All our reviews

Visited this site in May 2018.

Our visit was slightly shortened by the car breaking, but with some luck, we found local mechanic, who fixed everything in 10 minutes.

The elegant core of the city is concentrated around main square – Parque Jose Marti. The architecture was inspired by the founders – French emigrants. The city is not that old, it was only founded in 1819 and was influenced by the neoclassic ideas of the settlers. The key attractions are Teatro Tomas Terry (1889) with good external mosaics, Arco de Triunfo (1902), Catedral de la Purisima Concepcion Church (1869), Palacio de Gobierno (1917) and Casa de la Cultura Benjamin Duarte or Palacio de Ferrer (1918). For 1 cuc we climbed the latter one, with dominating light blue cupola and iron staircase. There good views over the city, with some usual for Cuba a bit dilapidating impression. Despite the buildings constructed in various periods, together they create quite balanced and harmonic ensemble. We also made a stroll along key shopping and pedestrian street El Bulevar.

We liked Cienfuegos, as it is not usual colonial town, but a later example of neoclassical architecture.

First off a bit of a warning, Copacabana Fort isn't part of this proposal, more on that later.

This is a proposal that encompasses a large array of forts around Brazil though mostly on the Atlantic coast, built by Europeans in the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries. My attempted visits focused on three around Rio de Janeiro, and it seems not all of them are part of the proposal.

Attempt one: Santa Cruz da Barra Fort

Well the focus of this little side trip wasn't really to get inside the fort in Niteroi, rather it was to cruise across Guanabara Bay and visit the town’s iconic MAC art gallery. This was well worth the trip, even though the gallery itself wasn't open. The sailing across the harbour gave us the closest view of landing planes we are ever likely to have and the gallery enabled us to see one of Oscar Niemeyer's defining works. From underneath its Flying Saucer like bulk you actually get a good view of the two forts at the entrance to the bay.

In regards to the actual nominated fort, it is quite a long journey from the ferry port and it is a functioning military base so we didn't really want to spend several hours on public transport getting to a locked gate, we only had a short stay in Rio and this didn't look like the best use of our time. The ferry affords another perspective of the mouth of …

This is another in Norway's collection of slightly oddball World Heritage Sites. It reminded us both of the Copper Mining Town at Falun in Sweden, just across the border (though admittedly Falun was far more developed). It was a surprisingly popular spot for Norwegian tourists, lots of them around enjoying the mid-summer sunshine. Not many internationals though, still too far off the beaten path I guess. My favourite part was the well-preserved old wooden houses in Slag Road, where people lived quite literally in the shadow of the slag heaps. The large "smelting building" is actually a 1980s reconstruction, though admittedly quite well done.

Visited this site in May 2018.

The most famous and popular tourist attraction in the whole Cuba. Old Havana or Havana Vieja is the entire world of twisting streets with colorful dilapidating buildings and rich history behind.

The city of Havana was founded by the Spanish in the 16th century and due to its strategic location it served as a springboard for the Spanish conquest of the Americas, becoming a stopping point for treasure-laden Spanish galleons returning to Spain.

The most significant fortress system of Havana, the military-historical park El Morro – Cabaña, is nowadays is a big touristic complex, which reflects the history of Havana during the last five centuries. In some buildings you can find museums, including the museum of ancient armaments and the museum of Che Gevara.

Every night at 21:00 a cannon is fired, the so-called "El Cañonazo de las 9", a custom kept from colonial times significating the closure of gates in the city wall. Now it symbolizing another shiny day in Cuba.

There is strong feeling that this old fashioned Havana with its bizzare 60-year old cars and empty state shops will be gone soon. And we can't conclude whether it would be good or bad, certainly should be better for the locals. We were a little bit upset by a huge number of touts and tourist traps, which started to appear only recently. But if you get up early before crowds and stroll in the old centre, you …

I really enjoyed wandering around the Nzulezo Stilt Village of Beyin as it’s so unique. I have visited the floating village on the Tonle Lap lake in Cambodia and the stilt villages of Brunei but in Ghana it’s so different.

It's hectic to get there. A 2 hour drive from Takoradi. Make sure to leave around 7AM not as me at 9AM. At hte visitors center it's hectic and the canoe's go to the village full; but also MUST return full. They won't go back empty and pick you up and there are just that many canoe to take. Just 3 motorized, and like 5 without motor. Locals must use it too! I finally had to wait 3 hours before i could jump on one. Paying more would not help as the canoe was simply not there.

The village is lovely. About 500 meters long; maybe 100 meters wide. Church, school and the community hall are the major places to visit. You can also see the holy shrine only possible to visit by the chief. You can ask to enter a local house too. Do that! Keep some change to give the person who lives there. I was there when the kids didn't have school. They were playing everywhere. I had a great time here to see how these people have lived there for over 500 years.

