What happened to Google Maps?

In March 2025, Google Maps raised its prices for the maps we were using. This meant that we can no longer use them for free. We have replaced them with the standard implementation of OpenStreetMaps.

What are the changes in the current version of the maps?

With the release 2.0 of this website, we implemented:

• Maps "everywhere": every WHC meeting, every Connection now has its map.
• Points of Interest. We started with the locations of all WHS plaques that have been collected over the past half year (over 1,500). They are depicted on the site maps (WHS pages) as an orange flag banner. Look at the Statue of Liberty map for an example.
• Locations of Former TWHS, as collected from 2017 onward. They are shown on the country maps as a light-grey T that is crossed out, see Austria (and zoom in a bit) and on their own site maps.
• Option to add a photo to a location shown on the map, which is viewable as a pop-up when you click on the map item.
• The first fully mapped core zones (example: the WHS in Czechia such as Prague).

How can I report map data errors?

Do this in the topics WHS Maps - the data and TWHS Maps - the data on the Forum. There is even one for Former TWHS.

If you're not a member of the Forum, just send an email.

How will the future map solution look like?

The goal is to show the full core zone of a WHS on its map, plus an added layer with Points of Interest (such as the Plaque location).

We are working on the most efficient strategy to acquire these core zones, as mapping all those ourselves would be a Sisyphean task. There are datasets available for non-profit websites such as ours, but they will never be complete; in fact, they are far from it. A major hurdle is also the quality of the maps supplied by the state parties to the UNESCO WH Bureau: at the last WHC it was stated that "48% of properties still have inadequate maps".

For our added value, we'd like to focus on the Points of Interest for WH travellers.

The country maps and all generic overview maps will continue to have the single markers for locations, as do (F)TWHS.

Backlog

• OpenStreetMaps provides only maps using a local script (so sites in China are shown on maps in the Chinese language). There are some ways of fixing that, but we won't be able to do this in the short term. We consider offering/explaining workarounds.
• We have more geodata already than shown at the moment: additional core zones and the locations of (older) Former TWHS from the dataset of meltwaterfalls are waiting to be implemented.
• For performance reasons, we have decided not to include global maps that include all WHS and/or all TWHS. However, we are looking into alternative solutions for people planning transborder trips. In general, though, the map per country is your best place to start from. They can be reached from here.