My WHS visits since 2000
Ghana |
Late February, I travelled around Ghana for 8 days. I was able to see and do quite a lot of things in this short period. Ghana does not have a lot of major sights, but it is a friendly place with its own distinct living culture. Both WHS (Ashanti Buildings near Kumasi and the Forts & Castles along the coast) are well worth a visit. This is also true for Kakum National Park with its Canopy Walkway, a tentative WHS.
Fez, Morocco
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From Marrakech I travelled north by train, 7 hours to reach Fez. I found the passing landscape rather unremarkable, the winter time must have turned it quite barren and austere. Also, especially around Fez, there are many poor-looking housing estates and huge areas full of trash. The whole atmosphere of this part of the country felt less open and festive than Marrakech. Besides a different look on Morocco, this detour gave me 3 new WHS (Fez, Meknes, Volubilis) and possibly the best site of them all, the tentative WHS of Moulay Idriss.
Marrakech, Morocco
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Low-cost airlines have put Marrakech within easy reach of European holiday makers. There are direct flights from the UK, France, Holland, even from Norway. This improved accessibility obviously has had its effects on Marrakech.
In late December, I stayed there for three days, visited a number of its historical sights and went on a day trip across the Atlas mountains to the Ksar of Aït Ben Haddou.
Mumbai, India
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After a business visit of 2 days to India's commercial capital Mumbai, I had some spare time before we had to fly home that night. I used it to take a city tour with my colleagues. We visited the dhobi ghat, the main Jain temple, the new Sea Link bridge and the Gateway of India. Highlight of course was the only WHS in Mumbai city center - the Chhatrapati Shivaji Train Station.
Java
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The Indonesian island of Java holds three cultural WHS, among which is the iconic Borobudur. I visited all three sites on daytrips from Yogyakarta, a city that in its Sultan's Palace (kraton) also has a monument worthy of WH status.
Malaysia
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My 64th UN country: Malaysia. Proud of its modernity, hassle free to travel in and great food. Its capital Kuala Lumpur is one of the most multi-cultural cities I've ever seen. In Malaysia's history the same could be said of Melaka and George Town, now a WHS.
Northwest Spain #4: Bilbao Hotspot
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I 'did' the remaining of the Bilbao hotspot, consisting of 4 WHS, in 1.5 days at the end of my tour around northern Spain. I had to rush it a bit too much on the second day, as I had to be back in Madrid to catch a flight a 4.30 p.m.
These WHS are all worthwhile to visit anyhow, and indeed very close.
Northwest Spain #3: Costa Verde
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The Costa Verde is a coastal area in the North of Spain, covering parts of Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria. For WHS enthusiasts it has two special features, that can be spotted at several locations along this coast. They are Dinosaur Fossil Tracks (a Tentative site) and Rock Paintings, among which the Altamira cave is the most prominent.
Northwest Spain #2
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Two more sites in the northwest of Spain. I had planned on visiting three, but it proved too much to go all the way to Santiago de Compostela today. So I have to leave that for another trip (I still have one 'orphan' WHS left in northern Portugal too). I enjoyed my day thoroughly however, especially in Las Médulas.
Northwest Spain #1
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The northwest of Spain, more specific the autonomous communities of Galicia and Asturias, is a completely different experience from the rest of Spain in nature and climate. This too is a true WHS hotspot. I'm staying here for 9 days in August, and from my first base in the heart of Asturias I visited 3 sites related to the Roman Empire and the late Asturian Kingdom.
Brussels, again
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Brussels this year even strengthened its position as the no. 1 WHS hotspot with the inclusion of the Stoclet House. As visitors are not allowed inside this house (and that's where the real beauty is), I wasn't too keen on ticking this one off. But I had some time on my hands recovering after a surgery, and needed some distraction. So on a sunny Friday I drove to Brussels, did a short pilgrimage to the Stoclet House and finished my outing at the nearby Africa Museum.
Silesia
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The most western part of Poland is a historical region called Silesia. It was part of Germany until 1945, and many Germans settled here. This heritage has resulted in 2 WHS: the Protestant "Churches of Peace" in Roman Catholic lands, and the prestiguous Centennial Hall in Wroclaw (former Breslau).
On my way back home to the Netherlands I couldn't resist the temptation to drop off at another site in the outskirts of Berlin, the Modernism Housing Estates (Gartenstadt Falkenberg).
Saxony
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The Free State of Saxony, formerly part of the GDR and one of Germany's easternmost provinces, has several sites to show off its rich Central European heritage. Muskauer Park is a huge English style landscape garden (shared with Poland), while the Dresden Elbe Valley has almost become a notorious WHS because of its possible removal from the List. I visited them both during two cloudy days in late May.
Longwy (France)
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The Fortifications of Vauban are located at all corners of France, so one is never far away from a Vauban site to visit. Coming from Holland or Belgium, the two most convenient locations are Arras and Longwy. While the Citadel of Arras appears to hold very limited opening hours, Longwy is very accessible as the whole upper town was constructed by Vauban. So that's where I went today!
US #3: Back in Virginia
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The last couple of days of my stay in the US I spent in Virginia. I dedicated a full day to the works of Thomas Jefferson, another patriotic hero but also an influential architect. I visited 3 of his major works: Monticello, the University of Virginia and Poplar Forest.
US #2: Kentucky & Tennessee
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The second leg of my Eastern USA tour brought me to the states of Kentucky and Tennessee, to where the USA's real strength lies if it comes to tourist destinations: National Parks. I visited both Mammoth Cave and the Great Smoky Mountains.
US #1: Pennsylvania & Virginia
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I started my 2 week tour of the US at the states of Pennsylvania and Virginia, two of the most prominent in US (colonial) history. Here I visited Independence Hall in Philadelphia and two sites on the Tentative List: Mount Vernon and Fallingwater (a Frank Lloyd Wright building).
More hill towns
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I spent the final days of my week in Central Italy near the East Coast, in a small village called Verucchio, close to Rimini. From here I was able to get to four new WHS, including the previously unreviewed San Marino (taking our total up to 800). Highlights however were the brilliant Byzantine mosaics of Ravenna.
Lazio (North)
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Lazio (or Latium) is the province around Rome. This is the ancient heartland of the Romans, ànd of the earlier Etruscan civilization. The WHS 'Etruscan Necropolises of Tarquinia and Cerveteri' lets this Etruscan history come alive.
I also visited a Tentative Site in this region: Orvieto. It has a cathedral (no! not another one!) with a spectacular facade totally covered with gold, mosaics and bas reliefs.
