Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks (T)

Warren193 - 29-Jul-23

I've been to seven of these eight sites, and I've been to four of them (Mound City, Fort Ancient, Seip Mound and Newark Earthworks) more than once.  They never cease to fill me with a sense of awe.  They are immense and at the same time remarkably precise; the circular earthworks are almost perfectly round, while several of the earthworks have almost perfect astronomical alignments.  I particularly like that the people who constructed the earthworks lived in tiny hamlets in a society that was, so far as anyone can tell, remarkably egalitarian.  These sites are a sixteen hundred year old testimony to the skill, passion, knowledge and ability to cooperate of the Native Americans who made them

Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands

3.00 Nan Germany - 18-Jul-23

Travelling in Georgia you get used to checking the daily weather forecast. Georgia in summer is hot and humid from the Black Sea and has high mountains: All the ingredients you need for subtropical (= heavy) rains and heavy thunderstorms, specifically at the coast. In Batumi it rains roughly 2.100mm each year. This has created a unique subtropical landscape along the coast, breaking down into two types of location as the site's name suggests:

Flat wetlands around Poti. Subtropical rainforests in the mountains north-east of Batumi

Primeval Beech Forests

3.50 Adrian Turtschi Germany - 25-Jul-23

Jizera Mountains, July 2023

Giant boulders dot the landscape of Jizerské Hory, the Isergebirge of lore, making for rather spectacular hiking across an impressive landscape located in northern Bohemia, close the Czech-Polish-German tripoint

I’ve spent the night in Hejnice, a small town well-connected by hourly trains to lively Liberec, the nearest transportation hub. Hejnice lives off tourism and maybe the odd pilgrim visiting the rather grand church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, with an old Franciscan monastery attached next to it. Sadly, the monks are long gone, but the monastery offers basic but absolutely acceptable accommodation in a peaceful setting, save maybe for the quarter-hourly ringing of the bells which I did not mind at all. In the old refectorium tasty local cuisine is being served. The hostel has a very useful free map of the area with all the trails, a blow up of the official 1:25000 map which is also sold in local bookstores and the main tourist office back in Liberec

National Park (Taman Negara) of Peninsular Malaysia (T)

Nafis N Malaysia - 15-Jul-23

I visited Taman Negara (literally translates to "National Park" in English) twice: one in August 2008 via Sungai ("sungai" translates to "river" in English) Relau and another in May 2012 via Kuala Tahan.

First Trip via Sungai Relau (the climb to Mount Tahan, Peninsular Malaysia's tallest peak)

Sungai Relau was the entry point if you want to climb the tallest peak in Peninsular Malaysia, Mount Tahan (2,187m). That's what my friends and I did back in 2008. The hike to Mount Tahan began from the Sungai Relau park HQ in the morning. Then, it was followed-up by an off-road drive through the jungle into Sungai Juram where we continued by foot. The first day involved little elevation, and the hike took from the morning till late afternoon when we arrived to the campsite for the night, Kem Kor. Unlike the Pinnacles hike in Gunung Mulu National Park or Mount Kinabalu climb in Gunung Kinabalu National Park, the facilities were very minimal

Tiwanaku

3.00 Timonator Germany - 23-Jul-23

I find it hard to review the sites independant from the bad travel experience I had. Therefore first of all the circumstances and second of all the experience on site.   I tried to visit Tiwuanaku twice (!) from La Paz by public transport. The first time failed unfortunately. After a nice walk over La Paz cemetery I reached the closeby spot where trufis go to Tiwuanaku when full. It was the Friday before the La Paz Anniversary at about 9 a.m. Some other tourists and locals waited there slready half an hour. The office was closed. After nothing happened for another 30 minutes we decieded to go up to El Alto Terminal Interprovincial. Big mistake not to take the efficient téleferico but a taxi

Archaeological Site of Aigai

3.50 Matthewsharris UK - 01-Aug-23

Update on the photography policy as at 01 August 2023. Photography is now allowed in the Tomb without flash.  

There is non EU discrimination on entry for kids in that it is free for children from the EU but 1/2 price for kids from elsewhere.   Although the kind ticket lady insisted that our 6 year old daughter was 5 and therefore free (which everyone found amusing except, of course, for the 6 year old)

Sintra

4.00 MoPython Switzerland - 21-Jul-23

We visited Sintra as the last of 10 WHS in Portugal, on our varied trip between Porto and Lisbon this July.

What can I say about Sintra that hasn't already been mentioned in the 14 reviews below?
Should I mention that it has way too many people especially in the summer high season? Yes, it's like that, at times in the Pena Palace you feel like you're standing in an endless queue at Disneyland.
Should I mention that it's still incredibly beautiful? Yes, it is, especially the combination of gardens and palaces really excited us.

Haghpat and Sanahin

3.00 Nan Germany - 12-Jul-23

As a stopover between Tblisi and Dilijan and Yerevan, we visited Haghpat monastery and Sanahin Bridge. Both are medieval monuments (10-12th century) belonging to the Kingdom of Lori, a 10th century offshoot of the Kingdom of Armenia. The key element is the unique masonry, that also sets it apart from Georgian churches of the same period.

Our plan had been to first visit Akhtala (not on the list), then Haghpat, then Sanahin and continue towards Dilijan for the night

Kuldīga (Goldingen) (T)

Els Slots The Netherlands - 02-Aug-23

I visited Kuldiga in early August 2023, just after it became known that it got a positive recommendation from ICOMOS and will almost surely be inscribed in September 2023.

Although I’d wanted to go there from Riga by public transport, there are no direct buses and connections seem infrequent. So I rented a car from the airport and drove there easily in 1.5 hours. Kuldiga lies deep in the countryside, and it certainly looks like you’re arriving at something important. One enters town via the large new stone bridge (a one-way street), and there is even a parking lot for tour buses. The streets were also filled with parked cars – this is really a popular destination for Latvian daytrippers.

Kinabalu Park

5.00 Nafis N Malaysia - 14-Jul-23

I visited Kinabalu Park back in September 2022 with my wife, and we decided to climb Mount Kinabalu as part of our visit. The cheapest climbing option was to book directly via the official site (sabahparks) for the climbing permit and accommodation booking. It's worth pointing out that the climbing permit is limited and always in high demand, especially outside the rainy season (basically avoid Nov - Feb), and the permit booking slots are open in a 6-month window. So, if you're planning to climb the mountain, be on the lookout for the announcement once the booking window is open. The safest bet is to follow Sabah Parks official FB page. They will have a set allocation for independent visitors (booking done through sabahparks

Grottes de Dimba et Ngovo (T)

Thomas Buechler Switzerland - 16-Jul-23

Ceramics and tools were found in this cave about 18,000 years ago, attesting human settlement during the Stone Age in a region relatively close to the sea and the Congo river in Bas-Congo.

Mbanza-Ngungu is a town about 4 hours drive SW of Kinshasa, and it is here where the adventure starts. There are signposts leading to the narrow gravel road (Grottes Ngovo&Finzolua) off the N1 highway. From here it takes you at least 45 minutes on a road (best with 4wheel drive) with very little traffic, luckily, as two cars can not pass in the same time. You see school buildings that you can not miss, hundreds of children there, some try to hang on to the car, drive carefully. A further few kilometers, you come to a local village where you find the guides, there is no shortage of them. We walked with 10 villages boys to the caves, this trek takes about 1 hour return, there is a kind of path, at places overgrown with plants. Steep stairs lead down to the cave

Zollverein

5.00 Kokoro Germany - 11-Jul-23

I visited Zeche Zollverein in September. Since there are so many detailed reviews on content etc. I focus on the "post-corona" update and some organizational hints.

Access: Very easy from downtown Essen by public transport in 24 minutes, and even from Düsseldorf main station it only takes less than an hour. But also by car it is easy and parking is available. Nearest bus/tram stations are: „Zollverein“ (Tram 107), „Zollverein-Nord“ (Tram 107, Bus 170, Bus 183 oder Train RB32) or bus stations „Kokerei Zollverein“ or  „Kohlenwäsche“ (Bus 183).

