On June 13 and 14th 2015 the fourth edition of the UNESCO World Heritage Weekend took place in the Netherlands. This year’s theme was “World Heritage through the eye of the lens.” The UNESCO World Heritage Weekend is a joint initiative between the ten UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Netherlands.

The World Heritage Office of Amsterdam and the World Heritage Podium hosted several free activities in and around the UNESCO site Amsterdam Canal Ring on Sunday June 14^th. People could participate in canal cruises, canal walks and bike tours. There was also an opportunity to visit three World Heritage Sites in one day with a bus tour. Besides the Amsterdam Canal Ring participants also visited the Beemster Polder and the Amsterdam Defence Line. These three sites are totally different, but actually have a lot in common. The Beemster Polder and the Amsterdam Canal Ring clearly stem from the 17th century, when the Golden Age was at its peak and Amsterdam was expanding as a prosperous and cosmopolitan centre of trade. The Defence Line, dating from the late 19th century, was built for military protection purposes, and has left a unique collection of forts and waterworks in the flat landscape around Amsterdam.

The weekend ended with a lecture by journalist and photographer Hans Aarsman, the announcement of the winners of his photo contest World Heritage at Home and the opening of the eponymous exhibition. In total about 450 people participated in the World Heritage Weekend in Amsterdam.