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Valle di Lodano, August 2024

Valle Maggia is a large alpine valley in Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, extending some 60 kilometers from Locarno to the north towards the Gotthard Massif, which forms the watershed between the North Sea and the Mediterranean. Many smaller side valleys extend from Valle Maggia, one of which being the Valle di Lodano, which forms part of the larger Valli di Lodano, Busai and Soladino forest reserves. Unusually, the flanks of the valleys in this part of the Alps are covered not by conifers such as firs or spruce but by broadleaves – mainly beech, extending from the floor of the valley almost all the way up to the mountain ridges.

From Lodano the mountains rise dramatically into the sky, creating an almost surreal atmosphere of raw, “primal” nature. Lodano itself has a split personality: the picturesque old village of typical rustici, traditional local buildings made from unplastered granite stones – this is where the tourists live – and a modern new town (new village) next to it where the locals live. The village is connected to Locarno, a major transportation hub, by super-regular (every half hour) buses which plow the length of Valle Maggia.

The village makes the most of its UNESCO-designation, with multiple informative panels introducing the history and significance of the protected alpine beech forest. However, some care must be taken, as these panels show the protected area (“Buffer zone (protection)” in the nomination file), and not …

This is already inscribed as "Cold Deserts of Turan" but not removed perhaps it wants to be added again? I don't think so and I hardly believe it was worth inscribing in the first place. If you come from Bukhara (Uzbekistan) you'll pass this momentarily as until today there is no real way around it. In 2025 they plan to finish the tolled motorway that goes around and you may miss it but fear not - you won't miss anything. For one you aren't actually allowed to enter the park without permit not that you will get one but the old road goes directly through it and there are some side paths you can take to get further into the park. I asked the guide if we can make a stop and he was glad to halt for a bit. There is the town to Repetek itself and abandoned areas further north. The main thing you will see are sand and trash, electricity wires and ...cars. Oh, I saw a dog.

According to the driver in late spring the area will all be green because it rained and the plants will thrive. The other times of the year it's sandy and hot/cold - in my case it was hot. There are also many animals to see AT NIGHT so daytime I saw absolutely nothing. We are talking wolves, foxes, snakes, all who find it too hot to come out in the summer hear. The area also goes way beyond …

I drove from Sofia because public transport (a bus which doesn’t run regularly and will only take you to nearby Bansko) seemed a bit complicated and I was tight for time. I parked somewhere near the Vihren hut and hiked up from the hut for about 3-4 hours. In hindsight, and of course if I had more time, staying in Bansko would have been a decent option as it looked like a nice albeit probably quite touristy place.

There are colour coded maps all over the park. I seem to remember taking the red coloured path from the hut and came across a lot of the big lakes. Quite a few people (I think a decent amount were locals too) seem to use these areas by the lakes as picnic spots, and even more people were going on long hikes, which was quite surprising as I expected it to be pretty quiet. But it seems that lots of people go to this park!

I was really surprised how beautiful this place is given the somewhat low average review. The lakes are really the highlight and make the sometimes strenuous hiking really worth the while. The view of the surrounding mountains, especially the big mountain Vihren, is also pretty cool. Perhaps it is just a lot nicer during the summer than the winter when the ski resort is in full swing. Who knows, but I really liked this place. Didn’t see any brown bears or snakes though, which I’m …

I visited this site recently (August 2024) and would like to share my experience, particularly regarding the palace. I hiked up towards the palace from the Royal Tombs at Aigai; it took about 25 minutes. Along the gravel path, I had to pass through some private properties. Fortunately, the owners are okay with visitors passing through, though the road signs could be clearer.

At the palace site, a few Doric columns and remnants of mosaics still stand, offering a glimpse into its former grandeur. According to the information board, this palace was the largest building in Classical Greece. It’s fascinating to think that the nearby theater is the very place where Philip II was assassinated. Additionally, it was within this palace that Alexander the Great was proclaimed king of the Macedonians.

There are a few staff members present to ensure visitors don’t step on marble stones or do anything inappropriate. I wish they could improve the facilities at this site, such as adding a small information center or even just placing ladders beside the mosaics so that I could see them more clearly.

