Caves of the Buda Thermal Karst System (T)

Ilya Burlak USA - 10-Feb-25

I visited Pál-völgyi Cave during my stay in Budapest in November 2024. I did not plan to see more than one cave in this serial submission, and based on my research, Pál-völgyi provided the best balance of accessibility and interest of the six of them. The roughly half-kilometer subterranean walk takes about an hour to complete.The visit is always guided and always in Hungarian. Foreigners are directed to download an app with an audio guide in several languages. The English version is narrated in such a boring and tedious fashion that I put the phone away after the second stop. The live guide was occupied by a group of local teenagers on a school field trip

Mount Vernon (T)

Carlo Sarion Philippines | New Zealand - 07-Feb-25

It just seems appropriate to visit and write a review of Mount Vernon after doing so with Monticello, as both were the residences and plantations of two prominent American presidents in Virginia. We visited the site in Dec 2024 as a side trip while visiting family for Christmas. Whether it has the potential to be inscribed or not and regardless of our opinions about George Washington as a slave owner, I'd recommend a visit here.

The mansion tour

At the time of our visit, the mansion was undergoing significant renovation (see photo, with the facade obstructed by tarpaulin) and only a very limited part of the mansion could be accessed. It was helpful to attend the free virtual tour at the Ford Orientation Centre. We entered the mansion through the door that opens to the New Room. This multi-purpose room is the most interesting (to me) of all the rooms in the mansion. Its walls are painted in pastel green, and it has a Palladian window with composition ornament and a ceiling with stuccowork

Poverty Point

2.00 Jason Boulette United States - 06-Feb-25

I'll admit, I recognize their historical importance, but I have a hard time truly appreciating the earthworks sites such as Poverty Point (I've visited two of the three in the United States, having also visited Cahokia Mounds but not yet visiting Hopewell). It's one thing to recognize on an intellectual level that these required tremendous planning and effort to build these structures, but on a visceral level, I hate to say it, but it feels like you're just looking at or climbing a small hill. I think my visit to Poverty Point was also marred by the fact that, as I perused the small visitor's center to try to understand the cultural significance of the site, the loudspeaker was blaring Vanessa Williams singing The Color of the Wind from Disney's Pocahontas movie. 

Alvaro Siza's Architecture Works (T)

Els Slots The Netherlands - 13-Feb-25

In 2020 I visited two of Siza’s works in Northern Portugal: a bank in Vila do Conde (something white and Le Corbusier-ish with many windows in a street with mainly traditional buildings) and the Casa Carlos Beires in Pavoa de Varzim (a yellow family house located in a residential area with other interesting modern buildings, looking very run down). Both have since been dropped from the shortlist of this nomination, so I had to return to Portugal to reclaim my ‘tick’. 

The Pavilhão de Portugal serves this purpose very well, as it [...]

The Historic City of Dublin (T)

Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 25-Aug-18

Suggestion for an updated nomination: future tentative list

I do not see a particularly strong justification for Dublin to become a world heritage site, but Trinity College stood out. While my experience seeing Trinity College was brief, I was impressed and the literary history here is legendary. The Library of Trinity College Dublin is stunning in its own right and a book-lovers dream.

Therefore, I would suggest something far grander

Enclos paroissiaux du Finistère (T)

Aitia France - 09-Feb-25

The parish enclosures of Finistère were added very recently to the French indicative list, and this nomination file should be put forward soon by France (perhaps 2029?). It was entrusted to a former French Minister of Culture, residing in Brittany, who contributed to the successful inscription of the city of Nice in 2021.
One might wonder why France chose a bid focused once again on Christian architecture. In fact, this choice is more judicious than it seems.

First, these parish churches are very original. Modest in size but very decorated, they are made up of several elements: a decorated monumental porch, a surrounding wall, with a monumental entrance and an "échalier" (to prevent animals from accessing this sacred space), a sculpted calvary, and an ossuary.

Migratory Bird Sanctuaries China

Philipp Peterer Switzerland - 03-Feb-25

This is my second non-visit review within a few months. I really hope this is not becoming a regular thing. I tried to visit the Chongming Dongtan Bird Habitat. Strictly looking at the map, this is by far the easiest place to visit, as it is very close to Shanghai.

I took a taxi from the center and left Shanghai at lunch time. The DiDi app predicted 1h50min to get there, which is 30min longer than Google Maps (with no access to any traffic information, because technically banned) told me, when I planned this at home. The price was predicted with around 40 EUR per way, which is not too bad for 2 hours driving. There are also no other options than taxi, so it’s that or you know someone who can drive you there.

Monticello

Carlo Sarion Philippines | New Zealand - 31-Jan-25

This site was the first of the few UNESCO sites I visited during my trip to the US in Dec 2024. It made for a great stop on my way to spending the holidays with family in Virginia. I made sure that we visited both Monticello and the University of Virginia campus, which I think is the best way to really appreciate the OUV of this site. 

Monticello

Monticello was Thomas Jefferson's primary plantation and house, situated on a hill or [...]

Pu'uhonua o'Honaunau NHP (T)

Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 03-Feb-25

Suggestion for an updated nomination: future tentative list

Consideration of a future Heritage of the Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian People) nomination, Pu'uhonua o'Honaunau NHP would be a major component. It is past due the United States alongside local stakeholders in Hawaii put forward a serial nomination that represents the rich cultural heritage of Hawaii

Civil Rights Movement Sites (T)

Jay T USA - 04-Feb-25

Now that the list of components for the US Civil Rights Movement Sites Tentative World Heritage Site nomination has filled out, I figured I should write about some of the locations that have yet to be reviewed. I visited the three sites closest to my home on the US East Coast in the summer of 2023. One of the sites, the Lincoln Memorial, was covered quite well in Solivagant's excellent review based on his firsthand experience at the March on Washington. The other two sites, Moton High School and the F.W. Woolworth Store, are a bit further off the beaten track for most visitors. I'll cover Moton High School for this review.

Trang An

3.00 GabLabCebu Philippines - 27-Jan-25

Trang An, just two hours out of Hanoi, seems a world away from it. I was equally excited to visit Trang An as I was Ha Long Bay when I planned our family vacation to Vietnam in January 2025. On a long day trip from Ha Long, we climbed up Hang Mua, had a lunch of fried corn and goat stir fry among other local specialties, and took a boat tour of the Trang An complex before catching the sunset at the Ho Dynasty Citadel. I must say that a tour of the Ninh Binh area would definitely be a highlight for any trip to Vietnam. It’s extremely scenic and enjoyable. But what about the WHS that is Trang An?

The Ancient Waterfront Towns in the South of Yangtze River (T)

Philipp Peterer Switzerland - 03-Feb-25

I visited Luzhi Town as a short expedition during my day trip from Shanghai to Suzhou.

This town as well has everything the reviews of the other towns described. There are beautiful canals bordered by traditional houses, nice little bridges and a Chinese garden in the center of the old town. There are several restaurants, shops and of course places that rent out traditional costumes. I visited the Wansheng Rice Shop, some kind of agricultural museum. There is also a boat tour starting right next to the museum, but my otherwise so reliable Alipay app did not work to book that one. All in all the town is very photogenic and very pleasant to visit.

