
The Town of St. George is very quaint and the townspeople are very welcoming. The place is filled with old world English charm with its cobblestone streets and old buildings. The related fortifications entail the forts that surround St. George. Some of them are not accessible to the public, but my husband and I managed to visit Fort St. Catherine, Fort George, Alexandra Battery and Gate's Fort. These places are walking distance from the town.
We visited Bermuda for four nights, which was enough time for me. December 2006 was when we were there and it was not very busy with tourists. Personally, I quite liked it this way and I still enjoyed pleasant weather!
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I'm told road from the North is better; porpoising washboard road on reservation includes sudden drops that _can_ have a cow in them for omigod entertainment. Note wide shallow dams to channel rare fierce floods from mesa to fields. P. Bonito's later construc. tells us where Mesa Verde folk went during drought c. 1200 a.d. & trade goods, e.g. bright feathers, show connection to Aztecans. Bring food, water & hiking togs, devour info for sale there. A Valhalla for digger anthropologists. Amazing that thousands could live here; an outstanding study in sustainability.
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Verla is a rather small place in the forest. It's about 150 km to go from Finnish capital Helsingfors.
Verla is a very well restored mill. It is small scale and easy to understand. The surroundings are nice. If you are intersted in industry heritage, this is good. Minor problems are that there is no connection with the social situation for the workers like some houses where people lived, some church and other social arrangements. The exhibitions in other languages than finnish is poor but nice books can be bought. One thing that may seem peculiar today is that the works seems to have been runned the last 10 years 1955-64 without profit just to make a socially acceptable exit so that workers could retire. That is only 50 years ago but would be impossible in todays fast and unresponisble economy.
Keep reading 0 commentsI very much enjoyed my 3 visits to the shopping complex. The 3nd time my friend and I went round the museum this was interesting to see how the past generations had worked. We traveled my train to Matlcok Bath and by bus to get to the complex. Luckily the bus stops are very close for when the weather is awfull. It is very good to see the building in use again. Keep up the good work.
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The medina here is no preserved museum it is busy, dirty and noisy and it is here that it’s massive charm can be found. The whole place feels completely alive, especially the main square Djema-El-Fna. This was the highlight of the city for me; it was so busy and on the whole it seemed that the entertainment was directed at the locals and not at the tourists. It was fascinating to see this happen, and at night (picture) it turns into a huge open air restaurant, unfortunately a bout of travellers stomach, picked up elsewhere, stopped us on our last night from giving the food a try but our travelling companions ate their and really enjoyed it. The square is not much to look at, however it is really a great place to experience, and you will be hard pressed to find a better bargain than the freshly squeezed juice for 3dh (€0.30) at many of the stalls.
The alleys leading north from Djema-El-Fna are the souqs and are really the central aspect of the city. Marakesh is a real trading city as a destination of the caravans arriving from the Sahara; this is shown by many of the wares on sale from Berber, Toureg and even Dogon communities. The things that are not brought in from the dessert are made with-in the city; it is great to see production happening on such a human scale. You can see the things for sale being handcrafted in stalls and courtyards all …
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Avignon was a fantastic place, where we spent the best part of a week in late September, enjoying the city and travelling to the cluster of WHS within easy travelling distance of it.
The main sights here are in a cluster at the northern end of town. The main sight is Palace des Papes; despite being mostly empty I really enjoyed taking the audio tour around here. One year before I had visited the Vatican and it was great to be able to contrast the two, and basically see what the Vatican would have been like if it was built in a Gothic style. There is a wine tasting exhibit as you exit and I can thoroughly recommend this as it is a great and fairly cheap introduction to the wines of the Rhone region, there are very few places better to drink Château-Neuf-Du-Pape, than in le Château-Vieux-Du-Pape. A walk around the outside of the complex will reveal how massive the complex is. It will also take you to the great gardens, which offer fantastic views of the Rhone.
The Cathedral and Petit Palace are situated on the same square as the Palace, and are worth the time to explore. The other major part of the inscription lies just outside the city walls; this is the famous Pont St Benezet/ Pont de Avignon. This is half a bridge with a little chapel on it; I must admit we didn’t pay to go on the bridge instead we preferred to view …
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The Grand Canyon is just GRAND! I love this part of SW US; if you look at the whole area, starting with Bryce and it's hoodoos (eroded sandstone formations), then go south to Zion Natl. Park (eroded granite) and continue south to the north rim of the Grand Canyon (eroded everything), you can get the whole picture of what has happened by water and wind to this entire area. Throw in Monument Valley, the Painted Desert (multi-colored), the Vermillion Hills (purple)and on south to Sedona for a spiritual finish. This was a great 10 day trip, with a bush w/ hundreds of hummingbirds and beautiful hikes. Stay in Springdale,UT and the Northridge Lodge, if you get the chance.
