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Updates September/2021: I am reading the nomination file and thinking intensively about the OUV justification. The town Bagnoregio, the hamlet Civita, and the surrounding Valle dei Calanchi (Badlands Valley) have been proposed as the core zone.

The text is rather confusing, the justification is full of flowery phrases not easily understandable for me. The new term "antifragility" as the main feature of Civita has been invented and proposed following the Italian tradition of artificial intellectual constructions (Bologna porticoes). It is argued that the place is permanently inhabited since Etruscan times, and now there are still around 10 residents. Without the human interventions Civita would be totally eroded as seen all around. I am wondering why the inhabitants are so stubborn, maybe the reason is a beauty of the place...

In the comparative analysis, places like Athos, Meteora, and other similar sites all over the world are mentioned. However, the highest frequency of the comparable places are in Italy: WHSs - Amalfi, Matera, Cinque Terre, Piedmont vineyards, Val d´Orcia, TWHSs - Volterra, Orvieto, and other sites - Pitigliano in Tuscia, or Aliano in Basilicata. I have to admit that Civita is kind of different when compared to above listed sites. The integrity and authenticity is indisputable. The Civita houses are built from the same tufa stones on which they stand, and there is no disturbing element. Even the concrete bridge from 1963, which is described in the justification in detail, is OK and can be taken as the important …

March 2018 - After being in Yorck we came to the Leeds area. We passed Leeds and went straight to Saltaire. 

Small charming town with authentic workers accomadations and a nice factory to watch.

We went through all floors of it and were pleased we did not have to pay anything. The shops in the factory are suiting the architecture well. We enjoyed the few hours here. But WHS, I do not really believe that this place was of that big importance to human history.

Afterwardswe drove to Bradford. It has the biggest Indian community and probably the best Tikka in England

March 2018 still Roadtrip England.

We were heading back from the north in the direction of London.

Shortly before arriving at Oxford we came here to Blenheim palace. Unfortunately it is not included in the national Trust community. We had to pay something like 30 Pounds only to enter the gardens.But the gardens are really nice and the castle is also worth visiting from outside.

Close by is a butterfly house and a maze. Both are included and are worth visiting, too.

Intersiting park, definitely.

March 2018 Roadtrip through England.

We spent the night and half a day in Peak District hiking and counting sheep :)

Just after leaving the park we came to the WHS Derwent Valley. Unfortunately we did nor really know what to expect. Therefore we went past the most interesting town in the north hoping for some amazing architectural icons on the way. The remaining mills looked quite poorely. Some had cheap shops, some hotels. But we did nor really find a spot to stay longer.

After 45 minutes we were already at the end of the WHS. What a pity. Unfortunely one of the rather dissapointg sites on or travels so far.

Well, but England has a lot more to offer also in terms of industrial sites.

Before World War 2 the Baltics had a substantial German population. Germany proper extended all the way to East Prussia with its capital Königsberg. But many Germans also settled further North in the Baltic states. Indeed, most places in the Baltics also have historic German names (e.g. Reval for Tallinn). And plenty of historic figures were of German ancestry. Take our beloved Struve Arcs. Struve was German and taught at was then a German university in Tartu/Dorpat.

As such, travelling the area you will meet plenty of Germans trying to connect to their ancestors. The Curonian Split features quite heavily in these itineraries as it was a prime travel destination of the locals; and still is.

The Split itself is arguably man made. The Prussians intervened to stabilize the dunes and protect it against the sea. It is this engineering feat for which the site was inscribed. Personally, I enjoyed hiking the woods, the beeches and the dunes, but felt a bit hard pressed to pin point the OUV.

Apart from the beeches Nida nowadays boasts two main attractions:

• The old wooden tourist houses in the city center. The most prominent one used to belong to Thomas Mann.
• The big Parnidis dune South of the city.

Getting There and Around

Thanks to Air Baltic plenty of locations in the Baltics are within reach and budget. Only caveat is that you will have to transfer at Riga. I flew via …

Hôtel Solvay is a late 19th-century city villa in Brussels by the design of the Belgian architect Victor Horta. It is 1 of his 4 Major Town Houses. I visited it two weeks ago on a special tour in Dutch. They want to keep it exclusive: the tours are only once a month and a ticket costs 40 EUR. You must also book well in advance online. In 2002 I already had been to one of the other locations (the Horta House & Atelier Museum), which has no such visitor limitations. It lies only 500m away from the Solvay and a third location (Hôtel Tassel) is also just around the corner.

