Most of the monuments that the Netherlands has on the UNESCO World Heritage List are related to the country's ongoing struggle against the water. The Netherlands signed and ratified the World Heritage Convention in 1992; this was relatively late compared to other European countries such as Montenegro, Poland and Spain. By signing up to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, the Dutch Government promised to promote and protect its World Heritage Sites and pass them on to future generations. A UNESCO World Heritage Site must be of outstanding universal value to humanity. Schokland became the first site in the Netherlands to be granted a UNESCO World Heritage status.
Photos and descriptions of most of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Netherlands:
- Canal Ring Area of Amsterdam
- Colonies of Benevolence
- Defence Line of Amsterdam: Fort along the Pampus
- Droogmakerij de Beemster (Beemster Polder)
- Dutch part of the Wadden Sea
- Dutch Water Defence Lines
- Eise Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker
- Frontiers of the Roman Empire in the Netherlands
- Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout
- New Dutch Water Line - Fort bij Vechten
- New Dutch Water Line - Fort Pannerden
- Rietveld Schröder House
- Schokland and Surroundings
- Van Nellefabriek - Van Nelle Factory
- Wouda Steam Pumping Station