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Rennell is beautiful!! As an environmental scientist, living and working in the Solomons, I was amazed at the beauty and diversity of Rennell and the lake. However, logging and bauxite mining has been on the cards of the locals in West Rennell, and many in East fear it will destroy their World Heritage Listing. There is great potential for alternatives, as my work is attempting to currently faciltate, but without the understanding of Australian and European nationals, I fear the island could be lost to a cash-economy.
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To be in the Washington area and not to take the relatively short trip to Charlottesville, Virginia, is really to miss a great sight. Monticello is one of the most famous residences in the world, and rightly so, since its constructor, Thomas Jefferson, was not only a politician, but also a Renaissance man of the highest order, with numerous hobbies and interests, all of which can be noticed at Monticello. The day I visited was unfortunately very foggy and rainy, but I hear you can see the Blue Ridge Mountains very well from there on a sunny day... Be sure to make the short walk to Jefferson's grave to admire his modest tombstone. He didn't want to be remembered as America's 1st Secretary of State, 2nd Vice President, or 3rd President, but rather as "Author of the Declaration of Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and the Father of the University of Virginia". The latter can be visited as well, and is an interesting example of a classic American university with great architecture (especially the Rotunda). Nearby, the historic Michie Tavern is a touristy, but interesting place to shop and eat.
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Much of the architectural style in Edinbugh is consistent which gives a sense of order and identity. Edinburgh is also situated against the North Sea, which provides a sense of openness. The one thing that amazed me when I was there was how the weather varies literally from street to street. You can be walking on one side of the street where the clouds obstruct the sun and it maybe raining and on the opposite side of the street it will be sunny. Wonderful city.
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I visited Monticello in April of 1996 with my daughter on her 8th grade Washington DC trip. Monticello was a great experience to see. My daughter and I thought that the surrounding country side around Monticello was beautiful.We also visited the campus of the University of Virginia on a short tour, which I thought was also impressive.
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Both the castle Mir and Nesvish was once founded by the influential Radzivill family and the Nesvish Castle is the more modern of the two. Beautifully located next to a series of ponds, it is well worth a visit but, but, but…..appointing the Nesvish Castle a World Heritage Site must have sparked some rapid investment from the Belorussian government to turn what has been used as a sanatorium for the last 50 years into a historical monument of class. Therefore the entire castle has been turned into a building site and will probably not be accessible for the next ten years or so.
Until then you can admire the beautiful park with several small monuments and statues, commemorating different coactions in the life’s of the Radzivill family or stroll by the ponds on a warm summer day or visit the nearby churches and monasteries in the town of Nesvish.
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The Grand Canyon is one of those few things in the world that lives up to its hype. It's a breathtaking, astonishing site, and the National Park Service has done a good job of keeping the area clean and natural (no mini-golf or Wal-Marts!), with signature WPA-era stone and timber architecture for the park service center. I've been there three times and would go back again in a heartbeat.
Recommended: stay in Flagstaff, and stop in on Wupatki National Monument and the Painted Desert areas on your way up to the Canyon. This whole area is peaceful and astonishingly beautiful. One unexpected thing that stays with me is the sound of the wind in the pines that flank the canyon. You'll probably also see chipmunks if you sit still.
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Looking at a map of Africa/Mauritania and, bearing in mind the lack of any review on this site so far, you might conclude that the Ksour of Mauritania do not receive many tourist visits! In fact 3 very cheap charter flights each week (October –April) between France and the northern town of Attar bring relatively large numbers of (mainly French?) tourists to Chinguetti and Ouadane. The other 2 inscribed towns are further east and south – more appropriate perhaps for those travelling on to Mali (Oualata is the next “town” to Timbuctoo – only a week or so’s camel journey away!).
If you read the ICOMOS review on the UNESCO web site you will see that ICOMOS had to have its arms twisted to make a positive recommendation – largely because of the towns’ lack of preservation. “Old Chinguetti” consists of a few lanes of stone built structures – many empty or falling down but reasonably faithfully preserving the 12h century layout together with some of the decorative features. The Mosque itself (Photo – top) is well preserved and its attractive tower looks to have been largely reconstructed (Non Muslims are not allowed to enter but you can see/hear the religious activity from its doors). We received the usual statement about it being the “7th most holy city of (Sunni) Islam”. On enquiring about the 4th to 6 th (after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem of course) we were given a long list of candidates including Cairo, Kairouan, …
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My wife and I just visited Segovia 3 days ago. We actually live in Valencia Spain, so it only took us about 5 or 6 hours to get there by car. We stayed just under two days and had a great time. The aquaduct was incredible, so was the cathedral and Alcazar. The cathedral took a few hundred years to build and when you are inside, you truly appreciate the architecture and the amazing attention to detail. We weren't supposed to take pictures inside, but couldn't resist. The food was great too. It was a wonderful experience.