Ujung Kulon National Park

4.00 Nafis N Malaysia - 14-Jul-23

I visited Anak Krakatau (a part of Ujung Kulon National Park) in January 2011 with my brother, my dad, and my uncle. We took a 2D1N tour package that includes a day-trip to Anak Krakatau, a stop at the Anak Krakatau's monitoring office near Carita, and a visit to the historic Dutch lighthouse called Cikoneng on the way back to Jakarta.

We flew to Jakarta from KL one evening and were immediately greeted by our guide (from krakatau-tour.com) and his driver who took us to a nice little hotel in Carita that same evening. Carita was a very small town and not at all touristy at that time. I'm not sure how it is today, but I remember we had to walk quite far from our hotel just to get to the nearest restaurant for dinner. 

Ogasawara Islands

4.00 Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 06-Jul-23

Also called the Bonin Islands but that won't get you far with the locals, has 30 islands but you will only visit two of them tops. You will always arrive at Chichi-jima (Father Island) by ferry and it continues to Haha-jima (Mother Island) before returning the same way. This ferry goes twice a week most of the year and takes 24h from Tokyo. There is no faster way to get here and returning will only be after at least 3 days on the island. You will not want to leave as the islands are lovely but you MAY want to leave because it's quite off the beaten path and expensive too

Primeval Beech Forests

3.50 Adrian Turtschi Germany - 09-Jul-23

Jasmund Beech Forest, June 2023

Jasmund National Park Beech Forest is situated on the homonymous peninsula on the north-eastern coast of the island of Rügen, facing the Baltic Sea. Jasmund is known for its ancient beech trees - some of these trees are estimated to be around 700 years old and reach heights of up to 40 meters - stunning natural scenery, and rich biodiversity.

What makes the landscape so extraordinarily beautiful and uniquely attractive are the famous (Caspar David Friedrich!) white chalk cliffs of Rügen, rising dramatically from the Baltic Sea, with the beech forest located on a plateau some 100-150 meters towering above, extending right to the very edge of the cliffs, with various intermittent viewing points offering breathtaking vistas of the Baltic Sea.

Vredefort Dome

2.00 Szucs Tamas Hungary - 03-Jul-23

My expectations were low - the site was not really appealing, but I wanted to bag it anyway. It seemed to ba an easy tick as this - besides Maropeng - tihs is the other WHS that can be done from Jo'burg in a daytrip.  Parys, the starting point for the trip is only 1hour 15 mins from Jo'burg on the motorway. I do not know anything about the public transport - but I seriously doubt that any foreign tourist wouzld dare using public transport in and near Jo'burg.  From the previous reviews and the general description of the site I understood, that although it is totally possible to explore the area on your own, as there are some tar roads and more dirt ones through te core zone it is more advisable to do it with a guide

Former M-13 prison/ Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (former S-21)/ Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre (former Execution Site of S-21) (T)

GabLabCebu Philippines - 01-Jul-23

It's not often that a major city, especially a national capital, has genocide memorials as its most famous and important tourist attraction, but for all Phnom Penh has to offer, this is exactly the case. I flew into Phnom Penh to start my tour of Cambodia in January 2023, and Choeung Ek and Tuol Sleng were definitely the top priorities of my first day there. The Cambodian capital is unfortunately deficient in public transport, so I had the hotel call us a taxi which took us around the city for the whole day

Raja Ampat Islands (T)

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 04-Jul-23

Highly recommended even for non-divers. Obviously the main draw is diving and even snorkeling is popular at the resorts but you'll be missing a lot of the area just looking at the lush-green karst and trying your luck to see a special bird, or any bird really. The obvious choice of coming here is a liveaboard but resorts have their own transportation so staying on one and doing day trips is a good option, and you can even get a public ferry of sorts if you want to go budget (not recommended). So I went with the liveaboards for ~2 weeks and the price was higher than most places around the world but I wouldn't want to compare this to a budget safari on the red sea - you get a lot more out here and the distances are quite far so fuel costs are something to keep in mind

ǂKhomani Cultural Landscape

2.50 Szucs Tamas Hungary - 03-Jul-23

Most rewivers complained about the missed cultural element of the site, so while planning my visit to South Africa I deliberately wanted to find some kind of clue how not to miss it. Finally I found a website - www.khomanisan.com - where -  though there is absolutely no reference to the World Heritage status, I assumed, I can fulfil my desire. The site is maintained by the bushman council, so if anybody knows what the sam cultural landscape is about, they are surely the ones. The comunication with the admins war painstaikingly slow. After some weeks I got an aswer from the tour operator appointed by the council, Vinkie von der Westhiuzen, an email, that, yes, she is the one who is in charge and once she would send me some more information

Aapravasi Ghat

4.00 Kokoro Germany - 11-Jul-23

I visited this place in May 2022 and think it was wonderful. It seems that older reviewers could not benefit from the excellent exhibition in the museum which is really great as it explains in a very good didactic way (explanations, exhibits, reconstructions) the life of the first immigrant policy in the world. Mauritius is the site of the first large-scale use of indentured labour in the modern world. Between 1830 and 1910 more than 462,000 people arrived in Mauritius. Appr. 70% of modern Mauritians are descendants of these workers. Really impressive. The mueseums shows a lot of very illustrative items, e.g. the way the new arrivals were registered and how and where they waited to be allocated to work

Epidaurus

3.50 Michael Turtle Australia - 28-Jun-23

In some ways, Epidaurus can be viewed as two different sites in one - the sanctuary and the theatre.

The history of the sanctuary is fascinating and I found it really interesting to see how some of the principles of medicine that we take for granted these days were being used thousands of years ago - but within a religious framework. There is not much to see of the original buildings, but the general layout is here and the small museum has a decent collection of artefacts, so you can piece it all together.

Phnom Kulen: Archeological Site/Ancient Site of Mahendraparvata (T)

GabLabCebu Philippines - 27-Jun-23

Phnom Kulen was never on my plans for my trip to Cambodia in January 2023. All that I'd known about it was that there was a mini-version of Kbal Spean, a waterfall, and a reclining Buddha; I had no idea that it was also the site of the former capital of the Khmer or that there are a lot of remains of that time left behind. Instead, I'd set my eyes on Kbal Spean itself. Our driver-guide, on the other hand, didn't like the idea as much and recommended Phnom Kulen instead, and because I was traveling with my aunt who was having foot and knee problems, I caved and followed his suggestion. I'm actually quite glad I did, though I hope I'll see Kbal Spean one day, perhaps with better hiking company

Les « coules » de Petite Valachie (T)

Ralf Regele Germany - 30-Jun-23

Some reviewers have already noted that the 'coules de petite valachie' TWHS is quite close to the already inscribed Horezu monastry WHS. So is this just a minor sidestep on the way to something more worthwhile, or can it stand on its own ? My initial reaction was indeed "Ah, it is so close, might as well spend a couple of minutes there". However, the site at Maldaresti is actually quite a nice heritage area, with two of the mysterious 'cula', an old church, a little heritage house and some nice green surroundings. The culas itself are interesting, too, being a mixture of a country house and a fortress from a time when the area was seemingly so dangerous that everything needed to be fortified - castles, villages, churches, houses

Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitos

3.00 Timonator Germany - 30-Jun-23

From Santa Cruz we took the 11 o'clock flota (big bus) from terminal bimodal to San José. On thursdays there is also a train service for this route. In San José I can recommand to stay at the hotel Las Charapas a bit outside the center, which is run by Johan who is super nice and caring for his guests. Also the place is beautifully clean with a pool behind which a lot of tucans are living in this time of the year. We got a double room for 235 BOB a night. At the church next to the big plaza in San José we met Oseas after the service who was educated as priest but now is the gatekeeper of the church. He happily shows you around the church if you ask for him

Mughal and Colonial Temples of Bangladesh (T)

Els Slots The Netherlands - 29-Jun-23

In my Profile section on this website, I’ve had ‘Puthia’ for a long time as one of my proposals for a new WHS. To my surprise, several monuments in Puthia were added to the Bangladeshi Tentative List last month as part of the ‘Mughal and Colonial Temples of Bangladesh’. So let me be the first to review it.

