New Inscriptions in 2001

The 2001 WHC Session added 31 Sites bringing the total to 720.

Alejandro de Humboldt National Park

Alejandro de Humboldt National Park
Photo by Marcel Staron.

Alejandro de Humboldt National Park covers a remnant forested mountain ecosystem that is unparalleled in the Insular Caribbean.

This coastal landscape is crossed by many rivers. The park has a high biodiversity, with high numbers of endemic flora, and vertebrates and invertebrates. Its diverse marine species include the West Indian Manatee.

Community Perspective: The park can be visited from the town of Baracoa, where guided tours are available. Inside the park, you can hike or go on a boat trip. You’ll find a gorgeous environment with tropical flora everywhere around you.

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Alto Douro

Alto Douro
Photo by Els Slots.

The Alto Douro Wine Region comprises a landscape where the river banks and hillsides are transformed by viticulture.

The cultural landscape consists of terraced vineyards on large and small estates, white-walled villages, olive and almond crops, and the river Douro. Mainly Port wine, defined and regulated since 1756, is produced here. Because of the hot dry microclimate, growing conditions for grapes are ideal and winegrowing started as early as the 3rd century AD.

Community Perspective: although the landscape is generally pretty, it can be hard to visit something tangible related to the OUV. Echwel and Hubert recommend the area between Pinhao and Peso da Regua, with highlights such as the Museo Douro, a boat tour and Quinta do Bomfim visit. Ilya added a couple more quintas to consider.

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Ambohimanga

Ambohimanga
Photo by Els Slots.

The Royal Hill of Ambohimanga is an archeological site that contains a ruined city, burial sites, and various sacred places.

Ambohimanga dates from the 16th century and developed into the capital city in the 18th century. The walled city, with stone gates, three palaces, cemeteries and holy places, combines Malagasy and European architectural styles. The hill is also covered with sacred groves, a sacred lake and agricultural terraces. It is still a place of pilgrimage for the local population for the worship of kings and ancestors.

Community Perspective: The site is an easy half-day trip from the capital and is "beautifully set in green countryside looking over a rice paddy filled plain reaching back to Tana". The standard visit includes a guided tour of the royal compound, but it is possible to do a separate 2-hour tour of the sacred forest as well.

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Aranjuez

Aranjuez
Photo by Els Slots.

Aranjuez Cultural Landscape represents a varied landscape design developed over centuries.

It started out as the Royal Site of King Philip II in the 16th century, with a private country palace and extensive waterworks using the waters of the adjacent Tagus and Jarama rivers. In the 18th century, it was further enlarged with a town and roads by using geometric principles, with lines of trees as one of the most prominent characteristics.

Community Perspective: This essentially is a cleverly marketed Royal Palace (“the interior here was so ghastly it left an impression”, according to our palace expert Ian) plus its gardens. Aranjuez overall is a nice and easy day trip from Madrid.

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Brazilian Atlantic Islands

Brazilian Atlantic Islands
Photo by Els Slots.

Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves comprise two groups of islands with rich marine biological diversity, 340km off Brazil's coast.

The peaks of Fernando de Noronha, of volcanic origin, are also the only known occurrence of insular Atlantic Forest - a subtype of Atlantic Rainforest. The Atol das Rocas is the only atoll in the South Atlantic: an elliptical reef including two small islands surrounded by a marine reserve. The marine areas, which are considerably larger than the terrestrial core zone of both island groups, hold large volumes of tuna, sharks, dolphins, turtles and tropical seabirds.

Community Perspective: the added costs of flights and accommodation, plus the park fees and environmental protection fees, make this an expensive destination to visit, certainly, if you leave it to the last minute. Michael had to limit himself to the terrestrial areas but managed to see three of the island’s endemic animals. Els checked out some hikes and did a boat tour, with spinner dolphins and the red-footed boobies as the highlights. And we even have a review from John who was shipwrecked for 20 days on Atol das Rocas…

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Central Sikhote-Alin

Central Sikhote-Alin
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Central Sikhote-Alin comprises intact forest landscapes in a mountain range in the Russian Far East.

Sikhote-Alin comprises one of the most extraordinary temperate zones in the world, with highly diverse flora and fauna. Species typical of northern taiga (such as reindeer and the brown bear) coexist with tropical species like the Amur tiger and the Himalayan bear.

