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What a wonderful National Park. We hired a car to visit this Tentative site at the same time of visiting Old Bar and the extension of the Tentative Primeval Beech Forests extension for Montenegro. In essence this Tentative site includes the Beech Forest Extension area as well. I am not sure if Montenegro included the Beech Forest extension in 2018 to provide more substance to this nomination as this site has been sitting as a tentative site since 2010. This National Park though is much more than just Beech Forest's, although we saw a substantial area of Beech Forest walking the park.

We drove from Ulcinj to reach the Park and we stayed along the Tara River just outside the Park after we visited. The entrance to the park is via a boom gate with an entrance fee of 4 Euro per person with strict instructions that the Park closes at 8pm. You don't need a 4wd to drive to the main carpark area near and it is bitumen until you arrive at Biogradska Gora Lake, which is central to the park. We visited ion 1 July 2025 and to our surprise it was quite busy with finding a carpark somewhat challenging initially in the small area provided. There were rangers present to assist with walking trail information, a small restaurant, toilet facilities and lots of picnic tables and areas for day visitors to enjoy. You could also hire kayaks and small rowing boats to enjoy the lake from …

Family holidays as a contact sport

Naples is dirty, scruffy, hectic, covered in graffiti and ABSOLUTLY FUCKING BRILLIANT.We based ourselves in the heart of the historic centre for a week in February 2025 and had a really great family holiday. Now admittedly after two days my seven year old daughter did ask if we could go somewhere that didn’t have rubbish on the floor, men shouting and mopeds weaving around, however by the end of the week these didn’t seem to be concerns on the march to one of the plethora of local gelaterias.

We had 7 days to explore the city at a child friendly pace, (including side trips to Paestum, Pompeii and Caserta) but really could’ve spent several more days here without exhausting our options, it isn’t unsurprising that a city with 3,000 years of history kept on throwing up things of great interest.

Our love of this city, was almost the opposite of Clyde, whilst we enjoyed some of the major sites, it was what he categorised as the ugly sprawl between them that we found most captivating. They are mostly grey, sometimes rather dilapidated and at times bland buildings. They were plastered in graffiti, or housing unique shops or food stalls, or a resident drying their laundry from a balcony, and quite frequently all of the above. And this is what made the city so utterly vibrant and life affirming. 

From 10 metres below your feet to 20 metres above your …

My adventure began at Pohnpei Airport on a Saturday late afternoon, stepping off the famous United Island Hopper with my sights set on Nan Madol tomorrow. The plan was simple: rent a car, explore Pohnpei at my own pace, and lose myself in the shadows of one of the Pacific’s most enigmatic wonders on Sunday. Of course, travel rarely goes according to plan. The rental car mishap was my first hurdle! the local agency had completely forgotten my booking. Thankfully, the airport's free Wi-Fi saved the day, and an hour later, I was finally behind the wheel of a reliable 4WD to my hotel. However, I soon discovered that Micronesia isn’t part of my mobile roaming coverage. With the telecom office closed until Monday, I would have to navigate the island old-school with downloaded maps, instinct, and a dash of blind optimism.

Driving through Pohnpei is a dream in itself. The roads are narrow but scenic, winding through emerald jungles and sleepy coastal villages where locals wave as you pass. After about an hour of driving southeast from Kolonia, I turned off the main road and entered what could only be described as a slow-motion obstacle course. The final stretch leading to Nan Madol was an unpaved dirt road, riddled with potholes and in truly rough shape. Before entering this last section of local road, I paid a $25 entrance fee, and just before the walkway, an additional $3 for land access, as part of local arrangements with private …

Provins was inscribed as a World Heritage Site for its role as an early trade fair town dating back to the 11th century, so I figured the best way to experience the city would be to visit during its annual fair. Two weeks ago on a Saturday morning I boarded a train from Paris that slowly filled up with peasants and knights and ladies and... elves? Yes, this was the right place to be for Les Médiévales de Provins.

The central location of Provins in northeastern France and its connections via overland trade routes to much of Europe made it a prime location for annual trade fairs. The city is walled and built on a rocky outcrop, which provided protection for the merchants in attendance. The streets of the upper town are wide for carriage traffic, and interspersed with squares, where the fairs would be held. The merchants would store their goods in underground vaulted cellars while conducting their trade. These medieval fairs were not intended to be primarily recreational, and were more akin to modern day trade shows, with merchants selling wool and cloth and leather and furs.