This serial site has 29 locations, of which I visited about nine during my Bangladesh trip in late December 2006 / early January 2007: one in Kantanagar and the others in Puthia (although I did not note down all their names, I've probably seen all in the cluster there). The proposal considers Hindu and Buddhist monuments that were built during the Mughal period in the 16th-19th centuries.

Changdeokgung Palace Complex

3.00 Michael Turtle Australia - 27-Jun-23

There are five royal palaces in Seoul and, although Gyeongbokgung Palace is the largest and most visited, it's Changdeokgung Palace that has been listed as the World Heritage Site. That's primarily because of its authenticity, as the one that is in the most original form and the first to be restored (by 1609) after being razed in the Japanese invasion. It was the seat of government for 270 years until the very end of the Joseon Dynasty.

My sense is that it's actually hard to tell the difference between the centuries-old restoration here at Changdeokgung and the more modern work at the other palaces

Namhansanseong

2.50 GabLabCebu Philippines - 26-Jun-23

Despite the low number of reviews, I would say Namhansanseong is covered pretty well by its earlier visitors, and I don't have all that much to add. In June 2023, I came the same way everyone seems to come (including all the elderly hikers that filled the bus to the brim) and walked the commonly covered stretch between the Northern Gate and Western Command Post, and short of a couple of highlights, the overall experience seems to be the same for everyone. This is a mountain fortress, nothing more and nothing less. It's honestly an impressive one at that; for its size and the terrain it covers, Namhansanseong was definitely no easy feat. That being said, you'll mostly be admiring the views and the nature much more often than the structures of the actual fortress

Patzcuaro, Site of Humanistic Memory and Cultural Confluence (T)

Solivagant UK - 25-Jun-23

Our visit to Patzcuaro was somewhat fortuitous. It was early in our 2008 trip driving round Central Mexico picking up as many inscribed and T List sites as we could in 17 days. It wasn’t planned as a WHS-related objective and I wasn’t aware that “The Lake Patzcuaro Cultural Zone” was a former T List site, let alone that it had been nominated in 1987 and deferred before being removed

Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen

2.00 GabLabCebu Philippines - 25-Jun-23

Dolmens have always interested me, at least ever since I found out about them. In fact, I first encountered them on the List, reading about the newly inscribed Antequera Dolmens back in 2016 and then trying unsuccessfully to visit them the following year. Preparing for my trip to Korea in June 2023, I tried my very best to research on how to see them the best way, and especially with the website as a major source, I decided that Gochang would be the best place to experience this site. Staying the night in Jeonju, Gochang would be a 1:40-long bus ride away and 40 minutes away from Gwangju, from which I took the next bus to Suncheon as there was no direct one from Gochang, so there was no time to spare

Berat and Gjirokastra

4.00 Kokoro Germany - 11-Jul-23

I visited both cities in May 2023 and will not add anything regarding architecture and history - since there are many very qualified reviews. However I would like to give an actual update of situation and how to get there.

BERAT

How to get there:
Berat is very easily accessible by car or bus, just 1 hour drive from Alabania´s capital Tirana. 

Sightseeing situation: 

Heavily visited and crowded, but also easy to visit (but not wheelchair accessible since streets are very steep). 

Ancien site industriel de Mantasoa (T)

Els Slots The Netherlands - 23-Jun-23

The old industrial site of Mantasoa covers the remains of a revolutionary development in Madagascar in the 1830s. The first Malagasy Queen, Ranavalona, wanted to become more independent of European powers and especially produce her own modern weaponry. To accomplish this, she enlisted the Frenchman Jean Laborde who had been shipwrecked off Madagascar and had engineering experience. The forced labour of 20,000 Malagasy men was used to develop the site, and later 1,200 men found employment at the factories. The site was only used between 1841 and 1855 until Laborde fell out of grace and went into exile.

Primeval Beech Forests

3.50 Adrian Turtschi Germany - 23-Jun-23

Hainich Beech Forest, June 2023

A bear! – I was stopped dead in my tracks this early morning in June suddenly spotting a rather large dark animal some 5 meters up a beech tree close to the trail, apparently looking at me. I somewhat panicked and proceeded to quickly leave the scene. What at this moment appeared to be a small bear must have been, of course, reflecting on the encounter a bit later in more calmness, just a racoon, its white stripes obscured by the dimness of the forest in the early hours. Small vindication, then, that at least in the German language a racoon is called a Waschbär, hence, at least lexicologically, a kind of bear.

Hwaseong Fortress

3.50 Michael Turtle Australia - 21-Jun-23

I initially found the description of this as a 'fortress' a bit misleading until I did a bit more research into what that means in Korea. Rather than a single castle, for example, or even a complex of buildings atop a hill, it really means a small city surrounded by a defensive wall. With that perspective, it was a bit easier to plan the best way to visit Hwaseong Fortress at Suwon, where what's left of the fortress is now mixed in amongst a modern urban sprawl.

For anyone planning this day trip from Seoul, I would suggest doing two things

The Maritime Heritage of Dragør Old Town and Harbour - A ‘skipper-town’ from the era of the great tall ships in the 18th and 19th centuries (T)

Alikander99 - 23-Jun-23

Dragør is a quaint town around 10km south of copenhagen in the island of Amager (which locals pronounce ama). it's actually just a few km away from the airport, so even from the harbour you can still hear the constant air traffic. The reasoning denmark has put forward for inscription basically boils down to preservation. the state argues that there are few towns which showcase the advent of globalisation in the 18th century as well as dragør. Denmark was for a long time a maritime power and it only stopped being so in the 19th century when their fleet was sunk in the war against britain, so hypothetically it would be one of the places to look for this suposedly missing link. The truth however is that dragør is nothing to write home about

The Historic and Marine Landscape of the Banda Islands (T)

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 20-Jun-23

Banda is magical. It features so much and while it's not for everyone, the people who were there had already visited multiple times over the decades and want to stay as long as the visa allows. I suppose you can get addicted to the relaxed style. If you only want to come for a couple of days then this isn't really the place to fit into a tight, fixed schedule.

Side panel: the Indo visa issue is that you have to extend after 1 month and you need to return to an immigration office which would be in Ambon but you have to wait several working days to get your passport back and the ferry/flights aren't often enough to make [...]

Vézère Valley

Tsunami Japan / USA / Europe - 14-Jun-23

I was back in the Bordeaux area to visit the Cordouan Lighthouse and decided to swing by the Vezere Valley for the third time. The first time was for Lascoux in 2004 and the second time was for Font-de-Gaume in 2009. My initial motivation to go back was to visit the National Museum of Prehistory, as it was closed on the day I visited Font-de-Gaume in 2009.
 
But then, by staying overnight in Les Eyzies, I managed to visit three more components of this august WHS: Abri de Cro-Magnon, Les Combarelles, and La Madeleine. 

Hahoe and Yangdong

2.50 GabLabCebu Philippines - 14-Jun-23

Hahoe and Yangdong are known and advertised as villages with a lot to them - they're clan villages that have been perfectly preserved to demonstrate rural life over 5 centuries of habitation and growth; "in their siting, planning, and building traditions, the two villages are an exceptional testimony to the Confucianism of the Joseon dynasty." Thus, the divisions of the historic houses into servants', women's, and men's quarters, as well as the layout of the villages with houses of the clan leaders behind the hills while the houses of the lower class are closer to the entrance, all of these principles in practice are things I kept in mind to observe as I made my way towards Yangdong in June 2023

Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae

3.00 Michael Turtle Australia - 18-Jun-23

It may well be one of the best preserved monuments of Ancient Greece, but the projects to protect the Temple of Apollo Epicurius both help and hinder your ability to appreciate it. Covered by some kind of tent since 1987, you unfortunately can't get a wider vista of the temple, and you also can't see how it fits in with the broader landscapes up here in the mountains (which is particularly disappointing because that was presumably a big factor in why it was built in such a remote location).

