All our reviews

Royal tombs of the Joseon dynasty are a group of 40 tombs located on 18 different sites. They were built between 1408 and 1966 to honor Joseon ancestors' memories. They are organized on the same basis, with gates and buildings at the entrance and tombs set on the top of little hills called tumulis. On the top of these tumulis are also set up different statues representing people (soldiers, religious) and animals (sheep, cow, horses).

Some of these sites are located in Seoul and can be easily visited, taking the subway to the stop Seollung on line 2 (green) for example to see three of the tombs.

It's very interesting to visit these complexes to approach Korean culture and traditions. They are a great stone in the wall of Korean culture.

In February 2012 only a trickle of visitors were making their way to this remote site. Access from Thailand was still not available, and the site could only be approached from Kor Muy in Cambodia. Here I obtained the necessary permit to visit the site (free). Armed with this document I boarded a 4WD pick-up for the hair-raising climb up the new and almost completed road to the temple.

At the top of the road I was met by Dina, an attractive tour guide who led me through the temple to the viewpoint beyond. From here the view over Cambodia was outstanding.

Despite a small amount of damage caused by shelling by Thai forces last year, the displays of intricate stone carvings remain.

In February the site was still heavily populated by Cambodian police and soldiers, however there were no weapons to be seen.

The ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza is located in the Yucatan peninsula. The place was the major religious centre of the area. Experts explain the presence of the city on this place by the existence of natural wells (Cenotes) allowing the supply of water in an area where water in a scarce resource.

The main elements of the site consist of the great pyramid of Kukulcan (el Castillo), the astronomic observatory (El Caracol), the field in which people were playing a ball game whose stakes were to have the honor of being sacrificed, the sacred Cenote where sacrifices were done and the one-thousand-columns building.

The great pyramid, 1000 years old, is 30 meters high and has been designed to create certain effects; for example, on the north-east stairs, the clapping echo becomes a sound looking like the flight of the quetzal (local bird). The total number of steps around the pyramid is 365, which indicate a link with the solar calendar.

This pre-Columbian city is a great testimony of Mayan civilization and its people's way of life several millenniums ago.

Like Frederik Dawson I visited all three of the areas included in this WHS. I travelled by bus from Phitsanulok railway station to Sukhothai. From here it was easy to reach the Sukhothai Historical Park, 12 kms away by minibus.

From the Sukhothai bus station I found buses heading north which stopped at Si Satchanalai. There were bicycles available for hire on arrival, but I chose to walk the 3 km to the temples.

Similarly there were regular bus services heading southwest to Kamphaeng Phet which stopped at both zones of the WHS.

I thought the ruins at Kamphaeng Phet to be better preserved than those at the other two locations. But both Si Satchanalai and Kamphaeng Phet were havens of solitude compared with the hordes of visitors at the Sukhothai park.

I visited the historical park of Sukhotai in February 2012. The place is amazing. It was the capital of the Sukhotai kingdom during the 13th and 14th centuries. Being given up for centuries, the place has been well renovated by the Thai government. The park consists of almost 200 buildings, more or less in a good state of preservation. Several Buddhist statues are still in place and many temples worth a visit. A good way to go through the park from one place to another is to take a tuk-tuk at the entrance. Sukhotai is one of the best preserved examples of Southeast Asian ancient city and in spite it is far from Bangkok, the place is worth really the travel.

I visited the ancient Portuguese colony of Macau in November 2011. The historic center is really beautiful and presents a great testimony of what was a colonial city. Enjoy the beautiful Portuguese artworks, sometimes mixed with Chinese elements that make Macau unique in the world. The site consists of many buildings and among them; the most beautiful ones are the Senado square, the St Joseph Church, the ruins of Sao Paulo Church and the fortress. The Sao Paulo Church built during the 18th century burnt almost completely in 1835. Only the front façade has survived and is still very impressive.

I visited this site in February 2012. Floods occurred a few months ago and some traces are still viewable, however the authorities are working to preserve the splendor of the place.

