Celebrating UNESCO World Heritage Day: Tours, Concerts, and Family-Friendly Activities at German Sites
Heritage Sites Honor Anniversaries through Guided Excursions and Musical Performances - Heritage Landmarks Globally Host Guided Excursions and Musical Performances for Commemoration
On the first Sunday of June, Germany will mark UNESCO World Heritage Day. This year, sites in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland will join the celebration under the theme "Communicate, connect, inspire."
In Saarland, the Völklingen Ironworks will open its doors, offering an art trail, children's tours, time travel experiences, and a sound walk. The entrance fee for the tours is €5, while the exhibition in the blast furnace hall "The True Size of Africa" is reduced to €9 on Sunday.
The three Rhineland-Palatinate Schum sites—Speyer, Worms, and Mainz—will invite visitors to free tours. In Worms, visitors can visit the Raschi-Haus Jewish Museum or learn about the history and significance of the Schum community with 14th-century sources. Speyer, with two World Heritage Sites—the Jews' Court and the Imperial Cathedral—will host performances from the "Klezmers Techter" ensemble and the choir of the Jewish religious community in the Jews' Court, as well as a short organ concert in the cathedral.
Tours in Speyer, Worms, and Mainz range from free to €15. Families with children can participate in a rally where they receive keychains upon completion. The name Schum sites refers to the Hebrew initial letters Shin, Waw, and Mem for Speyer, Worms, and Mainz, respectively, which were centers of Jewish scholarship during the Middle Ages.
Free tours will also be offered at Mainz's Old Jewish Cemetery "Judensand," one of the oldest and largest medieval Jewish cemeteries in Europe. These tours provide information about the personalities buried there in the Middle Ages, the meaning of the gravestone symbols, and burial and mourning rituals. Male participants are required to wear head coverings during the tour.
Meanwhile, Bingen and Trier will offer a variety of activities in unique settings. In Bingen, a discovery tour along the Rhine, Roman medical equipment exhibitions, historical crane demonstrations, and strolling through history at the Mouse Tower are among the attractions. All events in Bingen are free of charge.
Trier, Germany's oldest city, will encourage guests to follow the Roman past and the buildings of Trier via an audio walk. Families can also participate in a tricky question rally at the Porta Nigra to explore the historic monument.
While detailed schedules for all requested cities are not yet available, the focus of UNESCO World Heritage Day events is typically on educational tours, cultural performances, and family-friendly activities.
For the most accurate and up-to-date information on specific events and tour bookings, it is recommended to consult the official tourism or UNESCO World Heritage Day websites for each city closer to the event date.
The Commission, in its efforts to ensure safety at work, has also adopted a proposal for a directive on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, a factor that could be significant to those who visit and work at UNESCO World Heritage sites.
After an enriching day of tours, concerts, and family-friendly activities at German UNESCO World Heritage sites, one might prefer to unwind at home, gardening or indulging in a relaxing lifestyle, away from the ionizing radiation exposure that may be present at these historical locations. Alternatively, one might choose to travel further, aiming to minimize their exposure to ionizing radiation during their trips.
