihana maaliskuinen sunnuntai - lempipaikassa. #kvarkenworldheritage #visitvaasa #luontoonfi #finnishparks #finnishworldheritagesites #Merenkurkunsaaristo #kvarkenarchipelago #kvarkensskärgård #svedjehamn #replot #raippaluoto
16.03.2023 - 09:48

kvarkenworldheritage
💡 Kvarken fact of the day; without the interplay between land and sea, land uplift would not be so readily apparent in the landscape. 💡 As the seafloor rises, the waves shape the coastline, creating unique geological values. If you have ever played with water and sand on the beach, you probably have noticed how water works its way through the sand and how quickly it changes its form. Add a thousand years to this and even rock will be worn down! 👀 Photo by Vincent Westberg @kvarkenpictures #kvarkenworldheritage #kvarken #merenkurkku #highmeetslow #luontoonfi #finnishparks #finnishworldheritagesites #luonnonperintö #naturarv #naturalheritage #maailmanperintö #världsarv #worldheritage #unesco #100syytämatkaillasuomessa
08.03.2023 - 08:58

kvarkenworldheritage
Take a trip to the wintry Kvarken Archipelago World Heritage Area during the sports holiday. Hike along our nature trails and have a coffee or grill a sausage in the spring sun.
27.02.2023 - 10:40

kvarkenworldheritage