The annual medieval festival in Provins is intended to be recreational, but it gives an approximation of how busy the town must have been when the fairs were in their medieval heyday. When I visited, the cobblestone streets of the city were lined with vendors and food stalls, and musicians wandered about, entertaining the visitors gathered in the squares. …

As Els pointed out, there aren’t many reviews out there to help plan a visit to Mount Kenya. This is Africa’s second-highest mountain, reaching 5,199 meters, and most people associate it with demanding multi-day climbs. But what about a day hike? Is it even possible—and is it worth the steep $50 park entry fee?

We decided to find out for ourselves.

We sorted out the e-ticket the night before. Entry to Kenyan national parks now has to be booked and paid online through the E-Citizen platform, which isn’t exactly suited for foreigners. And because we also have to pay for a car, the payment has to be done twice, one for the car in KES, and for us in US$. But with a bit of effort—and using Edge browser on a PC—we got it to work this time. It feels good to have the E-ticket on hand when we arrived at the gate. 

We left Naro Moru Lodge on a clear, beautiful morning around 8:30 AM, and could even see the summit of the mountain from afar. It’s about a 30-minute drive to the Naro Moru Gate where we were warmly welcomed by a friendly ranger. She asked whether we were planning to hike or just drive up to the Meteorological Station. That answered one big question—we could drive to Met Station! We were not sure about that. The station is located at around 3,000 meters and about 8 km from the gate. If you want to …

Tucked quietly on the northern fringe of bustling Kuala Lumpur lies the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), an ecological treasure that remains surprisingly unknown to many, even among locals. Despite being just a short drive from the city center, FRIM is often overlooked in favor of other well-known attractions. Yet it offers something far more meaningful: a rare, immersive glimpse into Malaysia’s forest conservation efforts and the quiet beauty of tropical reforestation. FRIM features two main attractions, the public Skywalk and the restricted Forest Walk on the Keruling Trail. While the Skywalk provides sweeping views above the canopy, the Forest Walk offers a more intimate, ground-level experience of the forest’s biodiversity and scientific significance. I opted for the Forest Walk, and it turned out to be the highlight of my visit though getting there took some effort. Booking the Forest Walk requires advance planning. The process is somewhat bureaucratic: you must email the FRIM office, await a reply, and then manually transfer the 150 MYR guide fee to a designated government bank account. There’s no online portal or instant booking system, which may feel outdated, especially for foreign visitors. However, once confirmed, the experience more than justifies the hassle. 

Our guide was outstanding, informative, passionate, and deeply connected to the forest. What sets FRIM apart is that it’s not just a recreational park or nature spot. And importantly, FRIM is not a botanical garden. Unlike botanical gardens, which often cultivate plants in manicured, landscaped settings for display and educational …

My family and I arrived in Aquileia from Grado, which served as our base for the week. The connection between Grado and Aquileia is good, with buses running between the cities every hour, and tickets can be bought at a vending machine or at the counter at the bus station in Grado. Unfortunately they don't have a platform for strollers so we had to go by car. Parking in Aquileia is not a problem, there are several paid parking lots.

Although Aquileia was one of the largest cities of the Roman Empire in ancient times, today it is a small city. Only part of the original area has been excavated so far, and individual Roman sites are scattered throughout the city. The city is easily accessible with a pram, even some of the sites are wheelchair accessible thanks to platforms, as is the patriarchal basilica (with the exception of one crypt). It takes about an hour to walk around all the excavations. At the time of our visit, the colonnade of Roman columns, which is often pictured, was under scaffolding. Although the sites are interesting, especially the remains of the harbor, the main sight is the patriarchal basilica, which I recommend saving for last. The floor mosaics are impressive, and the scenes of marine fauna are interesting, although the downside is that only small parts of the walkway above are visible. The mosaics in Sicily's Villa Romana del Casale, for example, can be viewed in much better detail. Similarly, …

Lüneburg's town hall is considered one of the best examples of secular Mediaeval architecture north of the Alps. Unfortunately, no photos are allowed inside and you can only visit with a guided tour. Although the complex is fairly large you can also enter four big rooms and two smaller ones, but at least three of the rooms are impressive and worth a visit. The Gerichtslaube is the highlight with well preserved glass paintings and a wooden ceilings covered with multiple paintings.

In a different time Lüneburg would have had no trouble entring the list. Its town hall is artistically more significant than Bremen, for example. However, similar to many other former candidates, most noticeably in Germany, it has probably missed the train.