Kew Gardens

3.00 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.

Derzhprom (the State Industry Building) (T)

ChrisDorn Germany - 31-Jan-25

I visited Kharkiv in 2021, six months before the start of the... disaster.

At that time, I was not yet part of the UNESCO enthusiast community, so I had no idea that I was next to a nominee for inclusion in the World Heritage Site. But even then, I was impressed by the massiveness and grandeur of the building - a very unusual architecture for Kharkiv.

Outside, there is also a large fountain built into the sidewalk. In the hot summer of 2021, you could meet children and their parents there every day, who were cooling off in powerful jets of the fountain in their bathing suits. I was no exception.

Asante Traditional Buildings

3.00 Little Lauren Travels USA - 20-Jan-25

I booked a tour with a local company, Ashanti African Tours, to spend four days in Ghana, visiting the forts and the Asante traditional buildings as well as the Akwasidae Festival, a traditional Asante festival that happens once every six weeks.  I was too focused on visas and anti-malarials and a snow storm to closely check the itinerary, which just had an afternoon visiting the site.  I was disappointed to learn that only the shrine at Ejisu-Besease had been included.  I asked that more be added and also visited Adako-Jackie, which is nearby.  I would be specific on any tour and say you want to visit multiple of the shrines.  Although I usually have a 30% rule — e.g

Thang Long

2.50 GabLabCebu Philippines - 25-Jan-25

Thang Long is surely far from being the most popular WHS here. As I planned my January 2025 trip to northern Vietnam, I fully expected it to be close to the bottom of my rankings. Barely anything remains from its 11th century state that is often stated as the basis of its OUV, right? Yes, all that can be seen from that period are artifacts from the archaeological digs, and even then, the majority come from the 13th-14th centuries. Most of what remains are indeed recent Nguyen and French additions. While Nguyen structures may pale in comparison to Hue, the little gates and pavilions are distinct and beautiful royal constructions still exemplary for the period as a whole

Cidade Velha

3.00 Els Slots The Netherlands - 13-Feb-25

Cidade Velha is an easy, short excursion from Santiago’s (and Cabo Verde’s) capital Praia. A bay, a few cobbled streets, remains of Portuguese fortifications and churches – you know what it looks like even before you have seen it. I tried a different approach for my visit and went for a guided hike through the Ribeira Grande Valley. This way I also ticked one of the other activity boxes I had for Cabo Verde: “Do a hike in the countryside” (as the archipelago is known as a hiker's paradise).

Route of the Franciscan Evangelisation (T)

Digits Ireland - 26-Jan-25

Can you review a tentative site where the components are unknown? We visited the Iglesia de San Francisco in Antigua in the summer of 2016 which would presumably have been one of the supposed 26 components. More churches you say? I would have been the first to say surely saturation point has been reached on the religious sites. But then … the more I thought about it … the more I thought it might be … merited?! The vast majority of sites related to colonialism focus on urban ensembles which don’t necessarily hone in on the role of missionaries in altering the fabric of a region permanently.

Bassari Country

3.50 Els Slots The Netherlands - 24-Jan-25

Bassari Country is almost contiguous with that other East Senegal WHS, Niokolo Koba National Park. However, you must drive around the park (2.5-3 hours) to get to where the Bassari live. Along the way, you will already see plenty of traditional houses in mixed villages by the roadside.

We started our visit at location #3, Dindefello. This is a typical mixed village on lower ground, inhabited mostly by Fula and with ‘modern’ houses as well. It has a fine setting with the massive wall of the Fouta Djalon Massif rising behind it. On its main street, there’s a Visitor’s Center where you have to pick up a local guide and pay for access to the waterfall. 

Walled City of Manila (T)

Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 26-Jan-25

My first thought when exploring the fortifications and the Colonial heart of Manila was this must be difficult to preserve. The vegetation seemed like it was overtaking the ruins. Moreover, some parts of the fortifications were crumbling or collapsing in on itself. Considering other climate factors such as total rainfall in a year, Intramuros has unique challenges to address before producing a nomination dossier. My visit to Manila was May 2011 and perhaps the conservation within the historic district has improved.

Guanacaste

2.50 Little Lauren Travels USA - 20-Jan-25

Guanacaste is a large area in northwestern Costa Rica that is easily accessible from the Liberia Airport, which has nonstop flights to many U.S. airports. Needing a short break to a warm climate, I hopped on a last-minute flight to Costa Rica to visit this World Heritage Site. Over 48 hours split over three days, I managed to visit three different areas of the vast site.  Although the site is huge, most parts are within a two hour drive of the Liberia airport, off the Pan-American Highway; which is pretty well maintained.

Dinosaur Provincial Park

4.50 GabLabCebu Philippines - 25-Jan-25

Dinosaurs have been an interest of mine since childhood. Little me would memorize every single species I could find in the books and their family, size, and modern-day locality. But I don’t think any of that could prepare me for stumbling upon and being able to hold hadrosaur vertebrae while trekking across the Albertan badlands. On one hand, I do think that fossil locales of every geological period are all somewhat equally valuable; as fossils become newer, they tend to be more complex and “impressive” whereas age in itself is already impressive, and fossils from different eras all help us to understand the history of our complex world and paint a picture of what life was like at any given point in geological history

Niokolo-Koba National Park

2.50 Els Slots The Netherlands - 23-Jan-25

Like Bulgaria, Senegal was quick off the mark, resulting in some WHS getting in early which are questionable now. Niokolo-Koba, named after the Niokolo (Koba) River and the Kob antelope, is an enormous park in the east of the country. At its inscription it was rich in mammals including “a large population of elephants”, but after decades of poaching (which has been curtailed only in recent years), few of that is left. It has chimps, lions and other location-specific mammal species that are clinging on to existence and are heavily supported by conservation NGOs such as Panthera. Still, it’s remarkable considering the circumstances that such small and isolated populations have managed to survive for so long in West Africa. 

Forts and Castles Gold Coast

4.00 Little Lauren Travels USA - 20-Jan-25

This is a serial site consisting of 3 castles and over 20 forts along the Ghanaian coast.  The castles, especially Cape Coast and Elmina, are huge European fortresses built and occupied by various European colonial powers — Portuguese, Dutch, British — between the late 1400s and the early twentieth century.  Their constant use means that they are still standing today, whereas most buildings from the era are long gone.  The forts were built to protect settlements on the coast, including the castles, and are generally smaller and more strategically located.  One of the important and dark chapters in the 500+ year history of the castles was the transatlantic slave trade

Hal Saflieni Hypogeum

3.00 2Flow2 United States - 24-Dec-24

There were two deaf people in my group of visitors. At the beginning of the tour, everyone is given a fully automatic hand-held speaker to hold up to their ear throughout the duration of the tour like a cellphone. As others have mentioned, the tour of this well-preserved underground marvel is limited to groups of 10 and consists of a surround-view movie, then a walk down into the hypogeum. The entire group stops every few feet to listen to a segment of audio coming from each of their respective devices for a number of minutes, then moves forward at the physical guide's prompting and repeats the process. The in-person guide does not interact with the group nearly at all other than to prompt people forward at the end of each audio segment

Stone Circles of Senegambia

3.00 Els Slots The Netherlands - 22-Jan-25

The Stone Circles of Wassu are still all standing in 2025! They even feature in Gambia’s tourism promotion video (“The Smiling Coast of Africa”) that is shown at Banjul airport and of course on the 50 dalasi banknote. We went there at the end of a long day of driving and sightseeing, it’s right near the main northern road to Janjanbureh. Official opening hours are 8-17, but we arrived at 6 pm and the woman selling tickets and the local guide were still there (maybe my guide had phoned ahead to announce our arrival). The site clearly is more equipped for receiving tourists than when Solivagant visited in 1984. There’s a small exhibition but the main findings are at the National Museum in Banjul.

