New Inscriptions in 1981

The 1981 WHC Session added 26 Sites bringing the total to 110.

Amiens Cathedral

Amiens Cathedral
Photo by Jurre.

Amiens Cathedral has played an important role in the development of Gothic architecture, paving the way for the Flamboyant style.

The early 13th-century Cathedral has well-preserved its original features. It’s a very large church but with a lightness of structure. Its interior is rich in sculpted decoration and stained glass.

Community Perspective: It nowadays mostly stands out for its interior, which is like a religious art museum with fine sculptures, a floor labyrinth and religious relics such as the “head” of John the Baptist.

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Arles

Arles
Photo by Els Slots.

Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments, represents the evolution of a classical Roman settlement into an important medieval city.

It has retained impressive Roman monuments dating back to the first century BCE, such as the Arena, the Theater and the Cryptoporticus. A second flowering period was in the fourth century CE, when the Thermae of Constantine and the Alyscamps necropolis were added. The Alyscamps stayed in use til the 13th century when the town blossomed again and gained fine Romanesque monuments such as the Church of St. Trophime.

Community Perspective: The city overall is nice to visit and the major sights are the Amphitheatre, the Alyscamps and the Church of St. Trophime. Hubert has written a comprehensive overview.

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Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay

Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay
Photo by Els Slots.

The Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay is an early Cistercian monastery based on the ideal of self-sufficiency.

The Abbey of Fontenay was founded by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux in 1118 and it achieved great prosperity in the 12th and 13th centuries. The church of the Abbey was built in the prevalent Romanesque style, and marked by the austerity typical of Cistercian architecture. The Abbey retains almost all of its original buildings, all in Romanesque style.

Community Perspective: This might not be one of the most famous French WHS, but it is really worth a detour as it is so well-preserved. The Abbey Church and the early iron works are the highlights. Nan has provided tips on how to reach it by public transport.

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Darien National Park

Darien National Park
Photo by Jarek Pokrzywnicki.

Darién National Park is a mostly undisturbed tropical rainforest that forms a bridge between two continents, which is reflected in its biodiversity.

It is crossed by many rivers that provide the main infrastructure for people and animals. A stretch of Pacific Coast with beaches, mangroves and swamps also belongs to the designated area. The park's fauna is rich and diverse,  with 169 documented mammal species including Jaguar, Giant Anteater and Central American Tapir. Over 500 bird species have been recorded, most notably a large population of Harpy Eagles.

Community Perspective: a permit is needed to be allowed into the park. Jarek managed to visit Rancho Frio inside the park under his own steam, while Albert describes how he regularly visits the same ranch with groups of entomologists: “Getting there reminds me of a National Geographic video every time we go.“

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Djoudj

Djoudj
Photo by Luis Filipe Gaspar.

Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary covers wetlands habitats that are staging and wintering areas for migrating birds that have just crossed the Sahara.

From September to April, an estimated 1.5 million migrants pass through, joining a dense population of resident breeding birds. Of over 350 species of birds, the most visible are white pelicans and pink flamingos. A wide range of other wildlife also inhabits the park, including jackals, crocodiles, gazelles and manatees.

Community Perspective: The site is best visited on a half-day tour from Saint-Louis, see Jarek’s review for the specifics.

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Fontainebleau

Fontainebleau
Photo by Els Slots.

The Palace and Park of Fontainebleau has been influential on French Renaissance art for its architecture and interior decor made by Italian artists.

Transforming a royal hunting lodge, 16th century King Francis I brought in painters, sculptors and architects from Italy to ornate his palace with new constructions, gardens, many frescoes and sculptures. It was further embellished by subsequent French monarchs, from Henri IV to Louis XVI and Napoleon.

Community Perspective: You really need to visit the interior here, which holds several great rooms, including the Throne Room of Napoleon, and beautiful frescoes. An additional bonus is that it is far less visited than Versailles.

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Fort and Shalamar Gardens

Fort and Shalamar Gardens
Photo by Stanislaw Warwas.

The Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore are masterpieces from the time of the Mughal civilization.