Tuscany
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Siena Province, in the south of Tuscany, has no less than four WHS. They all date from the late Middle Ages and are connected to the history of and within the sphere of influence of the provincial capital Siena. From my base in Pienza, I visited all of them within 48 hours. San Gimignano became my definite favourite.
Tanzania #1: Safari
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"Safari" means "journey" in Swahili, and is one word that has found its way into many other languages. A Safari now commonly means a trip to Africa to see and photograph wildlife. Possibly the two best places to do this and see plenty of big game are found in Tanzania: the Serengeti plains and the Ngorongoro Crater.
Tanzania #2: Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar
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The final 2 weeks of 2008 I spent in Tanzania. During the first week I joined a traditional safari, and the second week was to get to know some other aspects of this country. From Marangu I did a day hike up to the Mandara hut of Mount Kilimanjaro. And on Zanzibar I spent many hours roaming around in Stone Town and visited Jozani Forest (a tentative WHS). This was my first visit to Eastern Africa, and I found it a worthwhile new experience in general.
Patagonia
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My final days in Argentina I spent in (a small part of) Patagonia. A different world again. No more cattle farms, but sheep estancias instead. Much more tourists also. I rented a car here for 3 days and saw plenty of whales at Peninsula Valdes, pinguins at Punta Tombo, sea lions at Punta Loma and a number of strange little creatures along the way.
Back to Central Argentina
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After the wonderful week in the North of Argentina, time had come to travel southwards again. No more mountains and valleys, but farmlands without end. Short stays in La Rioja and Cordoba brought me to the rewarding parks of Ischigualasto and Talampaya, and the disappointing Jesuit Block and Estancias of Cordoba.
Andean Northwest
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The Andean Northwest of Argentina is like a country of its own. There's a lot to enjoy here: I stayed for one week but could easily have filled two or more. The fabulous natural scenery is dominated by various canyons and valleys, that open up on all sides from Salta (the major city in the region). The Valle Calchaqui (with great candelabra cactuses) and the Quebrada del Toro (as part of the Qhapac Nan) are on Argentina's tentative list. There is a real altiplano and large salt lake in the valley west of Purmamarca (where there also is the cutest adobe church with thatched roof in the town of Susques). And there is the Quebrada de Humahuaca, the region's proud WHS.
Misiones
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The second part of my Argentina trip brought me to the far northeast: Misiones Province and its capital Posadas. From this base I toured three of the thirty Jesuit Missions that flourished in this region in the 17th and 18th centuries. They count for two WHS, one for the Argentian and Brazilian Missions and one for the Paraguayan ones.
Uruguay
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I just started a trip through Argentina, and the first WHS that I came across is just across the border in Uruguay. After the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires it's good to be on track of heritage sites again. Colonia is Uruguay's only WHS, and a pleasant place to visit.
Lyon
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The gap between major trips this year has been too long - so I just keep on adding shorter ones. This weekend I stayed in the lively French city of Lyon. Sunny, pleasant, great food and a lot to see. So a worthwhile escape again!
Split hotspot
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The WHS Hotspot of Split lived up to its name during my recent visit there: I was able to get to 4 WHS within 48 hours. And that by using only public transport and staying overnight in only one place! Because of the close proximity to each other and their shared Ancient and Venetian history, there are a lot of similarities between these four sites. So I felt that a couple of hours at each was sufficient.
Gothenburg
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Most of the Swedish WHS are conveniently close to the capital Stockholm. Two however are not on the Swedish East Coast but on the Atlantic West Coast. The main city here is Gothenburg, a very familiar looking city to me as it was planned by the Dutch. Just over an hour to the north are the Rock Carvings of Tanum, and an hour to the south lies the Varberg Radio Station. Both are located along the E6 motorway that passes Gothenburg from Malmö all the way to Oslo. If you're in a hurry, or a fast traveller by nature, you can easily see both these WHS in one day.
Liverpool
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A one-day visit to an EasyJet WHS: Liverpool. Its airport is named after John Lennon, which reminded me of a trip to Belfast earlier this year (they have the George Best airport). Both cities have their maritime history in common and are on the brink of the transition from UK traditional to global modern. Pubs and coffeehouses alternate in the streets. Liverpool has a lot more monuments however, and I spent the best part of the day just wandering around.
New entries 2008
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27 new sites have been inscribed on the World Heritage List over the past three days. Some were expected (a couple of sites in the Pacific), some lucky the second time around (the Baha'i sites in Israel) and of course the usual suspects Italy, France, Mexico and China got their way again with two sites each. From these 27 newly inscribed ones, I can add 2 to my total as I have visited them before.
Tessin
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Late June my mother and I settled down for a couple of days in Locarno at the Lago Maggiore. It was amazing how quiet it was - this once was a major tourist destination, but now mainly seems to cater to pensioners and families on a one night stopover. The area is also close to a number of WHS, of which we visited three.
Slovakia Trip #3: the North
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The final leg of my Slovakia trip was dominated by the sight of the High Tatra mountains. Approaching from the East, first as a formidable backdrop to the Spis Castle. Later on I even hiked through a firm layer of snow.
Slovakia Trip #2: the East
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The (North) East of Slovakia is the prettiest area I've seen so far during my trip. The hills are covered with either dense forest or green meadows with yellow streaks. Little villages are abundant, each featuring a church remarkable in its own way. This region borders Ukraine and Poland, which accounts for foreign cultural influences. These are also clearly visible in the two WHS I visited here.
Slovakia Trip #1: the Center
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I'm on a WHS road trip of Slovakia: 12 days, 6 current WHS, 2 possible new WHS in July 2008 and a couple of tentative sites or other places of interest. At first sight it's all very relaxed here in Slovakia, a bit old-fashioned even. In the EU since 2004, probably in the Euro-zone from 2009 but a lot less blinking and shiny than some of the other revived Eastern European countries. The first 2 WHS I visited are located in Central Slovakia: the atmospheric former mining city of Banska Stiavnica and the caves of the Slovak Karst.
Extremadura
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Extremadura is an autonomous community located in western Spain, bordering Portugal. This used to be the core of the Roman province Lusitania. It also was the birthground of many of the most famous Spanish conquistadores in America, like Hernán Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, Pedro de Alvarado and Pedro de Valdivia. This way many towns in America came to carry a name from the Extremaduran homeland.
Modern Extremadura sees mainly Spanish tourists, you won't find many signs or menus in English. I used Mérida as a base and easily visited all 3 WHS from there by car via the excellent highways.