If I had to choose, they deserve a full UNESCO World Heritage Status. I hope more will go and explore …

On our weekend trip to Sochi on 30 June 2018 to watch Uruguay-Portugal game, we visited Zoo in Laura (close to Krasnaya Polyana). This Zoo is a part of inscribed Caucasian State Nature Biosphere Reserve. A number of animals from Caucasus is well represented here, including mountain bison, lynx, wild forest cat. black griffon and many others. At the time of visit they were also arranging a new cell for very rare Asiatic leopard, which will arrive soon. There is also information centre about the Reserve and also booking and entrance point for a number of ecological hiking trails inside the Reserve. The trails (about 15 in total) vary from 1 hour to 6 days, those lengthy ones have to be pre-arranged in advance (and some close to borders also require special permit from Security Service). In order to properly visit the site I think it would also be advisable for the future to take some hikes inside the Reserve.

On my last night in Portugal I had booked a hotel in Lisbon, near the airport, just South of Vasco da Gama Bridge. This area is known as Parque das Nações (newly created district, 2012) and its a vastly different area of Lisbon. In this Northeast area along the Tagus River, you can see the massive bridge (longest bridge in Europe). There is also a plethora of venues for music, art, and culture. 

This is the setting we find Alvaro Siza's "Pavilion of Portugal". In some sense this is New Lisbon, in part a product of the 98' World Expo. The Pavilion itself is quite unique, its design elements have been described with an "enormous and impossibly thin concrete canopy, draped effortlessly between two mighty porticoes." This is an accurate description. My picture partly captures this, but not perfectly. This public venue seems well-used as a musical and cultural space. As I visited the Pavilion, workers were preparing for a large concert. 

The setting is excellent, the nearby esplanade on the water and museums all made a fine area to walk. For any architectural enthusiast, this site and other works by Alvaro Siza should be interesting. A living modernist architect of whom's work spans seven decades, perhaps this can be seen as exceptional?

Not one of the more remote places in Canada but still quite a lengthy drive from Edmonton unless you want to fork out the high sum to fly directly to Fort Smith (FS) and rent a car from there (I assume that is possible). It takes around 13-14h of mainly boring straight roads from Edmonton with only a few things to do on the way (60th parallel border crossing into NWT, Twin Falls, maybe Hay River if you want a longer stopover). Expect to spend at least two days here to see various parts of nature offered, more of you want to kayak.

As soon as you drive in from the West, now all paved as of summer 2018, you should come across the wood buffaloes, black bears if you have some luck but judging from other's experience it is quite common, and there was also a fox. This all from just passing along the main road. On the way to Fort Smith you can also have a nice stop at the salt plains (see picture) with a big UNESCO sign. If you get in too late on the day then don’t forget to have a look on your way out of the park.

Gravel roads lead southwest from FS to the karst areas, which was unfortunately mainly closed this summer due to bridge constructions or something. This would normally be an almost 20km hike to fill the day but even the mini loop holes were off limits. …

Both the monastery and the Tower of Belem were very busy, I assume because many visitors flow into Lisbon off the massive cruise liners. With the Monastery line wrapping along much of the massive building itself, I opted for only seeing the church before making my way to the Tower of Belem. Here I waited in a more tolerable queue. 

The Tower of Belem has a winding staircase that is now timed to allow visitors up and down the single person stairway. Some of the carvings/designs on walls or decorative sculptures facing the sea stand out, but as previously stated there is not a whole lot on display here. 

The Church of Santa Maria, part of the Hieronymites Monastery is easy to visit and rewarding. The paintings, royal tombs, and stained glass are exquisite, but hardly singular.

We had a pleasant time visiting both places, despite the crowds. Not to be missed is the famous, Pastéis de Belém, which offers some of the best egg tart in Portugal. This pastry shop is a short walk from the monastery.

I visit Kerkouane as part of my 2 week road trip in the northern half of Tunisia. (I ticked of all the WHS/TWHS there). Kerkouane is a 2.5 hour drive from Tunis or 3 hours from Sousse. I recommend visiting it on the way from Tunis to Sousse or the other way around. Saves you driving the same road twice and Cape Bon is nice to drive around too.

It's a beautiful site and I really enjoyed walking around the site. It's only foundations left, which are in general from almost nothing up to over a meter high. The grid layout is good visitble and you get a good idea how the city must have looked like. Lots of plaster is in tact, mosaic floors (simple ones), and some houses have good signs with explanations and a 3D model how they must have looked like. Great way to explore.

I recommend walking along the coast to the back, walk the small part through the bushes too, until the wall. Then turn right along that road that went to the sea. Then again right over the main road to the main square. This way you see all. The museum on the site is beautiful too.