Standing at the palace, it’s easy to understand why Philip II chose this location. The palace overlooks the northern plains, with hills and dense forests to the south, offering a strategic and scenic vantage point. It’s no wonder Philip II preferred Aigai Palace over the capital city of the Macedonian Kingdom, Pella, which is about 45 km north of Aigai/Vergina.

I also visited …

The ‘Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream’ (the adjusted official name) will be South Korea’s nomination for 2025. Especially at the Ulsan Petroglyphs Museum, located at the site entrance, they are confident that it will get inscribed. Information panels detail the milestones in the nomination process, a map is showing all rock art WHS worldwide, and I was presented with a booklet explaining the site’s OUV. I wouldn’t say it’s a great site from either an artistic or visitor experience perspective. Still, they have done their best to provide a satisfying visit that will take some 2.5-3 hours if you take in all components (the museum, the two panels of petroglyphs, and the dinosaur tracks) on foot. And it's all free.

The exhibition at the museum is a preview of what we will see in the nomination dossier: a compelling story about how the local people during the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age depended on whale hunting for their livelihood. They “loved” the whales so much that they made numerous engravings on the rocks by the riverside, possibly as a form of worship. Some sources say it's also the earliest evidence found so far of the practice of whaling worldwide, although this claim isn't repeated in the proposed OUV statement (it speaks of "a subject only rarely found in rock art worldwide").

The main set of petroglyphs is called Bangudae. I only succeeded in getting the upper photo of the two posted with this review …

The locals refer to this town as the "mini Dubrovnik" and despite it's very small size, it's easy to see why. With the town fortifications lapped by the clear waters of the Adriatic it does bear more than a passing similarity. That's where the comparisons end for me, Dubrovnik has become a victim of its own success. Overrun with tourists and Game of Thrones fans the city is too crowded and too expensive to be enjoyable anymore whereas Korcula, with its shaded alleyways, quiet squares and waterside restaurants is the antithesis of its big brother.

Having been lucky enough to visit countless towns and villages all over the Mediterranean, I would venture to put Korcula in my top 5 prettiest coastal villages, it really is that nice.

The fortifications and the town walls are impressive structures and it's easy to see why the site was nominated for inclusion.

Epidaurus is very famous, and I heard its name since I was a kid as almost every documentary about ancient Greek civilization had to mention its impressive amphitheater. For such well known site, I was not surprised to see hundreds of tourists when I arrived Epidaurus in one late summer day evening, it seemed to me that many came to visit in such time to avoid heatwave in the afternoon. Fortunately, that those were on their way back and when I secured my 12 EUR entrance ticket, the site was relatively peaceful.

The first sight I saw was the iconic amphitheater and indeed the theater is very amazing, the best of its kind. The place was set with temporary stage and lighting system for summer play. I climbed to the top to appreciate the whole structure and its impressive acoustic. At least every five to ten minutes, must be someone clapped their hand to make the sound to test this incredible genius ancient design. Then I walked around the archaeological park to see other ruins which mostly are just foundation with some fine columns, to be honest there was nothing much to see, which was disappointing when compared to Delphi and Olympia or even nearby Mycenae. Then I walked back to see museum, the exhibition was mostly statues. The highlight of the museum maybe the way of display, which is very old style, but I really enjoyed it, especially the section that show roof and head of column details.

I'm not too sure about this one. They're mostly nondescript office buildings (okay, one has apartments) which I checked out after the Democratic convention. There are three of them right next to the Harold Washington Library at the south end of the fabled loop. 

I can understand why much of the architecture of Chicago would be considered WHS-worthy, but aside from the age, there's not any reason for these buildings over any of the others there. The city has so much great architecture that the choice is a mystery. Also, all of these are private and the owners want to demolish them and build the best of what architects have to offer. 

Worth the visit if you are there on other business. 

This hardly qualifies as a review, since my experience with Qhapaq Ñan is limited to the central Cuzco in May of 2024. But since this experience contains a couple of relative mishaps, recounting it could prevent someone from making the same mistakes.

