All our reviews

An ugly television tower as a world heritage site? Or an innovative work of engineering representing the second half of the 20th century? Basically, a bit of both and I'm torn between these two views. But there is no middle course, a clear decision - thumbs up or thumbs down - is required. So here a summary of my pros and cons.

When TV started to become a mass medium in the early 1950s, high masts were needed to transmit the signals of sound and image. As Stuttgart lies in a valley, a nearby hill, the Hohe Bopser, was chosen as the location for the transmitter. The original plan was to build a lattice tower, which had previously been used for such purposes. But the engineer Fritz Leonhardt proposed an innovative alternative: a slender monolithic tube made of reinforced concrete. It was the first tall tower in the world with this type of construction. And the tower should be open to the public with a restaurant and a viewing platform. Although controversial at first, the tower soon became the city's landmark. But that doesn't mean much, Stuttgart doesn't have much to offer that would be suitable as a landmark.The construction and the concept of the tower has been copied and varied many times, mostly in Germany. Almost every major German city has such a concrete TV tower. And also the Guishan TV tower in Wuhan, the CN Tower in Toronto and the towers in Vienna and Johannesburg were apparently …

Roșia Montană has grown into something of a ‘cult site’ in the WH Community, while it seems rarely visited by ‘normal’ tourists. Several sources had suggested that if I wanted to see the underground mines from Roman times (that’s where the OUV is), I should announce my visit beforehand. It was funny to read the many Google Reviews about the erratic opening hours of the mining museum (officially Tue-Sun 9-16, mostly Tue-Fri between 9 and 14.30 but on “some days they don’t show up”). A few days before I e-mailed them in English and (Google Translated) Romanian on the address given on the official website to communicate when I planned to visit. I got a swift reply that they would be waiting for me.

Getting there proved to be easy by rental car. Just at the point that my Google Maps navigation announced “You have arrived”, I saw a sign pointing to the mining museum on the left side of the road. But that’s about it for directions – no “brown signs” and no UNESCO WH logo. At 10.30 a.m. on a rainy Wednesday morning, I found the gate to the museum compound closed and a small black dog barked its head off to this lonely visitor. The door to the right was open though and I told the man who appeared that I wanted to visit the mine.

He seemed to remember having received my e-mail, although he was still visibly concerned about how to …

The National Art Schools stand as remarkable architectural marvels, embodying the utopian optimism and revolutionary exuberance of the early years of the Cuban Revolution. Consisting of five distinct school building complexes dedicated to music, ballet, modern dance, plastic arts, and dramatic arts, these structures were designed by three visionary architects—Porro, Gottardi, and Garatti—using organic Catalan-vaulted brick and terra-cotta construction techniques. Their history is poignant and worth exploring on Wikipedia before your visit.

I was quite surprised to learn that only three members of worldheritagesite.org have visited this site, despite it being on the tentative list for over 20 years. In contrast, Old Havana has been visited by 332 members as of the writing of this review. During my visit, I explored the School of Ballet and took a brief look at the School of Music and School of Plastic Arts from the outside. I paid 10,000 pesos (equivalent to $30 USD) to a taxi driver to take me to the School of Art, wait for me there for 30-60 minutes, and then drive me to Fusterlandia. On the return trip, I paid another taxi driver 7,000 pesos to take me back to Havana from Fusterlandia.

Initially, I attempted to visit the School of Plastic Arts. The taxi driver dropped me off at the entrance gate east of the school. Unfortunately, I was unable to gain entry like Zoe did, as the individual at the gate stopped me. It may have been due to the fact that it was …

Choirokoitia, by virtue of being a Palaeolithic site, doesn’t draw hordes of visitors. Recent efforts by the Cypriots have enhanced the visitor experience with updated amenities like parking, toilets, signs, and new trails. However, during our Easter holiday visit, we found ourselves as the sole explorers.

The site primarily comprises settlement foundations nestled on a hill slope, surrounded by walls that once enclosed a town housing around 500 inhabitants. A small river runs behind the hill.