Andalusia
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Andalusia, in the south of Spain, is famous for its Moorish monuments which attract steady streams of visitors from all over the world. When my planned trip to Syria fell through at the last moment, I quickly booked a ticket to Malaga from where there's easy access to the Andalusian sites. I already 'did' the cultural triangle Sevilla-Cordoba-Granada in 1991, so this time I focused on the lesser known sites. To my own surprise, Doñana came out as the clear favourite.
Northern Ireland
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Long years of violent political conflict (euphemistically called 'The Troubles' in UK English) have left the Northern Ireland Tourism Board with the gigantic task of brushing up this region's image. Fortunately, Easyjet lends a helping hand as it offers cheap direct flights from several European cities to the Northern Ireland capital of Belfast. This way I spent a pleasant weekend here: enjoying a tour along the Antrim and Causeway Coasts and roaming around the old and the new Belfast on foot.
Canterbury
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The choice of the first WHS to visit in 2008 fell upon Canterbury in the UK. I spent a pleasant weekend in this lively university town. The designated WHS area consists of three monuments which are easy to get to on foot.
Northern Germany
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Only a short trip for Christmas this year - I've used all my days off for my China trip.
Relatively close to home there were two sites left to tick off: the Hanseatic heritage of Lübeck and Stralsund&Wismar. These towns belong to Germany but face Scandinavia, with which they share also a common history.
Big China Trip #15: The End - Back in Dujiangyan
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Three months in China, and I am back where I started. In the town of Dujiangyan, an hour north of Chengdu. I visited its ancient irrigation system at the start of my trip. At the end I climbed Mount Qingcheng. Qingcheng is one of several places in the world that actually belong to two WHS (the cathedral of Amiens is another example). It is a WHS in its own right for its Taoist heritage, and also one of the 16 sanctuaries in Sichuan where the giant panda still roams in the wild.
Big China Trip #14: Gansu Province
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The trip unfortunately is almost over now, but I wanted to add one more important area to my travel schedule. Gansu Province in the northwest of China has been an outpost of the Chinese empire for centuries. It has many sites that relate to the Silk Road that not only brought Chinese silk to the West, but also western ideas and products to China.
One of the most lasting of these is Buddhism. Very early examples of buddhist art can be seen in the paintings and sculptures at the Mogao Caves. Being a traditional border province, Gansu also has some remains of the Great Wall which are worth a visit for their remoteness.
Big China Trip #13: Jiangxi Province
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Jiangxi is a small province that is dominated by the mighty Yangzi river and several large lakes. I stayed in the city of Jiujiang for two days, and from there I visited Jiangxi's only WHS: the mountain resort of Lushan.
Big China Trip #12: Anhui Province
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After a spell in the pleasant but not mindblowing coastal areas, it's back to China's inland provinces again. Anhui definitely gets a thumbs up. It has a mediterranean feel about it with its green hills and pine trees (or maybe it's the bright and sunny weather that's doing the trick). Both WHS in Anhui are well worth a visit, but be prepared that you will not be alone at these sites.
Big China Trip #11: Suzhou and Hangzhou
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The final month of my journey starts off with a visit to the Classical cities of Suzhou and Hangzhou. Hangzhou is the more elegant one of the two, but Suzhou has the WHS by means of its gardens. There are a number of prospective WHS in this region too, like Hangzhou's West Lake, several "Venetian Townships" and other ancient villages.
Big China Trip #10: Shandong Province
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Shandong probably is my least favourite province so far. It's rather grim and polluted. Being about half way between Beijing and Shanghai it does see some western tourists. I'm afraid they go home with a rather negative image of the 'Chinese countryside'.
There are two WHS in Shandong, of which Taishan is a nice daytrip and Qufu can only be recommended to those really into Confucianism.
Big China Trip #9: Shanxi Province
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Travelling through Shanxi Province by public bus, its mountains and mining sites were the most eye-catching views en route. The scenery reminded me a little of the Harz region in Germany.
The WHS in this province are the formidable Yungang Grottoes near Datong in the north, and the ancient city of Ping Yao in the south.
Big China Trip #8: Henan Province
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Henan Province consists mostly of flat farmlands where corn, cabbage and potatoes are grown. I almost felt at home. China's current modernization and civilization scheme is lacking a bit here - Anyang feels like a Chinese city from about 10 years ago and in Luoyang taxi drivers consistently tried to pocket the change and dozens of touts wanted to put me into their bus to Shaolin (where I didn't want to go at all).
There are two WHS here: the Buddhist carvings in the Longmen Grottoes near Luoyang and the archeological site of Yin.
Big China Trip #7: Xi'an
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Xi’an is China’s ancient capital city and a great place to enjoy for a couple of days. There’s one WHS here: the ‘Mausoleum of the Qin Emperor’, more popularly known as the Terracotta Army.
Xi’an also holds four sites on China’s Tentative List that are worth checking out. The remarkable ‘Forest of Steles’ for example, an 11th century library of stone tablets. Another one is the ‘Chinese section of the Silk Route’, which is vying to become a WHS in the coming year or two. In Xi’an, the famous Small and Big Wild Goose Pagodas and the Ancient City Wall belong to this Silk Route heritage.
Big China Trip #6: Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong
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Visiting Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong in Northern Sichuan Province is a costly affair. You have to fly in (well, there’s a bus from Chengdu but it takes 10 hours) and use taxi’s getting everywhere. The prices of hotel rooms and food are about 50-100% higher than elsewhere in China, and both sites have steep entry fees. This all doesn’t deter the Chinese tourists, who come here en masse. Western tourists are a rarity as the parks are almost unknown in the west. The scenic beauty of both Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong can easily compete with the popular parks in the USA or Canada however.
Big China Trip #5: Guangdong Province
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Flying back into China, from Kathmandu to Guangzhou, is like travelling forward in time about 30 years. Guangzhou has a blinking metro, rather clean and even pavements and more modern fashion shops than one could ever visit. I just loved it.
A new WHS was also waiting for me in Guangdong Province: the Kaiping Diaolou. One of the more imaginitive new entries to the list of the past couple of years. I visited it on a long but rewarding daytrip from Guangzhou.