A small extra, go also to Kelibia Fort. It's nearby and you can manage it the same day. It's nice especially with kids.

The Head Office and Garden of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation are easily visitable from the nearby metro station: São Sebastião. Arriving mid-evening, numerous locals were enjoying this green space with blanket spreads, picnics, or just people lying down on the beautiful grounds. 

The garden is pleasant indeed, with bamboo, a trickling brook that dissects the grounds (plenty of turtles, ducks), and modern statues surrounded by green foliage. This was a highlight for me since we had spent several hours exploring Lisbon (2 days) during the morning, evening, and night (often quite busy). Therefore, this little slice of green mixed with modern architecture was a breath of fresh air.

Certainly, the use of concrete and glass here stands out. In some ways, the greenery has enveloped the large modernist structures, creating a unique interaction of the man-made and natural components.

UNique – 6/10

The monumental statue of Hercules built on top of the tallest hill in Wilhelmshöhe Park dominates the surrounding city of Kassel. At the height of over 520 meters above the sea level, the statue can be seen from many viewpoints throughout Kassel and provides a natural culmination to the numerous natural and architectural features of the large hillside park below it. The local rulers, the Landgraves of Hesse, designed and constructed the park over the course of 150 years, with waterfalls, fountains and lakes added to the complex. As a result, a charming artificial water wonderland had developed in a capricious attempt to occasionally follow the strict rules of the English gardens, while striving to blend in with the pre-existing natural surroundings.

ESsential – 6/10

According to the fashion of the time, just like Sanssouci Palace complex, Wilhelmshöhe is sprinkled with faux ruins, Roman aqueducts and pseudo-classic temples. The Landgraves of Hesse wanted not only to show off their wealth but also to create a space for respite, contemplation and appreciation of architecture. In fact, the Löwenburg castle in Wilhelmshöhe park, which imitates a knight’s medieval castle, was one of the first of such structures in Germany and started an important trend of romantic Gothic Revival. Still, the greatest engineering achievements in the park have to do with the massive hydraulic system of underground pipes, which connect the various water features throughout Wilhelmshöhe. In order for the water to rush down the Cascades below …

When I first read Canada wants to inscribe ice patches I already figured something crazy must be behind this site, or let’s call it “sites”. Ice patches are not unique to the Yukon at all. That is for me the first problem. Of this is a pioneer inscription that would later expand to other areas I find it the wrong approach. Secondly, the ice patches in the Yukon are not just in the Carcross/Tagish First Nation hunting grounds. Thirdly this would also extend the sites into the US side which again means for me the entire area should be considered before attempting this inscription. Lastly, and for the most worrisome of all, ice patches are disappearing due to environment changes. That would essentially leave the hunting ground artifacts and possibly keep that as a worthy inscription. Lake Mungo in Australia is a similar example of such a cultural site.

As for the actual ice patches, they were only discovered in the 90s and what went down was the caribou use the ice fields to cool down in summer, not bothering to leave the patch even if pesky insects or those pesky hunters would come to bite/slay them with their arrowheads. The hunting artifacts are not accessible in the wild but you can see it at several visitor center: Kluane, Haynes Junction and Carcross. On a side note I always find a bit of luck involved who of Parks Canada is in the office with knowledge about certain things, and …

The Slovakian extension to the Roman Frontier Fortifications is minor but in my opinion highly important to the history of the Roman Empire. There are only two locations in Slovakia due to the Danube being the natural border between the Germanic and Roman forces. I went to the museum near Bratislava just across the river, far enough outside the city to actually not be Bratislava anymore but more importantly nowhere near bad traffic. The museum is called Ancient Gerulata Rusovce and features a small Roman military camp.

It has several layers of buildings from different time periods, most of them just presented by walls. The inside of the museum contains a lot of billboards for history fanatics and explains the region's fortification very well. The reason I found the camp important is that the Romans first did not cross the river due to logistic reasons but later on Emperor Antoninus no longer wanted to fight a war with the Germanic tribes and even had peace treaties.

After going through the inside for around 20 minutes you can still see the outside from a viewpoint but there is not much to see that you couldn't glance at during your walk to the museum. The museum doesn't cost much, parking should be easily found nearby (although I'm not sure why they can't add a few spaces for the museum just outside the gate), and for anyone near Bratislava I would recommend going here. I also regret driving by Iza, the …

This is probably one of the most iconic gardens in England if not in the World. Like all great gardens it is staged with so much work and artistry that you are happy to believe that this is a perfect landscape that even includes naturally the Pantheon. I was equally with the many various huge and very old trees. It is a pleasure to walk around the big lake and it is staged in a way that you have to walk counterclockwise! The attached house is great, has a remarkable picture gallery and beautiful Georgian library but is less unique then the garden. 