Gwynedd Castles

5.00 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

Hegra

4.00 Alexander Barabanov Russia - 20-Jan-25

Visited this site in January 2025. Day tour (95 SAR) remains the same as described by Tony, Els and Martina, covers 4 clusters and only one tomb (#26) can be visited inside. Nothing to add. After that I also took Hegra After Dark tour (200 SAR), which is offered at 18:00 and 21:00 daily except Sundays and Mondays. It is more atmospheric and entertainment experience rather than historical insight. You will be driven by a horse-drawn carriage to a fifth cluster not included into day tour, called Jebel Khraymat. The area is beautifully lit by many lamps. After all people are gathered, something like live performance involving about 20 dressed actors begins

Kunta Kinteh Island

3.00 Els Slots The Netherlands - 21-Jan-25

Named after the fictional character Kunta Kinteh that featured in the novel and TV series Roots, the title of this WHS suggests that this is primarily a slavery memorial site. But it actually comprises 7 components that put the African-European encounter at and along the River Gambia into historical perspective. Since that river is Gambia’s sole raison d’etre, it is a well-chosen WHS to represent the country.

The mouth of the Gambia River is flanked by two late 19th-century British forts and is best experienced from the Barra ferry. I took this ferry twice, once from the North Bank to the South and once the other way around. It’s a great introduction to the country for just 35 Dalaisi (0.50 EUR). Nowadays, crossings take 25-30 minutes since they put a new engine into the last ferryboat remaining last year. Although I had to wait over 1.5 hours for one to leave at the Barra side, I forgot to check out the fort (Fort Bullen) from up close. The dusty surroundings and chaotic traffic are not very inviting

The Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa

3.00 Jay T USA - 22-Jan-25

It took me until my second visit to Mossel Bay, but I was finally able to visit Pinnacle Point, one of the three components of The Emergence of Modern Human Behaviour: The Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa, last week. The Pinnacle Point Complex consists of a number of caves along the Indian Ocean coast that scientists believe were occupied for over 125,000 years. Of these caves, 13B is accessible to the public via a cave tour which can be booked through the Point of Human Origins website.

The Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa

3.00 Little Lauren Travels USA - 18-Jan-25

I visited one of the three inscribed sites, Pinnacle Point, near Mossel Bay. It was the only one of the inscribed sites that had readily available online information about how to visit, and it’s an easy stop when driving the Garden Route. 

Tours are arranged in advance, via WhatsApp, and occur daily at 9, 11, 1, and 3. They arranged a special tour for us at an extra fee, which was so kind, to accommodate other activities in the area.  The actual site is a series of caves under the golf course in a gated community. Although locals knew of the caves for some time, the archaeological assessment in connection with building the golf course led to further study.  The golf course went ahead, but the caves are preserved and recently opened for visits.

Green Belt (T)

Kerstin Lange - 16-Jan-25

My first reaction to the Green Belt was puzzlement: I was looking for it on the Priwall Peninsula, the beginning or the end (depending on which way you look) of the border that cut across the German landscape during the Cold War. There were few remains of the military installations and I could see no flashy natural wonders. I realized quickly that finding it would require detective work, and that the natural wonders were of a more subtle kind than in, say, Yellowstone Park.  They are, however, no less significant: over 1,200 rare and threatened plant and animal species have been documented in and along this narrow ribbon of land

Toledo

5.00 2Flow2 United States - 17-Jan-25

Wow, when I went to Toledo I was not expecting it to become my new favorite city that I have travelled to in all of Spain! I visited this WHS in January 2025 during my year of living in Spain, and currently this is my favorite WHS in the country.

I used Hubert's review pretty much as a checklist guide for what to see in the city instead of trying to cross-reference a bunch of different tour guide resources online and in physical pamphlets. I was not disappointed! Out of the dozens of cathedrals I have visited in Spain, the Cathedral of Toledo is my new favorite and has the best audio guide that I've experienced. (You have to download it as a separate app.) I'm expecting the only cathedral that will rival this one will be when I visit the Sagrada Familia.

Tyniec-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

Moidams

2.00 Jon Opol Philippines - 16-Jan-25

Definitely not the most spectacular display from the glorious Ahom dynasty and best combined with visits to other archaeological sites around the city of Sibsagar/Sivasagar. As mentioned in the other reviews, the necropolis are divided into 2 sites - Assam State and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) thus separate fees. Each cost 250 rupees for foreigners and 20 for locals. There's a new visitor center at the Assam State controlled gate which has some information board that details the origin of the burial mounds, maps, and some info-graphics of the interiors which I think would be helpful how to tackle the site and to learn more about the history of the place. I wasn't asked for ticket at this point

Ödön Lechner's independent pre-modern architecture (T)

Ilya Burlak USA - 15-Jan-25

All of my research ahead of the trip to Budapest last November suggested that you cannot visit either the Postal Saving Bank or the State Geological Institute. The Museum of Applied Arts remains under renovation; Els mentioned that seven years ago and nothing changed - in fact, a taxi ride took me by the museum building, and its facade is covered in painted cloth that conceals the scaffolding. So, a visitor to Budapest who wants to see Ödön Lechner's architecture is limited to exterior views of a couple of buildings.

Grand Pré

5.00 Carl Le Boeuf United States - 15-Jan-25

In 1999, I traveled to Halifax for a family vacation.  It was a special pilgrimage for my family as we are direct descendants of the ousted Acadians that still reside in the Acadian Triangle in Louisiana.  For personal reasons, I rate this location very high and hope to return and visit the site again. 

I would like to say that the trip to Halifax/Nova Scotia was very picturesque, entertaining, and an educational trip that I highly recommend.  In addition to the World Heritage Location Grand Pré, there were a wide array of historical, botanical, maritime activities.  These locations I rate very favorably if you are visiting:  Halifax Public Gardens, Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk, Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse and Village, Fort Edward National Historic Site, Port-Royal National Historic Site, Fort Anne National Historic Site, & Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens.  There is a ton of Titanic history, and I really enjoyed the whale watching tour

Djoudj

4.00 Els Slots The Netherlands - 12-Jan-25

Banc d'Arguin, which I visited earlier on this trip, and Djoudj Bird Sanctuary are crucial for conserving migratory waterbirds in West Africa. Banc d'Arguin is particularly important as a wintering site, while Djoudj is known for its breeding colonies. Another difference with Banc d’Arguin is that it isn’t coastal but an inland wetland centered around a lake. It is more focused on flamingoes and pelicans instead of waders.