Big China Trip #4: a detour to Nepal
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After Lhasa I explored somewhat more of the Tibetan countryside. I made my way out via the ‘Friendship Highway’, that runs to Nepal via several passes of above 5000 meter altitude. The first part of that trip is easy nowadays: it is indeed just like a highway with a good paved road. After Nyalam, until the Nepali border, the real adventure begins with a narrow, winding and muddy road and a landslide here and there. The final descent into green and lush Nepal is just a pleasure. It all ends in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, where on the surface not much has changed since my two earlier visits (1993, 2001).
Big China Trip #3: Tibet
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Next stop on my China-trip is Tibet, or “Tibet of China” as the Chinese officials like to call it. Lhasa sees a huge influx of visitors nowadays, access has become much easier over the years due to the large number of flights arriving every day and the train of course. The visitors include both foreigners (mostly tour groups from all over the world) and Chinese. Due to their needs Lhasa has become a mixture of Kathmandu (with its travelers cafes and souvenir hawkers) and a Chinese metropolis (with its shopping malls and Chinese restaurants). It still is a great city however with a scenic location.
Big China Trip #2: Buddhist sites
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During the second week of my China trip I travelled to a couple of places to the southeast of Chengdu. First stop was Mount Emei, where I enjoyed the monasteries and temples and hiked a little. After that I came face to face with Leshan's Giant Buddha. That was followed by a non-WHS interlude in Zigong (the city's is trying hard to keep up though, having already achieved the status of Top Tourist City of China and currently developing a huge Geopark featuring the dinosaur and salt heritage of the region). And finally, the Dazu Rock Carvings were the icing on the cake.
Big China Trip #1: Dujiangyan
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On the 26th of August, I embarked on a 3-month China Trip that will lead me to some 15 new WHS and many other adventures.
I started my journey in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. Chengdu is a pleasant base for daytrips in the area. To the archeological museum of the Shu Kingdom at Sanxingdui for example, with its remarkable bronze sculptures and statues. And to my first WHS of the trip: the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Toledo
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Having worked very long hours the last couple of months, I desperately needed a break and some sun. Comparing the lists of available flights and the WHS still to be visited, my choice fell upon Toledo (Spain).
I spent three nights in this compact World Heritage city just south of Madrid. There are a lot of things to see here, without any rush or crowds. It's a pleasure to just walk around or enjoy one of the many street side terraces.
New WHS 2007
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The World Heritage Committee, congregated in New Zealand for its yearly session, has announced that 22 new sites have been added to the World Heritage List, and that one (the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in Oman) has been delisted (a first in the history of the World Heritage List). Most prominent new inclusion is the Sydney Opera House. Gabon and Namibia got their first entries.
My personal score is just two out of these twenty-two, having visited Jeju island in 2001 and the Stone Forest, part of South China Karst, in 1994.
Dublin
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The last of four short spring breaks took me to Dublin. The Irish capital nowadays seems to be a magnet for young people from all over the world, many of them Americans and South Europeans.
The only WHS within easy reach is the Bend of the Boyne. I went there on a day tour, and got some early Christian Irish heritage thrown in (to my joy).
Vilnius
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For the yearly trip abroad with my mother, we chose Lithuania - one of the few European countries left on my to-do list. Basing ourselves in Vilnius, we had two full days in the capital city and also visited Trakai and Kaunas on day trips by local bus.
We could have easily spent much longer here, finding it easy, pleasant and safe to travel around and enjoying the odd cappucino on a streetside terrace watching the colourful crowd pass by.
Moravia
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Moravia is a region in the eastern part of the Czech Republic. Since the 12th century it has shared its history with Bohemia - together making up the Czech lands. Moravia's current capital is Brno, an unassuming city where I spent 3 nights in order to visit some WHS in this area. Cities like Olomouc and Trebic have frequent connections by train from Brno. With a car there are even several more sites within reach.
Highlight of my stay was the small but quirky Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk.
Under the wings of Venice
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This weekend I visited three World Heritage Sites that owe a lot to the history and wealth of nearby Venice. Verona, that already was blooming in Roman times and continued to do so under Venetian rule. The works of Palladio in Vicenza, only made possible by his prosperous Venetian clients. And the Botanical Garden of the University of Padua, enriched by the many plants that came back from the Venetian tradings all over the world.
Saxony-Anhalt
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In the German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt one stumbles over world heritage sites. There are four of them, all with multiple locations. In Dessau for example I encountered road signs pointing to the Bauhaus site, to several parts of the Garden Kingdom and to Lutherstadt Wittenberg, all within easy reach.
Basing myself in Quedlinburg, is spent an enjoyable weekend in this region. My total score for Germany now has reached 23 (out of 32). Only 9 to go....
Cambodia
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After Bangladesh and Thailand (where I visited Khao Yai), Cambodia was the third and last destination of my South East Asia trip. My stay there was rather relaxed, it was much hotter there than in Bangladesh and cities like Siem Reap and Phnom Penh are well geared to visitors (both have great restaurants for example). There's only one WHS in Cambodia at this time of writing, but it's one of the Top 10 or 20 sites: the Khmer heritage sites of Angkor.
Bangladesh
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Many, many people. All going about their business: working on the rice and potato fields, in brick factories, moving from town to town by overcrowded buses and boats.
End 2006 / early 2007 I did a tour of Bangladesh for 11 days. Saw all 3 current WHS of course, and was also taken by some great Hindu sites (Kantanagar, Puthia).
Reims
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Feeling a strong urge to get away from it all and to enjoy some fresh air, I spent the weekend in Reims. This city in northern France has about 187.000 inhabitants. It’s quite a pleasant place, especially the shopping streets and the central part where there are many fine bars and restaurants. The main part of the WHS here is the 13th century gothic Notre Dame cathedral.
Arizona & Colorado
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My second week in the USA I spent in northern Arizona and southern Colorado. A change in landscape compared to New Mexico: here it's all mountains and trees. The beautiful autumn colouring had just set in, and yes there even was a little bit of snow on the mountain passes in Colorado.
In this week I saw two major WHS: the Grand Canyon and (my personal favorite) Mesa Verde.
New Mexico
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The first week of my stay in the United States I toured New Mexico. Using Santa Fe as a base I went to see the historic sites of the Chaco and Pueblo.
I also stayed a few days in the more desertlike south of this state, adding Carlsbad Caverns to my visited list.
I was happy to be able to see the remains of the ancient civilizations that used to control this area before the Spanish came, and getting a feel for the USA away from its mainstream culture.
Barcelona
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The Catalan capital Barcelona receives its fair share of visitors every season of the year. Now, in August, the locals were away for their own holidays. Together with my mother I admired the city's fabulous architecture. We also made a rewarding daytrip to Tarragona and Poblet. Another great visit, and three new WHS!
