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Who could have known that a skiing region would still be snow covered in Mid-April? Apparently everyone but me and two Spaniards, because we were the only ones hiking in Pirin National Park that day.

The trails were covered by snow and hard to find. It was quite a strenuous effort just getting to Vihren hut which normally would be the start pointing for a proper exploration of the park. And it took me 30min just figuring out where the trail actually started. On the upside it was a pleasure hiking in the snow covered landscape for myself.

I get Solivagant’s comment about the OUV of the site. If this is inscribed, every second mountain valley in Switzerland should be on the list. But well, it was a nice contrast to the sunny coast in Greece.

Getting There

Bansko is well connected by bus. As stated in my Philippi review you can also travel onwards to Kavala in Greece. The train connection sounds fantastic, but is very time consuming. Also the schedule didn’t work out for me. Bansko in general is fairly pleasurable as skiing resort towns go.

Getting In

To get into the National Park from Bansko you can take the cable car. It seems it also operates during summer months for hikers. You will be in the park, but in the ominous buffer zone due to the area being developed for skiing. From there you can hike on to the huts. Banderitsa …

When our car crossed Pont de Pierre and we saw the whole skyline with the long row of stately buildings along the Garronne and Porte de Bourgogne at the end of the bridge was like a symbolic city gate, Bordeaux welcomed us with its really grand appearance. This was my second time I visited Bordeaux, but last time I travel by train and did not have a chance to see this fantastic view. After hotel check in, we drove our car to see the city, the traffic was really bad as there were many junctions, and the new tram system also added more traffic lights. Bordeaux’s city center was like little Latin Quartier of Paris with many fine buildings, nice but nothing remarkable.

In my opinion the only part of the city that made Bordeaux stunning is the riverside, all the beaux art buildings seem to be transported from Paris grand boulevards of Baron Haussmann. The crescent shape of the riverside made the whole view of these buildings more magnificent and looked endless. We decided to park our car near Place des Quinconces that unfortunately closed for preparation of city festival. We walked to see the famous Place de la Bourse, the square was indeed very grand and the best sight of Bordeaux. The riverside terrace was a popular place for evening exercise, I saw many joggers, cyclists and many safety patrols. Flèche Saint-Michel, the gothic tower of Basilica of Saint Michael was a landmark dominating the southern part …

For those who have been to Meteora before, it may come as a surprise: It wasn’t that high on my list. Indeed, my original plan had been to skip it entirely. But then several factors (Mount Athos permit being granted, my flight being rescheduled and my family having a get together) forced me to redo my schedule with one day to spare for going to Meteora. Lucky me. Because apart from saving money on the flight home I got to take in this great site. It truly ranks with the best.

Of the six monasteries I visited three: St Nicholas, Rousanou and Varlaam. Great Meteora was closed for the day, but I made my way to the gate and viewpoint. The highlight, though, was hiking up the mountains and taking in the stunning views of monasteries and landscape.

It’s true that the big monasteries are overrun with tour groups. The area you can visit per monastery is quite limited and a few busloads will quickly bog down all traffic. In one case a tour guide felt the need to do a lecture in a tiny chapel blocking all ins and outs. A better crowd management would come in handy. Luckily, the bus loads don’t visit all monasteries. They are limited to those offering proper parking. As a consequence, the smaller ones are more relaxed.

My personal highlight was Saint Nicholas as you got to see more of the inside rooms than elsewhere. It’s the lowest one …

Not sure how and why, but I got in. As Ian can attest, I didn’t believe it would work out till I held my official permit (diamonitirion) in my hands and had boarded the ferry. And then it settled in, I did it!

Given Mount Athos’ restrictions on visitors, I was one of ten non Orthodox male visitors that day. Albeit visitor is the wrong term as everybody is considered a pilgrim. Please bear that in mind when you travel there.

In addition 100 Orthodox Christians are allowed entry each day. At least that’s what is communicated officially. When I looked at the large crowd on my return ferry and the hard time I had to get a seat, I came to doubt, if they really stick to these numbers each and every day.

On Mount Athos I visited two major monasteries (Agiou Panteleimonos and Xeropotamou) and a skiti (Evaggelismos tis Theotokou). I hiked along the coast line taking in the gorgeous scenery and nature the monasteries are embedded in. Seeing Klaus brought it up, this is a mixed site and I feel deservedly so. I visited in spring and all flowers were in bloom. The trees colored the mountain sides in a lush green. And the entry restrictions of the area serve as a perfect protection from the mass tourism found all along the Greek and Turkish coast.