The historic center of Ayutthaya was founded during the 14th century and became the capital of the Ayutthaya kingdom. The capital was destroyed by Burmese armies and given up since the end of the 18th century. Nowadays, the historic site consists of numerous buildings, more or less well preserved, scattered throughout the city and out. This site is one of the better examples of the Thai art and of a Southeast Asian ancient city. Not too far from Bangkok (two hours by van), it's possible to visit major sites in one day or two.

The Mont Saint-Michel and its bay have been the first French site to be registered as a WHS in 1979. The great abbey is the main attraction of the Mont. The statue of the angel Saint-Michel is located on the top of the church tower, 170 meters high.

In 709, a sanctuary started being constructed to honor the angel Saint-Michel. In 966, the Benedictine abbey was erected. Then and for centuries, edifices have been set up on the Mont until the current abbey to be completed during the 16th century. It has been a pilgrimmage site and a prison but it has always keep its religious value for people.

The little rock island, situated in the bay, is now linked to the continent by a dyke with a road. However, this dyke is planned to be destroyed and changed into a long bridge to allow sediments and sand to flow without being stopped. These sediments were creating sand mounts risking to change the island into a part of the continent.

The bay surrounding the Mont is the place where the biggest tides in Europe occur and welcomes a great diversity of fauna and flora.

I have visited a lot of sites in my life and the Mont Saint-Michel is for me one of the best ones. This quiet and marvelous place bewitches visitors and makes them fall in love with its beauty.

The historic centre of Lyon comprises a huge area in the city and shows the evolution of the place from the Roman time to the current days passing by the increasing presence of trade in the city expansion. One of the major places of the site are the Roman remains on Fourviere Hill and that comprise above all the Odeon, used for music, the theatre and several buildings that were composing a small town two millenniums ago. The museum located on the site is very well set up with huge collections of Roman artifacts and give a lot of explanations. While visiting this place, give a look at the centre of the Odeon. You can see a great colorful mosaic made with different minerals from several places of the world known at this time.

Relatively close from the Roman site, you will be able to admire the well-known Fourviere Cathedral, built at the end of the 19st century and unique by its shape and to enjoy one of the best views over Lyon. Taking the funicular to leave the hill, you will reach the Renaissance area and walk through the different buildings built by wealthy merchants several centuries ago. To finish with, the Presqu'île, the Peninsula over the river, is full of ancient building especially near of the Place Bellecour.

The Hwaseong Fortress, located in Suwon, 30km from Seoul, is an ancient edifice built at the end of the 18th century to prevent the kingdom from its numerous enemies. It uses elements from both occidental and oriental architectures. That makes this building unique compared to any other Korean fortifications.

Today, you can visit the fortress for free, walking over the walls, from one guard tower to another and passing by the four gates of the complex. To get to the wall, you firstly must climb the hill but this worth it. You will enjoy a great view over the city and above all, you will discover walk by walk the architecture of this fortress and the different places of importance. Thiz site is for my part one of the better WHS in South Korea.

The site of Arc et Senans is actually composed of two elements; The first one is the Saline Royale (Royal Saltworks) situated in Arc et Senans. It has been built during the 18th century by the famous French architect Claude-Nicolas Ledoux and is a great testimony of an Enlightenment project on one hand, and of an industrialized planned city, designed for a specific task, salt treatment, on the other hand. The city has been planned as a 'Perfect city' with all the building necessary for its people from school to church passing by hospital and accommodations.

The second element is the great saltwork situated in Salins les Bains, 20km from Arc et Senans. In this city you will be able to experience the guided visit of the museum that begins under the ground, with the salt mine and finish outside, in the furnace room where salt blocks were treated.

The historic site of Orange presents one of the better preserved roman theatres of the world. Not only is the tier still in place but also the stage and the façade where you can see the old columns and sculptures. You can also walk in the wings, under the tier. Close to the theatre, some building ruins are still in place and testify of the development of the city two millenniums ago. A short walk from here leads you to the Triumphal Arch that has conserved its beautiful sculptures.