In my humble opinion, Versailles is a must-see in one's lifetime, even though it has its drawbacks. First of all, the palace is frequently unbearably overcrowded. And, being the early inspiration of grand royal residences, it is exceeded in splendor by some of its imitators, so if you've been to places like Peterhof or Schönbrunn, you may not even rate Versailles all that high. I don't expect that many people would make a return trip to it unless they are bringing first-time visitors with them. In April of 2025, I came to Versailles for the third time in twenty-five years, for the benefit of my youngest child, who's never been before.

The interiors of the vast palace can be explored via several circuits, of which ninety-nine per cent of visitors would only go on one. The Royal Apartments consist of a couple of dozen luxurious spaces that are largely empty of furnishings, save for statuary, occasional paintings, and a bedroom or two. Fireplaces are always impressive, but ceilings and crown mouldings are the standout features of practically every single room. You also get a glimpse of the Royal Chapel and eventually reach pièce de résistance - the incomparable Hall of Mirrors. On a normal day, you will share the hall with a few hundred people at any point in time - a small price to pay for seeing its splendor.

Group tours frequently do not include the gardens in their program, so the vast Versailles grounds do not …

I visited Shennongjia on a Monday in June. I took a train from Wudangshan in the afternoon to Xingshan. It takes about 2.5 hours and involves a change in Xiangyangdong.

From Xingshan, I took a bus to Muyu from the bus station which is about 5 minutes walk from the train station to the right. The bus took less than 1.5 hours. It is a beautiful ride with pretty views towards the right side for most of the trip.

I did not have much information on Shennongjia before my visit, just that there are several scenic areas and that there should be busses. The guesthouse where I was staying did not have any specific information on buses either. The town street was under reconstruction in typical Chinese style, all the streets were being renovated in one go. Probably incredibly efficient but it was rather unpleasant to move around. The tourist transfer center was closed too, probably due to the road works.

So, not much wiser except knowing that I wanted to give priority to the Shennongding Scenic Area, I ventured out around 7 am next morning and randomly hailed a passing minibus. I was lucky as it took me and it went along the entrance to Shennongding scenic area for RMB 10. I paid my entrance fee (RMB 130) and bus ticket (RMB 60) without knowing what would happen next and waited in an empty bus, soon to be joined by a full tour group. The group …

In January, I visited Naumburg Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site nestled in the small town of Naumburg in eastern Germany. The day was cold, biting, and gray - the kind of winter weather that makes you question why you left the house. But to my surprise, at least 20 other visitors braved the chill that day, a sign that Naumburg’s historic and artistic reputation continues to attract people even in the off-season. Naumburg Cathedral is often described — by guides, brochures, and some passionate admirers — as the most beautiful cathedral in Germany. While I agree that it’s striking and certainly unique, I personally think calling it the "most" might be a bit of a stretch. It’s beautiful, yes; but its charm lies more in its distinctiveness and historical character than in jaw-dropping grandeur.

The most defining feature of the cathedral is its double-choir layout, with both an east and a west choir, a rare architectural choice in cathedrals. This design is not unique to Naumburg alone, as a few other churches in Germany, like Bamberg and Speyer, also have dual choirs. However, Naumburg's execution is what makes it remarkable. The west choir, in particular, is unlike anything I’ve seen in other cathedrals. It was designed not for worship, but as a tribute to the cathedral’s founders, featuring the famous 12 donor statues carved by the mysterious Naumburg Master around 1250. These sculptures are astonishingly lifelike, emotional, and individualized especially the statue of Uta, often …

I visited one of the locations in August 2017. I was hoping to see more locations during my recent visit in November 2024, but unfortunately, I didn't get to visit any (it was raining and the wind was extremely strong). 

In 2017, I visited Fort Diemerdam just outside Amsterdam. I was staying near Amsterdam Centraal. I took the #26 tram to the IJBurg stop and walked the rest of the way (about 15-20 minutes). Fort Diemerdam has a few bunkers left on the site. The site is now an events venue. Near the bunkers, there is now a pavilion (Paviljoen Puur). There was an event happening at the time I went, so there were quite a lot of people near the pavilion, but there were still a lot of bunkers to explore away from it. The pavilion looks pretty cool, though - looks like a shell. 

Along with the not-so-great weather, I was also with my girlfriend the last time I was in Amsterdam. While I enjoy looking for UNESCO World Heritage Sites, this isn't for everybody, and the Dutch Water Defence Lines locations are not exactly a must-visit on any traveler's list. Also, I'm using the World Heritage - UNESCO List app, and the app only lists 9 locations. It's good to know that this site shows more locations.