However, I found that being forced to stand close to the temple created a sense of intimacy that I haven't found at other ancient sites in Greece. With the tent around us, I felt even closer to the monument and it seemed larger than it might have otherwise, the columns looming above

Pitons Management Area

3.50 Clyde Malta - 17-Jun-23

I visited this WHS in January 2023 as our last minute honeymoon getaway. Saint Lucia has no tWHS and "only" this WHS, but it really is a special WHS and possibly one of the best and most iconic the Caribbean has to offer. Travelling by plane instead of cruises means you'll most probably land on the opposite side of the island and a tour, taxi or rental car will be necessary.

We opted for the latter to explore as we please and were very lucky to find an SUV available from our first hotel close to the airport. There aren't many cars available for rent and although I usually always opt for a small car, having more clearance(and full insurance) turned out to be a godsend as the road to the Pitons is literally full of hairpins and never-ending potholes. Most tourists who were given smaller cars, ended up with a puncture, and half way through the area is quite rough and dodgy full of stoned rastas with machetes, not the ideal place to get stranded

Kinabalu Park

4.00 Frédéric M Canada - 17-Jun-23

Kinabalu Park is included on the World Heritage List mainly because of the extraordinary plant diversity resulting from its particular topography. In fact, Mount Kinabalu creates a gradient of climatic and edaphic conditions enabling an incredible number of plants to thrive. The isolation of certain populations resulting from this topography has also favoured the emergence of a large number of endemic species. The best way to visit the park, as described in some of the reviews here, is therefore to reach the summit and tackle this climatic and topographical gradient yourself. Unfortunately, although I'm quite the target audience for such an attraction, the staggering cost of the excursion put me off and I won't be describing a trip to the summit to you

Getbol, Korean Tidal Flat

2.50 GabLabCebu Philippines - 14-Jun-23

Here to give the Getbol its first review on this site since inscription, I've included it on my June 2023 trip to Korea. I originally did not think much of these mudflats... there are already so many Eurasian migratory bird sites, I'd already seen the little mudflats in Mont Saint Michel and Itsukushima, and if the tidal variation were the star of the show, I would've much rather wanted to see the Bay of Fundy. Well, the pictures of Suncheon Bay did really look quite pretty, and as every reviewer here so far has given nothing but praise to this field of reeds, I figured it was worth fitting into my trip

Via Appia 'Regina Viarum' (T)

Matejicek Czechia - 17-Jun-23

Though I visited Rome several times, it was still not enough to visit all the interesting places in Rome, not to mention the places around. In May 2023, I traveled to Salento region in the Southern Italy, so I took opportunity and did a stop in Brindisi. This place was the end of extended Via Appia, and the reason why Brindisi was connected to Rome was a possibility to travel to Greece and the East by sailing from the local port.

Brindisi is now important port and tourist spot. One can find however several interesting monuments spanning two millennia in the relatively small and rather unassuming historical core. The only site related to Via Appia that could be seen is its "official" end marked by giant two columns (PHOTO)

Burgos Cathedral

3.00 Eric Lurio USA - 27-Jun-23

I went there last week, as we were on a different tour and had some time, we stopped by and we had enough people to get a discount.

As cathedrals go, this is okay, the art is all over the place, from brilliant to downright awful. As to the architecture, it's standard, nothing to write home about, but it is a major stop on the Camino, so that's why it probably got inscribed.

Does it actually DESERVE to get an inscription, probably not, but it's an old cathedral and UNESCO likes that sort of thing.

La Haute Ville d’Antananarivo (T)

Els Slots The Netherlands - 13-Jun-23

The Upper Town of the Malagasy capital Antananarivo (Tana) is an architectural mix of Asian and European influences, following the tastes of the country’s royal and political elite during the 19th century. It lies on top of the highest hill of Tana, a daunting city with millions of inhabitants that developed like an inverted La Paz. Here the ‘important’ people started living uphill, and the further you go down the poorer it gets. It felt perfectly safe to walk around in the Upper Town by myself. Only near the Rova (the Queen’s palace) I encountered some wannabe guides, but they quickly gave up offering their services when I ignored them.

Seowon, Neo-Confucian Academies

1.50 GabLabCebu Philippines - 12-Jun-23

Going into my June 2023 trip to Korea, I definitely had in mind the prospect of checking out each of the 15 mainland World Heritage Sites (including Gaya Tumuli, which is set to be inscribed this year if all goes as expected) in the 9 days I had, but I did definitely question if it was worth filling up and rushing through the little time I had just to tick each box when, as far as I could see previously, many of the Korean WHS did not seem all that interesting from an outsider's perspective. You've got to admit there is quite a selection of tomb sites, and Joseon sites seem to cover every bit of their daily life, from palaces, shrines, and tombs to fortresses, villages, and schools

Bridgetown

2.50 Clyde Malta - 16-Jun-23

I visited this WHS in January 2023. I wasn't expecting much but for one of my first Caribbean WHS, overall I was pleasantly surprised. Apart from the passage of time, extreme weather conditions and modernisation, the main threat to this and other similar Caribbean WHS is by far the huge impact of cruiseliner touch-and-go tourism. Very close to the core zone of this WHS there's the cruiseliner terminal which is a considerable hub and departure/arrival point for cruises.

With that in mind, I made sure to check the main cruiseliner companies' schedule and visited early mornings before the bigger arrivals or on the day of bigger departures. This might prove more difficult closer to the Xmas/New Year holiday period but it really worked fine towards the end of January. On our swimming days, we could easily see the countless numbered minivans and coaches unloading the equivalent of a small town's population, all pretty much doing the same all-inclusive rapid itinerary, precisely the reason why I always wanted to visit such places by plane. The core zone in fact is bigger than you would expect, and I covered quite a good number of kilometres on foot

Salento and the Barocco Leccese (T)

Matejicek Czechia - 13-Jun-23

I spent Pentecost Holidays (late May of 2023) in Lecce and it was my second visit of this place. Besides Lecce, I did a half-day trip to Nardo, and also did a stop in Ostuni during my return to Bari (I enjoyed direct flights between Prague and Bari!). Together with my 2018 visit of the Salento region (visiting of Lecce and Gallipoli), I could see almost all components mentioned on the worldheritagesite webpages. However, I did a small research and no explicit list of components are provided on official UNESCO pages and anywhere at all, maybe with an exception of Basilica di Santa Croce and Cattedrale di Lecce including Piazza del Duomo, which are absolute highlights of this TWHS

Tsingy de Bemaraha

3.50 Els Slots The Netherlands - 22-Jun-23

Although it has decent tourist facilities, the Tsingy de Bemaraha is only for the hardened traveller as realistically there is no easy way to reach this park on the west coast of Madagascar. The property is so poorly accessible from the nearest city or commercial airport that it almost fits into our ‘Takes more than 5 days’-connection: a return trip takes at least 5 days from Tana. To make matters worse, it nowadays should be visited as part of an armed convoy due to safety concerns as there have been robberies along the route. There is no public transport to the site, all has to be done by 4WD, although the very wealthy could charter a bush plane and land on an airstrip that lies some 8km from Grand Tsingy.

Baekje Historic Areas

2.50 GabLabCebu Philippines - 11-Jun-23

On a sunny June day in 2023, I arrived at Iksan station (conveniently right next to the intercity bus station) to see the Mireuksa Temple Site. All you have to do from here is go straight (crossing one road) and look for the nearest bus stop on the right side (bus direction: away from the station), and you can take city bus #41 from there to the site in just under an hour. As one may already expect from previous reviews, there is not so much to the site, but really, one may take up to an hour taking things slow and thoroughly appreciating all the little details (there are several markers to read too) as the distances in the vast open space with beautiful natural surroundings can be deceptively long; even more time would be needed to check out the museum

El Fuerte de Samaipata

3.00 Timonator Germany - 10-Jun-23

To get to Samaipata from Sucre was a bit of a pain. All flotas (big buses) leave in the evening and we arrived at 01:30 a.m. in the middle of hjeavy rain in the darkness. Very unpleasant. From Samaipata we took a taxi the next day for 50 BOB to the Fuerte de Samaipata. Mototaxis are cheaper but another traveller that used it was a bit frightened by the ride in combination with the street quality. On site we decided to take a guided tour through the fortress, which is not what the Spanish have named it for. It was never used for military purposes. The entrance fee is 50 BOB and the guided tour 100 BOB for up to 5 people. Even though the tour was in Spanish we could communicate well with our guide as she patiently described anything we didn´t understand with other words

The Cultural Landscape of Civita di Bagnoregio (T)

Jakob Frenzel Germany - 06-Jun-23

March 2023 - Bagnoregio was on our way south. Not only a promising tentative site but also nominated for this year, we definitely put it on our itinerary. We arrived in the evening and parked our camper on the Public parking lot. Next morning before the tourist masses would appear we walked our way to the Bridge, had the best Cappuccino of the whole trip in a random Café on the main street to Civita. 

