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Whilst it is a pleasant and charming city, I was actually a little disappointed in Torun. I think this could be because I, unfairly, had high expectations for it but on the whole its cobbled centre felt a little more tired and scruffy than many others in the country.

The central square is pretty and the network of cobbled streets is rather nice as its layout giving clues to the development of the old and new towns. Tucked in here and there are the various sites associated with the town's most famous son Copernicus.

There is also the added bonus of escaping to the river banks, especially charming was the panoramic view from the bank opposite showing the broad sweep of the town walls. This platform can be accessed by crossing the road outside the station and walking through the small wooded area, this short diversion came in handy when we were unable to secure a place on our desired train and had an hour to kill in the small station.

Another treat is that there plenty of places around town selling Torun's most famous foodstuff Pierniki (Gingerbread) and we had a wonderful time trying out as many varieties as we could the Apricot and Dark chocolate being our particular favourite.

At night the rather charming Jan Olbracht Micro-Brewery proved a very welcoming and filling destination, completing a slow paced day around the city which proved to be an enjoyable way to recharge our batteries.

So on the whole we …

Certainly this is one of Europe's most impressive cities, with an astonishing history displayed in one of the greatest built environments on the World Heritage List. Throw in a welcoming atmosphere, some excellent food and bustling nightlife it really was a rewarding four day stay for us.

However things changed a fair bit after we left. Within hours of us flying home a bomb went off just outside the Grand Bazaar, a week later an explosion hit the International airport. Within a month there had been an attempted coup and subsequent clampdown on civil liberties. I wonder how much this would affect the visiting experience.

The sights in Sultanhamet have been covered here extensively. Though I will say, amazingly the Topkapi Palace managed to be a distinct highlight for me, even with my renowned loathing of such complexes, the Harem really was a bit special and well worth making the time to visit.

Additionally I wanted to point out the review of Tony H, who inspired perhaps the best patch of our whole trip. We headed up to the city walls for these sweeping panoramic views.

From there it was on to the Chola Church and staggeringly beautiful pearl of byzantine art and certainly it should not be missed. We ventured on a walk in vain to try and catch a ferry, but unexpectedly ended up in a surprisingly hip and trendy area of Fener. Istanbul felt very human in scale and finding distinct and intriguing neighbourhoods made the city …

Quickly checking the bus route out to Tegel Airport I realised I would be heading toward this building which I have been wanting to visit for years.

Designed by Peter Behrens of the Deutscher Werkbund it shows the early moves towards modern industrial design. Behrens is renowned for being the mentor of three of the greatest architects of the twentieth century having trained Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe, each of which has at least one WHS to their name.

For me there was a "Wow" moment at seeing the gabled end with the honeycomb AEG logo on it (also designed by Behrens), but I wouldn't be surprised to hear others could walk past without giving it a second look. Still for me this was enough to justify my brief diversion.

Perhaps the most notable thing about the structure is how long it is, stretching well off into the distance. There are thick concrete columns along this flank, reminiscent of a greek or egyptian temples, illustrating the contemporary taste for such buildings in the styles of neo-classicism and Art Nouveau. The most remarkable thing is that this length is mostly made of glass, a fully revolutionary undertaking at this time. The structure also enabled the interior to be free from columns, thus aiding its use for the building of large turbines.

It was interesting to draw the architectural family tree between earlier industrial buildings I had visited, such as the Derwent Valley Mills to the early Chicago …

It was nighttime in Cusco, the day before I would travel to Aguas Calientes via Ollantaytambo, when it dawned on me: A childhood dream was about to come true. I am not sure when I first saw a picture of the site but ever since I wanted to visit.

The next day I travelled to Ollantaytambo from where I took the afternoon train to Aguas Calientes. Slowly the mountains grew higher around us while the signs of human settlement receded. We were following the river down and what in Ollantaytambo had mostly been barren mountains became covered by trees with the ridge growing ever narrower. It was here where I understood why Machu Picchu is a mixed natural and cultural site.

Thanks to a strong case of jetlag with some altitude sickness mixed in, I got up at 4:00h and queued at the bus stop in the city center at 4:30h. By then the line was already huge and it only kept growing while everyone waited for the busses to run and to take them up. Eventually I boarded the bus and we made our way up to the mountain top. The first views I got were from the valley. And then I had made my way past the ticket control and stood in the site. Finally.