I went there with a driver from Saint-Louis. The journey is best done with a 4WD as the road is mostly unpaved and has lots of potholes, but we encountered a few regular orange taxis as well (they will drive very slowly)

Maratha Military Architecture in Maharashtra (T)

Swarachandorkar - 20-Jan-25

I visited Sindhudurg Fort when I was on vacation last month, mainly because I am really excited to hear that it has been sent to the World Heritage Sites team. Sindhudurg Fort is amazing, considering both the scenery and the architectural aspects. It was built around 360+ years ago and is in a proper state for a structure so old. The interesting fact about this fort is that it was built using no professional or electric equipment and majority of the work was done by bare hands. To top it off, it is built in WATER. So obviously, one has to go by boat in order to reach there.

Itsukushima Shrine

4.00 Tony H. Finland - 13-Jan-25

I visited Itsukushima island as a day trip from Hiroshima in November 2024. Even on an average Friday morning the local train from Hiroshima to Miyajimaguchi's ferry port was packed with tourists heading to see this beautiful island. You can arrive to Miyajimaguchi from Hiroshima also by a tram but it takes much longer than the train. There are two ferries operating to the island from Miyajimaguchi, and one of them is operated by JR and is included in the JR Pass. But if you're paying with IC card it doesn't matter which one you take. There are also direct ferries from Hiroshima to Itsukushima but they're quite pricey compared to the train and tram

Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai’pi

2.00 GabLabCebu Philippines - 09-Jan-25

I guess this may just be the perspective of someone who was unable to go on a guided tour here (due to scheduling, so try to be here in the morning), but I found Writing-on-Stone to be not too outstanding of a cultural WHS, but just deserving enough. Without the tour, one can only really observe the rock art by walking the Hoodoo Trail. Even then, spotting a glyph is challenging, even with the guidebook telling you exactly what to look out for. There were a couple that I couldn't see no matter how much I stared at every inch of the rock face. I'll echo the thought of Frédéric that Stop 7 was the clearest example on the trail, and the only one I can still remember vividly months later other than the battle scene

Mérida

2.50 KngAlaric USA - 30-Jan-25

Merida has some cool Roman remnants, but they are all trapped behind fences, which I guess is understandable. But, if you arrive on a day in which they are closed, the fences are also ivied, so you can't see much. 

Also, the old town is getting a facelift, which doesn't really make it seem like an old town at all. Perhaps they are readying for hordes of modern shoppers. Maybe I missed the allure, as this was simply a stopover town on our travels. 

Had I been there on a day when things were open, I might have felt like I was walking around Rome. But, I also might not have.

Island of Saint-Louis

2.00 Els Slots The Netherlands - 11-Jan-25

As with all of Senegal’s WHS, this one is underreviewed. So I am glad to present the situation that I encountered when visiting in January 2025. I arrived by minibus (“combi”) from Dakar’s Gare Routière des Baux Maraîchers, a 5-hour ride mostly because of strong traffic congestion one-third of the way in Thies. The bus will drop you at the bus station on the mainland of Saint-Louis, from where it’s a short taxi ride across the Faidherbe Bridge to the island. The bridge, like the rest of the colonial heritage, dates from the late 19th century so is part of the inscribed area. It looks like a horizontal Eiffel Tower.

Chichen-Itza

3.50 Carl Le Boeuf United States - 12-Jan-25

I took a family cruise in 2024 and stopped at the port of Cozumel, Mexico.  I didn’t think I was going to be able to go to the Chichen-Itza ruins, so I didn’t do the research ahead of time.  However, at the last minute, I was able to break away and signed up for an excursion.  First and foremost, you should definitely NOT try to see this wonder on a cruise ship schedule.  It took two and a half hours to travel each way by ferry and van.  I was only at the site for a little over an hour and it was very rushed.  I did have a guide that was very knowledgeable but was more interested in up selling his friends relics.  

Purnululu National Park

5.00 ChrisN United Kingdom - 12-Jan-25

I visited Purnululu National Park in early August 2023 as part of a trip around Western Australia and the Northern Territory with my wife and teenage son.  We flew into Kununurra from Darwin, which is a short 1 hour flight, and rented a Toyota Landcruiser Prado at the airport.  Before heading south towards Purnululu, we visited the excellent Mirima National Park on the outskirts of Kununurra and walked up a steep trail for views over the valley.  We also visited the Aboriginal Art Centre.  After lunch we visited Kelly's Knob, a high point with a view over the town then set out on the road, arriving in Warmun in the late afternoon.  We stopped a few times to check out the Baobab trees around the highway. 

Galapagos Islands

5.00 Carl Le Boeuf United States - 11-Jan-25

My Wife and I took an amazing trip to the Galapagos Islands in 2024.  We took a four day cruise to explore the eastern islands.  

HIGHLANDS (SANTA CRUZ ISLAND)
Dry landing. A 45-minute bus ride will take us to the Santa Cruz highlands, located in the northwest of Puerto Ayora, where we will find a natural reserve with giant tortoises. * These enormous and slow-moving reptiles are responsible for the island’s name and therefore approaching them in their humid and forested abode is always an inspiring adventure. They can weigh between 250 and 300 kg and can live up to 200 years. Additionally, travelers can walk inside surprising lava tubes.
Difficulty level: easy
Type of terrain: flat and muddy

Smederevo Fortress (T)

Andrew_Kerr UK - 03-Jan-25

Impressive 15th Century fortress on the banks of the river Danube. It was once a fortified city and temporarily the capital of Serbia before it was overrun by forces of the Ottoman Empire but not until they had laid siege to the fortress on three separate occasions. 
The fortress survived the centuries more or less intact until bomb damage in World War II. In recent years the fortress has been restored back to it's former glory as has the spectacular fortress a few miles downriver in Golubac.
There isn't much else to detain you in Smederevo, it's an industrial city with a large steelworks that seems to coat everything in a red dust. From memory the nearest places of interest are Belgrade to the north and Veliko Gradiste to the south, both around 40 miles away.

Island of Gorée

3.00 Els Slots The Netherlands - 09-Jan-25

It’s just a 20-minute walk from the center of Dakar to the ‘Gare Maritime’ from where the ferries to Gorée leave. This is a well-organized service, with online timetables, clear ticket prices (unchanged for years so it seems, 5200 XOF for the return plus 500 tax), and a boarding area with plenty of seats and a French bakery. It's nothing like the Elephanta ferry I took a month ago from Mumbai – with its lack of signage, old wooden boats and the dirt all around. Just don’t forget to bring your passport here, as it will be checked when you enter the harbour area

Medina of Sousse

3.50 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.

Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks

5.00 GabLabCebu Philippines - 09-Jan-25

In July 2024, I took 5 days to experience the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks. Travel by car is definitely the optimal way to get around here, with many excursions on foot, maybe a few on boat, and one on the Ice Explorer (more on that later). While I wanted to be thorough, I would have been the only one keen on hiking in my group, so I was unable to go on any long hikes. Still, we made the most of our time by visiting all 5 parks accessible by road: Mount Robson, Jasper, Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay.