Recently, I made a short weekend trip to Oviedo (I live in Cantabria province, which borders Asturias). Visiting one of the World Heritage Sites close to home (and with not-so-many reviews) inspired me to write a review so here it is:

Visit to the WHS

1. Cámara Santa

First, we visited the town centre, walking along some of the streets. This way, we saw several buildings such as the Teatro Campoamor (where the Princess of Asturias Awards are given) and the cathedral, which is part of the "Routes of Santiago de Compostela" WHS. The cathedral itself is nice but not necessarily the most impressive cathedral in the north of Spain. However, it does house the Cámara Santa, one of the components of this WHS.

The main reason for its inclusion is that it houses several treasures form the Kingdom of Asturias. Most notable among these is the Victory Cross (Cruz de la Victoria), which today appears in Asturias' flag. It is said to be the cross carried by Pelayo when he and his forces defeated the Umayyads in the battle of Covadonga (722). This battle is the main reason the Umayyads didn't conquer the entirety of the Iberian Peninsula and marks the start of the Kingdom of Asturias. This battle is thus also regarded in Spain as the closest thing we have to a sort of "foundational myth", since the Kingdom of Asturias would eventually become the Kingdom of Castile; and the battle, while real, has probably …

Even seven years after its inscription as a WHS, Thimlich Ohinga is still one of the 20 least visited by our members. Only three were there before me, and this low popularity was confirmed by looking at the visitors’ book, as it showed about 10 entries per month for 2025. The site just lies too far from the general Kenyan tourist itineraries, which focus on the East Coast beaches and the safari parks in the center. It is close to Lake Victoria, though, and has a fine rural setting.

I got there with a driver/guide from the hub of Kisumu (Kenya’s 4th largest city), which has daily flights to Nairobi and decent places to stay, eat and shop. It took us 3 h 20 min to reach the site. The distance is only 163 km, but the final 19 km is on an unpaved road - sand with some stones and holes, but doable with a 4x4. From that road, Thimlich is signposted as well. After about 12km, the road beyond on was flooded (this may not be the case when you arrive later in the dry season) – a passer-by showed us a detour, which was also clearly visible on maps.me.

While all of Kenya has gone digital, this site accepts cash payment only. The fee for foreigners is 500 KSh (3,50 EUR) at the moment. Later, I learned that the staff feels abandoned by the National Museums of Kenya and the Province; there’s no electricity or …

In the summer through fall of 2023, my family and I spent 6 months traveling by land from Armenia to eastern China retracing the Silk Road. Following the UNESCO tentative of sites through Central Asia proved very helpful in tracking down some relatively unknown sites that still hold value to the greater exchange of trade and religion that these ancient routes represented. One of these sites was the Early History of the Silk Roads in Kazakhstan.

While having a day to spare in Almaty, I set off to visit the Boralday Burial Mounds which lie not far from the center of the city. Several busses pass within less than 1 km from the entrance, but it still took longer than expected to reach due to the traffic which has become a problem in Almaty. Upon reaching the vast site, which appears simply a large and empty field at first, I noticed I was the only visitor save for a few police officers. They happily motioned me through the gate into the site, which has no entrance fee. Long before the height of the Silk Roads, the steppes of Kazakhstan were inhabited by Saka Nomads. As nomadic people, their cultural legacy left little remains besides circular burial mounds, known as kurgan. At the site lies 45 of these circular mounds dating from 2,500 years ago. The largest of these mounds is over 14 meters high and 100 meters wide, with well preserved objects excavated. 

I underestimated the size of …

We visited Trier during our week-long trip in June 2025 and used it as a convenient base for further exploration towards Völklingen and Luxembourg. Yet, the highlight was clearly Trier itself, with its abundance of Roman monuments and overall charming flair. We highly recommend planning at least two days in Trier if you want to see everything associated with the WHS (we missed out on the Igel column, as it was a bit further away). In the overview below, I aim to share some details and tips about the sites we visited.

Porta Nigra

By far the most famous and impressive of the Roman buildings, the Porta Nigra is a well-preserved city gate. Its name stems from the blackened sandstone, and it is unknown what the actual Roman name was. Serving as the northern city gate, it showcases semi-circular towers towards the outside and, with three accessible levels, is quite high compared to other known city gates. According to our tour guide, this was not just for defensive purposes, but also because Trier (or, as it was known to the Romans, Augusta Treverorum) served as one of the regional capitals of the Roman Empire during the late 3rd and early 4th centuries. So, of course, even the city gate of such an important city had to convey the power and awe associated with the Empire.

