The mountain landscape between the Anterior Rhine valley, the Sernf valley and Lake Walen provides a uniquely visible illustration of mountain-building processes. In view of the outstanding value of this geological phenomenon, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee - currently meeting in Quebec City (Canada) - decided yesterday to inscribe the property, which covers an area of more than 300 km2 around Piz Sardona, on the natural World Heritage List.

Normally, younger rocks are deposited on older rocks, but in this area - straddling the cantonal borders of St. Gallen, Glarus and Graubünden - Verrucano rocks dating back 250-300 million years are found on top of flysch rocks that are "only" 35-50 million years old, with the two layers separated by the "magic line" of the Glarus Overthrust. Particularly striking formations can be seen on the Tschingelhoren, including the famous Martin's Gap between Elm and Flims, and on the Foostock in the Weisstannental.

The World Heritage Committee acknowledged in particular the educational and scientific value of the "Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona", as the new World Heritage site is called: the mountain-building processes, with numerous exposures, and the overthrust, visible over considerable distances, were impressively manifested and had played a significant role in scientific research since the eighteenth century. The nomination set a high standard for other tectonic or geological sites. The Committee emphasized that probably only a small number of tectonic properties are suitable for inclusion on the World Heritage List.

Listing as a World Heritage site: recognition and commitment

The inclusion of the site in the World Heritage List places an obligation on the communes and cantons concerned, together with the federal authorities, to assure its long‑term protection. Listing is not only an honour and a mark of global recognition, but also involves a commitment to preserve the property for future generations. A joint agreement concluded by the communes to this effect comes into force with the inscription of the site on the list, and no additional legal regulations are required. Parts of the property are already protected at the national, cantonal or regional level, e.g. as sites listed in the Federal Inventory of Landscapes and Natural Monuments of National Importance (BLN) or protected as mire landscapes, such as Lochsite at Schwanden, parts of the Murg and Mürtschen valleys, the Graue Hörner, the Plaun Segnas Sut and the Glatschiu dil Segnas (glacier foreland).

With financial support provided by the federal government, cantons, communes and third parties, the region will now begin to implement the management plan that was submitted as part of the nomination dossier.

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Other World Heritage sites in Switzerland

The UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted in 1972. It central concern is to entrust humankind as a whole with the preservation and conservation of sites of exceptional cultural or natural significance. Prior to the latest session of the World Heritage Committee, the World Heritage List included a total of 851 sites, with 660 cultural, 166 natural and 25 mixed properties.

To date, the List has included seven properties of outstanding universal value located in Switzerland. While the Old City of Berne, the Benedictine Convent of St. John at Müstair and the Convent of St Gall are this year celebrating the 25th anniversary of their inscription, the Three Castles, Defensive Wall and Ramparts of the Market-Town of Bellinzone, the Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn region, Monte San Giorgio and the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces were listed between 2000 and 2007. With the inscription of the Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona and the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Cultural Landscape the total now comes up to nine.

Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona listed as a natural World Heritage site