At noon, around 25 visitors gathered in front of the imposing façade of the Hotel Solvay at the Avenue Louise number 224. We were given solid plastic covers for our shoes so that we would not tarnish the interior. This is now a busy neighbourhood, with a lot of traffic, embassies, shops and restaurants. The 19th-century house is wedged between two ugly office buildings. When the house was built it was free-standing and occupied a large piece of land: 15 meters wide and 20 meters deep on the main avenue between the city center and the surrounding forests of Brussels.

The tour started with an explanation about the Solvay family, who had this house built in 1894. They had become rich in the chemical production of soda and gave Victor Horta a free hand to design a …

Normally, I am not too keen on museums embedded into historic places. The museums tend to be mediocre at best. Now I understand the need for operators to use all the available space - and with palaces space is often available in abundance - and to offer some form of experience apart from empty halls. But still there are only so many sign boards you can put up detailing the local history. But when it's -15°C outside, I noticed that I am way more open to spending time in a museum.

I had crossed the tree lined pathway across the lake to Nesvizh. It's quite impressive as you get close. The fortifications and the castle fit nicely into the surrounding scenery, especially with everything snow covered.

The site itself is similar to Zamosc across the border in Poland. The key difference is that Nesvizh is a fortified palace while Zamosc is a fortified town. The gardens and the landscape around Nesvizh are nicer, though. Hard to beat snow covered frozen lakes.

Getting There

I took a driver in Minsk for a day combining the visit of Nesvizh with a trip to Mir Castle. Both sites are fairly close to each other. I paid 100 EUR for the day trip. Having visited in the height of winter at -15°C I tried to minimize the time spent outside. Consequentially, waiting outside at random bus stops was not an option. Read my Mir review for comments on how …

Peru may be known for its cultural World Heritage Sites, but the first site I chose to see upon arriving in country this past October was a natural site: Huascarán National Park. Within hours of landing in Lima, I was on a bus to the lovely small mountain town of Huaraz, and the next day I took the same type of tour as Els to the Lagunas Llanganucos. The mountain scenery was spectacular, and I had an early preview of the park's snow-covered peaks from the breakfast lounge on the top floor of my hotel. Up close on the tour, the mountains were just as impressive, and greener than I expected on the approach to the lakes. Only the lower lake was accessible for the tour, but we had one and a half hours to explore. I opted for a boat tour, then hiked on the walking trails around the lakeshore, in the shadow of Huascarán, the highest peak in Peru. I was hoping to see more Andean wildlife than I saw on my visit to Sangay National Park in Ecuador, but alas, my scorecard stood at: Animals not seen -- spectacled bears, pumas, vicuñas, condors; Animals seen -- ducks and two alpacas hiding amidst the trees. As for flora, even though I didn't see the Queen of the Andes bromeliad on the tour, I did appreciate the Polylepis forest around the lake. I also appreciated the particularly amenable weather, which was very welcome after my misty visit to Sangay. …

The bus from Jaipur dropped me off near the entry to Amer Fort at the bottom of the hill. The entry lies next to a lake and the view of the Fort with the lake is very scenic. Amer Fort dates to around 1600 and belongs to the Mughal period with major Rajput influences. On the inside it's more of a palace than a fort.

After finishing my visit of Amer Fort, I continued on to the top of the hill. There a second fort is located, Jaigarh Fort. At the time of my visit they were shooting a movie, so I only got to see parts of it. I still got to pay in full. And maybe I am now staring in a Bollywood movie.

Getting There

I only visited the Amer Fort, probably the easiest option of the serial nomination. I flew into Jaipur from Bangalore. India has plenty of budget airlines, so you should consider this option.

After two nights I traveled on by train to Agra. The train running between Jaipur and Agra is newer than the average Indian train and a lot faster.

