Philipp Peterer Profile

Since 2008 visiting WHS is my primary obsession. I started with about 40 sites I had seen without particular knowledge of their world heritage status and managed to boost this number since. It helped that I started to work for the national airline in 2010 and I had a few years where I could travel intensely. In 2012 I had my personal record year, visiting 60 sites. Between December 2010 and March 2013 I was able to visit 1 or more sites every single month. In March 2013 my son was born, so currently I’m reduced to a much slower pace and the occasional weekend escape on my own.
I really like the diversity of the list. I favor medieval related sites, industrial sites and Greek/Roman remains, if they are clearly visible. On the rear end are modern architecture and fossil sites. The true spirit of our common hobby reveals itself to me each time I visit a place I would have never dreamed of if it wasn’t for the list and turns out to be amazing, such as Sceilg Mhichíl, the Wadi Al Hitan or the Ajanta Caves.
Visited Sites Philipp Peterer
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Recent Reviews Philipp Peterer
Southwestern Coast Tidal Flats (T)
Philipp Peterer Switzerland - 05-May-20

I visited two locations of the Tidal Flats, up for inscription in 2020 (or maybe 2021, due to coronavirus): Suncheon Bay and the Gochang Tidal Flats.
Suncheon Bay
This location is ideal and probably the best choice, when the tidal flats become a WHS. Suncheon Bay is close to Naganeupseong TWHS (worth a visit) and Seonamsa monastery WHS.
You need to visit the Suncheon Bay Ecological Park to be able to see the iconic view shown in Clyde’s and Kyle’s pictures. The ticket fee is high and you even pay for parking (very rare in Korea). The park itself is like an Ecological Disneyland. You walk on well-maintained wooden paths, there are restaurants, boat tours and a big museum. Walk to the observatory for the tidal flats where you can admire them from three different levels.
Read OnBaekje Historic Areas
Philipp Peterer Switzerland - 04-May-20

Visit February 2020 - I managed to visit all components of the Baekje Historic Areas on my Korea trip.
Gongju cluster
I started in Gongju, visiting the Gongsanseong fortress upon arrival in the afternoon. It is not a spectacular, but still a nice fortress, with reconstructed gates and earthen walls. You need at least an hour to visit. It’s quite big. After spending the night in this underwhelming town, I visited the royal tombs in the morning. In hind side I should have pushed my schedule the day before for 15 minutes as this was roughly the time I needed for the visit. The tombs are not accessible all you can do is visit the museum with the replicas. Nice, but not the real deal.
Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen
Philipp Peterer Switzerland - 04-May-20

Visit February 2020 - Dolmen sites are generally not too appealing for me, but in a land full of temples and palaces, they were a nice disruption. Unlike most others I did not visit Ganghwa (easy one for a revisit to Korea) but went for Gochang and Hwasun.
Gochang
Gochang is probable the main site among the three. It is not ideally located, but at least there are two Seowons nearby
Read OnStone Buddhas and Pagodas at Hwasun Unjusa Temple (T)
Philipp Peterer Switzerland - 04-May-20

This, in my opinion, does not only deserve to be a world heritage site, It would also be Korea’s best world heritage site. Unjusa is unfortunately (or rather fortunately) very off the beaten path. The only WHS close by is the Hwasun dolmen component of the site everybody seems to tick off with Ganghwa near Seoul. I spent the night in Naju, the closest place I could find a hotel online, and visited the temple first thing in the morning. As so often during my off-season Korea trip, I was the only visitor. There is a ticket booth and free parking at the entrance.
Read OnSeowon, Neo-Confucian Academies
Philipp Peterer Switzerland - 03-May-20

Visit February 2020 – I managed to visit 5 of the inscribed 9 Seowons on my road trip through Korea. In general, the visits of all Seowons were fairly similar. They mostly have the same buildings (dormitories, lecture halls, library, shrine and walls with a gate) that look the same. Entry to all but Sosu Seowon was free and you frankly don’t need much more than 15 minutes to visit a location. They all have info plates in English on premise and a nice “this is a world heritage site” stone in front of each Seowon. You will find free parking close to each Seowon, but most of the might be a bit tricky to reach with public transport.