First of all, the Cuzco central area location is not listed among the 137 components of Qhapaq Ñan on the site's official page on whc.unesco.org. I was questioning previous reviewers' contentions that it was included until Els stressed to me the "273 components" number found in the official description and directed me to take a look at the nomination file instead of the location listing. And yes, the component "Plaza Inca Hanan Haukaypata (PE-HH-01/CS-2011)" is basically Cuzco's Plaza de Armas with four roads leading from it in four directions.

I found myself in the exact geographical location that was included in the serial property. I took hundreds of pictures of the main square of Cuzco but none of them by themselves could serve as photographic evidence for Qhapaq Ñan. So I spent probably an hour scouring every square meter of the main square in search of the central road network marker that Clyde referenced in his review. And could not find it. I even asked a couple of policemen for help – they directed me to the small garden in front of the Companía church where you can find a number of commemorative stones, just not what I needed. They probably did not understand what I …

I need to say this is a non-visit for me and thus also no picture. Your main objective to visit would be the wild ass population if you are into that. I take it your are not ;) I inquired about this place for my trip and the answer was that even the guides can't enter without permission, that is IF you have permission for this trip alone which isn't likely. There are security checks as it is near the border of Afghanistan and thus you'll be sent back. The pro for the site is that it's in the middle of nowhere and the wildlife can thrive here.

One of the things I like most about visiting WHS is that it opens up lesser-known regions even when the WHS itself isn’t too great. This is certainly the case for Sado Island, a lovely example of a slowish, rural Japan. Sado's size is fairly large, it even is the second largest island (after Okinawa) outside of the four main islands of Japan. Its other major tourist attraction in addition to the WH-listed Gold Mines is the Toki (Crested Ibis), which has been reintroduced here after it had become extinct in Japan.

I started my visit at the two mines of Sado Kinzan: Sohdayu (400 years old) and Dohyu (100 years old). The combined entrance fee is 1500 yen (9 EUR). You’re not forced on a guided tour here as is so common at other WH mines, dragging yourself behind a guide elaborating in Polish or Spanish. You just walk through the tunnels and see the exhibits at your own pace. The information is displayed in both Japanese and English. The OUV of the Sado mines lies in its Edo-period way of mining, but – as with Rosia Montana which is recognized for its Roman way of mining - it is hard to ‘unsee’ the alterations and additions later mining generations made at the same spot. I also did not notice anything particularly Japanese about the methods used, although, at the end of the tour of the Sohdayu mine, a display shows that Shinto rituals were performed to celebrate …

Kuressaara Fortress (or Episcopal Castle) is a well-restored fortress outside the lovely town of Kuressaara. If I understand well, even though many restorations have taken place, the basic structure still goes back to medieval times and that’s part of what gives it its historic value (but do correct me when I’m mistaken).

When we visited in 2011, work on the outer walls was very much in progress (photo), but looking at recent pictures on internet and Roman’s picture in the header of this THWS, that seems to have been completed by now. It’s an impressive fortress on the one hand, but to my personal taste also a bit ‘clean’ and not very adventurous to see. I didn’t really feel and smell its history, like I got e.g. from the walls of Tallinn. And other sites on the Saaremaa island left deeper memories, such as the WWII memorial sites, the spot of the lighthouse on the most southern tip, and the Kaali impact crater. If you go there, don’t just go for a quick look at the fortress (and the other TWHS, the Wooden Meadows), but stay a night or two to enjoy the nature of this beautiful island. 

You need to see this and it's on every Turkmenistan itinerary, however, I find the places near Mary nowhere near as good as Gonur which is further north through the desert. I was very disappointed with Merv before that spot. Then I noticed there are a few dozen spots as locations for the UNESCO property and the locals say UNESCO are stupid. Well basically the sites don't connect and weren't at the same time so you are combing them because of location only.

Gonur is a marvel though. It has hardly been excavated and will take a few more excavators to give their life like Victor did here. He spent over 40 years just exploring and digging, getting Turkmenistan citizenship in the meantime and being honest about it taking forever. "Don't excavate this building, I want to see the whole site first". Nowadays you can see the palace and surroundings but all houses outside of that are buried and you are basically stepping on them constantly. You will also step on pottery but it is apparently low quality stuff.

