🏛️ Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps
Serial UNESCO World Heritage property spanning five Alpine nations
📋 Fast Facts
- 111 archaeological sites across Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France, and Italy
- Occupation period: approximately 5000–500 BCE (Neolithic and Bronze Age)
- 56 sites located in Switzerland; additional sites in four neighboring countries
- Exceptionally well-preserved settlements on lake, river, and wetland margins
This serial World Heritage property comprises 111 prehistoric pile-dwelling settlements distributed across the Alpine region and its foothills. The sites, built between approximately 5000 and 500 BCE, represent one of Europe's most significant archaeological records of early agrarian communities. Settlements were constructed on the edges of lakes, rivers, and wetlands, where waterlogged conditions created exceptional preservation of organic remains ...