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Gemer and Abov churches with the medieval mural paintings – sites visited in April, 2023.

Official site description points 10 churches with well-preserved mural paintings from the 14th and 15th century while specific sites locations shows only 8 of them (similar situation to Troodos churches in Cyprus or Asante buildings in Ghana). All of them are quite characteristic for Eastern Europe architecture (gothic style with later alternations) and similar history (part are still Roman Catholic, the rest are reformed or evangelic – just as the case of Wooden Churches in Slovakia).

Gemer and Abov are the names of Slovak historic regions, both mostly connected with Kingdom of Hungary. In fact lots of people in the area still speak Hungarian. I travelled there with own car from Kosice (another tentative site). Churches can easily be combined with visiting caves of Aggtelek and Slovak Karst (Gombasecka, Ochtinska Aragonitova) and Karst Valleys of Slovakia. Personally I visited only 4 of them at Plesivec, Stitnik, Ochtina and Rakos.

Reformed Church in Plešivec – placed in the center of the village (official google coordinates are around 100 meters from our map). Two-nave church looks as currently not used but partly restored. The whole area is fenced, during my visit the gate was closed. It is also a part of so called Goticka Cesta (Rout of Gothic Monuments) in Slovakia an association founded in 2007 for protection and restoration of cultural monuments.

More about the church history in English- https://gotickacesta.sk/en/plesivec-en/

There …

Visited February 2024

Visit easily doable as a day trip starting in the morning around 7am from Sealdah train station in Kolkata, taking a train to the station named Bolpur Shantiniketan [in Bangla language they pronounce Shantiniketan instead of Santiniketan in Hindi] (the trip takes around 3 hours but could be much longer because Indian trains are unpredictable… I was lucky enough – trains to and from Bolpur had only minimal delays 😊).

Arriving in Bolpur Shantiniketan you can take an auto rickshaw or walk for around 2km and a half to Shantiniketan Campus; and keep in mind that it is not so simple to get into the campus of the Visva-Bharati while you’re there… The property is quite big and there are many gates and paths leading to its historical buildings and bhavans but at each entrance (yes!) there are guards (many of them walking around too) who won’t let you get into the premises of the university without a written permission! Why? Because this is a school, there are students at different age – from primary school children to art and literature students; and walking while they have classes sometimes under the trees (this tradition is still alive) can really disturb them, especially the younger ones… I understand that… That’s during the week and during the weekends… I was told the complex is closed and still no access to most of the buildings.

Is there anything you can see/visit without it? Yes, Rabindra Bhavana, museum …

My "hidden gem" recommendation for Torres del Paine is the Mirador Ferrier trail, which was suggested to me by my hotel's activity concierge. This relatively short but steep hike starts near the Lago Grey hotel and provides 700 meters of elevation gain. It wasn't a very popular area; I only saw a couple other people on the trail, compared to the hundreds on the Mirador Torres hike. The view from the Ferrier mirador is spectacular -- possibly the most impressive vista I've seen anywhere in the world: Pinnacle, pinnacle, pinnacle. Glacier, glacier, glacier. Lake, lake, lake,..., each a slightly different shade of blue. Easily worth the pain I caused my knees by rushing up and down a little too quickly.

I spent three days in Torres del Paine in November of 2017. Regretfully, my schedule didn't leave me quite enough time to do the W trek, but I experienced some wonderful day hikes. The highlight was the hike to the Torres Mirador, a challenging 19 km trek. I was by myself, but there are lots of people hiking, so it's pretty easy to fall in with a group going your same pace for some camaraderie. I was well-rewarded for the effort with some spectacular views of the Torres at the small lake that's at their base. On other days I also did smaller hikes such as to the Mirador Cuernos which passes the very nice Salto Grande waterfalls and visited Lago Grey for the very worthwhile boat trip to …

Finally, the Munich Olympic Park has been added to the German Tentative List. This was long overdue. In my opinion, it is the only German site still missing from the World Heritage List and one of a few in Central Europe. But we still have to wait at least another 10 years for the final nomination. The expert committee that compiled the new German T-list in 2023 has proposed a ranking that favors the federal states that have not nominated in recent years. And Bavaria, and therefore Munich, is at the end of the list due to the nomination of the Royal Castles of Ludwig II for decision in 2025. One of the drawbacks of a federal state system.