Salamanca

4.00 2Flow2 United States - 08-Jan-25

A beautiful old city! Others here have already done a good job explaining what is best to see in the town so I will keep this review fairly brief as not much has not changed since then to here in Jan 2025. My wife and I spent a day here with my cousin, who had come to Salamanca a few days before us to spend time with her graduate school friend who is a native of the city. The friend who had grown up there (a "Salamantina") somewhat cheekily put the things to see in Salamanca into three categories:

Vlkolinec

3.00 Jakob Frenzel Germany - 25-Jan-25

August 2024 - the last days of our roadtrip returning fromm Romania we passed this little village. A steep road is guiding to the villages parking lot. You have to pay an entrance fee, which enhances the museum-character of this village. Visiting all wooden houses and some interiors can be completed within an hour. Make sure to visit the only restaurant in Vlkolinec which has wonderful Bryndzove Pirohe i Buchty na pare. The village is remarkable due to its wonderful surrounding landscape. 35 years ago i still remember some polish villages which looked similar.

Uxmal

Carlo Sarion Philippines | New Zealand - 06-Jan-25

I visited this site in January 2025, my first for the new year. I had initially planned to check out Labna, Sayil, and Kabah as well, but after all the holiday travel, I decided to focus on Uxmal and make it a laid-back day trip from Merida. 

Touring the site

I arrived at the site well after lunch and spent about three hours exploring. The weather was perfect, and the crowd was much smaller than I remembered from my visit to Chichen Itza two years ago. This was consistent with what I had read in various blogs about Uxmal, though I had anticipated a more crowded experience, especially considering it was peak holiday season. The main structure in this site, many of which depict the rain god Chaac, are as follows: 

Kitanglad and Kalatungan Mountain Ranges (T)

GabLabCebu Philippines - 05-Jan-25

I listed the Kitanglad Range under my proposed WHS years ago, and to my surprise, it has now come up on the tentative list. I visited back in February 2019 through Dahilayan Adventure Park, Manolo Fortich; this is a few hours from Cagayan de Oro City. The adventure park is located just inside of the Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park with wonderful views of the mountain range. This is probably the easiest way to visit this site, along with driving the nearby countryside roads that also reach the edge of the natural park (which we also did). However, the best way to experience it would be to climb Mt. Dulang-dulang (2941masl., 2nd highest in the country) and/or Mt. Kitanglad (2899masl., 4th highest), or Mt Kalatungan (2860masl., 5th highest) in the neighboring Mt

Sighisoara

3.50 Jakob Frenzel Germany - 24-Jan-25

August 2024 - it was one of the hottest days during our trip. Luckily we found a camping spot at the local Swimmingpool which was included in the fee and seems to be the only spot to cool down in this town. 
In the evening it became more bearable for a stroll through the old town. It is definitely a wonderful old town, but also too much of a tourist place loaded with souvenir shops and italian-style restaurants. I regret not visting the old town next morning again, without the tourist masses. Summing up, I expected a bit more of this one, but it was a nice visit.

Villages with Fortified Churches

4.50 Jakob Frenzel Germany - 24-Jan-25

August 2024 - After visiting Sibiu we took smaller roads to Biertan. It is probably the most visited Fortress town as it is on the way to Shigishoara.   We visited during lunch break of the guards, so no entry fee for us. The german heritage is very obvious and the history well displayed. The next day, we still visited Saschiz and the wonderful and idylic Viscri (Photo). However, we spent the night at yet another fortress which strangely is not found on the list. Honigberg or Hārman is well preserved and the Saxonian heritage still being worshiped. It definitely adds some value putting it on your itinerary. 

City of York (T)

Andrew_Kerr UK - 03-Jan-25

York is a great little place for a weekend break. It's a compact old city that has everything, Roman and Viking remains, a Cathedral, intact city walls, river excursions and some great museums.The Shambles is one of the best preserved medieval areas in the UK with interesting narrow streets lined with half timbered buildings.York Minster, the Cathedral (picture), is an impressive building dating mainly from the 13th and 14th centuries and is built in the early English Gothic style. It is the second highest ranked cathedral in the country and the seat of the Archbishop of York.In 1984 a fire destroyed much of the cathedral but quick thinking actions by the fire brigade saw them deliberately collapsing the roof which saved the rest from certain destruction

Salines de Pedra de Lume (T)

Svein Elias Norway - 05-Jan-25

Sal Island, part of Cape Verde’s Barlavento group, was discovered by the Portuguese in 1460 but remained uninhabited until the late 18th century due to extreme drought. The island’s salt industry began in the late 1700s at Pedra de Lume, a volcanic crater 39 meters above sea level and 1.5 km from the sea. This crater, once connected to the ocean, holds over 50 million tons of natural salt formed through seawater evaporation.

The salt industry flourished in the 19th and 20th centuries, exporting up to 30,000 tons annually. However, economic disparities between workers and management were prominent. While the industry declined after Brazil banned foreign salt imports in 1887, it experienced a revival in the 20th century under the French company Salins du Cabo Verde.

Centre historique de Praia (T)

Randi Thomsen Norway - 05-Jan-25

We stayed one night in the heart of Praia’s historic center, conveniently located for an early departure to one of the other islands. The city is perched on the naturally fortified plateau of Santa Maria da Vitória, overlooking the harbor. Praia developed here due to its strategic military importance, which allowed control over maritime and commercial activities in the region.

As Ribeira Grande (Cidade Velha) declined, Praia emerged as Cape Verde’s primary population center, benefiting from its geographic location, large port, improved defenses, and better hygiene. In 1770, it was declared the capital of Cape Verde

Aleppo

4.50 Aspasia Luxembourg - 02-Jan-25

On the 1st of May 2024 Syria started issuing e-visas on condition the application went via a travel agency (otherwise the payment wouldn't go through) and this is how I spent my trip in the country a week later - with a guide/driver that would make sure we passed all the checkpoints.

To complement Triath's review, the citadel was open to visitors and the biggest visible damage was not from the war (those parts had been reconstructed), but from the earthquake that shook the area the previous year (as in the photo). Other than this, Hotel Baron had been recently closed (the guide, who was a local, had not been aware of this).

Cathédrale de Saint-Denis (T)

KngAlaric USA - 22-Jan-25

This is an incredible site. I've been twice to St. Denis, and tried to take my wife a third time, but it was New Year's Day and the cathedral was closed. 

Getting off the Metro, the area is a bit depressed, but the people are hard scrabble working folks and immigrants, lots of street vendors.

It's been a long time since my visit, but I remember the Gothic history of the place being quite remarkable, and the tombs of all the French royalty dating back to Clovis, Dagobert, Pepin the Short, and up to Marie Antoinette - are you kidding me? Then, you learn the Parisians during the revolution pulled the corpses and bones into the street having strewn the bodies about.

Ancient Ksour

3.50 Els Slots The Netherlands - 05-Jan-25

I had expected these Ancient Ksour to be really remote, but Ouadane and Chinguetti in 2025 are easily reached. The 82km road from Atar to Chinguetti has recently been turned into an asphalt road via a project sponsored by the Islamic Development Bank. And Ouadane, another 120km eastwards, is accessible via a ‘piste’ (unpaved but smoothened and maintained), where driving 90 km/h is easily possible and no 4WD is needed.

Coming [...]

Plantations in West Curacao (T)

Tony0001 - 01-Jan-25

End of december 2024 I visited 2 of the plantations. I also passed by one other.