All the buildings were circular and constructed from layered stones. This architectural style mirrors the Nuraghi structures in Sardinia but stands apart from Çatalhöyük across the sea in Türkiye, where rectangular buildings dominate. The absence of “glue” in Choirokoitia’s construction prevented sharp corners, unlike the use of mud bricks in Çatalhöyük.

Similar to Çatalhöyük, the deceased were interred beneath the buildings. I always wonder what you did about the smell or what would have happened if a kid or a dog dug a little into the mud floor...

Notably, Choirokoitia’s civilization predates pottery, as no pottery remnants have been discovered. Around 7000 BCE, the city flourished, but by 6000 BCE, it was abandoned. Contrary to previous assumptions, the entire island wasn’t deserted during this period.

A fascinating titbit: According to German Wikipedia, Choirokoitia is believed to be the first place outside Africa to import cats — very fitting for the island of cats.

When exploring ancient sites, I always grade on a curve. Considering its age of 9000 …

In the Troödos region, you’ll find historic, medieval Painted Churches. Exploring these requires a car or multi-day hikes and luck to get the keys. We limited our exploration to Ayios Nikolaos tis Steyis near Kakopetria, the only church accessible by public transport with official opening hours.

The church, built with local resources, is simple and sturdy on the outside, protecting it against the elements. It looks more like a farmhouse than a church or chapel. Inside, though, it’s an opulently painted Byzantine church.

Walking up from Kakopetria offered us a scenic view of the surrounding landscape. The church’s location, near a river flowing down the mountains, provides a meditative calm, akin to a Cistercian abbey. The mountainous location should have also helped in protecting these treasures from coastal raids.

We initially planned to visit Panayia Podhithou in the next village. However, due to extraordinarily high temperatures for March (30°), the additional 5km walk, and uncertainty about entry, we opted for a coffee in Kakopetria Old Town instead. We caught a glimpse of Panayia Podhithou from the bus when we left for Nikosia. An outside visit would have added to the experience as the connection to farmhouses is even more visible in Panayia Podhithou with its thatched roof.

Having visited only one church, it’s difficult to assess the site’s overall potential. Based on Riccardo’s statement that Ayios Nikolaos tis Steyis is one of the better ones, these churches seem less impressive compared to those in Romania (Churches …

Visited February 2024

The biggest challenge is to get to this site. There are no shortcuts, although some roads (most of them) in Tripura look like shortcuts…

The nearest town which has pretty good (or any) connections with the rest of the state of Tripura and the neighbouring state of Assam (and Bangladesh too) is Dharmanagar, 20 km away. It has a train station with some daily trains to/from Agartala (capital of Tripura, the nearest airport, many daily flights to Kolkata) and Silchar in Assam, a bus connection with Guwahati, Silchar and Dhaka, and many places to sleep and eat.

To get here I took the night bus from Guwahati (capital of Assam) bus terminal ISBT (it is not located in the city centre where you can buy your ticket! It’s around 20 km south of the main market) – I would rather say night and day bus… According to the timetable the trip takes 13 hours; in reality, it took 20 – because of the heavy rain that surprised everyone in February which is usually a dry season. And the road itself – you’ll have to see it to believe it is the main road linking the north with the south of North-East India…

Ok, so we are almost there, in Dharmanagar. We have two options to get to Unakoti: 1. wait for the local bus/sumo (10-seater SUV) to take you there (destination of the bus: Kailashahar) and get out at Unakoti Eco Park; there …

Things have changed a lot at Hangar Y since our visit in September 2014, so it was time for a new visit and review. The Hangar has been fully refurbished and repaired, it now (since March 2023) operates as a museum focussing mainly and obviously on the history of balloons and dirigibles airships, plus some side galleries hosting temporary exhibitions (modern art more (or less) related to air and space). The parc around is accessible as well, with a restaurant at the side of the basin, and a “guinguette” (open in summer only).