When you arrive at the Olympic Stadium, you immediately notice that it is completely different from comparable sports arenas. It is an open area. You enter the stadium at the top row of seats and the arena stretches out at your feet. The most striking feature is of course the roof construction (photo) that spans like a net half of the Olympic Stadium, the sports hall and the indoor swimming pool. The roof is made of acrylic glass and is supported by steel masts and cables. It was unique and innovative for the time, especially on this scale. For me, it is one of the most impressive constructions I have ever seen. It is stable and solid, but also light and transparent, almost floating. Highly technical and organic at …

I visited Wismar and Stralsund during a two-week trip around northeastern Germany in October 2023. In both cities I stayed one and a half or two days to see its sights but also to soak in the atmosphere. They are good cities for a world heritage traveler insofar as they have enough to offer to keep you entertained for a couple of days but they are also small enough that after those days you feel you have seen them decently enough. Beside the highlights in both towns, it is a great pleasure to walk around the streets and watch out for remarkable buildings of which I generally like the old gabled merchants houses the best and both cities have a lot of those to offer. But when you walk the streets it is also rather painful how many wounds there are. How much was destroyed, mainly in WW2, but also how much was lost by neglect and lack of money and how much is still endangered despite the great renovation efforts since the reunification of Germany. Wismar has several highlights that are not to miss: Brick gothic was probably the biggest thrill on this trip and the St Nikolai church in Wismar may be the best of the churches in both towns. It is an impressive building and the second tallest brick gothic after the Marienkirche in Lübeck (the latter could easily a WHS site by itself). In addition, it features several remarkable art works: a medieval baptismal font made …

I visited the South Water Caye component in December of 2023. In line with most of the reviews below, I am not a diver, not an underwater photographer, and at best an indifferent snorkeler. Plus, traveling with family members who do not necessarily care for extra efforts to visit a WHS limited me to a single option - some sort of an intraday excursion with plenty of relaxation built in.

Thankfully, in Hopkins where we stayed, resorts offer "island-hopping" expeditions that bring you to several cayes within the reef WH boundaries, including Tobacco Caye and South Water Caye. You do a bit of exploration and then spend an hour or so taking in the sun, the sea, and the tranquility at each. There was a defined snorkeling segment on the reef off South Water Caye. Overall, the expedition lasted about 7 hours, giving my family plenty of what they wanted and me just enough to consider the site as visited to the extent of my interest.

The picture is of Carrie Bow Field Station, one of the scientific outposts on the reef.

California Current Conservation Complex - Golden Gate National Recreation Area– visited October, 2023, during 2-weeks USA trip (rented car). In fact Golden Gate National Recreation Area is a huge complex of different state parks and other reserves including Alcatraz, Muir Woods (redwoods) located south, west and north-west of San Francisco. Probably the easiest component to visit if you are in San Francisco is the area near Golden Gate Bridge, on both sides of San Francisco Bay. Personally I focused on northern part. And additionally – if you drive north from San Francisco, crossing the bridge is free.

Just after crossing the bridge – to the right there is a parking space - H. Dana Bowers Rest Area & Vista Point – Northbound – good place to leave the car and start exploring Golden Gate Bridge on foot (also good views of San Francisco Bay and Alcatraz Island). Also the space around is part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Golden Gate Bridge as a historical landmark may also has its place on UNESCO list one day as engineering masterpiece.

Better panoramas of the bridge are from area near Spencer Battery (google coordinates 37.827697856528495, -122.48177038786507, destroyed fortifications on the other side of highway, access via Bunker Road / Baker Battery Tunnel and Conzelman Road – one way traffic only). There are several view points but the best are probably from Short Range Battery (few meters from Spencer Battery). All those places are within Golden Gate National Recreation Area but …

I visited the oak bell tower of Nyírbátor on my way back from my road trip in Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria.

Near the southwest corner of the Calvinist Church in the medieval Hungarian market-town of Nyírbátor, there is a unique 17th century late Renaissance wooden masterpiece of Transylvanian joinery. My visit was a pleasant continuation of the similar wooden architecture in Maramures and in Transylvania. I parked my car near a small synthetic futsal pitch for free just next to the belfry.

The standalone wooden bell tower of Nyírbátor is the oldest and the largest of its kind in Hungary. Its shingled skirting and gallery give the impression of a bastion. With its artistic carvings it is a majestic piece of early 17th century folk architecture. I was lucky that there was a local council outing when I visited so I simply asked politely whether I could climb the belfry to the top and they were more than happy to add another happy visitor.