This is truly one of the great sites of mankind and should feature prominently on any WHS travellers bucket list.

Getting a Ticket

During my visit in should season (October to November) …

Cusco is a unique blend of a colonial city with the traditions of the Inkas. The colonial buildings often are set on top of Inka foundations and the city has a unique mountain feel to it. Personally, I enjoyed the San Blas Barrio the most which is tucked on a hillside to the North East of the historic city center.

Cusco is also a pretty touristy place as it serves as hub for the area. You will find plenty of Western tourist amenities. For instance, Cusco was the only place along my trip I managed to take a Yoga class.

For a Peruvian city Cusco felt comparatively dirty. I found both the central districts of Lima and Arequipa better upkept. In addition, the original Inka/colonial town layout is very narrow and illsuited for the amount of traffic the city nowadays has. This, though, is a problem Cusco shares with Arequipa and Lima. More pedestrian precincts would be a nice improvement.

Getting There

Cusco is well connected by both busses and planes to all parts of Peru and some parts of the world. Seeing the distances involved I would counsel to making use of the airport. From the airport you can either take a cab or a collectivo. The collectivo run directly in front of the exit. If you are a train aficionado there is also a train connection to Puno. 

Altitude Sickness

Cusco may very well be your first stop on your trip above 3000m. As such altitude sickness may …

The Nasca Lines never featured high on my bucketlist. Yes, as a kid I had seen some of the pseudo documentaries asking (just asking, right?) if the locals hadn’t built these as landing strips for aliens. How else would such a remote, backwards tribe be able to accomplish such complex figures only visible from the sky? Being a WHS Traveler you learn to appreciate human ingenuity and the alien part wasn't really a factor for me. So I was wondering whether going to Nasca was worth the significant investment of time and money.

As is often the case in these situations I consulted our community and a colleague and based on their feedback decided to go. I have to agree these Lines are special and it’s a special experience. Flying above the deserted landscape you suddenly start to notice all the different forms and shapes the locals itched into the landscape. It’s not just the figures you know, e.g. the birds, but also the simple huge geometric forms. As a caveat, though, I need to point out that this is a 30min experience.

Prices

I think more or less all prices are the same. Expect to pay with all taxes and fees included around 100 USD for a 30min flight to the lines. There are also longer flight options available at higher prices. If you have your own transport you can probably haggle at the airport. But if you are relying on public transport and are short on time, I …

In October 2017, I made a day trip by minibus from Córdoba to Alta Gracia, the location of one of the estancias. The minibus stopped in Alta Gracia's center, from where it was a short walk to Plaza Manuel Solares and the estancia. From the estancia, it was a 15-minute walk, the first part along the estancia's reservoir, to the Museo Casa de Ernesto Che Guevara, where the world's most famous revolutionary lived in the 1930s. I also visited the Jesuit Block in Córdoba, which is now home to the city's natural history, paleontological and botanical museums, as well as a church and library.

In October 2017, I made a day trip by bus (which run every few minutes) from Santiago to Valparaíso, the dilapidated port city. The city’s golden age was from the mid-nineteenth century until 1914, when the Panama Canal opened — after the canal opened, ships from the eastern United States and Europe could transit the isthmus instead of voyaging around Cape Horn, so fewer ships called on Valparaíso. Nowadays, the former “Jewel of the Pacific” is best known for the graffiti that wallpapers nearly every exposed surface of the ramshackle buildings that line its cobbled streets and alleys.

While I generally avoid walking tours, and, in fact, can't recall having taken any other, I did join Tours 4 Tips "free" (tip only) walking tour (https://tours4tips.com/tour/valparaiso-highlights/) that took in the port city's highlights, including Plaza Sotomayor, the funiculars, the hills of Cerro Alegre and Concepcion, and the "best" graffiti. The streets are labyrinthine and the maps terrible, so it would have been much more difficult to have attempted to find all of these sights without a guide, especially because I had only allotted myself a day in Valparaiso.