Darmstadt
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In about two years I plan to 'complete' Germany: then I will have visited all 32 German WHS. Most of those I have seen on weekendtrips: I think I need about 3 more of them to achieve my goal. Or almost: two geographical extremes (Muskauer Park and Reichenau) probably will be left.
This weekend I stayed in Darmstadt, just below Frankfurt, for the Messel (Fossil) Pit and Lorsch.
Greenland
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Greenland holds the image being so remote that it almost drops off any world map. But it takes only about four hours by Airbus from Copenhagen to reach this fascinating land of ice and stone.
While the WHC in Vilnius was deliberating on the 2006 inscriptions, I visited Greenland for 8 days. Besides the formidable Ilulissat Icefjord (one of the best additions in more recent years), I enjoyed doing 'Greenlandic things' like a few nights in the rough countryside at Camp Eqi, tasting whale meat and going on a 'Musk Ox Safari' near Kangerlussuaq.
Budapest and surroundings
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Budapest was the last of the main Central European cities on my To Visit-list. Vienna, Prague, Cracow: all monumental. Budapest is more ecclectic and spread out than the other three, but very much worth visiting.
From Budapest, a major crossroads of international railways, two other WHS are within reach for a daytrip: Höllóko and Pannonhalma. I opted for the latter, as it's easier to reach by public transport.
Amiens
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The northern French city of Amiens, the capital of Picardy, has its roots in the Middle Ages. Two major monuments of that era are still there to see: the Belfry and the Cathedral. The latter is one of the (too) many Gothic churches on the World Heritage List. This building has very fine sculptures, both outside and inside.
Sicily
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Italy still is the country with the most WHS, and has become a favourite destination of mine too over the last few years. Last week I spent on wonderful Sicily, enjoyed perfect weather and explored 5 new sites. They were all beautiful in their own way, and their qualities are great examples of the rich history and natural environment this island has on offer.
Glasgow
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My last visit to the UK was over 1.5 years ago, too long for my taste. I always feel very much at home there on the other side of the Canal.
My destination of choice for this weekend was Glasgow, to enjoy some modern and some industrial heritage.
There's only one WHS in this part of Scotland: the utopian village of New Lanark. It became a milestone visit: number 200!
Goslar & Hildesheim
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A temperature of -10 degrees that freezes your face and toes in half an hour couldn't prevent me from going out again for a weekend. In Central Germany I stayed in the rich medieval town of Goslar, that owes its prosperity to the nearby Rammelsberg mines. It's a pleasant, cosy place that has preserved its monuments very well.
On my way back home I did a quick detour to the world heritage listed churches in Hildesheim.
Luzon, the Philippines
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After many, many short trips this year in December I finally succeeded to enjoy one of my favourite ways of travel: discovering a new country in Asia by means of public transport, just roaming around for a few weeks.
The Phillipines aren't an easy country to grasp or describe: there always seem to be several sides to every aspect of Filipino life.
On the WHS front, I can add three new ones to my visited list - with the Rice Terraces as the most recommended one.
Another Castle and Cathedral
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Over the last weeks I've been busy categorizing all WHS. Two categories really came to stand out: the Christian religious structures and the military/fortifications.
Coincidentally, a quick getaway to Copenhagen this weekend brought me close to one of each: a cathedral (Roskilde) and a castle (Kronborg). Both proved worth visiting, but their uniqueness is highly questionable. Where the Roskilde cathedral scores some points for being made of brick and Protestant, Kronborg's value is mostly regional.
The New China
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The past week I spent in the two most recent acquisitions of the modern Chinese Empire: Hong Kong and Macao. These former British and Portuguese enclaves were handed over to China respectively eight and six years ago, but they still have special status. Both hold their own currency and have passport controls at their borders.
Over and over I was moved by the Hong Kong skyline during the many times I approached it by boat. Especially to see how the "normal" flats (40 storeys high or so) are completely dwarfed by the enormous commercial skyscrapers.
Macao, a cultural world heritage site since this year, is the more traditional of the two and should not be overlooked.
More industrial heritage
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This summer, after visiting the Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp, I ran out of WHS daytrips. Not able to withstand my urge to see some more, I experimented this weekend with a 1.5 daytrip. This involves an overnight stay (in picturesque though quite tacky Monschau in the Eifel region in this case), and a visit to the WHS of choice the next day.
Although it still involves a fair amount of driving, it was relaxing enough: new surroundings, reasonable weather, local food and WHS number 190 - the impressive industrial monument in Völklingen.
Southwest Finland
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To enjoy a late summer weekend together, my mother and I took off for Finland. We stayed in the pleasant city of Tampere, and drove 900 kilometres in all to see three new world heritage sites in the southwest of the country.
The Bronze Age site of Sammallahdenmäki we thought was the most remarkable of the three: remote, obscure, but also an experience of pure nature seldom encountered in the 21st century.
New entries 2005
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The World Heritage Committee has been deliberating in Durban (South Africa) which new sites to add to the list for 2005. There are 24 new sites in total. Seven natural sites have been named first. They include the West Norwegian Fjords Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord.
17 cultural sites have been added too. Among those are the Struve Geodetic Arc (spanning 10 countries), Nigeria's Osun Ogbo shrine and the Old City of Mostar.
As most of the sites are quite off the beaten track, I can only add one to my personal visited list: the Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp (Belgium).
Berlin
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The German capital is a city in transition, construction works are still everywhere although many places already had their facelift. The formidable new parliament buildings were blinking and glowing when I arrived late in the evening.
Berlin's atmosphere is somewhat less chic than that of many other German towns, 80's looking punks and anarchists are a common sight. It has a lot going for it as a place to shop, eat, drink and party.
Although it had more than its fair share of historic events, it's mainly a living city and not a monument. For me personally, the lack of historical landmarks was sometimes disappointing: the Brandenburger Tor for example turned out to be much smaller than I had anticipated. But I only had two days here, and obviously it takes more time to really get to know this great city.
Armenia discovered
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During eight days in late May, early June I was so lucky to be able to "discover" Armenia. A tiny country in the Caucasus hidden behind much larger and not so friendly neighbours. However, the atmosphere I encountered during my trip was friendly and relaxed.
All WHS here are monasteries, and I visited all three of them. Plus one (Tatev) that's still on the Tentative List. They are the most prominent displays of Armenian culture.