I stayed overnight at the Russian monastery. It was undergoing heavy construction work and looks …

When we planned the trip, my friends and I already expected that our visit to Saint Emilion must be not enjoyable because visiting in March, there is almost nothing in the vineyards, and because two of our group don’t drink alcohol, and one has to be a driver, so visiting chateaux for wine testing for just one person in the group seem to be pointless. Anyway, we still kept Saint Emilion in our plan expecting good weather and great view from this medieval town; however, when we arrived the town, there was shower, and it was really cold. We decided to look around the town which was quite prosperous and lovely but really quiet as all the shops were closed and no one came out in such bad weather. My friends also angrily cursed the expensive parking fee so that we decided to park our car outside the town.

We roamed around the wet and quiet town, luckily that the town was great. Many buildings were beautiful, and many small alleys were really pretty with flower and ivy. We saw the famous Monolithic Church, which was interesting and the Tour du Roy, an old tower, a really nice place for photograph where we could get a perfect view of the whole town. We went to a recommended spot to see the view of countless tiled roof which was really nice indeed. During our visit the only shop that still opened were the wine shops. When we looked …

It is located in western Hubei, not easy to arrive here by bus or by train, it takes 3 or 4 hours from Yichang, the nearest big city. Tickets are very expensive, especially considering the poor service, not a good experience. Car hiring are highly recommended, and don't trust the local drivers easily.

When I heard the news that France has opened the new Lascaux International Center or commonly known as Lascaux IV, I immediately asked my friends to visit this new museum as part of our trip to Andorra which seemed to be a great place to see. The tickets were very easy to secure by online booking from the Lascaux’s website and maybe our visit happened in March, there were plenty of free slot of tour to choose. We arrived the village of Montignac 50 minutes before our tour started, but because of many detours from road construction in the center of village and our GPS did not know this new site, we got lost and arrived at museum carpark 10 minutes before the tour started.

The stunning museum complex building is very modern but well integrated with overall nearby landscape. We met our guide who is excellent in French accent English. Our tour group was only 10 persons. The museum also provides an excellent hi-tech audio guide with personal ipad liked machine. First of all, our guide took us to the roof of the complex to explain the environment of Vezere River Valley, then we went to see a presentation of what this area was looked like in ancient time in each season especially the common wild animal and the story of how Lascaux has been rediscovered by local teens. Our guide took us to the small open corridor next to the forest while played the record of dog …

The levadas of Madeira island are a system of channels and aqueducs collecting waters from the mountains and bringing them down to the coastal areas, for irrigation of lands or hydroelectric plants.

Levadas are widespread around the island. They pass through forests (notably the Laurisilva Forest on the WHL), going hillside, hanging on almost vertical cliffs or going through tunnels. Building them was an engineering achievment, Madeirans are very proud of. This project can be compared with the “Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman”. For me, it clearly has an OUV.

Many hiking trails follow the course of the levadas. A practical guide is published by Rother Wanderfuhrer, available in German , English and French (rother.de).

A presentation of this project, in portuguese but with some nice picture is avaiblable on the following link : (http://www.ppa.pt/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/1.-Miguel-Sequeira.pdf)

I visited Madeira a few years ago. Walking along the levadas is one of the most rewarding experience on this island. Choose carefully the levada you going to visit, especially if you fear heights, as some are litterally hanging on cliffs, and you get to walk on a 50 cm large stone wall above the abyss without any guardrails.

I recommend the upper part of the Levada do Norte, as one of the most impressive levada (but be extremely careful however, as a british women died after falling from the trail in november 2016), or the Ribeira de Janela, going in a valley deep in the Laurisliva WHS forest. A quieter levada (also in the …

Sometimes when you travel with family or friends, you are limited in the amount of time you can spend visiting World Heritage Sites; accordingly, my visits to the Palau de la Música Catalana and the Hospital de Sant Pau in May of 2013 were quite literally superficial. In some ways, I didn't mind, since I rather prefer Art Deco-style architecture to Art Nouveau, but I would have liked to have seen the insides of both buildings, which were designed by local architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner in the early 20th century. When I visited the hospital, a large crane was in front of the building, so we didn't spend much time there beyond taking photos. I was able to visit the Palau twice during my time in Barcelona, but was unable to take a tour because we arrived at the wrong time of day (which didn't particularly bother my friend who was by this time very tired of visiting museums or buildings). I appreciated the outside of the Palau, with its distinctive columns, mosaics, and tilework; however, it is very hard to photograph because of all the surrounding buildings. One day I'll have to return to see the inside, which looks fascinating in photos.