Read OnProfile Data
- Name
- Philipp Peterer
- Country
- Switzerland
- Most Impressive
- Machu Picchu
- Proposal
- Ancient Salamis (Northern Cyprus)
Recently Visited WHS
- Update 01.01.21
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Visited WHS
Rating StatsAngkor 5Baalbek 5Granada 5Meteora 5Palenque 5Petra 5Rome 5Segovia 5Sintra 5Brugge 4.5Bryggen 4.5Cesky Krumlov 4.5Chavin 4.5Chichen-Itza 4.5Cracow 4.5Cuzco 4.5Dong Phayayen 4.5Florence 4.5Grand Canyon 4.5Great Wall 4.5Gwynedd Castles 4.5Imperial Palace 4.5Mount Etna 4.5Nasca Lines 4.5Oporto 4.5Plitvice Lakes 4.5Pompei 4.5Prague 4.5Rila Monastery 4.5Salamanca 4.5Siena 4.5Sigiriya 4.5Taj Mahal 4.5Teotihuacan 4.5Vatican City 4.5Versailles 4.5Wadi Al-Hitan 4.5Wadi Rum 4.5Yungang Grottoes 4.5Assisi 4Avignon 4Avila 4Bamberg 4Belem 4Budapest 4Byblos 4Cordoba 4Cuenca 4Elvas 4Ephesus 4Evora 4Istanbul 4Jeju 4Kotor 4Kyiv 4Le Morne 4Masada 4Mostar 4Mystras 4Naples 4Paphos 4Potsdam 4Reims 4Rhodes 4Salzburg 4Sanchi 4Seville 4Split 4Syracuse 4Telc 4Toledo 4Trier 4Vienna 4Vilnius 4Warsaw 4Aachen Cathedral 3.5Albi 3.5Alto Douro 3.5Anjar 3.5Aranjuez 3.5Ayutthaya 3.5Bardejov Town 3.5Biblical Tells 3.5Burgos Cathedral 3.5Butrint 3.5Caceres 3.5Camino Real 3.5Canterbury 3.5Caral-Supe 3.5Castel del Monte 3.5Curonian Spit 3.5Delos 3.5Dolomites 3.5El Escurial 3.5Epidaurus 3.5Ferrara 3.5Garajonay 3.5Giant's Causeway 3.5Jantar Mantar 3.5Kandy 3.5Kew Gardens 3.5Kinderdijk 3.5Kronborg Castle 3.5Lima 3.5Liverpool 3.5Lyon 3.5Lübeck 3.5Matera 3.5Mazagan 3.5Muskauer Park 3.5Namhansanseong 3.5Neolithic Orkney 3.5Old City of Acre 3.5Olympia 3.5Orange 3.5Pergamon 3.5Poblet Monastery 3.5Pont du Gard 3.5Provins 3.5Querétaro 3.5Ravenna 3.5Rhaetian Railway 3.5Rio de Janeiro 3.5Robben Island 3.5San Gimignano 3.5Schönbrunn 3.5Sighisoara 3.5Sinharaja Forest 3.5Stevns Klint 3.5Stonehenge 3.5Strasbourg 3.5Tarraco 3.5Temple of Heaven 3.5Tower of London 3.5Trebic 3.5Trogir 3.5Tyre 3.5Urbino 3.5Val di Noto 3.5Valletta 3.5Verona 3.5Villa d'Este 3.5Vizcaya Bridge 3.5Volubilis 3.5Vézère Valley 3.5Westminster 3.5Arequipa 3Arles 3Belfries 3Bordeaux 3Campeche 3Corfu 3Graz 3Ibiza 3Le Havre 3Macao 3Meknes 3Modena 3Mérida 3Nessebar 3Pearling 3Pienza 3Saltaire 3Torun 3Vicenza 3Aquileia 2.5Burgundy 2.5Champagne 2.5Drottningholm 2.5Forth Bridge 2.5Genoa 2.5Imperial Tombs 2.5Ironbridge Gorge 2.5Kairouan 2.5Kutna Hora 2.5Medina of Fez 2.5Medina of Sousse 2.5Medina of Tunis 2.5Morelia 2.5Nancy 2.5Panamá 2.5Peking Man Site 2.5Puebla 2.5Red Fort 2.5Regensburg 2.5Site of Carthage 2.5Stećci 2.5Vézelay 2.5Úbeda and Baeza 2.5Gyeongju 2Hollókö 2Ivrea 2Kerkuane 2Al Ain 1.5Atapuerca 1.5Bahla Fort 1.5Bauhaus Sites 1.5Bridgetown 1.5Canal du Midi 1.5Corvey 1.5Luther Memorials 1.5Stari Grad Plain 1.5Troy 1.5Van Nellefabriek 1.5Jelling 1Kernavë 1Battir 0.5Beemster Polder 0.5Hortobágy 0.5Lenggong Valley 0.5Madara Rider 0.5Stoclet House 0.5Valongo Wharf 0.5Reviewed WHS
- Baekje Historic Areas
- Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen
- Seowon, Neo-Confucian Academies
- Medina of Sousse
- Anjar
- Byblos
- Dilmun Burial Mounds
- Cuzco
- Valongo Wharf