A trip to Gonur is usually only longet tours. It takes 2 hours from Mary just to reach it. There is also no road so it's desert sand roads almost all the way.

In off-season I was able to chat with the local staff a bit as they are still excavating in Spring and Autumn. They only speak Turkmen and Russia but the guide would help a lot. …

Just adding a review to note that, until December 31, 2024, there is an exhibit at the Hôtel Van Eetvelde (one of the Horta townhouses) entitled "Stoclet 1911 - Restitution". The exhibit includes a "virtual reconstruction" of the Stoclet House interior -- basically a CGI video, but one that gives you a fairly good sense of what the inside of the structure looks like, or what it looked like in 1911. (Think acres of clashing marble, covering every square inch.) The exhibit is the result of a collaboration of the Architecture Faculty La Cambre Horta and the Art & History Museum of Brussels, where it was displayed last year. it's not a perfect substitute for a visit, but it did suffice to provide a somewhat specific impression of the building's interior, and -- coupled with a glimpse of the building from the sidewalk -- was enough for me to consider the site "visited".

The odd name of this WHS has always intrigued me so I was very happy to finally visit Ir. D.F. Woudagemaal in April 2024. The parking lot of the steam pumping station was quite empty when I arrived on a Thursday afternoon. I arrived by car but I could imagine it's easy to arrive here by public transportation too, as the pumping station is right at the edge of the lovely town of Lemmer. The parking lot is few hundred metres away from the station but you'll see it already from the road. When you arrive you'll first enter the ticket/souvenir shop. Just like earlier on the same day at Schokland, the staff seemed bit confused to see non-Dutch visitor showing up. Besides the tickets, I picked up some brochures about Friesland region, they had quite good selection of them!

After buying the tickets you'll be asked to go to the futuristic looking visitor centre where a guide will be waiting for you. You first enter a room with huge picture of the pumping station that is made up of pictures of other World Heritage Sites! Quite fun idea! My English-speaking guide was already waiting for me and a group of Dutch visitors had their own guide already giving a tour to them. The visitor centre has a restaurant with great views over the fields and the IJssel Lake. My guide gave me a brief introduction of the pumping station's history inside the visitor centre and then we were …

I only visited the Hojapil State Landscape and Paleontological Sanctuary as far as I know. It's not easy getting around here but dinosaur footsteps are definitely something you can see, and should see. The footprints are big and all over the platform as seen in the pictures. It only takes a few minutes to reach and then you explore as much as you like, even though they are usually the same. A few spots has them in a pattern which is nice. Basically the idea is that the surface was hot or erupting and the stupid pterodactyls still walked around here before it got too bad. Nothing of what I wrote is proofen by what you see and you just have to believe the stories. The dinosaur footprints are definitely the thing to see though.

Other sites here include goat massage (you have to google to understand), virgin caves (you could google to understand but it's better not to), and a waterfall. There are more caves but getting there takes a lot of time and good clearance on your rented car. As you will be driving with a local anyway he will know where to go but he'll be confused if you want to visit some crap the tentative website told you rather than the stuff that's in front of you.

The way to the site includes passing Afghanistan (first time I had seen the other side) and Uzbekistan over the mountains. It's worth look at the pretty …

It has been a long, hot summer in Japan this year. It still affected Hokkaido’s Shiretoko NP when I visited in early September – with daily temperatures of about 26 degrees, it wasn’t what I had expected. No mist and clouds, and it looked more like Central Sweden during Midsummer than a place notorious for its seasonal sea ice. 

Before going, it is important to understand which of the ‘seasons’ you’re in: this strongly affects which activities you can do and what animals you might see. There’s the ‘Drift Ice Season’ (mid-January to early March), the ‘Bear Active Season’ (May-July) and the ‘Eco Preservation Awareness Season’ (August to mid-November). Outside these tourist months, everything will be closed and roads are impassable due to snow. I flew into Memanbetsu Airport and rented a car from there (it’s a 1.5h drive). You can also get around on public transport but there aren’t many buses a day.