A steep wooden staircase made up of three straight sections leads up to the bell tower gallery, interrupted by resting floors. The bell house contains two bells hanging on separate belfries. The steep square based roof tops in an octagonal cap. There are four dainty circular turrets on the four corners of the roof structure showing the different restoration years: 1778, 1841, 1889 and 1928. The contemporary bell bears reliefs of the four evangelists. According to the engraved script, it was cast by …

Visited Shakpak-Ata as a day tour from Aktau - about two-and-a-half hours each way of riding on roads that start decent and fizzle out into mere suggestions. Really foggy day, but the fog cleared just long enough for us to visit the mosque. Personally, seems auspicious to me.

The site itself consists of the mausoleum of Khazret Yerzhan, a 20th-century mausoleum dedicated to a local religious figure, where we parked before walking approximately 500 metres to the cave entrance and necropolis. Would have loved to visit the necropolis, but there was a fierce-looking dog hanging out there, so thought it was best to steer clear. The actual mosque entrance is fenced off, so we could visit without worrying the dog would follow us.

The mosque itself is quite remarkable - the cave offers natural pillars framing the entrance to the prayer room and the wudu areas; the interior is rather humble, but features pilasters with fluted capitals. The mihrab is carved into the cave on one side of the prayer hall, with smaller rooms beside it (filled with geckos). An exit in the back leads to a staircase going above the cave, with views of the surrounding landscape. Most interesting were the graffiti and petroglyphs all over the site, left by generations of pilgrims to the site.

I haven't visited the other sites that form part of the nomination, but based on this one, I would recommend it for inclusion.

The Tasmanian Wilderness WHS is huge, covering nearly a quarter of the island of Tasmania. Within the WHS are included seven national parks and multiple other conservation areas. The below reviews concentrate mainly on Cradle Mountain-Lake St Claire National Park, which is deservedly a highlight, but I want to share some more ideas for exploring this WHS, based on my three visits to Tasmania over the years.

Mount Field National Park: The easiest part of this WHS to visit from Hobart is actually Mount Field National Park, less than a 2 hour drive from the centre of Hobart. Compared to the other parks it's not that wild, but we still managed to hear quolls when I camped here as a child and took a wildlife walk after dark. The highlight of the park is Russell Falls, easily accessible on a 25 minute flat walk, and still impressive when I revisited in 2020. There's also the longer 6km Three Falls Circuit walk or drive up to the alpine area. 

Southwest National Park: This huge national park is 6183 km² in size, over twice the size of Luxembourg! And of course it's entirely roadless. The main way to access the park is on the remote South Coast Track. But for a small taste, you can drive 2 hours south of Hobart to Cockle Creek, where there are camping facilities. It's also the starting point of the 16km return walk to South Cape Bay, which I hiked as a kid with …

After I had an outside view of the Worker’s Assembly Hall in Buenos Aires, I got the opportunity to visit the building with the same purpose in Copenhagen.

The Danish Worker’s Assembly Hall is now part of the Workers Museum. It’s just 3 minutes walking from Norreport metro station and open daily from 10:00 to 17:00.

While, unlike in Argentina, the building is unremarkable from the outside, with an entry to the museum you get access to the actual assembly hall with its impressive banquet hall. As it seems to be custom in Denmark, you first pay a high entry fee (around 17 EUR) and then just walk in without anyone ever checking your ticket. The museum itself is very nice, but the only explanation in English you will find is within the banquet hall and the temporary exhibition in the basement. All other information is Danish only.  

The Assembly Hall in Copenhagen was the first in Europe, inaugurated in 1879. It was financed and erected by the Danish labour movement. It included offices and meeting rooms, which are now used as museum exhibition rooms, and the banquet hall. The building is a museum since 1983. The banquet hall is likely the only room that justifies UOV. It was renovated in 2021 and is decorated with wood carvings of traditional professions and a big mural.

I still think these buildings represent a significant stage in human history and deserve their spot on the list, as without …

Much has been written already about Sewell, and the two most recent reviews by Timonator and Clyde cover the experience well. Reviews from before 2018 show the development of the site over time but do not reflect the current situation anymore as both visitor management and conservation of the buildings have much improved.

