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Heading to the Rock Art in the Ha'il region from Buraydah, we had one of the monuments from this series nomination.These are monuments along the historical route from the Iraqi cities of Kufa and Baghdad to Mecca. As part of its Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has as one of its goals to double the number of inscriptions on the World Cultural Heritage List, and I commend them for getting consultants of quality who have come up with good topics and at the same time an international dimension. Pilgrimage routes are nominated as three potential serial entries: in addition to the Saudi-Iraqi route Darb Zubaydah (i.e. the one being reviewed), there are also Egyptian and Syrian routes. All heading, as usual, to Mecca.

Dar Zubaydah can boast an interesting history - a hundred years after the rise of Islam, local rulers tried to improve pilgrimage routes by building road infrastructure such as milestones or various places where pilgrims could spend the night during the long journey. As the population of present-day Iraq prospered at the turn of the first millennium AD, more and more people could make the pilgrimage, and there was a threat that the water supply along the way would not be sufficient for their needs. And so the building of infrastructure continued, this time water infrastructure in the form of wells and cisterns. Wealthy locals could fund or build hostels for pilgrims, which then bore their name, as part of the alms (zakat) that Islam commands. Pilgrims …

Does the addition of the “Modhera Sun Temple” to its T List in Dec 22 represent a “return” by India to its many uninscribed "classical" religious/archaeological sites whose “aspiring World heritage” days one might have thought had somewhat passed in the ever broadening search for more outré, less well-covered subjects? Is it a bit like a European country now nominating yet another single-building Cathedral? I would characterize Modhera as “top of the second division” in its class with indisputable artistic and cultural credentials – even capable of aspiring to the Premier League. The unavoidable "comparator" is the other Indian Sun Temple at Konarak, inscribed as long ago as 1984. They are very different and I am sure there is room for both on the List, with Konarak undoubtedly being the more "impressive" to the "non-expert".

But extracting “value” from a visit to Modhera beyond just viewing a lot of “nice carvings” isn’t easy! We visited in Feb 2019 without any expectation that it would find its way onto the T List. If you are in Gujarat you would have to be very perverse not to take it in whatever its WH status! It is situated a 2hr drive north of Ahmedabad on a direct route to Rani ki Vav. only another 45 minutes further on. A visit will take around an hour – 2 at most if you want to dig deeper or relax. As with “similar” sites across India, a problem for the non-Hindu visitor is that the …

I visited this WHS in 2022 and didn't have high expectations. However, from the moment I arrived on the never-ending flat terrain to the moment I left, I was positively surprised. Having read Hubert's and Nan's reviews, I made an extra effort to put aside my birdwatching bias, and I tried to focus on also covering the man-made structures which shaped this cultural landscape.

You'll notice you have reached the Hortobagy plains, once wherever you look the sky meets the land on the infinite horizon. The landscape of this romantic region has inspired countless works by celebrated painters and some of the greatest Hungarian poets have sung its praises, a bit like the Tuscan landscape of Val d'Orcia. Especially in spring, gazing at the endless flat panoramas, the breeze will take you by surprise with its scent of sweet chamomile and mint. The only noises are the stamping of hooves, the ringing of cattle bells and perhaps the wafting of birds' wings. The steppe landscape of Hortobagy reminded me of the Saryarka Kazakh steppe landscape on a much lesser scale or the El Rocio horseback landscape near Donana National Park in Spain. However, Hortobagy is a unique example of harmonius interaction between human beings and nature.

The earliest human settlers left their imprint on the landscape in the form of so-called kurgans (kunhalom), or rounded burial mounds visible on the endless horizons. Besides their archaeological and cultural value, these tumuli provide a habitat for vegetation characteristic of the …

Shiretoko has a lot to offer, at a price. You can technically get here with public transportation but getting around seems a little difficult. I drove in Hokkaido for the entire duration and it was well worth it to explore not only the north of Japan but also the Shiretoko area itself. I stayed at a luxurious hotel (Daiichi, which has a five star buffet if you ask me) which is unusual for me but seemed to match the trip. The hotel (as third party) offers a boat cruise but the weather in October wasn't good enough for the boat to ever depart so I never got to see the northern tip of Shiretoko NP (Mountain) from the boat and there is no other way to get there. The road at the western side enables you to see some wildlife, especially deer, which was great in itself but doesn't really "go" anywhere. There is a famous pass (see pic) as you get over to the east side and there is another road going north which is very similar for both content and views. There are many onsen (hotsprings) around the area but the hotel already offered that so I didn't need to waste exploring time on that.