The main interest is of course seeing the “nave” of the building, and visiting it, which is done with virtual reality headset. You will meet the engineers of the 19th century and witness the first flight in closed loop of a human-made creation (the “France” dirigible airshift). This choice is a good one I think, because you can still see the inside of the building in full and its structure, there is nothing to obstruct the view (and I really enjoy this type of industrial building and heritage). Please understand as well : the building looks empty when you enter it… See the attached picture, taken from the same place as the one of my previous review – and ten years later.

On the down side, we found the experience quite expensive (everything adds on : the entrance to the site and parc, the virtual reality tour, the modern art exhibition etc), the restaurant is …

Our half-day excursion from Yerevan led us to Garni and the Geghard Monastery. Like most visitors, we began at the reconstructed Garni Temple, which offers panoramic views of the Azat River Gorge. Continuing further up the gorge, we reached Geghard Monastery, nestled against the rugged cliffside.

Upon arrival, a short climb from the parking area brought us to the monastery gates. Here, visitors partake in a unique tradition: tossing pebbles at the cliffside. If a pebble adheres, a wish is granted. Beyond the gates lies a fortified 13th-century church, partially carved into the rock. The most captivating feature of Geghard is its intricate stone and rock carvings. Unfortunately, dim lighting during our visit hindered our full appreciation, but their craftsmanship was evident.

The site itself is compact and easily explored. Outside, the river gorge stretches, inviting further exploration. Regrettably, signposts and proper trails were lacking, limiting our hike beyond the monastery. While online images showcase breathtaking perspectives from higher vantage points, we couldn’t decipher the route.

During our summer 2023 visit, the monastery was undergoing renovations, and shrouded in scaffolding. Additionally, the site bustled with tour groups, dispelling any notion of remote isolation often associated with Geghard’s imagery online.

Getting There

Cab fares are low, making public transport or guided tours to Geghard unnecessary. An added perk awaits—a stopover at Garni, which, while not historically significant, offers picturesque photo opportunities and scenic vistas. Booking a cab via an app like Bolt proves the simplest choice.

Visited March 2024

It is going to be a very short review…

I really like this small tserkva, the Ortodox church, standing at the high shore of Neman river, in the central park/part of Grodno (Hrodna)! Its beginnings go back to XI century when local prince Wsiewolod Davidovic decided to build a church in honour to the first Slavic saints Boris and Gleb (sons of Vladimir the Great). How this place of cult looked when built? We do not know. But what we know is that the oldest elements of the present church are its northern wall, part of the western one with the entrance door (it was oriented) and part of the eastern apses. The decorated polychrome elements in the form of crosses on its exterior walls and the jars (photo) used inside as resonators make this church something special and unique… But is it enough to be inscribed as world heritage? The rest of the building was constructed (not even reconstructed) in wood in the second half of XIX and XX century. (By the way – the story of the building and its reconstruction is pretty interesting.) And they say that remains of similar tserkvas (with pitchers, coloured stones) were found around Grodno.

I like this church, but I do not think nominating and inscribing A WALL, yes, just a wall, ONE authentic and historical and unique wall, is the way UNESCO should care about local heritage. It makes me think of Bagrati cathedral and …

I am surprised and excited to see this nomination. Born in Fulda and still returning to the Rhön a lot for visiting family and practicing paragliding, I know the Rhön very well - but actually the whole area between Rhön and Harz mountains (I focus on the Rhön area in this post). What I do not quite get though is the „Natural only“ nomination. Needless to say, the former border, a man-made strip of landscape with many monuments and museums nowadays, would also fall into the „Cultural“ category (so why not nominate a „Mixed“ site here?). That said, the decade-long off-limits character has surely contributed to some untouched nature. I can recommend a visit to the Rhön, already a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Here, you can visit Schwarzes Moor [picture], which comes with a boardwalk and a free observation tower. If you like, you can also sink your legs into the bog mud at a designated spot (and shower off afterwards). This rain moor is a legacy of the Last Glacial Period. From the parking lot (at „Haus zum Schwarzen Moor“), I recommend to walk NNW for 10 minutes to „Ehemaliger Grenzturm am Dreiländereck“, a good spot to see the former border with corresponding interventions in the landscape. Overall, despite the „Natural only“ focus, this would be a worthwhile WHS. 