We have made two Canal trips in France the latest during Aug/September this year. Although we love the experience, we were horrified to discover that boat effluent is being dumped in the waterway. This was not our understanding as we were told that the toilet mascerator separated solids from liquid and this was disposed of at port dumps. Unfortunately, this is not regulated and often we heard that people were told to just dump their toilet into the Canal.This is an UNESCO World Heritage site and as such, one would assume care of the Canal would be of prime importance. Obviously, we realise now the reason for the putrid water.

This beautiful palace is located on the way from Fontainebleau to Paris. I was quite surprised as in the rainy Sunday afternoon the palace attracted more tourists than Fontainebleau and its large parking was almost totally occupied.

Entrance fee is 17 EUR normal, 13.5 reduced, so it is quite expensive, but the palace is a private property and its maintenance is, I assume, consuming lots of resources. The total area of the palace and the huge gardens is 500 hectares, out of which the formal French garden, which requires a lot of care, is 33 hectares.

The palace’s construction commenced in 1656 by Nicolas Fouquet, high official in Louis XIV court. Very soon the owner was arrested and condemned to life sentence. Ancestors of the current owners bought the palace in XIXth century.

Currently the palace is quite well preserved and it takes some time to visit it properly. If you want to visit the huge garden, there are melexes that can take tourists – distances are indeed quite big. According to the brochure provided, visiting the palace and all garden area with huge Hercules statue requires half a day tour.

The palace is one of the earliest entries on French T-List (1996) and no information was provided on its possible inscription. I am also not aware what could be an outstanding universal value of the object but anyway it was a pleasant visit not only for WHS or TWHS fans.

In October 2017, I made a long day trip from Santiago to Sewell Mining Town. Weekend trips organized by VTS (http://www.vts.cl) depart at 8:30 am from the international coffee chain just outside Baquedano metro station, one of the major transfer stations, and return to the same location around 7:30 pm, nearly 11 hours later.

If you take the trip on a Sunday, as I did, bear in mind that the tour does not stop for lunch (included) until after the visit, around 4:30pm, and that most local stores in Santiago don't open on Sundays until after the departure time, so you won't be able to purchase breakfast or snacks until the first stop, more than an hour after departure, outside a supermarket in Rancagua, where other visitors join the tour.

In October 2017, I made an easy, but long, day trip by bus from Puerto Montt to Castro, probably the best base from which to visit the wooden churches. One of the best wooden churches, the Church of San Francisco, is next to Castro's bus station. I arrived in Castro around 11:30 am, so was able to visit the interior of the church, which on the day of my visit was open from early morning to noon, closed early afternoon, and then reopened in the late afternoon.

Since I only had a few hours to visit several of the shingled churches, I booked a tour with Pehuén Expediciones (http://www.turismopehuen.cl), a local operator that I found while on my way for lunch at one of the restaurants in Castro's palafitos, traditional wooden stilt houses that sit above a tidal flat. There were other operators around the main square, and I expect they can set up similar day trips. I organized a few-hour tour (45,000 Chilean Pesos, approximately US$70) to visit three nearby wooden churches. We first drove around 20 minutes to the farthest church, the Church of Chonchi (I arrived around 2:30 pm and the interior was open). While heading back to Castro, we stopped at the Church of Vilupulli (it was locked, but my guide was able to drive to a local school and return with a neighbor who maintained the key; after our visit, we returned her to the school -- without a guide, I doubt I would have …

As first stop on my visit to Peru, me and a friend set off to Pachacamac. I wanted to get the vibe of the country and see how public transport works. So I figured venturing 30km South of Lima was a good start.

Pachacamac was a coastal settlement at the end of the Qhapaq Nan. The hill offered a good defensive position and that's also where you find the main part of the ruins. I was somewhat reminded of a Greek Akropolis. The key ingredient for the town, though, seems to have been the wetlands which allowed for agriculture and easy access to water.

OUV

Frankly, the site was rather underwhelming. I would not favor inscription on its own. It's still fine as a day trip from Lima, especially if you take one of the collectivos passing through the suburbs. One thing that amazed me, is how much of a desert the area actually is.

WHS Yes/No

In the forum you can find Pauls extensive discussion if Pachacamac is a WHS already, being a component of the Qhapaq Nan. On the one hand side, you would assume large Unesco signs being on display for an inscribed site and the local staff to know about it: There aren't and they dont.