The Theatre is really amazing by its state of conservation and its architecture. With sites of Arles and the Pont du Gard, it is part of the greatest and most famous Roman remains in France. The site is well furnished with explication boards and guides and will allow visitors to enjoy a bit of the Roman life.

The historic centre of Avignon, comprises the Cité des Papes and the bridge but also the Cathedral Notre Dame des Doms, the Jardin des Doms, the Petit Palais museum and the wall surrounding the historic centre of the town. They're all of interests but obviously, the pope's castle is the main thing to visit and offers a great testimony of the medieval french life. Give a look at the beautiful paintings on the ceiling of several rooms and enjoy walking on the Avignon old bridge that offers a great view of the Popes' castle.

The Cathedral of Tournai is one of the most representative and beautiful example of the Gothic Art. Its most ancient part has been built during the 12th century. The 36 meters high and 134 meters long Cathedral has been renovated after suffering great damages and is one of the jewels of Belgian Heritage.

While visiting the city of Tournai, don't forgot to give a look to the belfry of the city which belong to the list of Belfries of Belgium and France, registered on the WHS list.

Jejudo, which means Jeju Island, is the biggest island of Korea and its most touristic area for Korean people dreaming of beautiful beaches and nice sea. The WHS there mainly consists of the Hallasan mount, an extinct volcano culminating at almost 2000 meters and the lava tubes inside which you can walk and enjoy the natural sculptures made by lava and water.

The Volcano is a great national park in which people hike and climb to the top. Four different ways allow to get to the top and are more or less easy to use. Whatever the one you take, you will have several hours of hard walk to get to the top and same thing to get down. However, you will enjoy the beautiful landscape of the park with its fauna and flora and its different places between forests, solid lava, water falls and cliffs. Lava tubes are really amazing and offer a natural testimony of the work made by lava first and erosion then.

I visited the citadel of Hue and the associated tombs in february 2012. In spite of the rain, I found the place amazing, especially the Khai Dinh tomb which offered greatly decorated rooms. The best way to go to the different tombs if you have not a lot of time, is to book a tour in the city, to visit the citadel, the pagoda and the three main tombs in one day.

The Abbey Church of Saint-Savin sur Gartempe is well conserved edifice located on the Gartempe River in the Poitou area. This building is remarkable and famous for its collection of well conserved Romanesque mural paintings. These paintings represent several episodes of the Holy Bible and were used to teach religion to people that generally were not able to read. Build during the 12th century, the abbey in a real splendor as well as a beautiful example of religious artwork.

The roman bridge of Pont du Gard is a real marvel. Crossing the Gard River, the bridge has been well renovated to allow visitors to enjoy the place in the best possible way. A museum have been set up at the entrance of the site and offers greats explanations and testimonies of the Roman life and mainly, the building of the bridge and its techniques. It is possible to walk on the first level of this three-level bridge. Almost 50 meters high and 275 meters long, the bridge was part of the 50 km aqueduct carrying water from Uzès to Nimes during the Roman period.

The historic site of Arles comprises several building and monuments however the best ones are the Roman theatre and the Arenas that have been well conserved until today. The theatre, conversely from the one in Orange, has lost its stage and its facade a long time ago. Only the tier is still in place. The Arenas still offer a tremendous testimony of the Roman life and compose with the Pont du Gard and the Orange Theatre the greatest Roman remains in France. A renovation campaign has begun several months ago and will allow to maintain the beauty of the site for a long time.

If you have the time, give a look to the Triumphal Arch and the different Roman and Romanesque monuments of the historic center.

Visited the site in August 2011, one of the most spectacular fortresses in this part of Europe. The whole area is currently a park with free access. The only place with limited and fee entrance is a keep (or donjon) which is initial medieval castle (the beginning of a fortress)-nice views from the towers of the site and Danube river.

During my visit I saw a photo exhibition of all Danubian fortresses including Bac, Petrovaradin, Belgrade and Golubac - good idea for serial listing - all are very well preserved and remarkable places (especially Golubac).