It’s quite clear why the Portuguese and then the Dutch chose Galle as a strategic location. The peninsula naturally offers protection against external threats. The walls encompass the entire old town, with the main fortifications and the sole entry gate facing north towards the mainland. The total width of the entry point is only 400 meters, making it easily defensible.

Within these walls, one can discover numerous colonial buildings from various periods. The most notable structures, aside from the fortifications, are the churches and the administrative buildings near the old entry gate. However, it’s challenging to highlight any specific building. For us, the experience was primarily about strolling through the city and soaking in the views.

Galle is often praised for its culinary offerings. The city is lively, with a plethora of dining options and a walkable old town. This was something we initially struggled to appreciate during our first days in Sri Lanka. Only after venturing into the countryside and realizing the difficulty of finding good food elsewhere did we come to fully value what Galle has to offer. Personally, Galle is the one place where I could have envisaged extending my stay.

Getting There

The World Heritage Site (WHS) encompasses only the fortification-enclosed peninsula. Within the walls, most hotels occupy historic buildings, so if you’re seeking a luxury or beach hotel, you’ll need to look outside the fortifications.

For those arriving in Sri Lanka by plane (or departing), you can arrange for a …

Medina Azahara must have been a wonder of the age: a palace city, splendid rooms with precious ornaments with no equal at the time, at least in Europe. So, expectations can be high for an unprepared visitor, but what do you get to see? I nice museum with small finds and scraps of ornaments and explanations about the palace city. When you get on the bus to the excavations (beware: they do run only about every 20 minutes and lines can be long so you may miss one) it is not much more then empty ground walls and a few very heavily restored arches. They say it is only 10 percent of the original palace city, but it seems to be the central area and there is no reason to assume further excavations would be better preserved. While this is an interesting visit it is certainly not a must compared to the center of Cordoba and its nice Archeological Museum. This seems to be very much inscribed for what it was and represented at the time rather than for what is left today. As an extension of Cordoba, it would add a small facet to this WHS but if we are reasonable, on its own it lacks any OUV and should not have been inscribed.

Rather easy to get to from the city center via the U-Bahn, Olympiapark is directly right across the highway from the BMW Welt, and it can be visited together with the nearby Nymphenburg. It is free to walk around the grounds, but one needs to pay entrance to see the Stadium and the TV Tower, where one can catch a nice view of Munich backdropped by the Alps. The arguments forwarded are satisfactory, with proposed crits. (i) and (ii) being the strongest in my opinion. Indeed the architecture of the tent was innovative, and its pioneering planned integration with the landscape remains to be unique considering that a large part of the area used to be an airport. Among Olympic Parks used previously, it easily stands out as one that continues to be of use (especially the Stadium, Olympic Hall, residential areas, and the Swimming Stadium) and that it did not suffer the same fate as others that ended up being White Elephants.

Another interesting thing is that a hill within the park is an artificial mound made of rubble amassed from the bombings during World War II. Added history attached to this site was the killing of the members of the Jewish team, which has been immortalized by a memorial. Another thing that easily comes to mind when we talk of the Munich Olympics is Waldi, the famous dachshund mascot. Is it a World Heritage-worthy site? It might as well be given place on the list. 

If you zoom in on the Map of Hadrian’s Wall on this Web site above you will note, on the far right, separated from the closely spaced locations along the Wall, another black dot titled “Roman Fort South Shields” – more commonly known as “Arbeia”. Whilst in no way suggesting that anyone should miss out the iconic central section of the Wall (situated in “wild country”) by giving this site (situated in a housing estate!!) preference, knowledge of its existence and merits might be prove to be of use to those with particular interest in “matters Romano-British” or whose travel logistics suit a visit to this most easterly element of the Hadrian’s Wall inscription.