Landhuis Ascension: gate was closed; I could only see from the street. Website tells it is reserved for the Dutch Marine. Just next to the Landhuis you have Kas di pal'i maishi - Kunuku House. It is just at the street. This one is a little house with a roof from Mais.

Landhuis Savonet: very close to the road to Westpunt and it has its own busstop. There is a small museum in the building. Nothing special, but you can enter the building. Price was only 5 USD. The landhuis is also the ticket counter from the Christoffel National Park.

Mystras

5.00 KngAlaric USA - 21-Jan-25

Mystras is awesome, I mean you're walking around ancient Sparta, when it became a medieval city.

Everywhere you go, the ruins look like the cover of a Black Sabbath album, which is one of the most incredible things ever. 

I've been twice, both times in the winter, once in 2002, and another time in 2017. There was hardly anyone else around, which also made it super cool. I don't know what it's like in the summer, but I always rent a car and drive around, and it seemed more remote on the Pelopenese Peninsula than most people would try to get to. I had a great time hiking around, but I'd also recommend exploring the general area, as people are friendly, the food is good, and there are great times to be had all around. Yasoo!

Evora

5.00 KngAlaric USA - 21-Jan-25

Evora is a beautiful town. The historical area is fantastic! I'm surprised at all the low ratings, I found it to be superbly lovely and worth a visit. We arrived on New Year's Day and there weren't a lot of tourists, so perhaps that was helpful.

There's a lovely downtown with cafes, lovely churches and of course the Roman temple, ruins, and aqueduct.

A charming spot to while away and relax and the cromlechs outside the city are superb as well. A magical place.

Xinjiang Tianshan

3.50 Alejandro Lau China - 30-Dec-24

(Visited 2022.6 Bayanbulaq & 2023.6 Qarajun-Köldeneng)

I'm not a natural WHS lover but I still decided to write this because it seemed to me that here is lack of information of Bayanbulaq (Bayinbuluke) and Qarajun-Köldeneng (Kalajun-Ku'erdening).

In my opinion all 4 parts of Tengritagh (Tianshan) WHS are equally important because they reflect one of the most important OUV - biodiversity. Tömür(Mountain), Bogda(Lake), Qarajun-Köldeneng(Mountain Grassland-Forest), Bayanbulaq(Basin Grassland), each has their uniqueness.

Apamee (T)

Aspasia Luxembourg - 02-Jan-25

On the 1st of May 2024 Syria started issuing e-visas on condition the application went via a travel agency (otherwise the payment wouldn't go through) and this is how I spent my trip in the country a week later - with a guide/driver that would make sure we passed all the checkpoints. Right before we arrived to the village I saw many tanks in a shed (it was the first and only time in the trip). I wanted to take a photo, but the guide stopped me, telling me it was not safe. Other than this, I was told that right when the war started, many mosaics were taken indoors and locked (and the photo I am adding might not seem much, but this is the place where they are kept)

Longmen Grottoes

5.00 KngAlaric USA - 20-Jan-25

I lived in China for two years, and traveled pretty extensively throughout China and Asia. Longmen was a highlight. Our friend, who went with us, and is Chinese cried. He said that he didn't know his country had created something so beautiful. Indeed.

The Longmen Grotto is an incredible and breathtaking dive into beauty. The main group took my breath away, and the lovely river views were a sight to behold. 

We further explored Zhengzhou, Luoyang, and Dengfeng having adventures in China. We found a karaoke bar nearby that ironically had Judas Priest's song, Breaking the Law. We had an incredible time, as the Chinese very much like to party, and are curious of westerners so far in the interior of the country. We were the only westerners at the site during our visit.

Padua’s fourteenth-century fresco cycles

5.00 Elia Vettorato Italy - 20-Jan-25

Padova is my city, so my judgement is surely cloud by pride and attachment. However, I think that Padova is the Italian city where it's the most worth visiting the inside of buildings. If you just walk through the historical center you will find a charming and historical centre, but it won't be that much different from other former Venetian cities. Visiting churches and palaces, with their frescoes, is the real deal to see the beauty of Padova. In this sense, this WHS is a huge help to assist a tourist that wants to see the main frescoes landmarks. After some years from WHS declaration, I had the chance to visit all (expect one) sites in the city and I found overall good organization and easy access (which I was surprised about, especially for lesser sites)

Costiera Amalfitana

5.00 KngAlaric USA - 20-Jan-25

The Amalfi Coast is incredible! Driving there is an epic adventure filled with jaw dropping cliffs and views into the horizon and oblivion. The historic cities, churches, and coastal opportunities are inspiring. The vendors on the side of the precarious roadway add ambience with the bus drivers who hug the inside track. Worth every turn, not for the faint of heart, but it will steal your heart away. Go on the day of a saintly procession for even more adventure.

Vizcaya Bridge

3.50 Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 31-Dec-24

During our planned stay in Bilbao, the Gran Hotel Puente Colgante in Portugalete (adjacent to the bridge) was too appealing to ignore. With the Portugalete station nearby and the very useful Barik card (which also works for the Vizcaya Bridge), choosing Portugalete instead of central Bilbao turned out to be an excellent choice for us. 

We visited the platform just before sunset on our first day and the views were incredible. The vibrations you feel when the gondola is moving might startle some visitors

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

Historic Jeddah

2.50 CugelVance Germany - 28-Dec-24

Time of the visit: the 29th of nov. till the 2nd of dec.2024

Al-Balad,Jeddah's historic [...]

Mt. Elgon (T)

Jay T USA - 01-Jan-25

The Mount Elgon Transboundary Ecosystem in Uganda was brought forward to the Tentative World Heritage Site list in 2024. The region is part of the Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot, which also includes existing World Heritage Sites such as Mount Kenya, Rwenzori Mountains National Park, and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Mount Elgon itself is an extinct volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya. I visited the Mount Elgon region in the summer of 2014, traversing the eastern slopes around Suam, at the Kenya-Uganda border, on the first part of my trip, and the western slopes up to Kapchorwa later on the trip

Paysage culturel d'Azougui (T)

Els Slots The Netherlands - 03-Jan-25

Azougui is now a small village at the bottom of a valley just outside the city of Atar. Here lies a modest archaeological site dating back to the early Almohavids (11th century). It seems to be on the itinerary of every tour covering Mauritania, so we made a quick visit as well in the late afternoon. Those who later became known as the Almohavids chose a very fine setting, at the foot of the mountains. Their date palm groves still dominate the landscape.

The main site lies within a walled and gated compound, of which the key can be obtained in the white building [...]

Avila

4.00 2Flow2 United States - 17-Jan-25

Living in Spain for a year, I have found that mine is an unpopular opinion for putting Avila among my top favorite cities to visit in Spain. Maybe I just happened to be in a a great mood during our November 2024 visit, but whatever the case I found Avila to be a charming place to wander around and see the beautiful architecture.

The city is jam-packed with impressive cathedrals (they boast to have one of the largest quantities in Spain) but be warned: even if they say they are free on your favorite Maps app, nearly every one of them actually charges a fee to visit inside. The repeated small costs can add up quick, and it is also difficult to fit seeing all of them into one day (without great intentionality) because they all close decently early.

