Le Val de Loire Unesco
To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria. The Loire Valley meets three of the ten criteria defined by UNESCO.
The Loire Valley World Heritage site
The Loire Valley, from Sully-sur-Loire (Loiret) to Chalonnes-sur-Loire (Maine-et-Loire), has been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 30 November 2000. This international acknowledgement recognises an outstanding cultural landscape of great beauty – containing historic towns and villages, great architectural monuments, and cultivated lands – formed by many centuries of interaction between its population and the physical environment, primarily the River Loire itself.
Le Val de Loire Unesco
Since 2009, UNESCO has demanded that each property have an accompanying management plan drawn up. Its guidelines seek to fulfil the undertaking made before the international community, and to find concrete expression in the policies implemented across the site and in all projects.
Le Val de Loire Unesco
Preservation of a listed property is reliant on a group of stakeholders. The State acts as the guardian of the Loire Valley listing with regard to UNESCO. It must adopt and implement legislation and regulations to safeguard its properties inscribed on the World Heritage List. This responsibility is shared with the local authorities within the site as part of their territorial remit. The local communities, who use the Loire and its valley on a daily basis, also have a role to play.
Illustration principale : VAUTIER Francis / Mission Val de Loire