The 16th-century Lahore Fort is a large trapezoidal composition that holds 21 monumental sites, including the Sheesh Mahal (a white marble pavilion), Alamgiri Gate, Naulakha pavilion, and Moti Masjid (a small mosque made of white marble). The Shalamar Gardens are Persian-style gardens built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The Gardens have been laid out from south to north in three descending terraces and are irrigated by a canal.

Community Perspective: this site hasn’t been visited much yet, but Solivagant provides a comprehensive overview of its visiting conditions in 2013 and the site’s conservation history.

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Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef
Photo by Clyde.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of roughly 2,500 individual reefs and 900 islands extending 2,000 kilometres along Queensland's coast.

The coral reefs hold a huge biodiversity, with dugong, whales, dolphins and turtles among the most notable marine species. They provide some of the most spectacular underwater scenery on earth with 400 species of coral and 1,500 species of fish.

Community Perspective: You can go and see it from a glass bottom boat, by snorkeling, diving or just straight from the boat. Cairns is a good starting point for these tours, as are the Whitsunday Islands (which come out better in comparison).

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Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Photo by Els Slots.

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump bears witness to a communal hunting technique practiced by native people of the North American plains for nearly 6000 years.

At this site, the Indigenous people killed American Bison by driving them off the 10-metre high sandstone cliff. The carcasses were processed at a nearby camp; deep layers of animal bones can still be found buried here, as are the stone markers that were used to direct the bison towards the cliff. This custom continued into the late 19th century and still forms part of the 'traditional knowledge base' of the Plains nations.

Community Perspective: great place to visit and with a good Interpretive Centre explaining the traditions of the Blackfoot Nation (though it could do with a few more authentic items). Trails take you around the outdoor site.

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Kakadu National Park

Kakadu National Park
Photo by Els Slots.

Kakadu National Park comprises wetlands and cliffs, that have been used by Aboriginal cultures for over 50,000 years.

Its rock art reveals insights into hunting and gathering practices, social structure and ritual ceremonies of Indigenous societies. Its variety of ecosystems hold a huge diversity of flora. Large numbers of waterbirds live here, and the wetlands are the breeding habitat of the endangered saltwater crocodile and the pig-nosed turtle.

Community Perspective: The park is prone to flooding in the wet season, but two of the most popular sights are open all year: the rock art at Nourlangie Rock and the Yellow Water Cruise. May-October is the best time to visit, and the usual point of departure is Darwin (there is even a bus service). There’s enough to see to fill 3 days.

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Los Glaciares

Los Glaciares
Photo by Squiffy.

Los Glaciares National Park covers a remote mountain landscape known for its ongoing glacial activity.

The park is situated on the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the largest ice cap in the world outside of Antarctica and Greenland. It holds 47 larger active glaciers, among them the Perito Moreno. They feed two large lakes: Lake Argentino and Lake Viedma. The area also is important for scientific research on climate change.

Community Perspective: El Chalten in the north is generally preferred as a base above southern Calafate – choose yourself by reading the respective reviews of Nan and Squiffy. Be aware that the weather here is highly changeable and you should give it a few days.

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Makli, Thatta

Makli, Thatta
Photo by Els Slots.

The Historical Monuments at Makli, Thatta comprise a monumental necropolis that reflects the Sindh civilization.

Thatta was the capital of the southern region of Sindh from the 14th to the 18th centuries. On its Makli Hill, one of the largest necropolises in the world with over half a million tombs and graves was built. Different architectural styles were used and some of the stone tombs are lavishly decorated with glazed tiles.

Community Perspective: another little-visited Pakistani site. Shombob described how to visit it from nearby Karachi, while Els covered what you may expect to see.

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Mammoth Cave

Mammoth Cave
Photo by Els Slots.

Mammoth Cave National Park covers a karst landscape that holds the longest cave system in the world.

The explored cave passageways inside the park stretch for 458km. They were carved by the Green River and its tributaries. Nearly every cave formation is visible here and the flora and fauna are the richest cave-dwelling wildlife known.

Community Perspective: There are various cave tours to choose from, though the underground scenery will not overwhelm you with natural beauty (the Frozen Niagara section being an exception) and the tour narratives are dumbed down. Do not skip the karst features above the surface, which you can explore via short trails. Els and Kyle have described both ways of access.

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Medina of Fez

Medina of Fez
Photo by Els Slots.