The easiest and one of the better ones to enjoy is the boardwalk along the Shiretoko Five Lakes. It's easy, very green, very fresh and lots of info to read about. You would usually see migratory birds here but I was already …

I visited this WHS in 2022 on two separate days, the second simply because I happened to be passing close by so I did a quick revisit (not that it was "necessary". Holloko is Hungary's version of Holasovice and together with Vlkolinec in Slovakia and perhaps Cumalikizik in Turkey covers vernacular architecture. It has a slightly better feel of a little village than Holasovice (a pretty square and a pond) but still overall is quite weak and apart from being almost a museum village, it is practically reconstructed (I've seen at least two house being rebuilt with a concrete core, then diligently covered with straw and white plaster.

That said, I must say that overall my visit was rather pleasant and luckily I didn't encounter any group tours. Many of the village houses have been converted to different museum or workshops, exhibiting or selling dreamcatchers, dolls, honey, postal stuff, crops and rural stuff, pottery, knitware, etc., while another two have been converted to a cafeteria and/or restaurant. I visited a couple just to see the houses' interior hoping to be surprised by the interiors (as was the case in Halsingland in Sweden) but there wasn't much to see inside except for very few hints of painted wooden decorations or carvings on beds, chairs, and small furniture from the local Palocz folk tradition. Perhaps, timing your visit with local festive days when the men and women of Holloko (and nearby) wear their traditional costumes would help to enjoy the place …

The Al-Ahsa Oasis is listed on the World Cultural Heritage List as a place that has been inhabited for a long time since the Early Stone Age. This was helped by the presence of water, which was later diverted by local residents to their fields using canals. Wells, forts, mosques and gardens were built in the area and water greatly helped the development of this region. Twelve different locations are included in the listing, which together form the largest oasis in the world, which has over two and a half million palm trees.

The mountain Jabal Al-Qarah in the city of Al Hofuf was probably the most interesting stop for us. On one side a jungle of palm trees, and across the road a nice parking lot, several restaurants and a huge Land of Civilizations sign. It's quite nice to see at least some place ready for tourists - it's been quite a different experience in Saudi so far and everything seems under construction. The mountain itself, which consists of several rock pillars that have created a natural cave, can be accessed through the visitor center, of course after purchasing a ticket. For your entrance fee, you get access to the museum that tells the history of the civilizations living in this place and to the very maze of alleys between the stones. The sidewalks are resurfaced, illuminated, and there are many interesting places for taking photos in the nooks and crannies of the stone pillars. There are said …

I stayed in Bansko for a week in an apartment at the start of October 2022. I took the fast train from Sofia to Septembri and changed there to the narrow gauge train to Bansko. This is a pretty, enjoyable ride but it takes all day to get to Bansko.

The gondola did not work at this time of the year except for one ride at 8.00h on weekdays but I preferred to hike up. I chose the side valley one day towards Demianitsa hut which is nicer as there is no ski slope in this valley. My plan was to cross the pass to Vihren hut but just below the pass it started to rain and I decided to turn back. I found the lakes and the old trees really beautiful and unspoilt. Though in the lower areas there are also clear signs of human presence, garbage and signs of small scale logging which I assume is illegal.

After a few rainy days I hiked up to Vihren hut and now the mountain tops were covered by a light powder snow. I walked on to the lakes and it was rather busy on this sunny Saturday. But by 16.00h I was alone in the mountains. I took a path back which turned out to be rather challenging but very beautiful with views of a lake down below and a waterfall next to me. I was happy to return unscathed at Vihren hut before dusk. For the way …

I just read this thread for the first time to find that all previous 6 posts mentioned only the island of Vulcano, so I would be glad to add my experience on 2 more islands: Lipari and Stromboli. 

Toward the end of my 2 month-long trip to Europe in summer 2012 I took a ferry from Milazzo to the city of Lipari (on the island of Lipari), which is considered to be the capital of Isole Eolie, and stayed there for 2 nights. In the evening when I arrived, I booked a volcano-viewing tour to Stromboli in the following day. 

Beside this tour, another reason I stayed somewhat longer in the Isole Eolie was because I was sort of looking for an ideal island in the Med, an island more developed than Greek islands but less developed than Capri, and, knowing nothing about Isole Eolie, I thought one of the 7 islands could be it. 

I do remember walking around in the city of Lipari but do not remember what I saw besides souvenir shops in the center, so, I probably did not see much. 