Already in the morning we had to pay 5€ to climb up the steep bridge to the towns entrance. The town was completely deserted at first, except for a few cats enjoying the sunshine. The Restaurants and souvenir Shops were still to be opened. We enjoyed the scenery visible from the few viewpoints, which is part of the nomination, as well as the many planters embellishing the facades

Gaya Tumuli (T)

GabLabCebu Philippines - 11-Jun-23

Daesong-dong Gobungun (+ surprise Jisan-dong Gobungun drive-by), June 2023

With an already packed Korea trip, I carelessly dismissed most Gaya Tumuli sites as too inaccessible to squeeze into the itinerary; reading through the (two) reviews on this website, I decided that Daesong-dong was easily my best bet to check this site and see the Gaya remains for myself. Daesong-dong is located in the center of Gimhae, a satellite city of Busan and connected by metro (a very scenic light rail line, to be specific!), the closest stop being Gimhae National Museum. This turned out to be about 1.5 hours one-way transit from Busan Train Station. Gimhae seems to be extremely proud of their Gaya heritage, as the center of the Geumgwan Gaya, among the most influential of the Gaya Confederacy

Primeval Beech Forests

3.50 Adrian Turtschi Germany - 07-Jun-23

Serrahn Beech Forest, June 2023

Serrahn is a small beech forest, UNESCO-inscribed in 2011, which forms part of the larger Müritz National Park in Mecklenburg Western Pomerania, around 90 minutes north of Berlin. The wider area, dubbed by the local tourist board as "the land of a thousand lakes", centered around lake Müritz, the largest inland water body in Germany, is partly hilly but mostly flat, shaped by the last Ice Age, sparsely populated and mainly covered by forests, lakes and marshes, and these days popular for all kind of recreational activities, including hiking in the woods.

The Porticoes of Bologna

3.00 Jakob Frenzel Germany - 31-May-23

In 2016 we made a short stopover in Bologna and walked around the center not knowing yet which parts will belong to the WHS. Now in March 2023 we arrived around 10.a.m., parked outside the center and chose a Tour between the different Clusters of porticoes. Our first cluster was via Zamboni from there to the Strada Maggiore. Our daughter enjoyed Bologna strolling around the flat terrazzo with her scooter.Around noon we arrived at the Via Stefano, where we missed Tickets for the Torre Asinelli, but had perfect Pasta al ragout at Sfoglia Rina. I really can recommend lunch there, although it is a Instagram hyped place. After lunch we still strolled around San Petronio before we took resumed our travels to south eastern Parco dei Gessi Bolognesi. Bologna is a wonderful city

Deosai National Park (T)

Stanislaw Warwas Poland - 01-Jun-23

Visited April 2022

I can tell you that I was there… So, if one day Deosai NP – one of the highest plateau and the habitat of the endangered Himalayan brown bear – is inscribed, I will have it ticked already! But I can tell you I have not appreciated landscape, animals, plains… And seen nothing but snow all around. Why? Because at the end of April it still snowed and the layers of snow covered the only road going through the park linking Skardu with Astore Valley Road. The owner of the guesthouse in Skardu where I stayed for four nights was trying to convince me that it did not make any sense to even try to get to the plains. But I was stubborn. So… off we went in a Toyota Prada

The Scotland District of Barbados (T)

Sebasfhb Netherlands - 31-May-23

I visited the Scotland District in August 2022. Well, what we WH travellers know as the Scotland District at least. To most people in and from Barbados, the Scotland District is unknown. Show it on a map, show a picture, and they will recognise it as Mount Hillaby, the highest point in Barbados. When you just drive through this sparsely-populated part of Barbados, there is nothing that catches the eye. Most people will tick this TWHS off on the way to more popular tourist destinations and other TWHS locations, such as St. Nicholas’ Abbey. Having read the previous review of the Scotland District TWHS, I was not particularly excited to go out of my way and visit. 

The Scotland District of Barbados (T)

Clyde Malta - 31-May-23

I visited this tWHS in January 2023 by rental car which at least at the moment is necessary to cover as much ground as possible by getting to different viewpoints and to try to explore the area on foot (when at all possible).

When in Barbados the Scotland District is only sparsely signposted at St

Sarazm

2.50 Nan Germany - 08-May-23

Sarazm in Tajikistan is one of the oldest settlements in Central Asia, dating back over 5,000 years. Excavations in the 1970s revealed a thriving Bronze Age urban centre engaged in agriculture, trade and metallurgy. The Zerafshan valley had many mines, especially for tin, which was needed to make bronze in the Bronze Age. The area was therefore an early trading centre.

As is often the case with Bronze Age sites, there isn't much left. The foundations of several houses can be found, sheltered under tin roofs. The paths are covered in thorny grass, so bring long trousers. Although the surroundings are rather barren, the views of the mountain range are stunning.

Ferrara

3.00 Jakob Frenzel Germany - 24-May-23

March 2023 - so far we had missed Ferrara on our trips. This time it was on the itinerary, as we wanted to complete Italy's WHS list. After we had lunch in Vicenza we drove partly Highway, partly on smaller roads towards our next Stop. South of the old town there is a large parking lot at the mura ferrara where we also spent the night in our campervan.

It was only a few minutes walk to the Castello and the Cattedrale. This evening we still had Gelato and Pizza on the hand and made a short walk through the old town. However, as it was Friday night, the bars filled up with more and more people, thus we decided to return to the Camper. I woke up at 6 next morning and decided to take another Walk through the center. Garbagemen were tyding up squeky clean. 

Ambohimanga

4.00 Els Slots The Netherlands - 13-Jun-23

The Royal Hill of Ambohimanga is a fortified hill with great historical and symbolic value for the people of Madagascar. It is a wonderful site to visit as it is in good condition and has so many layers: the first unified Malagasy kingdom, the start of its interaction with the outside world just before colonial times, and a contemporary place of worship. I spent 3 hours there on a guided tour of the palace complex and a forest walk.

Although it lies only 20km away from the Madagascar capital Antananarivo, it will take the best part of an hour to get there by car

Villages with Fortified Churches

4.00 Sebasfhb Netherlands - 30-May-23

In February 2022, I visited the fortified church in Prejmer on a day trip from Romania’s capital, Bucharest. If you want to stay within Romania, Prejmer is actually the closest World Heritage site from Bucharest (although Srebarna Nature Reserve, the Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo and the Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari are located closer to Bucharest on the Bulgarian side of the border). I stayed a week in Bucharest with my family and convinced my fellow-travellers, who are not interested in ticking off obscure World Heritage sites at all, to rent a car for a day and make the 3-hour drive to Prejmer

Vani (T)

Stanislaw Warwas Poland - 29-May-23

Visited in April 2023

Wondering why this site is not on the list yet… It represents many centuries of the history of territories located south of Greater Caucasus, their relations with the northern cultures, Greek civilization and also those from the east and south…

Most of ancient Vani (we do not know how it was called back in the ancient times, although there are some documents that let us assume it was called Surium or/and Leucothea by the Greek) is buried under the modern village and fields to the west of the centre and the main bazaar. And only around 10% of the site has been excavated till now. Local farmers and local authorities do not allow any farther investigations, so probably for the next decades we won’t know anything more about its extent and architectural/economical/social features. It is really a pity… Who knows – maybe after the heavy rains will another part of the uncovered site appear as it did in 1876 after the landslide when the history of Vani as a Colchian culture representative started

Rainforests of the Atsinanana

4.00 Els Slots The Netherlands - 11-Jun-23

The Rainforests of the Atsinanana are the quintessential Malagasy WHS, as they comprise the last remaining patches of rainforest in Madagascar and are home to the iconic lemurs (of which 108 species have been discovered). Like the other reviewers before me, I choose to visit Ranomafana NP out of the 13 WH locations, as it is the easiest to reach. After 2 days of driving from the capital via Antsirabe along bare red soil and agricultural terraces, suddenly there they were: forests! Even in the dry season, it often rains here at night. More water is present at the river with a large waterfall next to the access road.