Logistics: Both sites are accessible by Barcelona's Metro system. The Palau de la Música Catalana can be reached via the Urquinaona stop on Lines 1 and 4; the Hospital de Sant Pau can be reached via the Sant Pau/Dos de Maig stop on Line 5 or …

At the time of my visit (April 2017) only the royal tombs museum is open and can be visited. As previous reviewers have pointed out the combination of excavation site with actual graves plus the artifacts found on site and all of that hosted within the original hill is unique. Still, it’s a fairly quick visit. And personally, having a bit more lightening would have helped; I found the rooms way too dark without a reason.

The palace area is currently under renovation. I climbed nonetheless to get a bit more out of my visit. From the little I could see from the outskirts heavy construction works are taking place. Don’t expect this to be open for the foreseeable future. A pity, if you ask me, as I am hard-pressed to see why you would have to lock up the whole area and could’t keep parts of the site open for viewing. The only part you can view is the theater area.

Getting There

The official website refers to frequent busses between Vergina and Veria. When I arrived in Veria around 2 p.m. the next bus was to run at 8 p.m. I ended up taking a cab back and forth (17€ and 15€). Taxis are frequent in Veria. In Vergina I had the gas station call a cab.

Vergina is well connected by frequent busses (1h express, 1.5h normal) and far less frequent trains (1h) to Thessaloniki. The train station is outside town with cabs …

I visited this site in 2007.

Whenever someone tells me they are going to Japan, especially if they are going to Kyoto and Nara, I tell them to take the time to go to Horyuji.

Getting here is simple. It is an easy walk from the train station, and you can visit on a day trip from either Kyoto or Nara.

It is home to the world's oldest wooden buildings. Given the flammable nature of wood, it is remarkable that they have survived as long as they have.

Give yourself 1-2 hours to visit the temple and related sites. It is much less crowded than the sites in Kyoto or Nara, and more relaxing.

Read more about the Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area on my website.

I visited here in 2007.

Nara is a former imperial capital of Japan and served as the capital before Kyoto.

While there are many attractions here, the biggest (literally) is the Todaiji Temple, which is the largest wooden building in the world. It makes for a great bookend with Hyruji if you like wooden building superlatives.

You can visit Nara via a day trip from Kyoto, but I think there is enough there to justify at least an overnight stay if possible.

Read more about the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara on my website.

I visited this site in 2007.

Like many of the European world heritage sites which encompass an entire city (Paris, Rome, etc) Kyoto is probably the grandest and most encompassing world heritage site in Japan.

Kyoto was specifically spared bombing in WWII by the allies because of its history. Unfortunately, many of the buildings did not survive the post-WWII modernization fervor in Japan.

Nonetheless, there is plenty to see in Kyoto and you can easily spend several days in the city viewing historic shrines and temples.

This is a must see for any tour of Japan.

Read more about the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto on my website.

Mt. Pulag is the highest peak in Luzon island (the third highest in the Philippines), and is arguably the most effectively managed National Park in the country. It is being nominated under (ix) and (x) biodiversity - and rightly so, as this site best represents a unique array of endemic flora and fauna of the Cordillera Biogeographic Zone.

Despite its mighty height, Pulag is one of the country's easiest hikes. The grassland peak can be reached within 5-6 hours of gentle trek.

Several protected areas are found within the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, the longest in the Philippines, at 680km-420mi from Cagayan province in the north to Quezon province in the south. One of the protected areas found in the mountain range is the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, also the country's largest protected area.

It is a biodiverse site, a home to a number of PH "flagship" species like the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) and the Philippine freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis). The enclosed photo is one of the many crocodile lakes found along the western side of the park, close to the buffer zone. The crocodiles are currently under the care of the PH environment, the local communities and the Mabuwaya Foundation, a conservation NGO.