Anyway, the tour, which lasted for several hours and with perhaps 15 participants onboard a small boat, first took us to an underwater volcano near Stromboli where you could see bubbles coming up to the surface of water and where we were allowed to swim out of the boat in the warmer water due to the volcano. 

Then we arrived …

Lijiang is a must-see for any China trip, and of course there is plenty to do while you are coming to Yunnan even from Lijiang itself. Most people do a Dali -> Lijiang -> Shangrila tour and maaaybe, like me, a sidetrip to Lugu Lake which nowadays also has an airport which may save some time. There is also a saying that Lijiang is a place to hookup for young Chinese because pretty much the entire center of old town is a huge bar and clubbing area where the alcohol, holiday spirit and some sort of vibe seems to mark the visitors with a "what stays in Vegas" attitude.

Lijiang is beautiful and has lots of features. Waterways, stone bridges, old houses one both side of the cobble streets, red lanterns, temples, multi-level layers that seem to go on forever plus surrounded by mountains. Being a major tourist destination it's also trying hard to keep clean and tidy. The water system is helping there and the money pouring in keeps everyone busy to stay traditional as much as they can so you will definitely not find skyscrapers or even tall buildings anywhere near the city center (my visit has been years ago but I'm sure not much changed in the core area).

Overall I spent 3 days in Lijiang mainly because of my Lugu sidetrip so I would overall think 2 are enough if you just want to enjoy and soak up the town. It's become quite monetary …

I visited this WHS in 2022 by car en route from Vienna. The usual base is Gyor, but there are also a few guesthouses near the archabbey proper which are better situated to enjoy the archabbey at sunset (best lighting on the golden mosaics of the tower) or after sunrise. It lies on a hill and it is best to park at the upper parking area near the millenium memorial chapel.

Benedictine monks from Breznov (near Prague) arrived to the hill of St Martin in 996. Under the leadership of Abbot Anastasius, they founded a monastery to promote the Christianisation of Hungary. The church was consecrated as early as 1001 and a monastery was built adjoining the church to the south. The current early Gothic style three-nave church of the archabbey was consecrated in 1224. However, archaeological excavations prove that instead of today's church, there was another stone church of almost the same size which was standing already in the times of St. Stephen. The WHS includes the surroundings of the monastery with the Chapel of Our Lady on the hill furthest from the abbey. This single-aisled Baroque church was built between 1714 and 1725 and its crypt is still in use as the burial place for the monks of the monastery. Near this chapel lies a treetop walkway, a panoramic viewpoint, the millenium chapel and just opposite the archabbey an arboretum with lavender fields.

The main entrance to the archabbey is reserved for the monks, with a …

I had put the island on my TODO list for Mozambique but at the time I wasn't visiting for world heritage reasons. I actually went to Mozambique for scuba diving which is more interesting so a trip to Vilanculos and Tofo (WHALESHARKS!) is much more rewarding. As I was going to Malawi it made sense to fly via Nampula and the island of Mozambique isn't far off. Originally I had a hotel booked in Nampula and planned to do a daytrip but a hostel run by a Portuguese lady in another town had a friend on the island who ran on and it was cheaper and why not stay on the island you may think. Well, let's get into that soon. After arrival at the airport you can jump into a bus that goes to the island and it's super cheap. First stop will be the west side of town which is the shanty. I mean, poor, dirty, wondering how people survive. I actually got off here even though the driver said he'll take me to the end, the good part, but I felt I wanted to see the entire place a bit more. That is not recommended by the way so maybe just go to the end.

When you reach the good section the buildings look better and my hostel wasn't far off. It was more of a guest house actually, and the owner's partner would later drive me to the airport for a reasonable fee. Since I …

Ivan and I visited this WHS on our return trip from Al Ahsa Oasis, heading to Buraydah and Ha'il Rock Art, Riyadh being conveniently on our way. So we made a short break in the Ad-Diriyah section, where At-Turaif, the first capital of the Saud dynasty, is located. It was founded in the 15th century, its importance grew in the 18th century, and it was destroyed in 1818 during the Ottoman Empire's attack on Arabia.

Interestingly, even though the royal family regained control of the area, they did not rush into its reconstruction (see Solivagant's review below for more on that). Inscription on the list of world cultural heritage probably helped to solve this dilemma, and at the same time, the concept of the entire Ad-Diriyah neighborhood was devised, which should combine the modern with the old. The plan is to preserve the historic part of At-Turaif and build around it a modern district with shops, restaurants, hotels and a convention center - all in the same clay tones, albeit with more modern architecture.