In September, the main trail at the Shiretoko Five Lakes can be walked independently (in ‘Bear Active Season’ you may not). You do need to get a permit though at the Shiretoko Goko Field House (costing a nominal 250 yen) and they make you attend a 13-minute presentation about the do’s and don’ts in the forest, and especially how to behave around bears (Don’t run!). The 3km long hike mostly follows a trail through the forest, which occasionally opens up for each of the five lakes. Several of the Japanese hikers that …

I visited Paraty and Ilha Grande in March 2024, en route between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The Costa Verde bus first took me from Rio to Conceição de Jacareí. From there, numerous excursion boats and water taxis leave for Ilha Grande at a frequency and schedule that eluded me. I had to wait just over an hour and a half for mine to fill up and we finally set sail for a short 15-minute crossing. I got off at Abraão, where I spent the night. As the weather was grey and gloomy, I gave up the beach visits and snorkelling excursions in favour of hiking. From the western end of the beach, a path leads to the Cachoeira da Feiticeira waterfall. This path enters the Parque Estadual da Ilha Grande and thus the core zone of the WHS, as the island's tourist village is not itself part of it. As well as the pretty waterfall, the trail takes in a few viewpoints, some fine beaches and the photogenic ruins of an aqueduct. Keep your eyes peeled for the magnificent swallow-tailed manakin, but also watch where you step, as the path is loamy and very slippery. I spent the rest of my afternoon on the island walking on the beach and drinking caipirinhas in the shade of the palm trees.

The next day, I took the public ferry (which is much cheaper, but also less frequent) to Angra dos Reis (an 80-minute crossing). From there, I was able …

Two years after pre-Angkorian and Dvaravati arts tour with ICOMOS international experts in Cambodia and Thailand, I had received an invitation to join the second episode of this academic gathering but this time focusing on pre-Angkorian and Cham arts in Vietnam which I immediately decided to participate even though I already visited most of the Champa Sites but visiting Oc Eo of Funan was really tempting. The group of scholars and enthusiasts firstly met at Saigon and visited Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History to study many statues of Funan and Champa. Most of the statues are Vishnu and Buddha, interesting but the quality of Funan art displaying in Phnom Penh National Museum I saw two years ago are much better. Then we made a journey to Mekong delta region southwest of Ho Chi Minh City to the city of Long Xuyen with a brief stop to see Funan ruins in a small village of Go Thap.

On the next day we continued our travel to Oc Eo which is a medium size village not far from Long Xuyen. The whole landscape of this area is flatland of rice fields and orchards with sophisticated irrigation system of countless canals that prevent Mekong flooding. When we saw a group of lonely mountains, Ba The Mountain, in the middle of the sea of paddy field, we immediately knew that we finally arrived Oc Eo. We first went to the new Oc Eo Cultural Research Center and welcomed by …

I visited Cuzco in May of 2024. Echoing the previous reviewers, it is a lovely living town with a visible exceptional blend of pre-Columbian and Colonial design, boasting a number of superb points of interest.

The central plaza is the focal point of the historic center, presided over by two magnificent churches. La Compania is primarily interesting from the outside, while the cathedral unusually feels like being made up of three side-by-side churches and offers an additional highlight of the "Andean" Last Supper painting, featuring guinea pig as the main course and Francisco Pizarro as Judas. Balconies of the buildings surrounding the main square - and all around the town - are another visual highlight.

Quite a few other churches are worth stopping by or stepping into, but most importantly just walking around the central precincts of Cuzco (or climbing up to San Blas or San Cristobal) brings you to many fetching corners and perspectives.

Qorikancha is one of the top attractions in Cuzco, consisting of the Santo Domingo monastery built on top of the Inka temple. If you are into history and ethnography museums, both Museo Inka and Museo de Arte Precolombiano will be of interest to you with their superb collections. Keep in mind that none of the three attractions in this paragraph, nor the cathedral, are included in the Boleto Turistico.

Saqsaywaman and Qenqo are included in the Boleto and are located on one of the higher elevations right at the edge of …