- Manu National Park
- Atlantic Forest South-East
- Aphrodisias
- Rio de Janeiro
- Huascaran National Park
- Stari Ras and Sopocani
- Kairouan
- Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town
- Vredefort Dome
- Garajonay
- Medina of Tunis
- Kerkuane
- Ichkeul National Park
- Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve
- Luis Barragán House and Studio
- Le Morne
- Aapravasi Ghat
- Sukhothai
- Pearling
- Al Zubarah
- Bridgetown
- Robben Island
- Falun Great Copper Mountain
- Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland
Visited TWHS
- Amalienborg and its district (T)
- Ancienne chocolaterie Menier à Noisiel (T)
- Ancient Greek Theatres (T)
- Ancient Mountain Fortresses in Central Korea (T)
- Arab Eclecticism - the city of As-Salt (1860-1925) (T)
- Archaeological Site and Historic Centre of Panamá City (T)
- Archaeological Site of Assos (T)
- Ayvalık Industrial Landscape (T)
- Azraq (T)
- Bahá'í House of Worship at New Delhi (T)
- Barbar Temple (T)
- Bishop's Basilica and Late-Antique Mosaics of Philippopolis, Roman Province of Thrace (T)
- Black River Gorges National Park (T)
- Brazilian Fortresses Ensemble (T)
- Bregenzerwald (Bregenz Forest) (T)
- Brooklyn Bridge (T)
- Bulwarked Fortifications of the "Raia" (Border) (T)
- Caesarea (T)
- Çanakkale (Dardanelles) and Gelibolu (Gallipoli) Battles Zones in the First World War (T)
- Casablanca, Ville du XXème siécle, carrefour d'influences (T)
- Central Balkan National Park (T)
- Central Park (T)
- Centre ancien de Sarlat (T)
- Centro Storico di Lucca (T)
- Centro storico di Parma (T)
- Church of Panagia Aggeloktisti (T)
- Citadel of Alessandria (T)
- Cité de Carcassonne et ses châteaux sentinelles de montagne (T)
- Citté-fortezza di Palmanova (T)
- City of Motovun (T)
- Coastal Cliffs (T)
- Delhi - A Heritage City (T)
- Diocletian's Palace and the Historical Nucleus of Split (extension) (T)
- Dreams in Stone - the palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria (T)
- Early Medieval Monastic Sites (T)
- Eglise et Monastère de Sao Bento, Rio de Janeiro (T)
- Eglises romanes d'Andorre (T)
- Eise Eisinga Planetarium (T)
- El Ferrol of the Illustration Historical Heritage (T)
- Ellis Island (T)
- Ensemble de grottes à concrétions du Sud de la France (T)
- Evaporite karst and caves of Emilia Romagna Region (T)
- Extension of the World Heritage Site "Historic Centre of Prague" (T)
- Flow Country (T)
- Forêts primaires de hêtres des Carpates (Suisse) (T)
- Forêts primaires et anciennes de hêtres des Carpates et d’autres régions d’Europe (Switzerland) (T)
- Frontiers of the Roman Empire - Lower German Limes (T)
- Frontiers of the Roman Empire - The Danube Limes in Bulgaria (T)
- Frontiers of the Roman Empire : Ripa Pannonica in Hungary (T)
- Frontiers of the Roman Empire (Austria) (T)
- Frontiers of the Roman Empire (Germany) (T)
- Gaya Tumuli (T)
- Great Spas of Europe (Austria) (T)
- Great Spas of Europe (Czechia) (T)
- Great Spas of Europe (France) (T)
- Great Spas of Europe (Germany) (T)
- Great Spas of Europe (Italy) (T)
- Great Spas of Europe (UK) (T)