Unfortunately, it was still a big construction site at the time of our visit. The historical part itself was quite difficult to find, as others (special shoutout to Thomas and Wojciech) have also complained about it. The official parking lot is about a kilometer from At-Turaif, one part of the road is closed, no pointers anywhere. So we just eyeballed the location based on the map and parked in a nearby parking lot intended …

The Portuguese City of Mazagan turned out the biggest positive surprise of my short Moroccan coastal trip in January 2023. The site has been rated by others as of the least interest among Morocco's WHS, but just looking at the site’s intrinsic qualities and OUV, I believe this is not fair. Yes, I understand it is small and takes an hour at most to explore. But:

1. It is really old. It dates from the very early stages of the explorations of the Portuguese outside Europe (1514). Among the many Portuguese colonial forts around the world, this one is the second oldest that is still intact. The only older one is Elmina Castle in Ghana (part of the Gold Coast Forts WHS). 
2. It has barely changed since. Elmina was heavily used by the Dutch and British in the 17th-19th centuries, while Mazagan was abandoned after the Portuguese left in 1769. The fortress town, therefore, has kept its original layout, some buildings, and the ramparts. Only the residential buildings of the Moroccans that settled here from the mid-19th century on, are additions, as well as an entrance gate built during the French protectorate.
3. It has kept the church buildings intact. The 16th-century Portuguese Church of the Assumption still holds the primary position in town. OK, the Moroccans that took over and renamed the town El Jadida turned a higher watchtower into the minaret of their mosque. But they didn’t destroy the churches.

I visited Mazagan as …

I climbed Pietrosul Rodnei on 16th September 2021 when I stayed in a pension in Borşa for 5 nights. The main path is well signposted but I used a shortcut straight accross the road from my pension. This track was muddy and overgrown. At one point the track was closed as new houses had been built but a lady of the house pointed me in the right direction towards the monastery where I joined the main track. One can drive up to the monastery and walk from there, this saves quite some time and effort.

The track beyond the monastery is beautiful and well maintained and the views from the top were splendid. I rested in the sun for a while with few other people and then went down again. The next day the rain came in and the mountain view remained obscured for the days to come.

Despite the natural beauty, it is unclear to me how this mountain top distinguishes itself.

I visited a few of the churches in November 2022. During my stay in Sebeş I took an early afternoon bus to Câlnic. To my surprise, the church was open and there were a few tourists visiting. Only the church and the central tower could be visited and I found the entrance fee a bit steep for what was visitable. The high tower seemed interesting but it was closed for renovation. There was no return bus and I walked around 6 kilometers to the village of Cut where a bus stopped to pick me up.

I took a morning train from Sighișoara to Mediaş with the intention to visit both Biertan and Valea Viior but, alas, the responsible bus company had gone bankrupt and I found a big bus station without any schedules and busses. At the tourist office I found that the church of Valea Viior was closed for renovations. So I spent the day in the museum of Mediaş, which included paintings made from cobwebs and in the interesting fortified church.

Next day, I walked a pretty road from Ațel train station to Biertan, about 10 kilometers. After visiting the church, it started to rain but a friendly couple drove me back to Sighisoara.

Last, I visited the church of Prejmer by Regio Calatori local train from Braşov. The premises look a little bit like a tiny village, with all the walls and doors and ladders. It was nice to be able to explore also …

I visited the Câpâlna fortress by taking a local morning bus from Sebeş towards Şugag which dropped me off at the start of the track. It is a well signposted 2 kilometer steep walk through orchards and forest. Hardly anything remains of the fortress, but the views over the valley are pretty and it was nice to imagine the Dacians guarding the valley below. I had intended to walk to the fortified church of Calnic but the walk seemed rather daunting now I was here. So, I decided to hitchhike back to Sebeş which worked very well (as usually in Romania).

A few days later I was staying in Oraştie and faced the challenge to visit Sarmizegetusa Regia. After reading Tsunami's review, and as it was end of November, I decided to go on a Saturday, guessing there may be more tourists to hitchhike. I intended to take the 11.00h bus to Costeşti but when I arrived at the bus station that had served me so well in the past days, I found it had morphed into a busy market. I asked around and it seemed on Saturday the busses start from another location. But when I arrived at that location, there was no sign of a bus either. I was about to give up but when I went to ask if I may visit the bathroom at a local cafe, I was reminded of how friendly Romanians are. And I started to hitchhike. It went really well and …

Despite my downward vote for the "The Plantations in West Curaçao" tentative site, this reflects more my support for a transnational nomination rather than several dozen individual nominations. I visited the Savonet and Knip plantations (the later is closed indefinitely) in December 2022. I did a self-guided tour of Savonet. White columns with a fist grasping a broken chain of bondage are located in several locations in West Curaçao and commemorate events preceding, during, and after the 1795 Slave Revolt.