The Malta Experience
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The mediterranean island of Malta is a favourite spot for fun-and-sun holidays. Not well known is that it also hosts the oldest still standing buildings in the world, megalithic remains over 5000 years old (and older than the Egyptian Pyramids). Besides these old stones, there are also some little towns worth visiting. For example Mdina, on Malta's Tentative List.
Leuven
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The heritage of Flanders is represented on the list by the city of Brugge, and by two series of monuments: the belfries and the beguinages.
Some Flemish towns are blessed by both a remarkable belfry and a beguinage. One of these is Leuven, a bustling but friendly university town. The belfry here is not too spectacular, but the large beguinage is a real gem.
Leuven is also on the Belgian tentative list to become a WHS on its own. The splendid gothic City Hall is certainly worth it.
Weimar at Easter
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The historical city of Weimar had been on my WHS wish list for long. After a three day visit this Easter I can truly say that I wasn't disappointed at all.
Weimar is a friendly town where one can see fine architecture, enjoy one of the local museums, have a walk in the park and eat a hearty Thuringian meal.
The still distant pearl of Central-Europe
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The abundance of flights to former distant places does spoil you. I had planned a 5-day break in and around Cracow, a cultural pearl in the south-eastern corner of Poland. However, air traffic jams and US President Bush turned my 3 hour flight into a 13 hour journey with long stops in Munich and Frankfurt.
But I did eventually succeed in visiting Cracow and two other sites in this WHS hotspot (and there are even two more within reaching distance).
Quiet final days in the South
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My final days in Italy I spent in the South-East, in Basilicata and Puglia. This is a quiet area with fine scenery: green hillslopes, valleys full of orange and olive trees. The WHS here all deal with construction techniques: the unique houses in Alberobello and Matera, and the pure Castel del Monte.
Mozzarella Country
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Coming to the second stage of the southern Italy trip, on the first days in 2005. I had chosen Paestum as a base to explore the nearby coasts and valleys. I did a lot of driving here, and was delighted to see the signs for fresh "mozzarella di bufala" in virtually every town. On the matter of WHS, I enjoyed most the remains of ancient Greek Poseidonia (now Paestum).
Pompei, Naples & Caserta
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It's becoming a fine tradition: spending the Christmas holidays in southern Europe, taking in the classical sights outside the main tourist season. After Greece and Portugal, this year the choice fell upon the Italian provinces below Rome. I started with Pompei as a base for the area around Naples.
Bremen Christmas style
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Most German cities are dressed up in the weeks before Christmas. Shops have longer hours, the streets are decorated with a lot of tiny lights. And there's always a Christmas market that attracts visitors from far.
So does Bremen, a city in Northern Germany, where the Altstadt features a World Heritage Site since 2004.
Natural Brazil
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After a short stop in its capital Brasilia, I flew to the west of Brazil. The Pantanal was my main goal here: a not-so-wetland at the moment, but still with plenty of wildlife. The Jabiru stork (or Tuiuiu) here is wonderful.
The Brazilian and Argentine sides of the Iguacu Falls concluded my trip.
Colonial Brazil
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The first week of my trip to southern Brazil I spent in the state of Minas Gerais. There some fine remains can be found of the wealth this area generated during the 17th, 18th and 19th century. Ouro Preto is probably the best example of this, but Diamantina and Congonhas are must-see destinations too. You cannot leave Brazil without having seen some of the masterpieces of the sculptor Aleijadinho.
Northern England
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Staying in Durham, I enjoyed a few beautiful late summer days in Northern England: reading a book or two in the sun, eating out.
On the worldheritage front, I added Durham (mainly the Cathedral) and Hadrian's Wall (back to Roman times in very English surroundings) to my Visited list.
Latvia: Riga and Jurmala
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A little escape from a bad Dutch summer: to the North-East, to Latvia. Here the weather is sunny, the days are long and the terraces much in use. And a lot of new things to explore of course. The capital Riga is full of great buildings, and is a nice place to stay for a few days. Nearby Jurmala, a string of little beachside towns, is a pleasant daytrip with traditional wooden houses and a sandy beach on offer.
New ones for 2004
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The 34 new world heritage sites added this year are an interesting lot. Quite a number of Arctic or Nordic places, including the first entry for Iceland. Andorra, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, St. Lucia and Togo also got their firsts.
Of these 34, I already have visited three. Most remarkable is the Orkhon Valley, the Mongolian heartland. I have great memories of a trip there in 2002: the visits to nomadic families, the Erdene Zuu and Tuvkhin monasteries and the intriguing landscape.
Bulgaria, finally
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I had four days off and decided to spend them in the Bulgarian capital Sofia. After having experienced Prague and Florence in 2002 and 2003 at this same time of year, I was happy with this year's choice. Most of the time I had the feeling I was the only tourist around. I really enjoyed my stay in this green and friendly city, and the icing on the cake was a visit to the Rila Monastery - a world class sight.
Underground and back in time
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According to many reports, a visit to the Flint mines in Spiennes is hard to organize. That was my impression at first too, but after some internet research and with a full gas tank and plenty of time on my hands it proved not too difficult. The excursion underground was very worthwhile, even more so because of the enthousiastic and detailed explanation of the guides on site.
Beijing (2)
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A large part of the second week of my trip to Beijing I spent in Chengde. This is a city with more than 3 million inhabitants, situated in northern China. Its resort (and the adjoining temples) was the highlight of my trip. Two other great spots I visited that week were Beijing´s Old and New Summer Palaces, and of course the Great Wall.
Beijing (1)
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Late March and early April I spent two weeks in Beijing (with a detour to Chengde). The first days I toured the main sights in and around the city center: the quiet beauty of the Temple of Heaven, the enormous Imperial Palace (Forbidden City), the interesting Ming Tombs and the more obscure Peking Man Site.
Of course I also enjoyed modern Beijing: its food, its organized chaos.
Vienna in the snow
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There is no bad time to visit a big city. This proved to be true again when my mother and I went to Vienna, at the end of February. The thin layer of snow added even some extra romantic atmosphere to the Austrian capital.
Maybe we didn't see Schönbrunns gardens in full colour, but we had a fine cool walk there ending with a hot coffee. And there is always an escape possible to one of the many fine museums. We did so on the grey Sunday morning: the Natural History museum merits a visit, even if there weren't any exhibitions inside.
Greenwich
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The weather was very appropriate to the theme of this visit: rain and storm accompanied me in Maritime Greenwich. However, I found the trip very worthwhile: there is a lot to see and to do in Greenwich, both inside (the museums) and outside (the town and waterfront).