On the other hand side, having walked to the GPS coordinate shown on our map, I also doubt that a random Peruvian neighborhood street would be inscribed just because it follows the historic path. So, who knows. My hunch …

UNique - 7/10

The second capital of Russia could not be more different from the official one. The commercial gloss and modernity of Moscow gives way to the historic tarnish and culture of Saint Petersburg. This is not to say that the city is not impressive or beautiful, quite the opposite, as the lack of a gleam allows for a certain charm and cosiness which money can't always provide. Despite having been designed as the imperial city with its many palaces, squares and avenues, Saint Petersburg is replete with a variety of lesser-known communal places, hidden in the courtyards, narrow alleyways and behind the deceptive storefronts.

ESsential - 8/10

Saint Petersburg is paramount to the development of the Russian history. The seat of Peter and Catherine (both the Greats, but each in their own individual way), the starting point of the Bolshevik revolution, the site of the most brutal siege during the Second World War, the city is a treasure trove of historical and cultural artifacts, as each new turn reveals a residence of a famous writer or a beautiful building or a shady waterway. There are simply too many places of interest to list them all, and one simply has to allow themselves time to comprehensively experience the city.

COst-effective - 4/10

Chances are that if time is not exactly a limit on your trip to Saint Petersburg, then the money will soon become. Saint Petersburg is not a cheap city to experience with accommodations, food and entrances to …

Russia's natural beauty is something to behold. Even though I'm not a fan of hiking myself and I much prefer city landscapes, after being dragged kicking and screaming, and, sometimes even crying (hello Avachinskiy volcano), I would stop, marvel at the beauty around me and appreciate something much older and bigger than myself.

This WHS comprises of several sites. We visited the Caucasus Nature Reserve from two sides: once from Krasnaya Polyana near Sochi and once from the Adygea Republic. The first visit was during our summer visit to Sochi and Abkhazia. The trip to the grounds of the Nature Reserve was surprisingly easy: you take the ski lift to Gazprom ski centre in Krasnaya Polyana and then either hike to the grounds of the park, or if you're super lazy like me, ride on a horseback. It's an hour-long ride at a comfortable pace and no particular horseriding skills are required - the horses are trained to follow the horse-behind in frot of them.

The next time we explored it better, through a weekend trip to Adygea. We spent two nights in Guzeripl' and entered the core zone from there. Apart from forest trails there are also old dolmens and a museum. Then we rode to the other side of the mountain and hiked around Lago Naki plateau. Bear in mind that Russian natural trails aren't very well marked so either get someone who knows their way, or be prepared to get lost. In that case, know how to …

In October 2017 I visited Talampaya National Park by public transport from La Rioja, which is much easier than I was led to believe by the information I read on various websites. I took the 7:00 am bus operated by Facundo from La Rioja, destination Villa Unión, which travels through Talampaya National Park. Around three hours from La Rioja, the bus passes the park's main entrance, where the bus will stop upon request (I was the only passenger to disembark at the park, so don't rely on others to request the stop). The bus arrived at the main entrance just after 10:00 am.

From the highway stop, it's a few minute walk to the administration building (restaurant, tours, restroom, etc.). I canvassed the various tours, but all of the vehicular tours of the park are essentially the same and make the same four stops (petroglyphs, a shaded area with a variety of plants, and two different areas known for sandstone formations). The only decision was whether to take a minibus, overland truck or full-size bus. I opted for the overland truck since passengers are allowed to ride in seats bolted to its roof, allowing a 360° view, but all of the vehicles follow the same route, so it hardly matters. The tours follow a dry riverbed through a vertiginous red sandstone canyon searching for 1500-year old petroglyphs (several), wildlife (not much) and unusual stone formations (plenty), some of which are enormous.

The tours last about three hours. I took the …

Lake Baikal is one of those WHSs you can dedicate more time to and you will not regret it. And while we're at it, let me recommend you to plan your visit for winter, when the lake is under the ice. Not only is your scope of activities wider and modes of transportation more flavourful, but the whole experience would be that much more enjoyable. There is nothing like the majestic lake crusted with a thick layer of ice clear as glass.