From Jaipur you can take a local bus to Amer. Amer used to be an independent city, but is now a suburb of Jaipur. My way back to Jaipur was a bit complicated, though, as there were no busses running for an hour or so. And when a bus finally showed up it was fully …

I have been to Kiev many times in my childhood, but those visits never included any sightseeing. Decades later, I found myself in Kiev on a business trip. It was January of 2014, in a period of relative calm of the Maidan revolution before its final eruption. The city did not feel unstable or dangerous to navigate, so on my only free day I spent time exploring some of the city major sights, including both parts of the WH site.

Inscribed for the spiritual and intellectual influence these religious complexes had on the "Russian world" in 17th-19th centuries, Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Kiev-Pechersk Lavra are on the most basic level fascinating architectural monuments with history going back nearly a thousand years. Seeing these close up is highly recommended if you are in town.

This is not a single site, but two distinct compounds that both date back to the 11th century. The great church of Saint-Sophia assumed its current form by 1767, along with the cluster of buildings surrounding it. The Lavra also underwent significant expansion in 16th-17th centuries, although some of its original caves remain and are accessible for a visit.

Both sites are located in the central part of Kiev, well served by public transportation (although not within walking distance of one another). At the time of my visit, general entry was free, but interior access for non-worship purposes required tickets. Saint-Sophia Cathedral could only be visited with a guide. A walking tour of the Lavra …

I visited Xidi and Hongcun in 2017, around the time of Chinese New Year. Both sites were thus very crowded - but on the plus side, most houses were decorated with red "chunlian" banderoles on each side of the door, which enhanced the experience in the otherwise very much black-and-white looking villages. 

Both villages are the most representative villages of the traditional region of Huizhou (where the "hui" part of the name of Anhui province comes from), and are just two of many. The region overall is more or less equivalent to today's Huangshan prefecture and somewhat off the beaten track - but during the Ming and Qing dynasties it was a centre of literati and brought forth many court officials. It was these latter who - once retired from officialdom in Beijing - would build the exquisitely decorated mansions in their home towns in Huizhou. Particularly renowned officials would even be awarded a "paifang" by the emperor - a ceremonial gate, such as the one at the entrance of Xidi.

Xidi, Hongcun and their neighbouring villages were thus relatively wealthy villages, and their architecture is far more elaborate and polished than what would be expected of "vernacular" architecture. In general, the buildings display a pretty plain exterior, which contrasts with extremely ornamented interiors - in particular the interior open-air courtyard which was used to receive guests, where no wooden beam or panel is left undecorated. In addition to wood carving, stone and brick carving are typical of …

I disliked both villages. I came with a tour from Huangshan which is very popular. I found that now that visitors are coming the locals make this into a tourist trap, selling overpriced vegetables and herbs and making them seem special. I walked around the villages twice in the hope to see something special but in the end all I got were farmhouses and farmers working on the fields, washing clothes in the dirty water. If I wanted to see that maybe I could go to Romania too? Once I saw everything the tour guide said we spend another hour here for "shopping" - how frustrating!

For people who think China is all developed because of its economic standing in the world: most of it is still farming. So if I get to farm villages with some traditional housing it isn't special. You can see that in a lot of places. It maybe is not protected or in a good state but that doesn't make it worth seeing. Elite metropolitans maybe think it is something they have never seen before.

Getting to Potosi had been a dream of mine ever after having visited some of the silver mines of Mexico. Potosi was the largest silver mine of the Spanish empire and its crown jewel. To this day "Vale un Potosi" is a standing expression in Spanish for "worth a fortune".

The Potosi mine was a gruesome place. The high altitude of the mine at 4000m made the already terrible working conditions of a 16th century mine even worse. Similar to other parts of the Americas they tried using African slaves, but they tended to die off too quickly in the high altitude. So the work was mostly done by the local native Americans.

To this day the Potosi mines are a pretty dangerous places for miners. And for visitors. So you should consider if you want to join a tour. I decided against it and spent my time visiting the old town. The most notable structure in town is the royal mint, the casa de la moneda. I would recommend joining a tour to get a feeling for the site and the silver processing.

Personally, I enjoyed the Mexican silver towns better. Potosi is a historically important site and deserves inscription. It just isn't the nicest example of the type of town. And it lacks the quirkiness of my personal highlight, Guanjuato.