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Accorfding to UNESCO, Vinales is on the list because "traditional methods of agriculture (notably tobacco growing) have survived unchanged there for several centuries. The region also preserves a rich vernacular tradition in its architecture, its crafts, and its music." Unfortunately these are the kinds of qualities that are not always easily discernible to the passing tourist as I was in 2001 when I visited. It is set in a Karst landscape that was visually intersting - but that was before I visited Halong bay and the Gulin/Yangshuo area of China. My friends and I had a pleasant stop there at a local homestay, where we had the best food we ate in Cuba (not much competition though I'm afraid). If you have a particular interest in
Cuban culture, tobacco growing, or are passing that way anyway, Vinales town is worth a stopover, but I wouldn't plan a holiday around it.
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Vienna, like Prague and Budapest, is a profound experience. Many commentators will describe the beauty of its baroque architecture, and endless other qualities. While these descriptions are often very accurate, one of its stand-out qualities is its people. I have been to Vienna several times and will be returning very soon because of the Viennese culture. My experience has been that the Viennese are, while relatively wealthy, particularly friendly. The Viennese are both gentile and sophisticated. I can only urge anyone who is travelling to Europe for the first time to start your European experience in Vienna.
It would not be possible to properly explore Vienna under 4 nights or 5 days. Must see in Vienna; walk and walk the entire 1st District. This includes Hofburg Palace and St. Stephen's Cathedral. Also The Abertina, Belvedere and Schonbrunn palaces, and definitely a performance at Motzarthaus.
Best time to go to Vienna. Anytime, but I love Vienna in the snow, but Spring is breathless, particularly Belvedere and Schonbrunn.
Last, please learn some basic German, even it's to say please or thankyou!
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Iran has many beautiful names and often places all reminiscent of past grandeurs, Pasargadae being one of them. This is a city whose influence and historical signifcance was on a par if not rivalled that of Persepolis. Today it is very different though.
With the best of intents we tried to imagine what was once there using the (well done!) signs and drawings at each site, but it was tough and beyond what we were creatively capable of. Yes, it was a dissapointment after the many hours it took us to get here. Fortunately Iran has countless other historical, natural and religious sites no to mention the local hospitality that made us rapidly forget our visit.
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Nearly five years ago on what I nowadays call my first true world heritage trip I ventured to Andalucia. Out of curiosity I decided to also go to Gibraltar and look across the straights to Africa. Having been at Europa Point at the very tip of the island I must have been within 500m of the site, but didn’t know. As such this was a tragic near miss for me.
Thanks to our World Heritage Community Meetup 2017 and Ian’s and Els’ efforts I was able to correct this. Ian had arranged the tour with the Gibraltar Museum. They gave us a nice presentation providing the context you need to make sense of a prehistoric sites such as this.
Half of our group were allowed to the entrance of the caves to get a closer look. The caves are still active excavation sites with yearly campaigns being carried out each summer. The caves are also in an active military installation. And if this wasn’t challenge enough, the caves are located in a hard to access part of the peninsula at the bottom of huge cliffs directly at sea level. As noted by Els the sea level was way lower when the Neanderthals lived here. So the caves overlooked a 5km long coastal plain.
To get to the caves we needed to pass a control post at the entry of the military installation. They also made us sign some mighty tense waiver form and gave …
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There are many other interesting things to visit in the Negev Heights (Ramat Hanegev) region, such as oases (Ein Avdat, Ein Zik), the Large, Small and Ramon Craters, and the recently developed wine route, which is combining eco-tourism with boutique wineries, olive growing, and the cottage-industry production of goat cheese (all of which is pretty amazing in an arid desert region of approximately 300 sunny days per year, and only about 70mm of rain). This is a less-travelled part of Israel, but well worth the visit, either as a special trip or on your way south from the centre of the country to Eilat. The roads are excellent and there is a bus service approximately once an hour from Beer Sheva. Make sure you bring a hat, good walking shoes (not sandals) and plenty of drinking water. Camp sites are not as well equipped as in some other parts of the world, but there are excellent field schools (some with hostel accommodation) and bed & breakfasts in the area.
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