Stevns Klint World Heritage Site

Stevns Klint has it all: wild nature, charming harbour settings and a 21-kilometre dramatic walk along the Baltic Sea. But the cliff is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Why? Because it harbours the thin Fiskeler layer between the chalk and the limestone – the best place in the world to see the traces of the cosmic cataclysm that, 66 million years ago, reset the planet, wiped out the dinosaurs and paved the way for us humans.

21 km of nature, the Cold War and cosmic drama

Whether you’re here for the wild nature, the breathtaking views or the deep traces of Cold War history, we’ve brought it all together for you right here. Start your journey through time at Stevns Klint Experience, get the full picture, and be ready to explore Denmark’s most dramatic World Heritage Site.

Here’s what to do when you’re out and about on the cliffs.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) was established in 1945 and is the UN’s organisation for education, science, culture and communication. UNESCO works to promote cooperation between nations in these areas. In the cultural sphere, the organisation supports, amongst other things, the preservation of World Heritage sites. In 1972, the World Heritage Convention was adopted; this is an international agreement on the preservation of cultural and natural sites of outstanding universal value to humanity.

What is World Heritage?

Since 1978, natural sites, monuments, cities and buildings of outstanding significance have been included on the World Heritage List. The list now comprises over 1,000 different World Heritage sites. Among many others, the list includes the Great Barrier Reef, the Pyramids of Giza, the Grand Canyon and the Galápagos Islands. A place on the World Heritage List often means an increase in tourist numbers to the area, and consequently more opportunities for revenue. However, inclusion on the World Heritage List also entails a commitment to protect the specific World Heritage site and ensure its conservation; it is therefore important to ensure that tourism is conducted in a sustainable manner. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) is UNESCO’s advisory body of experts on natural heritage.

Stevns Klint and World Heritage

Stevns Klint was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014 because it is the best place in the world to see the traces of the asteroid that struck the Earth 66 million years ago. The asteroid, which for millions of years had remained at a safe distance from our blue, vibrant planet, came hurtling towards us and struck with such force that it brought mass extinction and devastation in its wake. Everything on Earth was changed in an instant, and nothing would ever be the same again.

We find the traces of the impact amongst the cliff’s thick layers of chalk and limestone. A very thin layer of grey-brown clay, known as the Fiskeler, contains traces of the asteroid and of the Earth’s layers that were hurled into the atmosphere as pulverised, red-hot earth and rock at the point of impact. The asteroid struck on the other side of the Earth, in what we now know as Mexico.

The Fiskeler layer can be difficult to spot. In some places along the cliff, it lies below sea level, and in many of the places where the Fiskeler layer is visible, it is not safe to walk due to the risk of cliff collapses. We therefore recommend that you view the ‘Fiskeleret’ through the telescopes at Højerup Gl Church or in the foyer at Stevns Klint Experience. You can also see the large block containing the ‘Fiskeleret’ inside the exhibition at Stevns Klint Experience.