Community Perspective: The site consists of three protected areas. Martina has described access via Terney, from where she did three hikes. The season here is short, from  July to October.

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Cerrado Protected Areas

Cerrado Protected Areas
Photo by Wojciech Fedoruk.

The Cerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks represent the Cerrado ecoregion, one of Earth's oldest tropical ecosystems.

Chapada dos Veadeiros lies at a higher altitude, while Emas is characterized by treeless savannahs on acid and nutrient-deprived soil. The region is known for its specialized flora and fauna, the latter including the giant anteater, the maned wolf, and the giant armadillo. The parks lie 400km apart in the Brazilian Highland Central Plateau.

Community Perspective: “Cerrado is the Brazilian savannah, although much greener than other savannah areas of the world.” All reviewers so far have chosen Chapada dos Veadeiros; it has been visited by João, Thomas (warns about the access road), Stanislaw (with public transport info), Wojciech (warns about the opening hours), and Shandos (recommends Jardim de Maytrea). Emas NP is still awaiting a first review.

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Churches of Peace

Churches of Peace
Photo by Els Slots.

The Churches of Peace in Jawor and Swidnica are the largest timber-framed religious buildings in Europe and a symbol of religious tolerance from the 17th century.

After the Peace of Westphalia (1648), the Protestants in Silesia were allowed by the Habsburg Roman Catholic emperor to build three churches. Restrictions were that they had to be constructed outside the city walls, made of wood or clay, and built in less than a year. Wooden buildings (of which one burned down) were erected that had never been seen before in complexity and size, with a capacity of 7,000 people each.

Community Perspective: Impressive churches with lavishly decorated interiors. It is hard to say which of the two churches is more beautiful. They are usually open daily except for Sunday mornings (when there is a service), but be aware that the church in Jawor has a seasonal closure (Nov-March) when you can visit by appointment only.

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Derwent Valley Mills

Derwent Valley Mills
Photo by Solivagant.

Derwent Valley Mills comprises some of the first modern industrial settlements.

From 1771 onwards, a series of water-powered cotton mills was established in this valley. They made factory-wise production of cotton possible and many industrial buildings of that time remain. The area attracted high numbers of workers who needed housing, and they settled in the newly built villages of Cromford, Belper, Milford, and Darley Abbey.

Community Perspective: located in pretty natural surroundings, “the area looks like you haven’t moved away from 19th century”. The interiors of the mills often are less rewarding, as they mostly have been turned into shopping centres. Mason Mills has a textile museum where you can see some fabric-making machines in action.

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Dorset and East Devon Coast

Dorset and East Devon Coast
Photo by Squiffy.

Dorset and East Devon Coast is an area that has been globally important for the study of paleontology, geology and geomorphology for over 300 years.

Here, along the coast, rock formations are exposed from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous eras. At the rocks, great numbers of animal (marine and terrestrial) and plant fossils have been discovered. Geomorphological fields of study include a great variety of landslides and beach formation and evolution on a retreating coastline.

Community Perspective: the local tourism board promotes this as the Jurassic Coast, and the whole WHS can be walked along the South West Coast path. Areas of interest include Lulworth Cove and the Durdle Door, fossil hunting on the shore at Lyme Regis (Joel), Chesil Beach (John, Jay), Westbay (Jakob), Old Harry Rock (Caspar). You can admire the coast from a boat as well, as did James.

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Falun Great Copper Mountain

Falun Great Copper Mountain
Photo by Els Slots.

The Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun has had a profound influence on global mining technology.

Mining for copper had been a local business since the 9th century and lasted until the 20th century, with the 17th century as its heyday when Sweden became the major producer of copper. The area centers around the enormous open-cast mine Great Pit. The other areas contain many furnace sites, waterways, ponds, canals, and ancient mining settlements and the town of Falun with its 1646 gridiron street plan and wooden houses.

Community Perspective: One of the country's top attractions and accessible by a direct rail link from Stockholm, “Falun gives you a real sense of how heavy industry can alter a landscape”. You can hike around the perimeter of the Great Pit and there is a mining museum, from where underground tours start as well.