Still, I have some practical info:

• First and foremost: the CODELCO company that runs the area only allows access to people between the ages of 7 and 70. You have to state your age when booking – Fundacion Sewell does not check it but the CODELCO security people at the gate might.
• You have to climb a lot of stairs during the tour. If you’re incapable of doing that, the bus trip out there might still be worth it and you can stay near the museum, but you miss out on a lot.
• When you haven’t booked the included lunch, you can eat your own at the cafeteria. They also sell coffee and some snacks (and hotdogs).
• Be prepared for a long and slow day. I took the option to start in Santiago (usually offered on Saturdays), we were requested to assemble at a spot near the Tobalaba metro station at 7.30. We arrived back there at 18.15. The tour is slow-paced and could be made more efficient by for example showing the safety video on the bus instead of the office etc. But overall it was similar to how other …

In the Lenggong Valley I have visited in this order the Tasik Raban, Archeological Museum, Gua Ngaum, another cave close to Gua Ngaum, Bukit Jawa und Gua Badak. To my understanding and according to the maps on unesco website and in the archeological museum all of the places except Tasik Raban should be in the buffer zone and the cave (Gua) Ngaum and its neighbouring caves, the museum and Bukit Jawa should also be in the core zone of the WHS. We took the guide Chou Z Lam that our host in Kuala Kangsar recommended and I would also recommend him (WhatsApp: +60 11-1083 2046). He had a car. We stopped first at Tasik Raban, a huge lake that is fed by the Perak river. It´s a nice lake and interesting for its geologic history. We saw some snails, fish and a monitor lizard swimming in it. The second stop was the museum that seems big but only 1 room was open. There is a replica of the Perak man, a almost complete 10,000 year old skeleton, that was found in one of the many caves around as well as some information on tools that have been found, the excavation process and the process of becoming a world heritage site. It´s good to visit the museum as it gives some context and you´re already in the core zone of the WHS. From Kampung Masjid north of Lenggong town we took to hikes in the hot weather and in the partially …

I visited this WHS in 2023 and explored this huge urban sprawl of a seaport city over 3 days. I'm usually not a keen fan of graffiti art but nowadays in Valparaiso it has become part of the city's identity. Whether you like it or not, the graffiti art is constantly changing, so on average every month or two some graffiti you might like or dislike will disappear and change.

The geographic location on steep hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the different nationalities of its inhabitants have led to a distinct and innovative urban landscape. The city centre is by the port where you'll find Plaza Sotomayor consisting of buildings from different periods that merge into one big area, with the monument of the heroes of Iquique, one of the oldest hotels in the city, the pretty Edificio de la Intendencia de Valparaíso, the odd modernised and controversial Edificio CSAV (a leading shipping company with a skycraper-like glass extension), and at the northeastern side of the square there are two similar towers, which create a sort of gate entrance to the port from the city.

The steep hills fully covered with colourful buildings, more or less legally built, reminded me a lot of Guanajuato, Mexico. Although I drove in and out of the city a number of times, the best way to explore this city is on foot or by very cheap public transport. Although the 16 remaining ascensores can literally be translated as elevators, only the …

Last summer my little family and I did a road trip from the UK to Morocco & Western Sahara, and Figuig was very high up on my plan. I did not expect much so was extremely surprised when I discovered this hidden gem! You drive hours and hours through nothing but desert to arrived here. I’ve always wanted to go to the real Tatooine (in Tunisia) and Timbuktu (in Mali) and this felt like the two mixed into one as the buildings were all made from mud and looked really unique compared to anywhere I have ever been before. There are date trees everywhere, natural salts on the rocks, fresh delicious water coming out of the ground and beautiful walkways along palmerals with their historic irrigation systems. Right on the border of Algeria (although you can’t cross and according to Algerians this area is rightfully theirs), this place is a must do and well worth the massive drive to get to. We got the ferry to Ceuta, then drive along the northern coast until we reached the Oujda border, then drove 4.5 hours south from there until we reached Figuig, then headed west from there towards Ouarzazate (or more specifically the Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou). This was definitely a route I’d recommend to save yourself having to retrace any steps. 

The Flinders Ranges is a well-known tourist destination in South Australia, about a 5 hour drive north of Adelaide in a semi-arid region. It's best known for its beautiful landscapes and hiking, but if you dig further you will discover its important geological records, the reason for this site being added to the tentative list.

Over the years I've visited the region 3 times, firstly as a kid with my family. On my second visit to the region in 2009, we drove along the Brachina Gorge Drive in the north of the park, which has a number of interesting signposted stops to explore the geology of the region. One of the highlights is the Ediacaran Golden Spike, the only such marker point in the southern hemisphere. Unfortunately, though I don't have many photos from this part of my visit. 

My third visit to the region occurred in 2021, shortly after the site was added to the tentative list, in between Covid lockdowns. Unfortunately, we couldn't repeat the drive through Brachina Gorge, as it's a rather rough unsealed road and our campervan wasn't up to it. Instead, we were hoping to visit the Nilpena and Ediacara Conservation Park, where the important fossils from the Ediacaran period were found, but due to the lockdowns the tours were not yet up and running. Instead, we supplemented our visit to the region with a visit to South Australian Museum in Adelaide. At the museum there is a Ediacara Biota gallery devoted to …

Shiretoko National Park is the northeastern most WHS in Japan. It’s a bit off the beaten track, but a few visitors from this community have managed to tick it off. We managed to visit in late June ‘23.