Despite having lived within 40 miles of it for over 30 years we had never visited, but did so in March 2024 and were reasonably impressed. We had previously dismissed it as a “minor fort” which had received investment in 1986 in the form of a reconstructed Gateway looking similar (Photo), but in “pale comparison” to the massive reconstruction at Saalburg initiated by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1897. Now, he had his own late 19th C German nationalistic and militaristic “reasons” for his project but, more recently, such reconstructions have been regarded as controversial. Apart from occasional examples where Hadrian's Wall has been filled in/stabilized for mainly conservation purposes, I think I am correct in stating that this is the only place to have been given a “full” reconstruction for “presentation” …

I visited in Spring 2025. There are extensive renovations going on currently, so I would estimate only around 30% of the site is available to view currently. In addition, the Malatya archeology museum is also closed, so you can't go to see the artifacts that were discovered at Arslantepe. I am not sure when both the museum and the site will be fully open again. 

To get to Arslantepe, I used public transportation. Good news -- as of recently, you can tap on with any contactless credit card, so you don't need to buy a pre-paid Malatya card! I used the Moovit app to plan my trip but there may be a better option out there. 

When I arrived, I was given the option to use an audio guide, which is available in English, Italian, Turkish, and German. The audio signs were not marked in any clear pattern and I had a hard time knowing when I was supposed to be using it. This might have something to do with so many portions of the site undergoing renovations. There are also signs in Turkish, English, and Italian you can read that explain the history of the site. The rock art was not covered with any curtains while I was there, so it was easy to spot. I was the only person there.

Overall, I can see why the site is important enough to be a WHS. However, the signage was a bit confusing and I couldn't view …

I visited the camargue region on thursday,the 21st of march. I took the bus a50 in Arles at 7.38am( bus stop "lamartine" near the railway station,the bus a50 also stops there) and arrived in Saint-Maries-de-la-Mer around 8.30am.First I went directly to the church "Notre-Dame-de-la-Mer which is a place of pilgrimage for France's gypsies/gitanes as saint sarah also known as "sarah the black " is the patron saint for that ethnic group. 

The church was open at that time and quite interesting to pass 10-15 minutes there.The interior of the church is full of devotional items, pictures, objects left behind by pilgrims... the opposite of bare or baroque and not at all the typical Catholic church you would expect to find. Every year, on the 24th of may, the small town of Saint-Maries is full or better overcrowded with gitanes/gypsies from all over france and even from other european countries honouring Saint Sarah by carrying her statue down to the sea to re-enact her arrival in France.

After that short visit there I went to a bike rental shop named "the bike saintois" which is just a stone's throw away from the church.They had just opened their doors when I arrived.Within 5 minutes I had my bike and was on the way out of town towards the so-called "digue a la mer".The bike shop employee had given me two maps, one showing the various bike routes through the Camargue and one focusing on Saint-Maries and the surrounding area.

…

I dedicated 3 days to exploring the Area de Conservación Guanacaste in March 2024. Every day we made sure to arrive at the park gate when it opened at 8am (pay attention to which parks are open each day). Our logic was - do the hike in the morning (avoid peak temperatures), higher potential of spotting wildlife, and to finish in time for a late lunch. In the end, we felt we succeeded as we arrived to all parks between 8:00 and 8:30 in the morning, the heat was not uncomfortable, and we did indeed spot plenty of wildlife. Access to each park was reserved in advance online, with the exception of the Junquillal Sector.