- Guano Islands, Islets, and Capes National Reserve System form Peru (RNSIIPG) (T)
- Hala Sultan Tekke and the Larnaka Salt Lake Complex (T)
- Hamad Town Tumuli Moundfield (T)
- Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zone (extension) (T)
- Historic zone of Basseterre (T)
- Historical Lisbon, Global City (T)
- Íznik (T)
- Jaén Cathedral (extension of the Renaissance Monumental Ensembles of Úbeda and Baeza) (T)
- Jerash Archaeological City (Ancient Meeting Place of East and West) (T)
- Jerusalem (T)
- Kaunas 1919-1939: The Capital Inspired by the Modern Movement (T)
- Khor Dubai (T)
- Knights Fortifications around the Harbours of Malta (T)
- Kyiv: St. Cyril's and St. Andrew's Churches (T)
- L'ensemble rupestre de Basarabi (T)
- La Rioja and Rioja Alavesa Vine and Wine Cultural Landscape (T)
- Lake Maggiore and Lake D'Orta lakelands (T)
- Late Medieval Bastioned Fortifications in Greece (T)
- Le Palais de Justice de Bruxelles (T)
- Les Alpes de la Méditerranée (France) (T)
- Les Alpes de la Méditerranée (Italy) (T)
- Les Alpes de la Méditerranée (Monaco) (T)
- Les Mausolées Royaux de Numidie (Tunisia) (T)
- Les passages de Bruxelles / Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert (T)
- Les villes antiques de la Narbonnaise (T)
- Luther memorials in Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Bavaria and Thuringia (T)
- Manama, City of Trade, Multiculturalism and Religious Coexistence (T)
- Metz Royale et Impériale, enjeux de pouvoir, confrontations stylistiques et identité urbaine (T)
- Mining Historical Heritage (T)
- Mothia and Libeo Island: The Phoenician-Punic Civilization in Italy (T)
- Moulay Idriss Zerhoun (T)
- Mujib Nature Reserve (T)
- Naganeupseong, Town Fortress and Village (T)
- National Park (Taman Negara) of Peninsular Malaysia (T)
- Nice, la ville neuve née du tourisme, ou l’invention de la Riviera (T)
- Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie (T)
- Nîmes, l'Antiquité au présent (T)
- Noyau historique d'Antwerpen -Anvers- de l'Escaut aux anciens remparts de vers 1250 (T)
- Oasis of Fayoum, hydraulic remains and ancient cultural landscapes (T)
- Ödön Lechner's independent pre-modern architecture (T)
- Oeam Village (T)
- Padova Urbs Picta. Giotto, the Scrovegni Chapel and the 14th century painting cycles (T)
- Paimio Hospital (formerly Paimio Sanatorium) (T)
- Palais de la Culture, ancien siège du Ministere de l'Education et de la Santé, Rio de Janeiro (T)
- Peruvian Central Railway (T)
- Plasencia - Monfragüe - Trujillo : Paysage méditerranéen (T)
- Pobiti Kamani Natural Monument (T)
- Pombaline Lisbon (T)
- Ponds in the Bay of Oristano and the Sinis Peninsula island of Mal di Ventre (T)
- Pont sur la gorge du Salgina (T)
- Primošten Vineyards (T)
- Priorat-Montsant-Siurana paysage agricole de la montagne méditerranéenne (T)
- Qasr Al-Mushatta (T)
- Roman Ways. Itineraries of the Roman Empire (T)
- Romanesque Cathedrals in Puglia (T)
- Rouen : ensemble urbain à pans de bois, cathédrale, église Saint-Ouen, église Saint Maclou (T)
- Route of Magellan. First around the World (T)
- Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Routes in Portugal (T)
- Saar Heritage Park (T)
- Sacred Titicaca Lake (T)
- Salento and the "Barocco Leccese" (T)
- Seoul City Wall (T)
- Sharjah: the Gate to Trucial States (T)
- ShUM cities of Speyer, Worms and Mainz (T)
- Site of the Retiro and the Prado in Madrid (T)
- Sites mégalithiques de Carnac (T)
- Slate Industry of North Wales (T)
- Smederevo Fortress (T)
- Southwestern Coast Tidal Flats (T)
- Stone Buddhas and Pagodas at Hwasun Unjusa Temple (T)
- Sultan Bayezid II Complex: A Center of Medical Treatment (T)
- Taormina and Isola Bella (T)
- The Ancient Plovdiv (T)
- The ancient town of Nicopolis ad Istrum (T)
- The Aniene valley and Villa Gregoriana in Tivoli (T)
- The Bachkovo Monastery (T)
- The Bodrum Castle (T)
- The Burren (T)
- The Central Axis of Beijing (including Beihai) (T)
- The city of Bergamo (T)
- The Colonial Transisthmian Route of Panamá (Ruta Colonial Transístmica de Panamá) (T)
- The concept of the lenticular historical town core of Kosice City (T)
- The Fortress of Terezín (T)
- The Historic City of Dublin (T)
- The Industrial Heritage of Barbados: The Story of Sugar and Rum (T)
- The Jewish Cemetery of Altona Königstrasse (T)
- The late ancient tomb of Silistra (T)
- The Monastic City of Clonmacnoise and its Cultural Landscape (T)
- The Olive Grove Landscapes of Andalusia (T)
- The Porticoes of Bologna (T)
- The Rise of Systematic Biology (T)
- The Roussensky Lom National Park (T)
- The royal necropolis of the Thracian city of Seuthopolis (extension) (T)
- The Royal Sites of Ireland (T)
- The Scotland District of Barbados (T)
- The timeless, humanistic architecture of Jože Plečnik (T)
- The Transhumance: The Royal Shepherd's Track (T)
- The West Bohemian Spa Triangle (T)
- Thracian Tomb with Wall Paintings beside Alexandrovo village (T)
- Tokaj Wine Region (T)
- Trading Posts and Fortifications on Genoese Trade Routes from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea (T)
- Trakai Historical National Park (T)
- Two neolithic dwellings (T)
- Umm al-Jimal (T)
- Via Appia "Regina Viarum" (T)
- Via Francigena in Italy (T)
- Wineries and Vineyards for traditional Pisco Production (T)
- Žatec – the Hops Town (T)
Reviewed TWHS
- Southwestern Coast Tidal Flats (T)
- Stone Buddhas and Pagodas at Hwasun Unjusa Temple (T)
- Forêts primaires et anciennes de hêtres des Carpates et d’autres régions d’Europe (Switzerland) (T)
- Pont sur la gorge du Salgina (T)
- Primošten Vineyards (T)
- Guano Islands, Islets, and Capes National Reserve System form Peru (RNSIIPG) (T)
- The Ancient Plovdiv (T)
- City of Motovun (T)
- Mujib Nature Reserve (T)
- El Ferrol of the Illustration Historical Heritage (T)
- Plasencia - Monfragüe - Trujillo : Paysage méditerranéen (T)
- The Bachkovo Monastery (T)
- Roman Ways. Itineraries of the Roman Empire (T)
- L'ensemble rupestre de Basarabi (T)
- Le centre historique de la ville de Batroun (T)
- Temple d’Echmoun (T)
- Dreams in Stone - the palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria (T)
- The Scotland District of Barbados (T)