The nature in the park is wild and unspoilt and animal encounters are common. Somehow, we could connect to this Nordic environment, but then again – it’s far from the nature of northern Europe. On our two-nights visit we had encounters with bears, deer, and foxes. Meeting wild animals in their natural habitat is magnificent.

The weather was rather nice on arrival, and we chose to drive directly into the park to the area called Five Lakes. It was impossible to know how the weather would turn out the following days. Five Lakes has a visitor centre and some options for hiking the area. Even though we arrived late (all visitors were leaving the place) the parking officer granted us a quick visit just so we could hike to the nearest lake. We were happy with that and strolled on to the elevated boardwalk which is about 800 m long through an open area, winding its way to the lake. While enjoying the beautiful nature both close and distant, we had our first bear encounter halfway, just 10 m from the secured boardwalk. Minding its own business, it totally ignored us. As it turned out this evening in fact, we had the best visibility on our visit.

The first …

Growing up in Australia, one of the main subjects of our history classes were convicts. Nearly all of the Australian state capitals were firstly settled by Europeans as convict penal settlements, the destination for criminals sent from England during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It's hard to understand the reasoning behind this decision these days (at the time it was a six month plus voyage!) Regardless, it led to the colonisation of Australia by Britain, and many white inhabitants of the country (myself included) can trace their roots to convicts.

Due to the number of convict settlements scattered around the country, it's only fitting that the locations for this WHS are also scattered around the country. After visiting the majority of the 11 locations, these are my thoughts:

Hyde Park Barracks: One of the easiest sites to visit, this site is centrally located in Sydney and just a short walk from the separately listed Sydney Opera House WHS. This grand building was one of the earliest permanent buildings constructed in the colony and was where my great great great grandfather firstly stayed on his arrival. I've visited multiple times. The new immersive experience is a little glitchy, but currently free (usually ticketed). 

Cockatoo Island: If visiting Sydney, this island located in the harbour is also relatively easy to visit, just a short ferry ride from Circular Quay, next to the Opera House. Just be warned the ferries aren't that frequent and stop rather early - …

I visited both components of this WHS in 2023 by rental car from Arica. It is a long drive in the Atacama desert in Northern Chile which I'll gladly revisit next time using Antofagasta or San Pedro de Atacama as my base (even if it might not include anything WH related).

I started with the larger and main component of this WHS, Humberstone Saltpeter Works. There is a handmade WHS plaque in each of the two components as well as a more formal/official one at both. Combined tickets can be bought at any one of the two components and there is enough space to park in front of both sites. Although both components are very close to each other by car (small unpaved road towards the last stretch to Santa Laura), a long walk between them is better avoided as it is a very dusty trail with no shade whatsoever. If you don't have a rental car, I would suggest hitching a ride from any other tourists visiting Humberstone. It's true that you can spend a full day to thoroughly visit both components, but if you read up and do your research online on the highlights you wouldn't like to miss, a packed and moderately active half day could be enough to try to grasp the site's OUV, or at least whatever is left of it.

Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works are testament to the historical importance of saltpeter mining in Chile and the culture and social …

I visited the Fontenay abbey on the 27th of february 2024. I took a train early in the morning to travel from Dijon to Montbard.I had reserved a bicycle with the local tourist office( just outside the railway station in Montbard) beforehand. Since I arrived around 9.45 I had to wait some minutes before they opened the tourist office.Within a few minutes I got a bike and was on my way to the abbey. I took me around 25 min to reach the abbey which is open-daily-from 10.00-12.00 and from 14.00-17.00 in the winter months from novembre till march. From the end of march on the abbey is open from 10.00 till 18.00.

The old Abbey of Fontenay (12th century) was one of the first monuments to be inscribed on the Unesco world heritage list.It consists of a church, a cloister, a refectory, a dormitory, a bakery and a forge.It also has a small but beautiful garden. To my surprise the abbey even had a small prison as it exercised lower legal jurisdiction in its realm.The abbey was founded in 1118 by Saint Bernard and is today the example par excellence of a cistercian abbey.

The cistercian order was created in France during the 12th century and its spiritual movement founded on the simplicity and humbleness of monastic life spread throughout Europe.

All buildings are still in good shape and intact.However,there are almost no furnishings inside the accessible buildings.1-2h are enough to see everything in detail inside …