UNESCO has expanded its World Heritage List to include the Stave-Church Cultural Landscapes of Norway's rural valleys. While individual churches like Urnes were already recognized, this new designation protects the entire bio-cultural environment, including the ancient forests managed for timber and the traditional grazing lands that have surrounded these wooden architectural marvels since the 12th century.
The committee emphasized the importance of the 'living landscape,' where traditional woodcarving and tarring techniques are still practiced by local artisans to maintain the structures. This move aims to ensure that the surrounding ecology, which provided the materials for these unique medieval structures, is preserved as an inseparable part of Norway’s cultural heritage.