Getting There

I came by bus from Uyuni having also ticked off Pulancayo (T). If you …

This inscription made me lose faith in the inscription process and although I haven't been following it for a long time, I watched the debate live stream and it basically had ICOMOS strongly disagreeing to include it, saying there isn't anything special being here. Then, using its political buddies it overturned the recommendation to a direct inscription, not even deferring it to next year for a second look or whatnot. This farce just makes you wonder why they spent all the money on the expert going there in the first place because apparently whatever you want to inscribe is going in, and not so much if you are a weak political state. Shame on you. But okay so you got your inscription and you are very proud of it, no judgement from my part yet, let me go and check it out.

After the long drive from Riyadh through trashed highways and a few pit stops to refuel and rest, and you get to the town of Al Ahsaa or actually a whole collection of “Al” towns merged together. There are a whole bunch of sites, some of them I don't even know where they are. I started with the Sahood Fort, mainly because the central highway was closed and this was first on the way. It's a very small block with thick replastered walls and a small entrance that probably says “no entry” because they are doing major renovation...AFTER the inscription?? Well so 5 minutes later I end …

The Monumental Earthworks at Poverty Point in northeastern Louisiana is the latest US World Heritage Site addition to recognize pre-Columbian cultures. The earthworks are the remnants of a culture that lived along the lower Mississippi River over 3000 years ago, and, although trees have grown and roads have been built, many of its mounds can still be appreciated in a walk around the site. I visited Poverty Point on a grey December day two years ago, and had the park almost to myself. After visiting the small museum, with its archaeological exhibits and overview movie, I started on the trail circumnavigating the site, aiming for the large, distinctive peak of Mound A, also known as the Bird Mound. From the top I could just barely make out the arcs of six concentric rings stretching out through the woods and fields, as well as smaller mounds on either side. The purpose of the mounds still confounds archaeologists, who postulate the area could have been anything from a settlement to a ceremonial site. The distinctive order to the mounds was hard to appreciate from the ground, so I highly recommend also looking at the site via Google Earth. I enjoyed my visit to Poverty Point, but I can understand the lack of architectural remains beyond the mounds will likely leave this site less popular to visitors than pre-Columbian sites in the west of the United States, such as Mesa Verde.

Logistics: The Monumental Earthworks at Poverty Point requires private transportation for …

Three different sites make this TWHS. Two are easily accessible, south of Shetland Mainland along the main road to Sumburgh lighthouse, and under one-hour drive from Lerwick, the “capital” of Shetland.

Jarlshof is the easiest site to visit; you will find there a small museum and basic information. When we visited in 2015, the entrance ticket for the site was part of the Orkney pass (good to know for those visiting Orkney islands before or after Shetland, as we did on our “tour of Scotland”). Most valuable remains are the iron age constructions with dry stones technique, but the site testifies of thousands years of human activities, including Viking evidences and ruin of a farm from seventeenth century. This is a quite compact site, laying in a nice location, immediately on the shore of the ocean. I read it can be crowded, but there were very few visitors on that morning on August 2015. The visit takes around one hour.

Old Scatness is about 1 km north, on the way back to Lerwick, and immediately before crossing one of the Shetland airport tracks (when driving northwards). This site is attended only one day per week, but the small gate at the entrance is not locked and you can get on site without any difficulty. Remains here are iron age again, and some houses have been reconstructed. It is easy to combine this visit with Jarlshof. As there is no information available on site, it is better to go …

Preah Vihear is a Khmer mountain fortress about 250km from Angkor on the Thai border. From Preah Vihear you have a great view of the surrounding plains. I quickly understood why they chose the location and what purpose it served. I felt strongly reminded of other mountain fortresses, specifically Xochicalco in Mexico.

Most of the site consists of ruins. The most notable structures are the naga stair case and the big temple buildings at the top of the mountain. But to me the main asset is the great view you get.

While it's no Angkor, it is sufficiently distinct from it and offers a different glimpse into Khmer architecture and history. I felt it was a nice addition to my Angkor visit.

Getting There

Being based in Siem Reap I hired a driver for a day to take me to Preah Vihear. The driver dropped me off at the base of the mountain where the entry is located and waited for me.