While the building is impressive from the outside alone, a trip inside is definitely recommended. Not only will you …

Tucked away in the far western corner of Kenya lies Thimlich Ohinga, hidden deep in the countryside. Although it’s been seven years since the site was inscribed on the World Heritage List, very few community members or tourists seem to make their way out here. A fun fact: Els visited just a week before us, and according to the visitor book, only seven people had been there in the meantime.

Unlike another reviewer, we approached the site from the Masai Mara via the Musiara Gate. After spending two nights in the park and enjoying a morning safari, we left the gate at 10 a.m. We had expected paved roads once we reached the main road — but we were far off the beaten track, and the road conditions were often very poor. The roads only began to improve after we entered Migori County. The final 14 kilometers to the site, coming from the south, were again on rough dirt roads — not in the best shape either. A high-clearance vehicle was definitely necessary. The 130-kilometer drive from Musiara Gate to the site took just over four hours. We arrived around 2:15 p.m. and were warmly welcomed at the entrance as the first visitors of the day.

The visit itself lasted about 1 to 1.5 hours. We paid 500 KES per person, and the same man who greeted us at the gate also served as our guide. We explored all four enclosures that make up the inscribed heritage site. …

I can only comment of the one Romanesque church of Andorra that I have been to, the Church of Sant Esteve, in Andorra la Vella.In 2016 I was staying in Barcelona with my Spanish wife, herself a Catalan native of Barcelona and I suggested we took a trip up to Andorra. Why? She asked, it's just a huge tax free shopping centre full of French and Spanish looking for a bargain and filling their cars with cheap petrol. Not to be put off, I persisted and one evening at a meal with several of my wife's Catalan friends I repeated my desire to go to Andorra. Almost in unison they said, why? it's just a huge shopping centre........Anyway, a few days later we found ourselves driving through the snow capped mountains of the Pyrenees heading for Andorra and me thinking, this is beautiful, what are they talking about?We finally joined the queue of traffic on the approach to the tiny capital of Andorra la Vella, where the roads were lined with endless petrol stations and supermarkets and signs advertising tax free products and I began to realise, my wife and her friends may be right after all.Aside from all the retail opportunities to buy discounted goods, I found Andorra la Vella to be a rather pleasant town, with a few interesting historic buildings and some pleasant streets lined with bars and restaurants, charming would be pushing it, but pleasant it certainly was.On the way back to the underground car park …

Having visited this site in June 2025, we wanted to share some insights from our visit that might help improve the experience for other visitors. Generally speaking, I am not the biggest fan of industrial sites, but my wife loves them for their unique charm and saw the Ironworks nearly on the same level as Zeche Zollverein (which I personally preferred). If you are interested in this period of history, Völklingen Ironworks is definitely a great experience, as it is in excellent condition, and a lot of work has been done to educate visitors about its active days.

Getting to Völklingen

We combined our stay in Trier with a day trip to Völklingen, but other bigger cities nearby include Saarbrücken and Kaiserslautern. If you have the "Deutschlandticket" (a monthly subscription ticket that allows you to use all regional transportation in Germany), travel on all regional express trains is included, making it easy to reach this site from major transportation hubs. Depending on your travel plans, it may actually be cheaper to purchase this ticket. Just remember to cancel the subscription before it auto-renews. The Ironworks are directly visible from Völklingen train station and can be easily reached on foot.

If you arrive by car, the Ironworks has a spacious parking lot free of charge.

Tips for the visit

• The entrance price is quite high at 17 EUR at the time of writing. If you plan to spend more than …

This Alberta provincial park WHS is still a sacred site for First Nations people, so, the site is carefully managed both to protect and interpret the 2,500 years of writing found here. Of course, plenty of tourists also come for camping, to explore along the river, and for hiking, but the rock art is the star. Be sure to take a guided tour, as the rangers are exceptional. Some of the art can be seen hiking by yourself, but the best examples are only visible by tours. I also needed help identifying and interpreting what I was viewing. Amateurs often ascribe fanciful stories to the art, so most visitors need someone who understands the culture deeply to bridge the 2,500 year gap and to help us imagine the scenes from long ago. Our group’s guide was able to tell engaging stories about the origins of the Blackfoot people, including how they got that name, and about the different tribes within the Blackfoot Confederacy. Viewing the art then becomes more of a cross-cultural learning experience.  

The hoodoo rock outcroppings on the bluff overlooking the Milk River below make for some exceptional hiking, with some fascinating labyrinth turns. And as I picked my way through the narrow path, I heard beautiful singing in the native tongue, a reminder that this is a living sacred site. That trail led me to the Battle Scene, likely 19th century, which is one of the best carvings on the Great Plains. I recommend doing some …