It just so happened that the day before my visit, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands apologized for the Dutch government's role in the Atlantic Slave Trade, calling it a "crime against humanity". While there was some controversy over the apology, it does seem the straightforward language was appreciated by some as a first step. Western governments tend to tread cautiously on sensitive topics related to genocide, slavery, and other crimes against humanity, regretfully because the "r" word is greatly feared and in some countries political suicide. The House of Representatives (in the U.S.) officially apologized to Black Americans for Slavery and Jim Crow Segregation only 15 years ago and reparations remain contested and far from our current reality. So in regards to Netherlands, this may be a long process and actions tend to mean more than words.

I think any extensive transnational "Slavery" nomination would require several sites located in the Caribbean. The components in West Curaçao are well-suited for this type of nomination. One very small …

I had previously (for some reason) rated this as a five star visit but I have no clue idea why. Getting back to this now only because it's been a long time since the last review I corrected it. I didn't take a photo of the ranger station and my friend once sent me a video but it wasn't his either so the "copyright" (=bragrights?) aren't clear and in the end it's no big deal. Random underwater shot from the diving it is.

The only way to see this place is by taking a liveaboard into the reef area. It's going to take a a week to explore it and there isn't really much you can do about it. Even if there would be a shorter trip available then it's not worth it. You will need to soak up the full experience.

So I don't rate this as highly as expected for a natural and dive site. "Tubbataha is life" says their slogan and I got a t-shirt (hardly worn because it's too pretty) with the same, some environmental staff comes on board the first night and give you speech on how important the reefs are but in the end you hardly get to see any of the "special life" status. Yes, reefs are important but should I really feel this site is special because they protect it and the rest of the world is raping the underwater reefs and overfishing? Hmm, debatable. The underwater is thrive and …

The Discovery Coast is one of the harder sites to visit in Brazil. It is centered around the city of Porto Seguro, which isn’t that well-connected to the rest of the Northeast. Also, it involves renting a car and the best part of the day to get anywhere close to the core zone and get a feel for its OUV. So although it was on the initial itinerary of my 2022 Brazil trip, I dropped it in the final preparations as it just seemed too much hassle for an unsure reward.

Fast forward to December 2022: travelling in Brazil turned out to be a breeze, everybody is just flying anywhere and my first car rental had turned out fine. So as I knew that I had a spare day each in Sao Paulo and Rio, I started looking for flights that would allow me to ‘do’ the Discovery Coast as a day trip from there. And I found a flight by Azul that leaves from Rio Santos Dumont to Porto Seguro at 7.30 in the morning, arriving at 9.00. Choosing a return flight in the evening would leave ample time on the ground to look at some forest!

During my first preparations, I had set my eye on the location called “Veracruz Station” – lately renamed to “Veracel Station”, as it is sponsored by a bioeconomy firm. This lies just 15km outside of Porto Seguro, probably even reachable by an Uber from the airport. They require booking …

I visited this WHS in Spring 2022 as a day trip by ferry from Sarande, Albania. I booked my ticket online one day before to depart with the earliest fast ferry to Corfu to beat the cruise liner crowds that tend to arrive between breakfast and lunchtime, which turned out to be a wise choice. There's also a slower ferry that transports cars too but it really isn't worth the time and money as the Old City and fortifications of Corfu are at walking distance from the ferry drop-off point.

Corfu is well on the beaten track and is famous for its 19th and 20th century British Neoclassical housing as well as its two Venetian fortresses. As such, it is comparable to Trogir, Croatia or Kotor, Montenegro, but also to Valletta, Malta or Dubrovnik, Croatia. The fortifications of Corfu and the views from both fortresses are fine but if truth be told I was a bit underwhelmed by the rest of the buildings which were very scrubby and in quite a bad shape (I even managed to spot a rusty bike hanging outside one of the window sills of the higher buildings!). I started off by visiting the New Fortress of Corfu with the Venetian Lion gate. The Baroque church hidden just besides it was a pleasant sight and a good stopover point half way of the uphill road leading to the new fortress. Apart from the high massive fortification walls and a number of rusty cannons, the highlight …