Ethiopia - The North
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This year's Christmas trip was a special one: for two weeks I toured in the northern part of Ethiopia. This is where the cultural heart is. Here I went to Aksum, Gonder and Lalibela - history stretching centuries. Ethiopia's nature also is a major asset, as I experienced in the Simien Mountains.
Short trip to Greece
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Autumn usually has bad effects on my mood. To change this, I just have to book a flight to a place where the sun shines and where there is a lot to see. The choice this time fell upon Thessaloniki, and nearby Vergina.
Switzerland
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Another European weekendbreak. I am very grateful for KLM's last minute opportunities. This time the flight went to Zurich. From there I travelled by train to Bern and St. Gallen, both world heritage listed.
Dominica!
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Really a surprise visit this time! I went to Barbados for a short holiday of one week. After a few days in the baking sun I got bored and decided to visit a neighbouring island. What followed was a two-day trip to one of the most beautiful nature sites I've ever been to. Dominica is for sure one of the most interesting destinations in the Caribbean.
Industrial Sunday
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Somewhere in the middle of the 'Ruhrgebiet', Germany's major industrial area, lies the huge Zollverein mining complex. It's been recognized as a world heritage site since 2001, and makes a somewhat disturbing daytrip.
Rhine trip
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I had wanted to save visiting the Rhine Valley until I am in my sixties or so. The Rhine, its castles and the Lorely have something oldfashioned about them. But the scenery is really great, so you easily forget about the tacky and somewhat rundown Rhine-side hotels, restaurants and souvenirstalls. I didn't go on a boattrip though (there are limits).
Eastern Europe (2)
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After the Czech Republic, time came to visit Poland. An ultra short stay in Warsaw (1,5 days) turned out to be a pleasant introduction to this fascinating country. Another plus: hardly any tourists!
New entries 2003
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Yesterday, July 3, 24 new sites were added to the World Heritage List. Gambia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Sudan got their first entries. From these new additions, I have already visited two: the well-known Kew Gardens in London (UK), and the Historic city of Valparaiso in Chile.
Another one in Belgium
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This Sunday I drove almost completely across Belgium, to end near La Louvière. Goal were the Four Lifts for ships in the Canal du Centre, impressive remains from the late 19th century industrial era.
Eastern Europe (1)
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The first part of what hopefully will be a summer tour around worldheritages in Eastern Europe took me to the Czech Republic. Yes, I went to Prague, but I'd like to highlight the town of Kutna Hora where I stayed for 4 days.
Tournai
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A short visit to one of the oldest towns in Belgium: Tournai (or Doornik in Flemish). Just to check upon the Cathedral: have the restoration works finished yet?
Friesland
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On the Dutch national windmill and pumping station day, I visited the Woudagemaal in the northern province of Friesland.
Japan, again
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My first real trip abroad this year took me to Japan, one of my favourite countries in the world. I stayed in Kyoto for a week, and after that travelled by train and bus to Koyasan, Matsumoto, Tsumago and Osaka. Both Koyasan and Matsumoto are lobbying for worldheritage status at the moment. In the Matsumoto-museum they now even have a wonderful exhibition of large photos of world heritage sites around the world. Really a must see if you're a fan like me!
London
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Went to London for a job interview at the Ford motor company. Don't know the outcome, but hey, here's visited world heritage number 117.
Trier
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Beautiful weather always inspires me to leave my house and go worldheritage hunting. This freezing but sunny weekend I spent in Trier, a lovely town next to the Moselle and with a Roman heritage unusual rich this far from Rome.
Portugal
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During the last 10 days of the year I toured around Portugal and Madeira. I visited six new heritage sites, revisited an old one (Sintra) and missed two due to weather circumstances. Among the most impressive I count the center of Guimaraes, the castle and convent of Tomar and the monastery of Alcobaça.
Around Segovia
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I just had to get away, again. Last weekend I spent in Segovia, a city 88 km. northwest of Madrid. Besides Segovia itself there are two other worldheritages in the immediate vicinity, Ávila and El Escorial, which I visited both.
Nottingham
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When the company that I work for decided to send me to Nottingham for a few days, I immediately checked my map of the UK. Would there be any world heritage sites in that area? The answer: yes, of course. So I added a short visit to the Derwent Valley and its mills to my schedule.
Autumn
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What is more beautiful on a shiny autumn day than to be in a forest? The park and woods around the castles of Brühl were most colourful today, turning my 105th visit to a world heritage site in a worthwhile daytrip.
Pampus
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The Defense Line of Amsterdam consists of over 40 fortresses and batteries. They are spread out in a large area around the Dutch capital Amsterdam. On a beautiful autumn day I visited Muiden and the island fortress of Pampus.
Horta
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Today I joined the sophisticated crowd at the Victor Horta Museum in Brussels, Belgium. It probably became my shortest visit to a world heritage site ever. Quite nice house though.
Bergen, Norway
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Probably for the last time this summer, I went out to explore a new part of Europe. The choice fell upon Bergen, a city in southwestern Norway. I did what you have to do in Norway (glacier, fjord, boattrip), and I visited two world heritage sites: Bryggen and Urnes.
Safle Treftadaeth Byd
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... is Welsh for World Heritage Site. So Wales is where I headed to make my 100th visit to a worldheritage. I was so absorbed by the place (and there was so little public transport on a Sunday) that I missed my plane back home - for the first time in 12 years of air travel.
Flevoland
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Sounds unbelievable probably, but today I made my first real visit to Holland's 12th province: Flevoland. Only existing as land since 50-60 years, it doesn't held many attractions to me. But it has Schokland, and that became visited worldheritage no. 97.
Florence & Pisa
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Heritage-spotting was resumed early May in Italy. After four rainy days I came to the conclusion that the best thing about Florence is getting away to Pisa: the Campo dei Miracoli over there I experienced as the highlight of my short stay. It's probably not cultural correct to say, but I was disappointed by the city of Florence - too many tourists, too dirty.
Two magical islands
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A childhood dream came true: visiting Easter Island. Finally I could see the famous statues with my own eyes. It was also my first visit to the Pacific, and certainly not the last. Besides this, I also went to Chiloe, an Island just below the middle of Chile.
8 hours in Paris
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Last Friday I discovered that it takes only a little over 3 hours to get to Paris by train. Although I've travelled quite a lot all over the world, I had never been to the French capital. So on a freezing but sunny Saturday I grabbed my chance and spent 8 hours in this romantic city.