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Fertö/Neusiedlersee

Fertö/Neusiedlersee
Photo by Els Slots.

The Fertö/Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape is the result of the symbiotic process of human interaction with the westernmost steppe lake in Eurasia.

For eight millennia the lake, its reed belt and its surroundings have been used for stock raising and viticulture, starting with people of the early Iron Age Hallstatt culture. In medieval times, a network of settlements developed with an inner and outer ring around the lake.

Community Perspective: It’s a prime birdwatching area and the lake is used for all kinds of recreational activities, but this is a cultural WHS only (see Els’ review of how that happened) so you have to make do with the charming little town of Rust and the Esterhazy Palace in Fertöd. Hubert recommends doing a bicycle tour and Clyde a ‘self-drive’ boat.

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Goias

Goias
Photo by Wojciech Fedoruk.

The Historic Centre of the Town of Goías covers an isolated town that has preserved much of its colonial heritage.

The settlement of Goías is closely linked to the discovery of gold. The modest houses, chapels and churches of this mining town are testimony to the height of the gold rush era. Goías was founded in the 18th century when the so-called Bandeirantes started exploring the interior of Brazil from Sao Paulo.

Community Perspective: Not comparable to the superb colonial cities in Brazil like Ouro Preto or Olinda, but the well-preserved town centre with its cobblestone streets provides an enjoyable couple of hours.

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Guimarães

Guimarães
Photo by Jonas Kremer.

The Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zone are known for their medieval building techniques, which have been transmitted to the Portuguese colonies in Africa and the Americas.

The town’s early history (12th century) is tied to the Portuguese national identity and the Portuguese language. From the 15th to the 19th centuries, its typical traditional building technique using granite mixed with a timber-framed structure evolved.

Community Perspective: The castle is the town’s focal point; it also has a pretty medieval quarter with many colorful balconied houses and nice churches.

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Lamu Old Town

Lamu Old Town
Photo by Roman Bruehwiler.

Lamu Old Town is the oldest and best-preserved example of Swahili settlement in East Africa.

The town has retained its authentic building fabric up to the present day, with cultural influences from Europe, Arabia, and India. As a conservative and closed society, Lamu has an important religious function with annual celebrations and is also a significant centre for education in Islamic and Swahili culture.

Community Perspective: aimlessly wandering around the old town seems the thing to do.

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Masada

Masada
Photo by Argo.

Masada comprises ancient palaces and fortifications on top of an isolated rock plateau on the edge of the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea.

The remains of Judaean king Herod the Great’s sumptuous palace complex are outstanding examples of classical Roman architecture. Masada became a symbol of Jewish cultural identity after the First Jewish-Roman War when a siege of the fortress by Roman troops led to the site's Jewish fugitives choosing death over slavery. The Roman siege works also have been preserved and are the most complete anywhere in the Roman world.

Community Perspective: You can get to the top by cable car or on foot. Be aware that it is a place very popular with tourist groups (“It's the total package: spectacular scenery, Roman ruins, and Jewish significance”). DAB witnessed what the latter still means for Israeli army cadets, while Nan ponders the overly patriotic load.

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Medina of Essaouira

Medina of Essaouira
Photo by Jonas Kremer.

The Medina of Essaouira (formerly "Mogador") is an example of a late 18th-century fortified town, as transferred to North Africa.

Sultan Sidi Mohamed ben Abdellah decided to build a port that would open Morocco up to the outside world and assist in developing commercial relations with Europe. He hired a French architect (Nicholas Théodore Cornut) who had been profoundly influenced by the work of Vauban at Saint-Malo.

Community Perspective: “Morocco-for-beginners”, it’s a touristy but pleasant place. Check out the remains of the Jewish quarter and the sea-facing ramparts.

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New Lanark

New Lanark
Photo by Solivagant.

New Lanark was an innovative industrial community centered around textile production.

The community was the product of David Dale, the cotton mill owner who settled for this area to take advantage of the water power provided by the River Clyde, and his son-in-law, Robert Owen, a philanthropist and social reformer. New Lanark became a successful business and an epitome of utopian socialism, with specially designed workers' housing and public buildings.

Community Perspective: in a beautiful location, “but it does lack a coherent adult message”. A visit to Robert Owen's house is recommended. We have no idea what exactly is included because of this terrible official map.

