Andrew_Kerr Profile
I wouldn't say I let UNESCO listings dictate where I go but whenever I have decided to go somewhere I check to see what is nearby. UNESCO sites, tentative sites and former tentative sites are usually worth a visit.
Recent Reviews Andrew_Kerr
Kew Gardens
Andrew_Kerr UK - 26-Jan-25
I know it's stating the obvious but.........don't go to Kew Gardens unless you're really interested in plants and gardening. I'm not and I have to be honest and say that I was a bit underwhelmed by the place and thought that the cost was too high.
Let me elaborate, there's a lot of open green spaces, I mean A LOT, which may be green and natural but are not gardens.
I think I expected something more akin to the Chelsea Flower Show than Hyde Park hence my overall disappointment. I did enjoy the hot houses, Kew Palace and the pagoda (picture).
Ultimately though, I found it to be disappointing and not worth the entrance fee (currently £22) especially when there are some excellent parks to visit in London, for free.
Gwynedd Castles
Andrew_Kerr UK - 16-Jan-25
I'm probably biased, being born and bred in Wales and in particular North Wales so I should really rate these castles as 5 star, especially Harlech (picture) and Conwy, both for their aesthetics and location but all 4 (Caernarvon and Beaumaris the others) are worth visiting.It's ironic that these castles (so expensive to build at the time they bankrupted the king of England) that were built to suppress the Welsh, are now one of the major tourist attractions in North Wales.I have never understood fully why these 4 castles alone were given UNESCO WHS listings when there are plenty of equally impressive castles all over Wales, especially West Wales but I'm probably splitting hairs.Harlech castle is spectacular being high above the coast on a rocky promontory
Read OnTyniec-Bielany Salwator (in and near Krakow) (T)
Andrew_Kerr UK - 14-Jan-25
After a couple of days in Krakow and visiting the depressing Auschwitz-Birkenau and Oscar Schindler sites we needed somewhere to chill out for a few hours, somewhere quiet and tranquil preferably with a scenic view, so we headed to the Benedictine Abbey of Tyniec a few miles south of the city and high above a bend of the Vistula river.We weren't disappointed, the abbey is picturesque and quiet and there's a cafe (that sells the abbey's traditional beer) and a small museum.The wider area of Tyniec-Bielany Salwator encompasses parkland, woods, riverside walks and plenty of opportunity for hikers to get out of the city and enjoy nature
Read OnMedina of Sousse
Andrew_Kerr UK - 27-Jan-25
There are a couple of component parts to the Medina that warrant a visit in their own right.
The Ribat, an impressive fort dating from the 8th century that is surprisingly complete and perfectly maintained. The site can be visited including the tower.
The Great Mosque of Sousse (picture) dates from the 9th century and is impressive in it's size and layout. It doesn't fit the stereotypical image of a mosque, a domed building with a slender minaret, it is squat and rectangular and has a defensive nature to it being enclosed behind formidable walls with round towers on the corners surrounding a tranquil and elegant inner courtyard.
And the Medina itself with it's own defensive walls and tower and magnificent city gates make it one of the most interesting places in Tunisia.
Mdina (Citta Vecchia) (T)
Andrew_Kerr UK - 19-Jan-25
Mdina, nicknamed the silent city and it's easy to see why when you are there. Explore the maze of narrow streets and alleyways and often you are the only person there, it's like stepping back in time to a more sedate pace of life.There are plenty things to see in Mdina, the old city walls, still intact and complete and offering great views of the surrounding countryside, Mdina Gate, the main entrance to the old city and the Baroque, St Paul's Cathedral (picture) are all worthy of your time. As you would expect in Malta, there is a plethora of churches to wander in and out of, encompassing every kind of architectural style
Read OnProfile Data
- Name
- Andrew_Kerr
- Country
- UK
- Ranking
- 773
- Most Impressive
- Old City of Havana or Valley of the Kings
Recently Visited WHS
- Update 14.01.25
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10 Best Missing
Visited WHS
Rating StatsBrugge 5Kotor 5Mostar 5Rhodes 5Riga 5Rome 5Verona 5Acropolis 4.5Budapest 4.5City of Bath 4.5Edinburgh 4.5Florence 4.5Istanbul 4.5Mystras 4.5Oporto 4.5Prague 4.5Westminster 4.5Corfu 4Ephesus 4Granada 4Kraków 4Modena 4Naples 4Pompei 4Salzburg 4Sintra 4Tallinn 4Vienna 4Belem 3.5Guimarães 3.5Ironbridge Gorge 3.5Kairouan 3.5Lake District 3.5Medina of Sousse 3.5Pergamon 3.5Sighisoara 3.5Thessalonika 3.5Vilnius 3.5Belfries 3Saltaire 2.5Reviewed WHS
Visited TWHS
- Ancient Greek Theatres (T)
- Archaeological site of Ancient Messene (T)
- Arsenal de Rochefort et fortifications de l'estuaire de la Charente (T)
- Central Park (T)
- City of Motovun (T)
- City of York: historic urban core (T)
- Ellis Island (T)
- Fortified Manasija Monastery (T)
- Gorge of Samaria National Park (T)
- Historical Lisbon, Global City (T)
- Historical-town planning ensemble of Ston (T)
- Jerusalem (T)
- Knights Fortifications around the Harbours of Malta (T)
- Kyiv: Saint Sophia Cathedral with Related Monastic Buildings, St. Cyril's and St. Andrew's Churches, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (T)
- Le Portail du Monastère de Ripoll (T)
- Les Plages du Débarquement, Normandie, 1944 (T)
- Mdina (Citta Vecchia) (T)
- Rocks of Belogradchik (T)
- Rouen : ensemble urbain à pans de bois, cathédrale, église Saint-Ouen, église Saint Maclou (T)
- Smederevo Fortress (T)
- The Bodrum Castle (T)
- The historic town of Korcula (T)
- The historic urban site of Počitelj (T)
Reviewed TWHS
- Tyniec-Bielany Salwator (in and near Krakow) (T)
- Smederevo Fortress (T)
- City of York (T)
- Mdina (Citta Vecchia) (T)
- Duomo di Milano (T)
- Place des Vosges de Paris (T)
- Eltz Castle (T)
- Death Valley National Park (T)
- Shakespeare's Stratford (T)
- SS Great Britain (T)
- Cambridge Colleges and Backs (T)
- The historic urban site of Počitelj (T)
- Trakai Historical National Park (T)
- Historical-town planning ensemble of Ston (T)
- City of Motovun (T)
- Rocks of Belogradchik (T)
- The historic town of Korcula (T)
- Gorge of Samaria National Park (T)