Exploring Ancient Greece
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I am not fond of days like Christmas, and like to escape to a warmer place. This year's choice fell upon the Greece mainland. I started in Athens (visited the Acropolis of course), and then rented a car to explore the Peloponnesus. Finally, I ended my 10 days in sun and snow with Delphi. The theatre of Epidaurus and the fortified cities Tiryns and Mycenae were on my route, but it was medieval Mystras that I enjoyed most.
New entries for 2001 announced
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The notice came by email today: 31 new sites have been added to the World Heritage List. Fortunately a lot less than last years 61. On first sight, the most eyecatching new entry is Samarkand (anchor on the Ancient Silk Route). Only one out of these 31 I have visited, a long time ago: the cliffs of Dorset in the UK.
Edinburgh
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Stimulated by the low prices of air tickets, I decided to go abroad for one last time this year. Well, except for the holidays around Christmas, and the occasional daytrip of course. The Scottish capital Edinburgh provided me both with beautiful scenery and two of my other favourites - bookstores and Asian food.
Bruges
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Back in Europe, where there is still a lot to see. The city of Bruges is a famous international tourist attraction, and my goal for today. What did I experience? Groups of tourists, mainly Japanese and American. Souvenir shops with lace and Belgian chocolate. And in between, numerous medieval monuments.
Korea Trip #2 - The South
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After Seoul and Andong, I stayed in Gyeongju for a couple of days. From there I made daytrips to several places worth visiting in the area. Three worldheritages were among those: Gyeongju itself, the Bulguksa Temple & Sokkuram Grotto, and the majestic Haein-sa Temple. It took me over 3 hours to get to the last one, but the Haein-sa complex was probably the best sight I saw in South-Korea.
Korea Trip #1 - Around Seoul
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The first two weeks of September I spent travelling around South-Korea. I tried the quite typical Korean food, visited rural Andong and rainy tropical island Jeju. And of course some worldheritages: four of them are near the capital Seoul. They include Changdeokgung Palace, Kanghwa Dolmen en the Chongmyo Shrine, but what I liked best are the enormous city fortifications of Suwon.
Aachen
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Sunny Aachen offered more attractive distractions than visiting the Cathedral that is featured on the World Heritage List. Dutiful as I am though I visited Aachen Cathedral and its Treasury before heading for one of the terraces in the city center. The Cathedral I found a bit disappointing, the Treasury is well-presented. And the food and drinks in Aachen I can also recommend after today.
Dutch architecture
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On a sunny Friday afternoon I was in the mood for some cultural nourishment. The choice fell upon the Rietveld Schröder Huis in Utrecht. And I certainly did not regret it: it is a work of art. On the practical side I learned that the former owner, Mrs. Schröder, hated cleaning and therefore had painted the doors a darker colour where you touch them. Good idea, I now want that too in my house.
Finland & Estonia
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A bit bored about daily life, I took the chance of a last minute flight to Helsinki. Maybe a somewhat decadent destination for a weekend-break, but I loved it. Near the Finnish capital I visited the Fortress Suomenlinna. And a catamaran journey of 1.5 hours took me to the Estonian capital Tallinn.
Both are certainly worth their place on the World Heritage List, but Tallinn is a real treasure.
Early summer in Cyprus
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Although only May, it was already very hot in Cyprus with temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius and above. Nevertheless I was able to visit the three world heritage sites: the 9000 year old town of Choirokoitia, the tombs and mosaics of Paphos, and the Byzantine churches in the Troödos mountains. I never imagined that Cyprus was so rich in historical sights, and the most amazing thing is that there is a lot more to be discovered as most of the excavations are from recent date and only scratched the surface so far.
Luxembourg
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Luxembourg is a funny country. At a restaurant with a German menu they took my order in French. I approached the woman at the museum counter in French, she - somehow sensing that I am Dutch - replied in English and gave me a brochure in Dutch. The language-switching is done easily, the people are friendly. Although you might think that Luxembourg is just an extension of Belgium, this is not true: somehow the Luxembourgers made this tiny state into a place of its own.
Typical Sunday in Holland
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Let me introduce you to a typical April Sunday in Holland. The day before, the weatherforcasters tell you the weather will be sunny and not so cold. This is never true: 99 out of 100 days in Holland are cloudy. But you still believe them, because you want to believe them. You have been inside for more than 6 months, and want to go out! So I planned a trip to Beemster. Do some walking, take pictures with my brand new digital camera. Result: visited world heritage number 66 and some gloomy pictures.
The Terai
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The southern part of Nepal, stretching along the Indian border, is called the Terai. It's mostly flat land, and can be burning hot in summer. Parts of it get flooded often during the rainy season. This area hosts 2 world heritage sites: Lumbini, birthplace of Buddha, and Chitwan National Park. Early March I visited both of them, located about 5 hours drive by local bus from each other.
Kathmandu revisited
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Eight years after my first visit, I decided to come back and explore Nepal at a more leisurely pace. I was a little worried however about the large influx of tourists since then. But when I drove from the airport to Kathmandu, I saw that no spectacular changes had taken place: it still is a large village. What I most recognized is the smell: a mixture of incense and motor vehicle pollution.
Lier
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Only a 1.5 hours drive away from my home: the language is the same (almost), but the atmosphere totally different. A pigeon market on the central square. Women showing their expensive fur coats during the Sunday walk around town. No McDonalds in sight, but real (Flamish) Fries for lunch. Lier is Flanders at its best.
Winter in Sweden
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This year, I spent the days after Christmas in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. Loads of snow of course, though not very visible in the city-centre. The museums at Djurgarden were my main goal, but .. the surroundings of Stockholm have a number of world heritage sites to offer. During my short stay, I managed to visit the Drottningholm Castle and the cemetery Skogskyrkogarden in Enskede (somewhere you would not go without this world heritage obsession).
New entries for 2000 announced
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The first days of December are always a bit exciting: what will be the new entries on The List? This year, there were 61 new additions to the list. Belgium got a few more, Azerbaijan, Surinam, Nicaragua and Malaysia got their first. No really big names though: the awarded sites seem to get more and more obscure. Of these 61, I already visited one: the Palmeral of Elche in Northern Spain.
Jerusalem
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One week is not enough here, in this city of cities. Together with Rome, it is probably the most impressive city in the world that I have seen so far. The Old City, small as it is, already takes days to explore. The rest of the city, more or less modern, is not bad either: Ethiopian and Russian churches, a Greek-Orthodox monastery and several interesting museums.