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Old City of Acre

Old City of Acre
Photo by Luis Filipe Gaspar.

The Old City of Acre is renowned for its Crusader buildings and its Ottoman walled town.

This port city has been continuously inhabited since Phoenician times. During the First Crusade, the Crusaders made the town their chief port in Palestine and substantial remains of its medieval buildings have been preserved. The city revived at the end of the 18th century under Ottoman rule, resulting in a typical Ottoman walled town with a citadel, mosques, khans and baths.

Community Perspective: It’s essentially two cities, with the walled Ottoman city (showing signs of neglect) on top and the Crusader city (over-restored, commercialized) below it. The site has a fairly good Community Rating, but the reviewers gave it little praise.

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Provins

Provins
Photo by Els Slots.

Provins, Town of Medieval Fairs, is the best-preserved example of a town developed for great annual trading fairs.

The Counts of Champagne organized these fairs from 1120 onwards. They linked merchants and traders from northern Europe with the Mediterranean world and served as a model for later fair traditions in for example Brugge and the Hanseatic cities. The fortified town provided supporting services such as banking and warehouses.

Community Perspective: You’d be hard-pressed to find a trace of medieval fairs here: it is in essence a town with medieval origins and a lot of timber-framed housing. The Caesar Tower and the Church of Saint Quiriace are its major landmarks.

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Saltaire

Saltaire
Photo by Els Slots.

Saltaire is a Victorian-era model village that illustrates the philanthropic approach to industrial management typical of this period.

Saltaire was founded by Sir Titus Salt in 1853. He moved his entire business from Bradford to this site partly to provide better arrangements for his workers than could be had in Bradford and partly to site his large textile mill by a canal and a railway. His project is usually seen as an example of paternalism and it was of influence on the international Garden City movement.

Community Perspective: The place still looks like a very nice place to live, though for a visitor its industrial history isn’t well-explained and signage is poor. Frederik recommends to visit it at night.

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Samarkand

Samarkand
Photo by Els Slots.

Samarkand - Crossroad of Cultures is a city with ancient origins that saw its heyday during the Temurid period.

From its early days, the archeological site of the city of Afrosiab remains. The Temurid medieval city has preserved its urban fabric, monumental buildings and traditional housing. Its Timurid architecture decorated with ceramic tiles became a worldwide influence in Islamic art and architecture. The 19th and 20th-century Russian expansions of the city show its urban continuity.

Community Perspective: The individual monuments stand out here more than the overall atmosphere, with the highlights being the Registan ensemble, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, the  Shahr-i-Zindah tombs, the Guri Amir Mausoleum and the Ulughbek Observatory. Behind the scenes, it’s not all that shiny, as the interiors often disappoint and much of the restoration work is shoddy.

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Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch

Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch
Photo by Els Slots.

Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch is an impressive landscape and an outstanding example of the formation of the High Alps.

It includes the most glaciated part of the mountain range and the largest glacier in Eurasia, the Aletsch Glacier. The area holds 9 peaks over 4,000m: Finsteraarhorn, Aletschhorn, Jungfrau, Mönch, Schreckhorn, Gross Fiescherhorn, Hinter Fiescherhorn, Grünhorn and Lauteraarhorn.

Community Perspective: The most popular way to cover this WHS seems to be to take the expensive train up to the Jungfraujoch. Easier ways of access lie at Kandersteg (Oeschinensee) and Eggishorn.

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Tombs of Buganda Kings

Tombs of Buganda Kings
Photo by Marcel Staron.

The Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi comprise the major spiritual centre for the Buganda people, the largest Ugandan ethnic group.

Four successive Kabakas (kings) of Buganda were buried in the same tomb house at Kasubi, the building which is at the core of this site. The complex is the best extant example of Ganda architecture and palace design. It is an active religious site.

Community Perspective: Easily accessed as it lies in the capital Kampala. A visit is accompanied by a local guide and takes half an hour. All reviews so far have been before the restoration, which was completed in 2023.

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Tsodilo

Tsodilo
Photo by Marcel Staron.

Tsodilo is a prehistoric archeological site in the Kalahari desert known for its outstanding rock art.