Al-Ahsa Oasis

1.00 CugelVance Germany - 28-Dec-24

Time of the visit: the 4th of dec.2024

I stayed for three days in Riad in order to get to know SA's capital a bit, and to visit the Al-Ahsa Oasis and the Turaif-quarter (both unesco whs).

I had booked my ticket online for the train from Riad to Hofuf just a few days earlier to make sure that I got one as I had read that that train is often booked out. However,the train was quite empty. I took the one early in the morning.

After my arrival in Al-Ahsa I took an ueber taxi from the railway station first to the Jawatha mosque. As I had read that the mosque is tiny I told my driver to wait for me as I would be back within 5-10 min. I stormed out of the taxi and saw a man leaving the mosque and the door wasn't closed when I was already inside. I took some pics and went out where the aforementioned man looked at me quite puzzled. As I was in a hurry I didnt start a conversation.We headed then to the mountain Jabel Al-Quarah. On the way the taxi driver,a former saudi policeman,gave me all the important infos to know about Hofuf which I wanted to know.I stayed inside and outside the mountain Jabal Al-Quarah for almost 2 h

Vila Viçosa, Renaissance ducal town (T)

CugelVance Germany - 26-Oct-24

I visited the pleasant small city of Vila Vicosa on oct. the 6th,2024, stayed there overnight, and left at 8.00 a.m the following day, on oct.the7th.

First of all...

V.V is the kind of place that you like to visit, that is pleasant, that pleases you, but that doesn't really stay in your memory for long.

I travelled by bus from Lisboa's Sete Rios bus station and arrived around 11.00 in V.V. 

My rented apartment was just a stone's throw from V.V's castle,the Castelo do Vila Vicosa, and its archaeological and hunting museum. I visited the inside of the castle and its museums later that day. The impressive hunting museum alone justifies the entrance fee.

Tartus (T)

Aspasia Luxembourg - 02-Jan-25

I have visited The Cathedral of Our Lady of Tortosa (since 1956 The National Museum of Tartus) during my visited with a guide/driver in May 2024. The building is impressive both for what it is (a Romanesque/Gothic cathedral) as well as for the collection it holds (of which my favourites were the sarcophagi from 5-4 BC centuries). Unfortunately photos are not allowed inside (unless you manage to sneak a few if you're lucky so as to avoid the guard/ticket officer and cameras (?)

Mudejar Architecture of Aragon

3.00 Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 31-Dec-24

My interest in Al-Andalus and what came after was first perked with the novel 'The Lions of Al-Rassan' by Canadian author Guy Gavriel Kay. A major theme of the novel is the interplay between bigotry and tolerance. Zaragoza, a city under Muslim rule from the 8th century (around 718) to the 12th century (1118), is a city I longed to visit. However, it was not originally part of our itinerary for Barcelona and Bilbao, until I started researching trains. From Barcelona you can reach Zaragoza by high speed rail in 1 hour and 23 minutes. This inspired me to plan 1 night in Zaragoza and then continue on to Bilbao (slower train) the following day, happily my spouse agreed. 

Saloum Delta

3.50 Els Slots The Netherlands - 15-Jan-25

Like the Omo Valley, people visit the Saloum Delta mostly for A (birding) while it is inscribed for B (the tradition of shellfish gathering and the historical shell mounds). Fortunately, unlike Omo, Saloum is well-documented, with clear maps. The place to start your boat journey is the laidback town of Toubakouta, which lies conveniently close to the Gambian border if you have plans for an onward journey. The town can also be reached from Dakar or even Saint-Louis within a day.

My B&B offered a ‘menu’ of no less than 24 tours and other activities, but my eyes already stopped at #2: a late afternoon boat trip to L’île aux coquillages. So at 4

Coro and its Port

3.50 Alejandro Lau China - 30-Dec-24

(Visited 2024.10)

In these years Venezuela seems to be a bit "removed" from the plan of international tourists. After an overnight bus from Caracas we arrived at Coro in early morning. We had some empanadas as our breakfast near the terminal, which is fair and delicious.

After the breakfast we walk ~15 min to the WHS area

Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy

4.50 CugelVance Germany - 26-Dec-24

Time of the visit: Varallo the 22nd of nov.,Varese the 24th of nov.2024

Varallo

I stayed one night in Varallo and two in Varese so that I had plenty of time to discover both" little Jerusalems".

When I arrived in Varallo it was heavily snowing as it had been the entire night before. That's why the snow was almost a half meter deep. I had to buy rubber boots because my shoes were completely unsuitable for climbing up a snow-covered hill. The climb is fairly easy under normal circumstances, but strenuous with heavy snow. I walked up the footpath near the cable car station and after visiting the area I walked down the "Salita Pedonale" from the cable car station on the hill to the town of Varallo.

Ancient Tea Plantations of Pu'er

4.00 Alex Goh Malaysia - 29-Dec-24

From my base at Kunming, it’s a 1 hour flight to the south-west town of Lancang close to the Myanmar border to get to Jingmai Mountain for the Ancient Pu’er tea plantation. For some reasons, both my flights to and from Lancang were delayed 2-3 hours. This seems to be the routine occurrence as I was told by my Lancang driver that it was due to airline trying to sell some last minute tickets. The Lancang airport is small with only 2-3 flights a days. Upon arrival, it’s easy to make arrangements with the airport taxis for a 5-6 hrs drive/tour of world heritage Jingmai Mountain to marvel at the ancestors of Pu’er tea plantation

Genbaku Dome

2.50 Tony H. Finland - 13-Jan-25

I visited Genbaku Dome in November 2024. Despite the sunny and warm weather, my mind wasn't sunny. A heavy feeling will land on you when you approach the ruins of what used to be the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotional Hall. We all know how we got the point that it's in ruins now and watching these ruins made me full of heavy thoughts. But I have to admit that still even in ruins it's quite attractive building. Opposite the Genbaku Dome on the other side of the Ota river is the Peace Bell that anyone can go to play. The sound of the bell playing over the Genbaku Dome makes the scene even more haunting.

Duomo di Milano (T)

Andrew_Kerr UK - 13-Jan-25

There's an old adage that goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and for me Milan Cathedral has one of the most beautiful west fronts of any cathedral I've visited.How anyone can stand before Milan Cathedral and not be blown away by the sheer size and beauty of the building is beyond me. I'd say it's much more impressive than, for example, Westminster Abbey that looks like a Gothic tick box of building style.Milan Cathedral is different and it was different a long time ago, it bucked the trend, it dared to be different, it did what cathedrals are supposed to do, it wowed people, it made them feel that here, was a special place. A quick check on Wikipedia describes the building as groundbreaking and I totally agree

Wanuskewin (T)

GabLabCebu Philippines - 29-Dec-24

Wanuskewin is not the kind of place you simply stumble into; it's a site one would usually have to make quite a journey for. Most definitely, it once drew Native Americans in far greater numbers than it does today's tourists. However, I was lucky enough to visit Western Canada in July 2024 and figured it was the perfect time to make the journey all the way out here. A journey it was! Unless you live in or frequent Saskatchewan, it's a 6-hour drive from the big cities of Alberta over endless fields of grass, corn, and canola. At least Prince Albert National Park is just about a 2-hour drive away, to make the journey more worthwhile.