Paris, Banks of the Seine

4.00 Ian Cade UK - 29-May-23

Paris is great, it justifiably is one of the metropoles around which Europe seems to revolve and the Banks of the Seine show the finest parts of it. But I just want to focus on one specific part of the inscribed area.

“Oh Dad, THERE IS AN OBELISK! Can we go and visit it?”

Now I am a seriously proud Dad of a 5 year old that can not only recognise an obelisk, but gets properly excited by them, however at this precise moment I really didn’t want to indulge the request, partially because we were on a boat enjoying a cruise, but also I knew that this lump of Luxor that so enthused my daughter was in a place I hate above most other places I have visited on this World Heritage Site quest.

Sucre

3.50 Timonator Germany - 28-May-23

In total I spent 11 nights in Sucre as it's a pleasant city which offers quite som activities and services even though it has a bit of a small town feeling as most places are a small walk from the city center. Some of the white, colonial houses in the city are really nice to look at during day and night and around the central plaza 25 de mayo there is a checkerboard street system. Nevertheless I can understand why some people indicated in their reviews that it's a bit weak to use these properties to make Sucre a WHS. But now that it is a WHS I will rate it not too bad as I have enjoyed my long stay here even though nothing was breathtakingly interesting

Dacian Fortresses

5.00 Tamara Ratz Hungary - 28-May-23

Among the six sites listed as Dacian Fortresses, I visited Sarmizegetusa Regia in May 2023, by car, on my way from Sibiu to Budapest, Hungary (the rest of the ruins are also nearby, but I didn't have more time). If you don't have a car, you can find an organised tour from Sibiu, or take a bus to Orăștie and try to find a taxi there (or maybe hitchhike... it used to be a popular way of getting around in Romania, but this time I didn't see any hitchhikers by the road). From the A1 highway it takes about 50 minutes to arrive to the parking lot of Sarmizegetusa Regia, the road is good, then you need to walk (slightly uphill) about 1 km. The entrance fee is 15 lei, cash only. 

The Industrial Heritage of Barbados: The Story of Sugar and Rum (T)

Clyde Malta - 28-May-23

I visited this tWHS in January 2023 as a very pleasant round-the-island day trip by rental car. The tWHS is made up of 5 locations, 3 clustered in the North, 1 in the South East of the island, and 1 in the South quite close to the airport.

First off we headed early to the Northern cluster. The most organised (and expensive at 50 USD for the combo ticket!) location of the 3 is by far St. Nicholas Abbey and its Steam Heritage Railway. The steam railway departs everyday except Saturdays at 10:00, 11:30, 13:30 and 14:30. If you decide to skip the steam railway ride, the highlight of the trip, the manually operated turntable, can still be enjoyed from a few metres off the beautiful mahogany avenue leading to the abbey, where you'll be able to also spot green monkeys and perhaps some birds too. Back in the old days, the steam train lines extended down to Batsheba Bay and beyond, but now the railway only exists within the plantation yard, beyond the Great House, the croquet lawn, and factory buildings

Ensemble de grottes à concrétions du Sud de la France (T)

Ralf Regele Germany - 27-May-23

On the way towards the Mont Perdu WHS from the french side, I made a visit to the "Gouffre D'Esparros" cave, which is part of the obscure TWHS "Ensemble de grottes a concretions du Sud de la France". The cave is a bit in the middle of nowhere. However, the GPS should find it, the roads are fine and the infrastructure for the visit is actually pretty good. Despite visiting on a long weekend with nice weather, I was the only visitor for the early tour, so I had my own private tour guide. The cave itself is quite nice (but I have a soft side for caves). Although the cave has a rather vertical layout, the tour path itself was completely horizontal and easy to walk. The stalagmites were nice but not too numerous

The Historical Port City of Izmir (T)

Els Slots The Netherlands - 25-May-23

We’ve had Izmir as Turkey’s nomination for 2025 for a while, but I am beginning to doubt that. First, there’s this report that puts Zerzevan forward for 2025. And then there was my own visit to Izmir in May 2023, where I didn’t see any sign of preparation while the candidates for 2023 and 2024 (Gordion and Iznik) have been clearly polished to look their best for foreign visitors.

I only spent a late afternoon and evening in the center of Izmir (and stayed overnight). It has quite a different vibe from other Turkish cities – it’s a real port city, a bit more scruffy and chaotic

Pitons of Reunion

3.50 Els Slots The Netherlands - 04-Jun-23

‘Completing’ France is a tough act, as its WHS include sites in four overseas territories scattered across the globe. The French Austral Lands are the hardest (9,000 EUR/28 days if you’re lucky to get a spot). Somewhat near in the Indian Ocean but much more accessible is Réunion, served by daily direct flights from Paris. This island is governed as an overseas department and its culture is very, very French. Réunion is blessed with its own WHS, the Pitons, Cirques and Remparts. 

Cour royale de Tiébélé (T)

Watkinstravel Canada - 23-May-23

I visited Tiebele in April 2023 on my final day in Burkina Faso. Being not far off the main highway to Ghana, it was still safely accessible and was done as a day trip from Ouagadougou (~4 hours each way) before my flight out that night. The drive out there in a private car was pleasant enough but I was surprised to find that Tiebele was bigger than I thought and looked like a growing village typical of the region. The Cour Royale de Tiebele is just a tiny traditional compound tucked away within the larger settlement. I had erroneously assumed it would be more isolated.

Mértola (T)

Nan Germany - 05-May-23

Mértola is a charming town in the Alentejo region of Portugal, with a rich and varied history dating back to the Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths and Arabs. Its strategic location on the River Guadiana gave it a maritime past. It continued to be a port until the 18th century, and the submerged wharf from that period can still be seen today.

The town lies at the foot of a medieval castle, and there are several archaeological sites in the town, including one at the southern end and [...]

Bali Subak system

3.00 Frédéric M Canada - 21-May-23

Despite its popularity and fame, the island of Bali is far from being the most pleasant to visit in Indonesia. Indeed, it is overpopulated and lacks any attempt at urban planning or land management. This results in constant traffic jams. Moreover, public transport is scarce and does not allow to reach the touristic places. And everything costs four times more than in the rest of the country. However, the island has a very well-connected airport and a world heritage site, which makes it a must visit.

Agglomération Aného Glidji (T)

Christravelblog Netherlands - 10-May-23

Aného-glidji was added to the tentative UNESCO list of Togo back in 2021 so, why not make a visit. Even if it wasn’t added it’s a nice day trip from Lomé along the coast towards Benin. The area is most famous for the remains of German colonial time as they had their capital there until it moved to Lomé. The buildings do need a lot of renovations, but it was interesting to see this European colonial architecture there. After checking out most of the structures I picked up a local guide to visit a Voodoo sanctuary. I did a Voodoo ceremony which as interesting to experience. This was all unplanned as you cannot just go to these sanctuaries as a foreigner. I was lucky with a local. The sacred forest however was off limits and I could only see the entrance.

Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum (T)

Nan Germany - 03-May-23

As a day trip from Bukhara, I decided to tackle a few silk road sites in the proximity. We started the day at the Minaret in Vobkent and were then to go to Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum. According to our website, the mausoleum is close to Vobkent. My Uzbek driver meanwhile seemed to take a detour getting there. When he missed the last turn left that would have made sense, I called the tour agency to clarify what was up.