It comprises a group of rocky hills that hold over 4,500 rock paintings. The rock art is considered to date back from the Stone Age til the 19th century. The area has provided shelter for humans for millennia, and it still is a place of worship for the local San communities.

Community Perspective: Randi describes her visit arriving by car from the Caprivi Strip, Els ‘did’ it on a day trip by helicopter from Maun, and Stanislaw shares how he managed to exhaust the local guides.

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Tugendhat Villa

Tugendhat Villa
Photo by Els Slots.

The Tugendhat Villa in Brno is a masterpiece of the 20th-century Modern Movement in architecture.

It was created by the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1930 for Fritz Tugendhat, owner of a Brno textile factory. Exquisite materials and modern technologies such as central heating and air conditioning were used in the construction of this house, with a base structure of reinforced concrete slabs supported by steel beams. The adjacent garden and original furniture were also designed by Mies van der Rohe.

Community Perspective: “If you have an interest in modernist architecture this is a must see”. It’s very popular to visit, so you must reserve months ahead of time especially if you want to join a tour given in English. Their customer service overall could be improved (e.g.: basic tours are only available in Czech, the need to purchase a costly separate photo ticket, and what happened to Clyde).

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Vat Phou

Vat Phou
Photo by Els Slots.

Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural Landscape comprise a ruined Khmer Hindu temple complex integrated with its natural surroundings.

The whole was created within a geometric framework linking man-made works with natural phenomena, notably the summit of Phou Kao and the river Mekong. The temple has a unique structure, in which the elements lead to a shrine where a linga was bathed in water from a mountain spring. The site later became a centre of Theravada Buddhist worship, which it remains today.

Community Perspective: this site may be disappointing if you’ve visited major Khmer sites before, but the old processional walkway is impressive. The area also has a surprisingly serene and holy atmosphere. Frederik puts the site in Khmer context, Els visited it on public transport (difficult!) and Nan with a car+driver from Pakse. Randi in 2020 reported the arrival of an electric bus to get around the archeological site.

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Vienna

Vienna
Photo by Els Slots.

The Historic Centre of Vienna holds significant architecture from three periods (the Middle Ages, the Baroque period, and the Gründerzeit) and is a capital of music.

Vienna was the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and medieval-era buildings remain in the inner city. The Habsburg Emperor Frederick III transformed it into an imperial residence with a strong Baroque character. Further expansion of the city led to the construction of fine examples of late 19th and early 20th century architecture along the Ring.

Community Perspective: Magnificent and Majestic. Assif highlights a number of museums to visit, Hubert the Art Nouveau masterpiece Postsparkasse and Matejicek the time-layers of the Michaelerplatz.

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Villa d'Este

Villa d'Este
Photo by Els Slots.

Villa d'Este, Tivoli is a masterpiece of Italian Renaissance architecture and especially garden design.

The ensemble of the palace and gardens was laid out in the second half of the 16th century on the orders of Governor Cardinal d'Este. Its terraced water garden decorated with architectural elements such as monumental fountains had a profound influence on European landscape design.

Community Perspective: The garden provides a nice 1.5-hour stroll up and down the terraced hill, with the fountains as highlights (if they're running). The palace/villa isn’t particularly interesting. Overall it feels like an old-fashioned tourist attraction that could use some TLC.

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Yungang Grottoes

Yungang Grottoes
Photo by Els Slots.

The Yungang Grottoes are excellent examples of early Chinese Buddhist cave art.

The 53 caves with 51,000 carved statues were excavated in the south face of a sandstone cliff. They were created during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), whose emperors introduced the 'foreign' Buddhism and turned it into their state religion.

Community Perspective: The grottoes are easily visited from the city of Datong, and present a virtual art laboratory where “ancient artists acted like scientists who made experiments to assimilate South and Central Asian arts into local arts”. Frederik laments its location among dusty industrial coal mine complexes, but that was in 2009 (it was already that way in 1978 when Solivagant visited) – we need a more recent review of what it looks like now!

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Zollverein

Zollverein
Photo by Jurre.

The Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen represents the development of traditional heavy industries in Europe and the innovative architecture that was used.