The original price we negotiated for the ride was 100 USD. I then extended the trip to also visit nearby Koh Ker (T) and I paid 120 USD for a full day of driving. The roads overall were good and traffic not much of an issue.

Getting In

You cannot go up the mountain in your own car. You have to hire a local driver to take you up either on the back of a pickup truck (groups) or on a …

I visited Assisi in the summer of 2014. At that point, the town easily vaulted towards the top of my personal list of the most impressive day-trip destinations, having hosted us for half of a day. The town’s World Heritage inscription is centered on its sacred architecture, but it is also incredibly picturesque and, pilgrimages aside, does not convey a feeling of being overrun with tourists. Although there are plenty of crafts, souvenir, and local specialty shops, Assisi does not feel overly commercialized either. There is a number of fairly interesting museums sprinkled around the town, all seemingly not requiring any fee to enter. But the pilgrims and most of the tourists come to Assisi for its religious monuments.

Basilica of St. Francis, the monumental church honoring the most famous local son is a magnificent architectural masterpiece. It is actually two basilicas in one. The lower basilica, with un-church-like low ceilings, is covered all over in brilliant frescoes and paintings. The upper basilica, more traditional in form, is also vibrantly decorated. I have seen my share of spectacular cathedrals but San Francesco is a species apart, in my experience.

We also visited the other major churches named in the UNESCO inscription, Santa Chiara, San Ruffino, Santa Maria sopra Minerva. Each one has something to impress with and warrants a look, but they pale in comparison to San Francesco. Beyond that, we simply leisurely strolled through the town. Its terrace-based hillside plan makes it less compact than other destinations …

Over five hundred churches, inspired by the baroque, gothic and rococo traditions of Europe, were built in the Philippine archipelago during the Hispanic colonial era. Many of these churches are well preserved and are still being used as places of worship. Many of these are protected by the national government by inscribing them either as National Cultural Property or National Cultural Treasures.

Today, four baroque churches stand out: Church of the Immaculate Conception of San Agustin (San Agustin Church) in Intramuros, Manila; Saint Augustine Church (popularly known as Paoay Church) in Ilocos Norte; Church of Our Lady of the Assumption (popularly known as Santa Maria Church); and Santo Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church (popularly known as Miag-ao Church) in Iloilo. In 1993, these churches were elevated to the status of UNESCO World Heritage Sites (with modification of boundaries in 2013). They are collectively identified as Baroque Churches of the Philippines. According to UNESCO, these churches are peculiar because their unique architectural style is a reinterpretation of European Baroque by Chinese and Philippine craftsmen.

I have visited all four churches: San Augustin Church several times, Paoay Church in 2015, Santa Maria Church in 2018, and Miag-ao in 2017. This post contains some briefs about the churches - some reflections about their magnificence. 

San Agustin Church. According to some sources, the church was patterned by the Augustinians from a church in Nueva España (today Mexico). Built by the Augustinians in 1571 within the district of Intramuros (Walled City …

The Persian Caravanserai were only placed on the T List in Feb 2017 as part of a "mini update" which added a further 10 sites to Iran’s already enormous T List (currently 55)! Whether this implies imminent action to try for Nomination isn’t clear, but some of the locations are pretty easy to pick up whilst seeing existing Iranian WHS if travellers want to avoid missing out on a "future inscription"!

Assuming that is, that they survive any future "cut", since a slight problem is that the UNESCO site states that “in this file, there are 25 Caravanserais, from all over Iran under the name of Persian Caravanserais which are selected from hundreds of Caravanserais.” - and then lists what appears to be 32 locations!! I have just discovered and added coordinates to our T List map for 24 of them, augmenting the 3 identified when the site was placed on the T List – so 5 remain to be identified – “possibly”!!

Iran’s main highways are really very good – enormous “Dual carriageways” (UK English) or “Divided Highways” (US!). As you zip along, you will pass many, many Caravanserai. A fair number will be in ruins but others are operating as Hotels/Restaurants. I would recommend stopping to explore at least 1 ruined one – even if it isn’t among those on the T List.

It is interesting to note just how many along the highway have a modern Gas station /Restaurant located very close …