He kept insisting that Chasma-Ayub was a natural last stop in Bukhara, while I kept stating we just passed it. Eventually, he agreed to drive according to google maps, taking me to Khayrabatcha, a village in the country side. He was quite amazed where we ended up, but I think we found the right location

Mining Cultural Landscape Erzgebirge

0.50 Nomad99 - 18-May-23

My review is only on the Red Tower of Death and mirrors Walter’s visit, although he got closer. I only got as close as the fence at the back of the industrial park for a view.
The site itself is closed however I do have some information if you want to visit. There  is a standard brown tourist sign on the highway identifying the site. You turn after the industrial park. The site was closed for me and you cannot see the tower from the entrance due to the height of the fence. A sign on the door says the it will open after June 1 2023 but only on Saturday and Sunday for tours at 10am and 1pm. Tours are required but are free. 
Personally, I wouldn’t go into that dusty uranium scented tower but I would have liked to have at least approached the building. 

Potosi

3.00 Timonator Germany - 16-May-23

During my four and a half days in Potosí I used only 2 days to actually visit the city. 2 days I was waiting with my girlfriend that her headaches would go away. She was blaming the cold and dry air during the nights at 0°C, I suspected rather the altitude of 4000 m that Potosí has. Anyhow the two non- consecutive days passed by and during the other two days we were able to visit the mint, the St. Theresa monastery, do a touristic bus tour through the city, visit some other churches from the outside or sneak peak into the service and watch a first league football match of Nacional Potosí on a really high level ;)

Greniers en série des grottes de Nok, Mamproug, Kouba et Bagou (T)

Christravelblog Netherlands - 10-May-23

Another suprise in Togo! From the 4 places of the TWHS Nok is most easily reached and the largest. At the time of my visit (late 2022) the northern parts of Togo, close to Burkina Faso, are not 100% safe. It's safe on the main roads, but my driver and local guide in the north advised against staying overnight there to not attract attention. 

In the north of Togo, towards the border with Burkina Faso, the landscaped changes drastically

The Cultural Landscape of Civita di Bagnoregio (T)

Nan Germany - 07-May-23

We were fortunate to take the morning bus from Viterbo to Bagnoregio, as the landscape was still blanketed in slight fog, adding a mythical feel to the stunning view of Civita di Bagnoregio from the viewpoint. Also, we managed to arrive before the big tour groups from Rome that would later crowd the town.

After taking plenty of pictures, we climbed the walkway, paying the 5 EUR entrance fee to support the preservation efforts of the crumbling hill. Although I would have preferred a proper ticket instead of a thermoprinted one, it was a small price to pay.

Vicenza and the Palladian Villas

4.00 Jakob Frenzel Germany - 24-May-23

March 2023 - on our 4,5 week trip to Italy and Back, this was our first WHS sight. However only a short revisit, after we had already been here in September 2014. Back then we enjoyed the Classicist buildings in Vicenza and spend the the evening at the Piazza dei signori drinking Sprizz for 2,50€ and had a nice chat with a GI from the nearby US military base.

This time we were here at noon time and searched for a quick lunch. We had only a glimpse at the historic buildings. The most enjoyable part was the Parco Querini with its rabbit population and the tortoise.

Gorham's Cave Complex

3.00 James Bowyer United Kingdom - 12-May-23

Before I was ensnared by World Heritage Sites, the geographic and cultural list that most intrigued me were the British Overseas Territories. Unfortunately, these last small vestiges of the empire tend to be the small outcroppings of rock nobody else wanted to claim in the middle of distant oceans and so are rather difficult to reach from the UK. There are a few notable exceptions, one of which is Gibraltar. Ceded “in perpetuity” by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 from Spain to Great Britain, although modern Spanish governments have pushed to reverse this, Gibraltar is the last British foothold on mainland Europe

Sites de la métallurgie ancienne du fer de Bassar (T)

Christravelblog Netherlands - 10-May-23

Yes this is for me a TWHS that has a good chance of inscribing. I loved it. Getting to Bassar is kind of out of the way, even in a small country as Togo. The easiest is to get there is from Sokodé (which is almost a day from Lomé). Visit and go through norther route to Kara to visit the only WHS and more TWHS. Make sure to leave around 9-10AM so you will be in Kara in the late afternoon. In the north of Togo there are plenty of police/military checkpoints which can slow you down. Going from Sokodé you also go through the Parc national Fazao-Malfakassa (allthough at the tip) but enough to tick it off, not to see elephants though.

Early Synagogues in the Galilee (T)

Nan Germany - 04-May-23

During our Israel trip, we visited two early synagogues: Korazim and Capharnaum.

Korazim, located north of the Sea of Galilee, boasts an ancient Jewish synagogue dating back to the 2nd to 4th centuries CE. The synagogue features elaborate decorative elements such as stone carvings and images of the Zodiac. The encompassing archaeological site also includes remnants of the town, some of which have been reconstructed or are undergoing reconstruction.

Capharnaum, an ancient town on the Sea of Galilee, is known as the "town of Jesus" in the New Testament. Its late 2nd or early 3rd-century CE synagogue features intricate decorative elements, including stone carvings and a colorful mosaic floor. Interestingly, the synagogue was built in competition with the nearby church of St

Selimiye Mosque

4.00 Els Slots The Netherlands - 07-May-23

I had been in doubt whether to include the Selimiye Mosque in my Western Turkey itinerary, due to the ongoing renovations (would it be worth visiting anyway in this condition?) and the tiring detour one has to make from Istanbul to get to Edirne. But eventually, I decided to bite the bullet and clear all WHS in this region so I don’t ‘have to’ revisit. I solved the logistical problem by taking a direct bus from Istanbul Airport to Edirne. The company Istanbul Seyahat has one every 2 hours (bookable online via Obilet). The ride takes only 3 hours as this way you avoid the heavy traffic in the Istanbul metropolis.

Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands

2.50 Stanislaw Warwas Poland - 10-May-23

Visited in April 2023

7 components but officially only 2 of them can be visited:

Kintrishi-Mtirala component – two national reserves located in Adjara region; both can be visited as a day trip from the coast and are pretty well organized in situ, with small tourist information centres and some tracks you can follow; Kintrishi National Reserve is easily reachable from Kobuleti (even using public transportation – there are two minibuses from Kobuleti bus station all the way to Varjanauli, from where you can walk or hitchhike to the core zone), Mtirala National Park – from Batumi (two minibuses daily from Batumi new bus station, the first one at 9:30 am, going to the entrance to the park from where there’s another 3 km to the core zone) and from Chakvi (many marshrutkas to Khala and few to Chakvistavi); in both places you’ll have a [...]

Koutammakou

4.00 Christravelblog Netherlands - 10-May-23

Koutammakou, the land of the Batammariba, is currently the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Togo. If you are interested in local culture and ethnicities, visiting Koutammakou should be on your Togo travel itinerary. The site can be easily reached as a day trip from Kara via Kandé, which is a 2.5-hour drive one way. This day trip was the highlight of my Togo road trip itinerary. I left Kara at around 8:30 AM and arrived at the entrance at 10:00 AM. There is a small fee that must be paid, and you must be accompanied by a local guide. It is important to respect the local Tamberma people and their traditional way of life.

Quebrada de Humahuaca

4.00 Timonator Germany - 08-May-23

I will rate my experiece in this valley (quebrada in Quechua) independant of the only cultural aspect of the WHS. For me the natural/ landscape experience was more fascinating than the cultural aspect which is also interesting.   Already the ride from Salta or Jujuy into Tilcara is a highlight. While driving uphill the landscape changes from green hills, forests and meadows into a dusty, red- brownish mountain landscape which sees mainly huge cactus growing. Maybe it is because I haven't travelled such a landscape before that I was quite happy but also others on the bus liked what they saw during the ride.   Tilcara is quite a picturesque town

Lake Maggiore and Lake D'Orta lakelands (T)

Nan Germany - 27-Apr-23

As a child, my family and I drove from Hamburg to Italy twice, with Lago Maggiore being our first stop after driving non-stop for 12 hours. The stunning scenery on the western side of the lake, near the Swiss border, left a lasting impression on me; not much else of those Italy trips did.

