Andrew_Kerr Profile
I wouldn't say I let UNESCO listings dictate where I go but whenever I have decided to go somewhere I check to see what is nearby. UNESCO sites, tentative sites and former tentative sites are usually worth a visit.
Recent Reviews Andrew_Kerr
Historical Lisbon, Global City (T)
Andrew_Kerr UK - 05-Mar-25
I've been to Lisbon a couple of times and enjoyed both visits. There's a lot see in the city that I once saw described as looking more like the Americas than Europe. I thought that was a fair comment with the huge suspension bridge spanning the Tagus river, the statue of Christ looking down at the city and the steep hills and trams that are all reminiscent of famous places in the New World.But this is a European city steeped in history, the most westerly city on the mainland of Europe in fact
Read OnKsar of Aït Ben Haddou
Andrew_Kerr UK - 11-Mar-25
I'm probably being overly harsh giving it 3.5 stars because it was enjoyable and I've never been anywhere like it before or after. I guess the rating I gave it reflects the workmanship/artistic content of the site, there isn't much to be fair. It's a fortified village made out of mud in the high Atlas mountains of southern Morocco which means function over anything else.
Possibly the best part of my visit was getting there on the amazing highway that zig zags and snakes through the mountains with fantastic views around every bend.
Once at the village itself, an hour was plenty of time to take in the layout, the construction, explore the myriad alleyways and avoid all the souvenir sellers and snake charmers.
Poblet Monastery
Andrew_Kerr UK - 23-Feb-25
I seem to be bucking the trend here by awarding Poblet 4 stars but I really enjoyed my visit there. It's a very impressive 14th century Cistercian abbey, set among the rolling foothills of the Prades mountains.I usually find an hour is plenty when visiting most cathedrals and abbeys but I happily spent half a day here exploring the various features.Poblet Abbey or to give it its proper name, The Royal Abbey of Santa Maria de Poblet was founded in the 12th century by French Cistercian monks along with 2 other abbeys at Vallbona de les Monges and Santes Creus.Although the building we see today reflects the splendour of the 14th century Gothic abbey, much of it is restored, the building having fallen into disrepair in the 19th century
Read OnKew Gardens
Andrew_Kerr UK - 26-Jan-25
I know it's stating the obvious but.........don't go to Kew Gardens unless you're really interested in plants and gardening. I'm not and I have to be honest and say that I was a bit underwhelmed by the place and thought that the cost was too high.
Let me elaborate, there's a lot of open green spaces, I mean A LOT, which may be green and natural but are not gardens.
I think I expected something more akin to the Chelsea Flower Show than Hyde Park hence my overall disappointment. I did enjoy the hot houses, Kew Palace and the pagoda (picture).
Ultimately though, I found it to be disappointing and not worth the entrance fee (currently £22) especially when there are some excellent parks to visit in London, for free.
Medina of Sousse
Andrew_Kerr UK - 27-Jan-25
There are a couple of component parts to the Medina that warrant a visit in their own right.
The Ribat, an impressive fort dating from the 8th century that is surprisingly complete and perfectly maintained. The site can be visited including the tower.
The Great Mosque of Sousse (picture) dates from the 9th century and is impressive in it's size and layout. It doesn't fit the stereotypical image of a mosque, a domed building with a slender minaret, it is squat and rectangular and has a defensive nature to it being enclosed behind formidable walls with round towers on the corners surrounding a tranquil and elegant inner courtyard.
And the Medina itself with it's own defensive walls and tower and magnificent city gates make it one of the most interesting places in Tunisia.
Profile Data
- Name
- Andrew_Kerr
- Country
- UK
- Ranking
- 780
- Most Impressive
- Old City of Havana or Valley of the Kings
Recently Visited WHS
- Update 15.03.25
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10 Best Missing
Visited WHS
Rating StatsBrugge 5Kotor 5Mostar 5Rhodes 5Riga 5Rome 5Verona 5Acropolis 4.5Budapest 4.5City of Bath 4.5Edinburgh 4.5Florence 4.5Istanbul 4.5Mystras 4.5Oporto 4.5Prague 4.5Westminster 4.5Corfu 4Ephesus 4Granada 4Kraków 4Modena 4Naples 4Pompei 4Salzburg 4Sintra 4Tallinn 4Vienna 4Belem 3.5Guimarães 3.5Ironbridge Gorge 3.5Kairouan 3.5Lake District 3.5Medina of Sousse 3.5Pergamon 3.5Sighisoara 3.5Thessalonika 3.5Vilnius 3.5Belfries 3Saltaire 2.5Reviewed WHS
Visited TWHS
- Ancient Greek Theatres (T)
- Archaeological site of Ancient Messene (T)
- Arsenal de Rochefort et fortifications de l'estuaire de la Charente (T)
- Central Park (T)
- City of Motovun (T)
- City of York: historic urban core (T)
- Ellis Island (T)
- Fortified Manasija Monastery (T)
- Gorge of Samaria National Park (T)
- Historical Lisbon, Global City (T)
- Historical-town planning ensemble of Ston (T)
- Jerusalem (T)
- Knights Fortifications around the Harbours of Malta (T)
- Kyiv: Saint Sophia Cathedral with Related Monastic Buildings, St. Cyril's and St. Andrew's Churches, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (T)
- Le Portail du Monastère de Ripoll (T)
- Les Plages du Débarquement, Normandie, 1944 (T)
- Mdina (Citta Vecchia) (T)
- Rocks of Belogradchik (T)
- Rouen : ensemble urbain à pans de bois, cathédrale, église Saint-Ouen, église Saint Maclou (T)
- Smederevo Fortress (T)
- The Bodrum Castle (T)
- The historic town of Korcula (T)
- The historic urban site of Počitelj (T)
Reviewed TWHS
- Historical Lisbon, Global City (T)
- Tyniec-Bielany Salwator (in and near Krakow) (T)
- Smederevo Fortress (T)
- City of York (T)
- Mdina (Citta Vecchia) (T)
- Duomo di Milano (T)
- Place des Vosges de Paris (T)
- Eltz Castle (T)
- Death Valley National Park (T)
- Shakespeare's Stratford (T)
- SS Great Britain (T)
- Cambridge Colleges and Backs (T)
- The historic urban site of Počitelj (T)
- Trakai Historical National Park (T)
- Historical-town planning ensemble of Ston (T)
- City of Motovun (T)
- Rocks of Belogradchik (T)
- The historic town of Korcula (T)
- Gorge of Samaria National Park (T)