The Medina of Fez is a walled city with madrasas, fondouks, mosques and palaces dating from the 12th-15th centuries.

At that period, Fez replaced Marrakesh as the capital of the kingdom. Its architecture and town planning have been influential on other Arab-Muslim cities in the Maghreb and Sub-Sahara. Its unpaved urban street network has largely preserved its original functions.

Community Perspective: Its “working” atmosphere (don’t miss the tanneries) makes it stand out among other, more sanitized medinas. There are coloured navigation routes to make sense of its confusing layout. The numerous mosques and shrines are only accessible to Muslims.

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Mount Nimba

Mount Nimba
Photo in the Public Domain.

Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve comprises montane forests with a high number of endemic plant and animal species.

These species include multiple types of duikers, big cats, civets, and several types of viviparous toads. It also has a population of chimpanzees using stones as tools. The Nature Reserve consists of high-altitude grassland, plains savannah and primary forest including rain forest. Its diversity is supported by the occurrence of a variety of microclimates.

Community Perspective: Iain visited the Guinean part in 1995 and witnessed a landscape with “a number of tumbling sparkling rivers and waterfalls, several natural bridges and possibly the biggest bamboo I've ever seen”.

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Niokolo-Koba National Park

Niokolo-Koba National Park
Photo by Jarek Pokrzywnicki.

Niokolo-Koba National Park on the banks of the Gambia and other rivers is known for its diversity of wildlife.

Most of the park consists of relatively flat woodland savannah and semi-arid Sudanese forest, intermingled with wetlands. Wildlife, in numbers unique for this region, includes (at the time of inscription) elephants, lions, leopards, chimpanzees, baboons, hippopotamuses and the derby eland.

Community Perspective: The park has been labelled “great” by our only reviewer so far, who visited in 2006 and 2008. More recently, however, the park has suffered from a severe loss in wildlife numbers due to poaching (IUCN Outlook 2020).

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Old City of Jerusalem

Old City of Jerusalem
Photo by Solivagant.

The Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls have high religious value as a holy city for Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Continuously inhabited since prehistory, the city has been shaped through time by succeeding civilizations such as the Jebusites, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. The area within the walls of the Old City holds over 200 historic monuments from all three monotheistic religions. The most important monument for the Jews is the Western Wall, for the Christians it is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and for the Muslims the Dome of the Rock.

Community Perspective: There are so many sites of religious and historic significance in this single walled square kilometer. Assif provides tips for visiting some of its more hidden treasures. Solivagant visited as early as 1964 and described the changes he witnessed 18 years later on a revisit. GabLabCebu has added a comprehensive overview of what you may expect as a tourist nowadays.

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Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park
Photo by Roman Bruehwiler.

Olympic National Park covers an isolated and wet area with a varied topography from seashore to glacier.

The park can be divided into three basic regions: the Pacific coastline, the Olympic Mountains with glaciated peaks, and the temperate rainforest. It has the lowest-altitude glaciers in the world. Endemic wildlife includes the Olympic Marmot and subspecies of trout.

Community Perspective: anyone who visits here had better like the color green, as you will see heavy fringes of moss hanging from the trees. The park is amazing, even when it rains a lot. The reviews by Kyle, Dennis and Jay give a good overview of the different portions of the park.

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Orange

Orange
Photo by Els Slots.

The Roman Theatre and its Surroundings and the "Triumphal Arch" of Orange comprise two of the best remaining examples of Roman theatres and arches.

Roman Orange was founded in 35 BCE and was the capital of a wide area of northern Provence. The Theatre was one of the first Roman public buildings in this region; it is well-preserved and is renowned for its imposing stage wall. The Triumphal Arch was a commemorative provincial arch, noted for its low reliefs depicting the establishment of the Pax Romana.

Community Perspective: The theatre stands out for its intactness, as do the friezes on the arch. The city itself doesn’t invite you to linger after you’ve seen the WHS.

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Quirigua

Quirigua
Photo by Els Slots.

The Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua comprise an ancient Maya site renowned for its outstanding carved stone stelae.

The monuments centered around the Great Plaza are remarkable for their complexity and the artistic skill shown in the sculptures. Their hieroglyphic texts and sculpted calendars are an essential source for the study of Mayan history and culture. Quirigua in the 8th century was an administrative center and monuments were erected marking the end of five-year periods.