Place des Vosges de Paris (T)

Andrew_Kerr UK - 12-Jan-25

Stunning 17th century square in the Marais district of Paris. When it was completed in 1612 (as the Place Royale) it instantly became one of THE places to live in Paris if you were wealthy or nobility and that has never changed.
The "place" is actually a square surrounded by vaulted continuous buildings on all sides with a central garden and fountain.
I've visited a couple of times and it's always a pleasure to wander around the arcades.
Not sure why it was rejected from the Tentative list, it ticks all the boxes for a full listing.

Eltz Castle (T)

Andrew_Kerr UK - 12-Jan-25

Berg Eltz is a spectacular medieval castle overlooking the Moselle valley and midway between Koblenz and Trier.I visited the castle as a detour on a wine tour of the Moselle valley and only got to know about it thanks to a couple I met at dinner in my hotel who were most insistent that if I only visit one castle in the area, make sure it's this one.It was a worthwhile detour, the road up to the castle is full of switchbacks and fairly steep but the journey is rewarded with the sight of the castle perched high above the valley below.The inside was typical of most castles where there are still people living and I found it a bit boring to be honest but there's no question that the appeal of this castle is the setting and the impressive layout

Death Valley National Park (T)

Andrew_Kerr UK - 12-Jan-25

America has a wealth of diverse national parks that cover everything from forests, mountains, canyons, lakes, rivers and of course, deserts.In Death Valley they have the hottest desert in America, the lowest point below sea level and some truly incredible landscapes.I visited Death Valley in August 2018 en route from Nevada to California. I was on the road early that day and stopped a few miles short of Death Valley to chat to a group of bikers. When I told them where I was headed their advice was to "get out of there before 10:30 as the heat is unbearable by then"

El Escurial

4.00 Ana - 28-Dec-24

Arrived on a chilly December morning to visit the complex. The painted ceilings, walls, and tapestries inside really do make the palace, as the outside and parts of the inside are otherwise pretty plain. One thing I wanted to mention, since I saw conflicting information in other reviews, is that on my visit today photography was almost entirely allowed. The only room that disallowed photography was the Pantheon of the Kings - otherwise, I snapped away in full view of the staff (including in spaces like the library) without so much as a shake of the head. 

Palau de la Musica Catalana & Hospital de Sant Pau

4.50 Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 29-Dec-24

From the Sagrada Familia station its a pleasant walk to the Hospital de Sant Pau via the Av. de Gaudí. Self-guided tours within Sant Pau are now €17 and can be reserved online. We started just as the site opened and we pretty much had the complex to ourselves for the first 30-60 minutes. The ensemble of buildings are really impressive and access seems much improved compared to the past. In the morning light with a blue sky, each building, rooftop, mosaic and interior was highly picturesque

Ancient Thebes

5.00 Andrew_Kerr UK - 05-Jan-25

I'm no historian but history is one the things in life that interests me greatly and there are fewer places anywhere that can boast the riches of history that is available in modern day Luxor. There is just so much to see and do that I couldn't manage it all in a 2 week vacation and had to return the following year for another 2 weeks.At times you can feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of things to see.In the immediate vicinity you have the temples at Luxor and Karnak, with Karnak being particularly impressive due to the sheer scale of it. Across the Nile there is the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut

Al Zubarah

0.50 CugelVance Germany - 26-Dec-24

Time of the visit: the 7th of dec.2024

In Doha I took the metro from the city centre to the station"national library". From there I took a pirate taxi for around 2€( would have had to wait 10 min for an ueber taxi) to the modern Al Gharafa bus station. I asked for the bus 100 . The indian employee at the info desk told me that it doesnt operate any more. I had already expected the news and bought a ticket for the bus to Al Ruwais which isnt that far from Al Zubarah and according to the internet taxis are available in Al Ruwais.

Megalithic Temples of Malta

3.00 2Flow2 United States - 24-Dec-24

Read others' reviews first for more in-depth content on individual sites.

There are six temples scattered across the island. Here are my and my wife's experience visiting them in December 2024 during Malta's "off season":

Ġgantija on the island of Gozo: Tied for the best of the Megalithic Temples, absolutely worth a visit. A great interior museum area giving you context for the temples, their history, their mystery, and what has been done recently since their re-discovery to preserve them

Shakespeare's Stratford (T)

Andrew_Kerr UK - 15-Dec-24

Stratford Upon Avon is just a stones throw from where I live and a town that I visit regularly. Like many tourist towns in the UK, Stratford's heyday is in the past but it remains a very pleasant town to visit with a lot of Shakespeare sites to see. As an aside, the town was recently voted the happiest place to live in the Midlands and it's easy to see why.

In terms of Shakespeare's sites, you can visit the house he was born in which also incorporates the Shakespeare museum, Anne Hathaway's birthplace (Shakespeare's wife to be) which is a beautiful thatched cottage on the outskirts of town (pictured) and Shakespeare's tomb in the Holy Trinity Church.

Budapest

4.00 Ilya Burlak USA - 03-Jan-25

Visited in November 2024, fifteen years-plus since the first visit.

I love how impressive examples of Art Nouveau and Art Deco are found on practically every block in Central Pest. Each one is different from others, creating a wide range between "unique" and "disjointed" depending on your particular perception of architecture. To my eyes, it is delightful to discover one after another. 

The problem, of course, is that most of those are in the buffer zone rather than the core zone of the WHS. Andrassy Avenue is a lovely boulevard, but somewhat more uniform, which for me equates to somewhat underwhelming

Lower German Limes

1.00 Digits Ireland - 23-Dec-24

We visited the Köln-Deutz component on a sunny hot September day in 2023 as the Praetorium was (and still is) closed for visitors. A 20 minute walk from Cologne Cathedral across the Hohenzollernbrucke to the eastern bank of the Rhine allows for excellent views of the modern-day cathedral but in Roman times would have had line of sight to the provincial governors palace at the Praetorium. You will have the (admittedly few) remains all to yourself as visitors instead throng the riverfront or city centre

Works of Antoni Gaudí

4.50 Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 28-Dec-24

Careful planning informed my visit to all the major Antoni Gaudí sites in and around Barcelona (including non-inscribed Gaudí buildings like Casa Figueres "Bellesguard"). All tickets were reserved well in advance. With gratitude, I am pleased to say all 7 components are open for visitors, no scaffolding or major ongoing renovations presently, and all can (and probably should be) reserved in advance. The order of components we visited was based on multiple considerations, sequential order, geographic location / public transit, and time of day. Previously referenced long lines seem to be largely relegated to the past at most sites, since tickets routinely sell out online

Prague

4.50 Jay T USA - 22-Dec-24

A lot has been written about Prague, and rightly so -- it is a world-class city, with a rich history and fascinating architecture on display. The Castle District has amazing views, particularly from the bell tower of St. Vitus Cathedral, and the libraries in the Strahov Monastery were spectacular. The Charles Bridge was just as I imagined it, after first seeing it featured in Mission: Impossible years ago. The Jewish Quarter of the Old Town was sobering in its reminders of early 20th-century history, while the trams, Museum of Communism, and Wenceslas Square all evoked the days of the Cold War.