It took decades for me to return. Finally, some 40 years later, I stayed for a night in Dormelletto on the Southern shore. The next day I visited Arona, Stresa, and the Isola Bella, before heading to Basel by train

Ancient Cities of Lycian Civilization (T)

Els Slots The Netherlands - 04-May-23

The Ancient Cities of Lycian Civilization comprise the remains of 7 major cities from the Lycian League, a kind of ‘United Arab Emirates’ from the 1st century BC – ‘democratic’ but with some cities having more votes than others. It includes the already inscribed Xanthos, so it should be considered as an extension although the Site description does not explicitly say so. ‘Lycian’ in this period refers to a regional identity: they lived nominally under Persian, Hellenistic and Roman rule but were granted a lot of autonomy in their affairs.

Makli, Thatta

3.50 Shombob - 04-May-23

I won't speak to the heritage side of this, but only the logistics. [For reference I am a white American woman who knows only like 200 Urdu words]

The sites are definitely worth going to if you are in Karachi for more than a few days and it's a shame that more people do not go. Makli is only about 1.5 hours away from the city. Not extremely well-kept which is a shame, so worth seeing now before any more damage occurs. The necropolis itself is very large, so you can hire a long golf cart for 100 rupees per person at the entrance. Foreigners must show passport and visa at several stages. Chaukundi tombs can be seen on the way there, and Shah Jehan mosque in Thatta afterwards. When I was there, we were the only ones at the Chaukundi tombs (which are an extension of the Makli necropolis) except for the guards/caretakers. One man told us a lot of history there and details of the tombs

Sulcis Iglesiente (T)

Nan Germany - 27-Apr-23

Sulcis-Iglesiente is a historical mining region in southwestern Sardinia. Mining activities date back to prehistoric times with evidence of lead, silver, and copper extraction in the Nuragic era. The Roman period saw significant expansion of mining activities with the discovery of large deposits of lead, silver, and zinc. Mining activity declined in the Middle Ages but was revived in the 19th century with the discovery of rich coal deposits.

As is common for dormant tentative sites, it's not quite clear what is actually included in the nomination. I think we covered two parts of what would be included in a nomination:

Sya, centre historique de Bobo-Dioulasso (T)

Watkinstravel Canada - 03-May-23

Visited April 2023. As part of a 5-day private tour of Burkina Faso I stayed 2 nights in Bobo-Dioulasso and was able to visit this site. The most recognizable part of this site is the Sudano-Sahelian style mosque which sits on a square at the edge of the historical quarter. We were able to visit inside and on top of the mosque with a local guide to escort us. Due to the traditional nature of its construction it is constantly being repaired. Despite being in the center of the second largest city in the country, Sya has managed to maintain a traditional atmosphere and way of life that is centuries old. It somehow still feels like walking around a traditional village, isolated from the rest of the city

Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba

3.00 Timonator Germany - 29-Apr-23

I have visited the Manzana Jesuítica and the crypta in Córdoba as well as the estancias Jesús María, Caroya and Alta Gracia.  I have really enjoyed staying a week in Córdoba because this big student city is lively as it's full of young people, good food and it's cheap.  The city center contains some highlights next to the WHS like the Cathedral and the Memorial place for the victims of the dictatorship in an old police station. The manzana jesuítica is the jesuit block in the town set-up and consists of a school, the law faculty of the university of Córdoba and the church

Konya-A capital of Seljuk Civilization (T)

Els Slots The Netherlands - 02-May-23

I choose Konya for a 2-night stay to take a break from the daily driving during my road trip across Western Turkey. That turned out to be a good choice: it’s a modern city with plenty to see and do. I left the car at my hotel, 11km on the outskirts of the city, and used the tramway to get right to Aladdin hill. In the center there still is a lot of construction going on, it seems that a whole neighbourhood will be replaced by glitzy shops and apartments. This unbridled development is the main reason that Konya can’t just go for a nomination of its historic center  – it would need to focus on specific monuments and/or a specific theme.

Tashkent makhallas (T)

Nan Germany - 16-Nov-22

Tashkent is one of the capital cities that does not have its own World Heritage Site yet. Although it has a long history as a trade hub in Central Asia, much of the historic city was destroyed by a major earthquake in the 1960s. Consequently, the city today is rather modern, heavily influenced by Soviet architecture principles.

In search of their own World Heritage Site, Tashkent settled on the makhallas, historic city districts that function as cities within the city. Tashkent has multiple makhallas, but based on the nomination file it is unclear which ones are actually included in the nomination

Ischigualasto / Talampaya

3.00 Frédéric M Canada - 29-Apr-23

This review will be one of disappointments and cautionary tales. I (almost) visited Ischigualasto and Talampaya parks in March 2023. I have been there and seen some elements of it, which by my standards is enough to count as a visit. However, my rating is definitely to be taken with a grain of salt.

I visited these parks with a tour operator in La Rioja (I can't remember for sure which one, but I think it was Corona del Inca). Since they didn't offer the Saturday tour I had targeted, I shifted my visit to Sunday. In doing so, I stayed an extra day in Cordoba (which has much more to offer than La Rioja) and spent one less in Salta. The tour operator picked me up at the hotel under a beautiful sun and we left for the parks with two other Argentinian tourists.

Ischigualasto / Talampaya

4.00 Timonator Germany - 29-Apr-23

In my lonely planet travelbook and in this community I encountered various distinctive ways how to reach these remote natural parks. In the end I decided to go into the Province capital of La Rioja which is still about 2 hours or 200 km from the park entrances but by this the next big city in reach. It's a pleasant town in autumn with summer like weather every day- I can imagine that it gets too hot in real summer here. We checked out the information kiosk on the plaza and it was giving us some outdated prices of the Talampaya park. Information about Ischigualasto was hardly available as this park which is connecting to Talampaya park at the province border of La Rioja and San Juan is on the wrong side of the province border

Kondoa

Ron Perrier - 01-May-23

Kondoa Rock-Art Sites WHS. A series of ancient paintings on rock shelter walls in central Tanzania nine kilometres east of the main highway (T5) from Dodoma to Babati.

The landscape is large piled granite boulders on the western rim of the Maasai steppe and form rock shelters facing away from prevailing winds. These rock shelters often have flat surfaces due to rifting, and these surfaces are where the paintings are found, protected from weathering.These paintings are still part of a living tradition of creation and use by both Sandawe in their simbó healing ceremonies, and by Maasai people in ritual feasting. About 1970, Sandawe men were still making rock paintings. The reasons were magical (depicting the animal that the painter intended to kill), casual, and sacrificial (on specific clan-spirit hills and depicting rain-making and healing ceremonies)

Shakhrisyabz

2.00 Nan Germany - 16-Nov-22

Arriving by car from Bukhara, the first thing I saw of Shakhrisyabz was the large blue dome of the Kok Gumbaz Mosque, an impressive 15th-century mosque. The mosque is a prime example of Timurid architecture. It's definitely one of the main sites to visit in Shakhrisyabz.

While I explored the other components of the site, my driver waited at the mosque's parking lot. There's essentially one long, modern walkway that connects the Kok Gumbaz Mosque and Timurid's crypt on the South side to the Ak Saray Palace at the North side, touching on all the important components like the statue of Timur, and the city walls. 

Sivrihisar Great Mosque (T)

Els Slots The Netherlands - 29-Apr-23

The Great Mosque of Sivrihisar is both a stand-alone entry on Turkey’s Tentative List and one of the locations of the five Wooden columned and wooden roofed mosques in Anatolia. It can be easily visited along the way from Iznik to Gordion, as the road passes the town. The mosque stands proudly at the main square, surrounded by a 14th-century mausoleum, an Ottoman clock tower, and some statues of a turbaned man which I think represent the local folklore character Nasreddin Hodja (who has his own spot at the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List).