Community Perspective: a small site, but the stelae and sculptures are in exquisite condition. The surroundings with numerous birds and working banana plantations are pleasant as well.

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Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara

Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara
Photo by Wojciech Fedoruk.

The Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara comprise two ports that had an important position in East African trade between the 13th and 16th centuries.

Trade with Arabia, India and China was mainly in gold and iron from Zimbabwe, ivory and slaves from Tanzania, and textiles, jewellery, porcelain, and spices from Asia. The influence of its Swahili culture reached far. From this period date the construction of the Palace of Husuni Kubwa and a significant extension to the Great Mosque of Kilwa, the oldest standing mosque on the East African coast. 

Community Perspective: Atmospheric and in good condition. The sites each lie on an island and are accessible by cruise ship or by dhow transfer from Kilwa Masoko (Songo Mnara is the furthest of the two, and the trip to get there takes about 1.5h).

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Serengeti

Serengeti
Photo by Els Slots.

Serengeti National Park is a large area of savanna and open woodland that is renowned for the annual migration of its wildebeest.

The park has the largest herds of grazing animals in the world, including more than 2 million wildebeest, 900,000 Thomson's gazelles and 300,000 zebras. Predators include 4,000 lions and 1,000 leopards. Twice a year, nearly 2 million herbivores migrate in pursuit of the rains and cross the Mara River.

Community Perspective: Large predators such as lions, leopards and cheetahs are easy to see here. Try to time your visit with the wildebeest migration, although that will raise the cost of what is an already expensive visit even more.

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SGang Gwaay

SGang Gwaay
Photo in the Public Domain.

SG̱ang Gwaay holds the remains of traditional cedar longhouses and carved poles of the Haida.

This former village on the eastern side of Anthony Island was inhabited until the late 19th century. It still has a place in the traditions of the Haida culture. It has the largest collection of Haida totem poles in their original locations, many celebrated as great works of art.

Community Perspective: this is a remote place at the far southern end of the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve. Jay recently delivered a full report on the experience of visiting (“the poles are still standing … but the fine details on the poles continue to fade"), including the practicalities of getting there.

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Speyer Cathedral

Speyer Cathedral
Photo by Els Slots.

Speyer Cathedral is the largest and one of the most important Romanesque monuments from the time of the Holy Roman Empire.

The Emperors Konrad II and Henry IV stood at the beginning of what was the biggest church of its time. Besides its size, the richness of its sculptures stands out. After a fire in 1689, part of the nave had to be reconstructed; this led to what is seen as the first great achievement of monument preservation in Europe. The Crypt is still the original and harbors the graves of no less than eight medieval German emperors and kings.

Community Perspective: It’s just so … Romanesque! The exterior is more impressive than the inside, except for the unmissable Crypt.

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Willandra Lakes

Willandra Lakes
Photo by Els Slots.

The Willandra Lakes Region is a geologically unique area of dry lakebeds rich in fossils and very early homo sapiens evidence.

They include the world's oldest cremation site (26,000 years old) and remains of a settlement up to 40,000 years ago (agricultural use, stone tools). The lakes dried out about 18,500 years ago. The region is important for research of the Pleistocene in Australasia, when humans became dominant and large wildlife became extinct.

Community Perspective: It’s a wonderful semi-arid desert now, with exposed fossilized trees and bones, and one of Australia's top off-the-beaten-track WHS. Locally the area is better known as Mungo National Park. Clyde describes getting there and around with a non-4WD car.

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Würzburg Residence

Würzburg Residence
Photo by Christoph.

The Würzburg Residence with the Court Gardens and Residence Square represents a highlight in 18th-century Baroque palace architecture.

Two successive Prince-Bishops of the Würzburg ecclesiastical principality hired prominent international architects (from Vienna, Venice, Paris), painters, sculptors, and stucco workers to create a splendid residence with 300 rooms. The ceiling over the broad staircase, the walls of the Imperial Hall and the church altar are decorated with frescoes made by the Venetian master Tiepolo.

Community Perspective: A must-visit for its Tiepolo frescoes, but there is also the route around the palace “with the usual array of ornate bedchambers, wardrobes and halls”. Caspar and Jay have described what you may expect from the guided tour.

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