Day 1: Monday - Santa María Sector

Day 2: Tuesday - Pailas Sector

Day 3: Wednesday - Santa Rosa Sector & Junquillal Sector

In our Toyota Cross SUV rental, every drive was fine. However, I will note the road to the Santa María Sector is the most difficult. Unfortunately, once you're a few kilometers outside of Liberia you pass by a dumpsite for the city that is an unpleasant reminder of the challenges of Waste Management in the country and the effects of mass tourism. The last few kilometers to Santa María Sector are particularly bumpy and should not be attempted in a sedan car. Not long before the gate entrance we spotted a red Coati, our first mammal!

Santa María Sector is wonderfully remote and off-the-beaten path compared to …

Having read Hubert’s fabulous review, I wanted to add a bit of historical context to the proposed sites. Ludwig II’s main constraint as a monarch was not Bavaria’s constitution and people. The much greater constraint was German unification in 1870, which reduced Bavaria from a kingdom to a mere princely state within the larger German Empire governed by the Prussian King, now the German Kaiser.

To make Ludwig II accept his fate as a secondary prince, Bismarck smoothed the deal with substantial payments from the Prussian treasury to Bavaria; payments that went on to fund the construction of these “dreams in stone.” However, it wasn’t enough, as Ludwig spent lavishly, and several projects remain unfinished.

So far, I have only visited Herrenchiemsee during a company event. Herrenchiemsee is a lesser-known site, but the unfinished staircase gives you a very good idea of the shortcuts (such as using concrete) that Ludwig II took. As stated by Hubert, it pales in comparison to Versailles, its inspiration.

Meanwhile, I inadvertently passed by Neuschwanstein. When heading to Wies, I traveled via Füssen, startled by the crowds on the weekend heading to this sleepy town. It only dawned on me at the Füssen train station what the tourists were visiting. The bus I took to Wies actually stopped at Neuschwanstein and emptied.

OUV

There is a reason why these sites have not been nominated earlier by Germany: Their Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) is debatable and unclear. Neo-Romanticism is a broad …

For many years the Spanish tentative site included the “Casco antiguo de Cadiz” which has now been removed. When I visited western Andalucía in February 2024 I visited Cadiz, supposedly the oldest city in Europe, dating back to the Phoenicians and almost 3000 years. When you arrive at the city you are potentially in for a surprise: The city is situated on a peninsula (though originally on several islands) and seems more like an island: a splendid, almost Venice-like apparition. Since the space is extremely limited in the old town the houses stand very tight and only intercepted by a few attractive squares. Despite the density most streets are straight, so you often have the feeling of being in a colonial city. And if you look more closely most buildings are late 19th and early 20th centuries. Of course, a few churches that are older but even those are mainly baroque, and it is rather difficult to find anything medieval let alone ancient. With some effort you can find remnants of a roman theatre, one basement with remnants of the Phoenician port wall in a Flamenco cellar, one museum with roman and Phoenician walls and a park further south with an ancient necropolis. All in all, we find an attractive lively city in a splendid location but with very few remains of its major period of claim to fame, the Phoenician period. After wars and earthquakes most of what we see today comes from its second heyday, the 18th century, …

Like others here, I arranged a trip with Pohnpei Surf Club for a vehicle from Kolonia to take us to Nan Madol. After getting near the site, we paid about 3 USD to the family who lives there, before walking about 15 minutes on a stone path (very slippery when it's pouring rain, like it was the day we went). As we get closer, huge walls made of columnar basalt seem to emerge out of the jungle. Finally, we approach the main islet - Nan Madol is made of several artificial islets criss-crossed by a series of canals, but most visitors only go to one islet, Nan Douwas - and what an islet it is! Enormous, imposing walls surround a central tomb, built for the first member of the dynasty that created Nan Madol, and a further set of outer walls as well, with remnants of structures in between the two walls. If this were in most other countries, it'd be a standout hit with tens or hundreds of thousands of visitors, but because Micronesia is so hard to get to, it gets very few - we were the only visitors we saw at the site that day. The temptation to make a comparison to Easter Island is obvious - while nothing on Pohnpei quite matches the artistry of the moai, no structure I saw on Easter Island matches the ones built at Nan Madol.