Mining here started in the mid-19th century, along the major railway to Cologne. Its complete installations (including pits, coking plants, pit heaps and miner’s housing) have been preserved. Zollverein XII (shaft no. 12) from 1930 is especially noteworthy for its modernist architecture, where both functionality and aesthetic qualities counted.

Community Perspective: The site is very large and a guided tour is recommended. Many of the buildings nowadays are used for art exhibitions; the Red Dot Design Museum for example is worth looking inside. Hubert has provided an excellent overview of what’s to see. For an opposite view, read Solivagant’s ‘rant’.

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Extended Sites in 2001

Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Islands
Photo by Els Slots.

The Galápagos Islands comprise an archipelago and marine reserve known for their vast number of endemic species and the studies by Charles Darwin that led to his theory of evolution by natural selection.

The islands are relatively young and of volcanic origin. Together with their isolated position, this has led to a highly unique flora and fauna which inspired Charles Darwin following his visit in 1835. The marine life is especially rich due to the reserve’s location at the confluence of three ocean currents.

Community Perspective: “A great thing about the Galapagos is that the animals WILL turn up on cue. And on top of that of course they are incredibly tame.”, Solivagant sums up the experience well. The choice to make here is visiting on a multi-day boat tour (Travel Addicts) or organizing it all by yourself from a base (Tonisan, Jay, Els, and, thorough as always, Clyde and Fréderic).

Solivagant UK - 01-May-05

Galapagos Islands

The usual problem with taking “wild life” holidays is the uncertainty as to whether one will actually see the creatures one is traveling so far (and often paying so much!) to see. Over the years we have seen most of the animals we have gone to see – but it has sometimes taken several visits to do so – thus we have failed to see Gorillas in Gabon, Wolves in Alaska and Jaguars in Guyana.

A great thing about the Galapagos is that the animals WILL turn up on cue. There may not be a vast variety of species but, if an island is supposed to have a species, you will have to be very unlucky not to see it!!

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Lake Turkana

Lake Turkana
Photo by Roman Bruehwiler.

The Lake Turkana National Parks provide an important stopping point for migratory birds and holds fossil and geological records that have brought an understanding of its paleo-environment.

The parks consist of Sibiloi National Park and two islands on Lake Turkana (South Island and Central Island). They contain both animal and hominid fossils in the Koobi Fora deposits which are unique in the world. The parks also are a breeding ground for the Nile crocodile, hippopotamus, and snakes.

Community Perspective: more romantically known as the Jade Sea, the area is characterized by a constant fight for survival against drought and starvation.

Richard Stone South Aftica - 25-Dec-19

Lake Turkana

Visited September 2005.

As I was born in Kenya, it holds a special place in my heart. The Northern Frontier District or NFD has always been seen as a very wild place and certainly not for the faint-hearted to visit.

Lake Turkana itself has gone by many names, initially Lake Rudolph and the more romantic Jade Sea.

Life for the local tribes people is a constant fight for survival against drought and starvation. Camels and goats are the only animals able to survive these conditions. 

Lake Turkana is absolutely huge and you could spend many weeks traversing its shores. Of particular interest to the adventurous soul are the Volcanic islands which have their own lakes within them. Hiring a reliable boat is essential as it gets very rough out on this mini sea. 

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Mudejar Architecture of Aragon

Mudejar Architecture of Aragon
Photo by Els Slots.

The Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon represents the most outstanding examples of Mudéjar construction techniques and art forms.

Mudéjar is the style of Iberian Christian architecture and decoration strongly influenced by Moorish taste and workmanship. The ten included buildings cover the whole period, from the 12th to the 16th century. The architecture is characterized by bell towers shaped like the Islamic minaret, the use of bricks, glazed tiles and wooden ceilings.

Community Perspective: Teruel is an easy place to start as it holds 4 of the 10 inscribed components, as is Zaragoza which has 3 of which the Aljafería palace is the best.

John booth New Zealand - 30-Mar-10

Mudejar Architecture of Aragon

The most noticable feature that all the towers have in common that I have visited (in Calatayud, Zaragoza and Teruel) is the skill displayed by the bricklayers in creating the varied and ornate patterns. In Calatayud, I found Santa Maria's church only a short distance from the station, past the Plaza del Fuerte.