Mt. Malindang is found in Mindanao island, in southern Philippines. The Malindang mountain range is not only a biodiverse site (home to a number of endemics), it is also blessed with crazy beautiful natural scenery, such as volcanic calderas which are now crater lakes, waterfalls, canyons and hot springs.

It is home to the Subanon indigenous people, the caretakers and residents of the mountain.

The Talaiotic Culture is an ancient society established on the Balearic Island between the Iron Age and its replacement by the Punic and the Roman cultures. Menorca Island has many stone remains of that culture, of which 25 are to be considered to be nominated as WHS.

I used to have family vacation on Menorca, the least developed and most natural island on the Balearic Islands. Vacation on Menorca is rather laid-back. Development on Menorca was slow, and unlike Ibiza and Mallorca, huge concrete hotels and vacation town are absent. Beaches are very nice, with clear blue water, often enclosed between trees-covered cliffs on both sides.

The talaiotic remains are spread out all over the island, and you cannot miss them (least of all one just after exiting the airport coumpound). It would take some time to cover all of the 25 sites. Public transport is efficient, but renting a car is cheap and would save a lot of time. I would recommend to at least see the two most emblematic sites, which are Es Tudons and Talati de Dalt.

Getting to visit those archeological sites, you quickly have to get used to some vocabulary:

-"navetas", which are pyramide-like funeral buildings, only found on Menorca. The name naveta come from the catalan word for boat, as those structures often look like upside-down boats.

-"taula" which are ceremonial vertical monoliths which is topped by an horizontal stone (forming a T or a table). The name taula comes from catalan word for …

Butuan in nothern Mindanao is synonymous to the balangays, or the archaeological remains of large open-air wooden boats. The balangay is a testimony to the rich maritime history of the Philippines. These boats are declared National Cultural Treasures, and are considered prehistoric link of the Philippines with the rest of insular Southeast Asia (and beyond).

The excavation sites in Butuan are now under the management of the National Museum, and as mentioned by the museum caretaker, have more artifacts to reveal. In fact, there is more to discover in the city of Butuan, not just in the areas along the river delta (where the balangays were excavated), but also in its nearby hills/mountains.

Off the beaten track abbey church of Saint Savin sur Gartempe was on my wish list to visit for quite a long time since my first visit to Poitou region 11 years ago. When our family friend asked us to choose between La Rochelle or Saint Savin for next day trip, and my young nephew wanted to see aquarium desperately, so I had to go to La Rochelle instead as the idea to see abbey with fresco was sounded too boring for him. After that day, I had no opportunity to revisit Poitou. So, when my friends and I planned to have vacation on Pyrenees by selves-drive, Saint Savin immediately came up as one of the must stops during this long journey.

After great late lunch in Bordeaux, I drove as fast as I could to reach Saint Savin before 4 PM which is one hour before its closing time. At the end we arrived Saint Savin, a very pretty village, at 4.35 PM, since it was almost closing time, the abbey staff allowed us to see the famous church with no concern of ticket. When we entered the church, my friends and I were deeply impressed by its warm earth tone interior. However instead of the famous fresco, the colorful columns along the nave and aisle first caught our attention. These columns are really pretty for its pastel colors and the way of its coloring to mimic the colorful marble almost liked sweet stick candies. To my surprised …

On the way back from Andorra via Toulouse, my friends and I decided to stop for a night in Albi to visit one of newest World Heritage of France. Before I planned to visit this city, I asked my friends who graduated from Toulouse and spent couples of years in that region, to my surprised none of them had been to Albi, so I initially thought Albi to be just a small normal French city that off the beaten track with few visitors. But when I approached Albi from highway, I was surprised that Albi is quite prosperous and has large young population and when I reached its historic quarter, even on weekday in March, I saw substantial number of tourists around its gigantic cathedral.

The first place we visited was the famous Cathedral of Saint Cecilia, one of the largest brick buildings in the world. Its enormous size and unique design are already really impressive and can be seen from far away. Its interior is absolutely stunning and really contrast to its exterior. The cathedral’s nave size is very large together with side chapels making this cathedral to be very spacious. The decoration is really rich with impressive stunning wall painting of many colorful motif and its ceiling is amazingly golden blue. The quality of this Italian styled renaissance painting in Albi Cathedral is really a true masterpiece. Its choir and transept are also impressive. If this cathedral is located near Paris, it surly would be one …