Ivan and I went in March 2016 and took two guests with us: Ivan's brother-in-law and his classmate from the university, then created a custom trip for eight days around lake Baikal with a local tour operator Baikalika. They arranged accomodation and transport for us and a guide for a short three-hour-long sightseeing trip around Irkutsk. From there we drove to the Olkhon Island, spent two nights there, having many fun activities on the frozen lake (picnic on the ice, skating, exploring the ice caves, etc.) and enjoying our evenings in banya in our accomodation complex in Khuzhir. Incidentally, Khuzhir is a great place to explore in its own right. People still live there but it has this curious feeling of being forsaken and in abandon, helped by the rusting ships half sinking, frozen, with ice shards all around them. Shrines around Olkhon represent the two aspects of the local spiritual culture: the Buddhist and the Shamanist, each of them fascinating.

From Olkhon we moved on to Buguldeyka …

In October 2017, I spent a few days at Península Valdés, probably the best place on the South American mainland to see marine wildlife, where I saw nesting Magellanic penguins (the penguins were generally indifferent to visitors and waddled to within a few feet of me, often too close for photography), southern right whales (which visit the warm waters surrounding the peninsula between May and December to mate and give birth), guanacos, rheas and Patagonian mara. But the best wildlife viewing was around 50 miles from Puerto Madryn at Punta Ninfas, where my guide and I climbed down 300 ft cliffs to a rocky beach that’s home to several breeding harems of southern elephant seals. Due to the tricky descent, the beach doesn’t receive many visitors, and I was the only visitor during my three-hour stay. In addition to the elephant seals, I was lucky to see several killer whales patrolling the coastline, but they didn’t attempt to capture any of the baby seals resting along the shoreline — the area is famous for orcas that employ this unique hunting style. I visited the peninsula and Punta Ninfas with Marcos from Catalejo Travel -- he was one of the best naturalists that I have encountered.

I don’t normally review sites from UK but, having just returned from a visit to the “Slate Industry of N Wales” T List site, I was surprised to note that it has not yet been reviewed at all. Since it is relatively easy to take in whilst visiting Gwynedd Castles and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, WHS travellers might find the following info of use.

Just as S Wales is synonymous with “Coal”, N Wales is significantly linked to “Slate”. In the 19th C, Welsh slate roofed the burgeoning housing of London and elsewhere in UK and was also exported around the World - peak production was around 1831-78. Nowadays only some small scale production continues. The 7 areas identified for possible inscription follow a pattern set by the Devon/Cornwall mining site WHS - a number of mines, together with some towns/villages, often in the form of a cultural landscape, a port and some railways. For good measure add a 19th C Industrialist’s stately home and a university founded for the working class. These are scattered across N Wales and you will have to decide where to put your time and effort! It is perhaps worth mentioning a couple of things about slate extraction – first it can be carried out “open cast” in quarries or underground in mines. Both are represented within the 7 areas – our choice was to see an open cast example. These are spectacular in size when viewed in terms of the technology available and the humans …

UNique - 5/10

Just outside of Sevastopol, Crimea, the ruins of the nearly 2500-year-old town of Chersonesos remind us of the wide-reaching influence of the ancient Greek civilization. Founded in the 5th century BCE, it has traded hands from the Greeks to the Romans to the Byzantine Empire. The influences of each civilization can be found in the architecture that is remaining to be visible for the present-day visitors. The site's highlight is the so-called 1935 Basilica (named after the year it was discovered), which, with its collapsed columns and doorways provide a picturesque landscape.

ESsential - 3/10

The city played an important part in the struggle between medieval Slavic kingdom of Kievan Rus and Byzantine Empire. Being the strongest northern outpost of Byzantium, it was subjected to numerous seiges by the Slavs. In 988, the town was captured by Kievan Prince Vladimir, who negotiated a peace treaty with the Byzantine Emperor Basil II, which included marrying Basil's daughter. Such an arrangement with a pagan caused an outrage in Constantinople, and Vladimir was forced to convert to Christianity. According to the legend, Vladimir was baptized in Chersonesos, an event which paved for the Christianization of the entire Kievan Rus.

COst-effective - 7/10

The site can be easily visited by a Sevastopol bus or marshrutka. The entrance to the site is free, however the entry to the exhibitions and guided tours cost 100 and 400 rubles respectively.