In Zaragoza, bus #51 took me from the station to the Aljafeira, a minature version of the Alhambra at Granada without the fountains. From here I walked to the cathedral via the church of San Pablo, and then returned to the station by bus #52.

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Painted Churches in the Troödos Region

Painted Churches in the Troödos Region
Photo by Michael Novins.

The Painted Churches in the Troödos Region comprise ten rural Byzantine churches and monasteries that are renowned for their paintings.

Their rich interiors present an overview of Byzantine and post-Byzantine painting. The architecture of the churches is indigenous: on the inside there's the classical form of a Byzantine church, on the outside it often looks like a stable or a farm. The extra layer on the outside was constructed to be able to cope with the heavy snowfall that can occur in the Troödos Mountains.

Community Perspective: “You won't be able to visit them all if you're in a hurry and you won't enjoy your visit if you're in a rush.” Two days and a rental car are necessary at least. The review by Kbecq provides access information for all 10 churches while departing from Nicosia, and Riccardo's does so when basing yourself in Kakopetria. Tsunami’s story reminds us of what travel could be like during Covid.

Els Slots The Netherlands - 12-May-01

Painted Churches in the Troödos Region

Far away, deep in the heart of Cyprus, a number of very old and special churches can be found. They are like hidden treasures, and also in the age of paved roads and cars, it takes some stamina to visit them.

Of the 9 enlisted churches, I visited 3: Panagia tou Asinou, Panagia tou Araka and Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis. Although they won their inclusion in the list mainly because of their interiors, I fell for their simple outside beauty. Often "just" a robust stone building, but in the best natural settings you can think of.

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Potala Palace

Potala Palace
Photo by Els Slots.

The Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa, represents the apogee of Tibetan architecture and the combination of religious and secular authority.

The Ensemble includes the Potala Palace and the Norbulingka Summer Palace, which were the administrative, religious and symbolic centers of Tibet's theocratic government for many centuries, and the Jokhang Temple, the most sacred in Tibetan Buddhism. The Potala and Jokhang date back to the 7th century CE.

Community Perspective: The Potala is one of the world’s great iconic sites and nearby Jokhang Temple is also worthwhile for its religious activity. The site is also inextricably linked to the oppression of Tibetan culture by the Chinese, and most of the earlier reviews reflect that.

Zack Culvert USA - 01-May-05

I just took the train trip from Qinghai to Lhasa. Due to the influx of tourists from this new train service, the visiting hours to Potala Palace is now only one hour, although they increased the daily inflow from 1,000 to 3,000 people so everyone can get a chance to see inside. The result is a rush through the palace, with barely sufficient time to take in the art and monuments. The tickets are officially 100 RMB (US$14), but scalpers ask for up to US$100. So plan carefully with your travel agent.

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Volcanoes of Kamchatka

Volcanoes of Kamchatka
Photo in the Public Domain.

The Volcanoes of Kamchatka represent one of the most outstanding volcanic regions in the world.

The Kamchatka Peninsula was shaped by tectonic and volcanic activity. It is the globally most active volcanic region, with a display of features such geysers, mudholes, and hot springs. The coastal landscapes and seascape are also notable and are home to salmon spawning areas and major seabird colonies.

Community Perspective: This covers a large area and requires at least a week of your time. Martina visited in 2016 and enjoyed the hikes and the helicopter tour of the Valley of Geysirs. Alexander did so in 2020 and added some rafting to the activities. The helicopter tours are highly recommended to see the best places of Kamchatka and to appreciate the wilderness of this place.

Martina Rúčková Slovakia - 05-Dec-16

Volcanoes of Kamchatka

This is one of those WHS that truly deserve a trip of their own and contain so many parts and places that even with a week at your disposal, you'll be able to just cover couple of those places. I visited the Kamchatka peninsula this August with my husband Ivan. It consists of numerous nature parks/reserves and places. We started with the ascend to Avachinskiy volcano (2000m altitude hike over 8 km track), hiked around Dachniye springs (by the Mutnovskiy geothermal station), did a helicopter tour of the Valley of Geysirs and hiked the Gorelyi volcano. The nature is marvellous and out of the three "top" mainland Russia natural UNESCO WHSs, Altai, Lake Baikal, and Kamchatka, I have to hand it to Kamchatka as the most wonderful of the three

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