The most comparable gardens on the list seem Blenheim and Studley Royal Park which I haven't seen yet. Kew is a very different kind of garden and therefore no direct competition. I can hardly imagine though that they will surpass Stourhead as a garden. Maybe when Stourhead was considered in 1995 it was just to late and english Gardens were already well represented. 

We visited this former tentative site on the drive from Bath to Blaenavon. It is a nice visit with the totally overgrown amphitheater, the outlines of a legionary fortress and parts of a once large bath area. roman remains of those dimensions can be found all over Europe in probably dozens of places (including the more impressive Augusta Raurica in Switzerland). The Roman Legion Museum seems great for kids. Considering the many and much more impressive Roman WHS this site seems too modest to ever have a chance. 

Visited this site in July 2018 as my last WHS in Beijing.

I took the metro YanFang Line to the second last station FangShanChengGuan and changed to Fang38 bus which go straight to the entrance of the site. I was told by the front desk that the whole site is under renovation, which has been going for 2 years and no sign of completion. And she even emphasized that the only thing to do inside was to "go hiking".

Since I was already there I decided to go in. The main site where they found the skulls was closed down and under construction, but you can still go up the path leading to the observation deck where you can take a glimpse of how it's like in the past. The same path will lead you to more sites and caves. It's recommended to go to the museum first so that you know what kind of fossils were found in the specific sites. 

There was nobody at the site and I enjoyed my afternoon taking photos without anyone running into it. The museum, on the other hand, has more visitors compare to the site mainly because it's air conditioned on a hot summer. You can find a lot stone tools and animal fossils including a complete tiger fossil. Worth a visit.

Do bring food and water if you planned to stay longer as you have to walk a bit to the nearest restaurant or convenient store.

Mafra Palace is pleasant enough, but like other visitors I wonder where is the OUV? Sure, it seems like most of us did not opt to visit Cerco Garden and the Hunting Park (Tapada). Perhaps these components are rewarding and differentiate the site from other royal palaces. Nevertheless, time is also somewhat important to me and it would have been hard to justify the extra time considering our already fairly busy drive to Coimbra.

The basilica was a highlight in part because of the atmosphere. I entered as it opened, no lights. The vast space was very dark, silent, and therefore a bit different than previous experiences in large religious buildings. 

The library is certainly impressive and we had a nice chat with some enthusiastic and well-versed employees about the collection. It is possible to reserve time in the library to do research, from our understanding this includes anyone. This might be worthwhile for anyone with linguistic skills. The collection houses books in Portuguese, Latin, Spanish, Arabic, and English to name just a few.

While roaming the vast halls, I kept thinking that a bike would have come in handy. Yes, completely ridiculous, but the hallways do seem to go on forever and most rooms are fairly bland. 

I'm a little surprised there isn't already a review of this site, as it's slated for inclusion in 2019 and also one of the most visited locations in Austria. The Road itself was constructed in the 1930s as a Depression-era employment for Austrians, and was one of the first automobile roads constructed specifically for tourism purposes. It passes through some incredible scenery, with magical views of the Austrian alps on both sides. We visited on a sunny Monday in August 2018, and it was very busy already!

We drove from north to south, and opted to take both the Edelweissspitze and Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe side-tracks for even more scenic views. Note that the latter branch is the only place where you can actually see the eponymous Grossglockner mountain and accompanying glacier.

Scattered along the length of the road is a series of 14 information points, all of which have some interesting info about various topics: construction, local flora or fauna and so on. Lots of parking, souvenir shops, bars/cafes and the like at many of these stops.

Practical info: like the road, the toll is quite steep at 36 euros per car (less for motorbikes and free for bicycles I think). You can return the same day for free, and returning the following day is only an extra 12 euros. But we continued driving south, onwards toward the Dolomites!

I wasn’t sure I had been to this place until I opened up the map on the UNESCO website with a great overview of islands. It also all made sense: the Midway Atoll is the only accessible place of the entire monument. This is not Hawaii but instead Unincorporated Territory.

Over the years the area has become more and more restricted and I am unsure if there are still tours now. The Battle of Midway tour every June only holds 19 passengers. The cruise liners used to stop here, Carnival was mine back in 2009, but only a handful of people were going on the tender boats due to limited space (and I later found out each tender boat has to be specifically cleaned and equipped for entering the park area which cost a lot of money.

The tour group are all under guidance of a local ranger and you cart around in golf carts. The main attractions are the Hawaiian monk seal (yeah we are not in Hawaii but those seals don’t care), birds and WW2 gun emplacements plus old buildings.

Unfortunately there is no allowance for scuba diving and the snorkeling limits the view of the underwater life so much. There may be plans for this one day. So all in all the restrictions by the park means I can’t say much about most criteria for its inscription, and even for the species underwater I can’t say much from my own experience. It is for …