Haithabu and Danewerk World Heritage Celebration

Viking Rampart and UNESCO World Heritage

The archaeological border complex of Haithabu and Danewerk has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2018 and is one of Northern Europe's most significant early medieval sites: Viking-age Haithabu was one of the largest trading centers in the North during the 9th–11th centuries, and the Danewerk was a massive earth rampart securing the Jutland peninsula to the south. The World Heritage site is located in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, south of the city of Schleswig.

World Heritage Day in Busdorf

On the occasion of the nationwide UNESCO World Heritage Day, the World Heritage site hosts a large celebration once a year — and in 2026, it will be particularly festive: 5 Years of UNESCO World Heritage for Haithabu and Danewerk. The celebration will take place on Sunday, June 7, 2026, on Ansgarwiese in Busdorf — right on the edge of the World Heritage area.

Three Pillars of the Program

• Festive Church Service — opens the celebration and refers to the Christian history of the place (Ansgar was the missionary of the North)
• Opening Speeches — by representatives of the municipality, the Amt Haddeby, the World Heritage Association, and UNESCO representatives
• Market of the World Heritage Region — regional providers, World Heritage partners, crafts, and culinary delights
• plus Hands-on Activities for children focusing on Viking life, archaeology, and World Heritage education

A Community Festival with History

Unlike commercial Viking experience days at surrounding museums, the World Heritage Celebration is explicitly a community festival: jointly organized by the Amt Haddeby, the municipality of Busdorf, the Busdorf parish, the Busdorf volunteer fire department, and the World Heritage Association 'Haithabu und Danewerk e.V.' — in other words, by the people who live in and care for the UNESCO World Heritage site daily. Admission is free.