- The Industrial Heritage of Barbados: The Story of Sugar and Rum (T)
- Church of Panagia Aggeloktisti (T)
- Taormina and Isola Bella (T)
- Mothia and Libeo Island: The Phoenician-Punic Civilization in Italy (T)
Top 50 Missing Sites
- Amritsar
- Atacama Desert
- Chernobyl
- Death Valley National Park
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Historic University Towns of Oxford and Cambridge
- Huaca de la Luna and Huaca del Sol
- Lake Titicaca
- Neuschwanstein Castle
- Panama Canal
- Scrovegni's Chapel
- Sistema Vial Andino/Qhapaq Ñan
- The Soviet Architecture of Moscow
- Vers une architecture: Major Buildings of Le Corbusier
Top 200 WHS
- Yellowstone
- Redwood
- Cape Floral Region
- Ngorongoro
- Galapagos Islands
- Komodo National Park
- Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries
- Ancient Nara
- Ancient Kyoto
- Falun Great Copper Mountain
- Ironbridge Gorge
- Grand Canyon
- Nubian Monuments
- Ancient Thebes
- Salamanca
- Jantar Mantar
- Lorentz National Park
- Virunga National Park
- Aranjuez
- Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka
- Cilento and Vallo di Diano
- Uluru
- Wadi Rum
- Hallstatt-Dachstein
- Sintra
- Old Town of Galle
- Kremlin and Red Square
- Sydney Opera House
- Westminster
- Yuso and Suso Monasteries
- Santa Maria de Guadelupe
- Abbey of St Gall
- Pilgrimage Church of Wies
- Reims
- Santa Maria delle Grazie
- Rila Monastery
- Sceilg Mhichíl
- Mount Athos
- Mont-Saint-Michel
- Vatican City
- Meteora
- Mystras
- Göreme NP
- Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
- Etruscan Necropolises
- Taj Mahal
- Pyramids (Memphis)
- Yungang Grottoes
- Sanchi
- Lumbini
- Borobudur
- Sigiriya
- Ajanta Caves
- Kathmandu Valley
- Medina of Marrakesh
- Mérida
- Pont du Gard
- Segovia
- Baalbek
- Pompei
- Villa Romana del Casale
- Paphos
- Epidaurus
- Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae
- Agrigento
- Mycenae and Tiryns
- Olympia
- Wachau Cultural Landscape
- Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras
- Timbuktu
- Ksar of Aït Ben Haddou
- Yosemite National Park
- Hampi
- Qutb Minar
- Ha Long Bay
- Cuzco
- Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River
- Bryggen
- Siena
- Dubrovnik
- Cracow
- Brugge
- Cesky Krumlov
- Telc
- Quedlinburg
- Avila
- Auschwitz Birkenau
- Genbaku Dome
- Statue of Liberty
- Agra Fort
- Gwynedd Castles
- Great Wall
- Elvas
- Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines
- Machu Picchu
- Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch
- Petra
- Rapa Nui
- Imperial Palace
- Versailles
- El Escurial
- Summer Palace
- Wadi Al-Hitan
- Kew Gardens
- Site of Carthage
- Florence
- Paris, Banks of the Seine
- Urbino
- Old City of Berne
- Chan Chan
- Teotihuacan
- Tikal National Park
- Caral-Supe
- Chichen-Itza
- Chavin
- Stonehenge
- Nasca Lines
- Brú na Bóinne
- Mountain Resort, Chengde
- Kenya Lake System
- Okavango Delta
- Plitvice Lakes
- Iguacu
- Altamira Cave
- Vézère Valley
- Angkor
- Sukhothai
- Ellora Caves
- Fatehpur Sikri
- Elephanta Caves
- Venice and its Lagoon
- Rome
- Toledo
- Le Havre
- Crespi d'Adda