Ecological Tour.kmz

Light Pollution

Artificial Night Sky Brightness for North America
Artificial Night Sky Brightness for North America. Caused by exterior lights shining into the sky. http://www.lightpollution.it/dmsp/

Deforestation

Norm Herr's Office, CSUN

Massive Deforestation

Deforestation
As you can see a road has been weaved through the amazon and offshoots every 5km or so go deep into the jungle. From these roads deforestation occurs. This is on a huge scale, if you zoom out you can see it from almost 10000km away. It is a very destructive way of attaining more wood. it is then cultivated and converted to farmland.

WORST AMAZON DESTRUCTION EVER
If you see north west and south east of this placemark you will find a HUGE destruction of the amazon forest spreading just like a virus. Unfortunately this is us in action, the same civilization capable of creating such wonderfull things as google earth, is able to close the loop and show us some of our worst atributes.
An area of Amazon jungle larger than the U.S. state of New Jersey has been destroyed this year and work on a new highway is mainly to blame, environmental group Friends of the Earth and the government said on Wednesday.
The preliminary figures, based on satellite images, alarmed environmentalists because they suggest that Amazon destruction has surpassed its second-highest level reached in 2002-2003.
The data is based on a satellite system which has been monitoring Amazon deforestation on a test basis. The government's yearly figures, released in March, are based on data from a different satellite system.
The images indicated that from 8,920 square miles to 9,420 square miles (23,100 sq km to 24,400 sq km), or an area bigger than New Jersey, was cut down this year, said Joao Paulo Capobianco, the government's secretary of biodiversity and forests.
"Either we have stabilized the rate or there is a small increase," he said.
If confirmed, the total figure for this year's deforestation will be above the 2002-2003 level of 9,170 square miles (23,750 sq km), said Roberto Smeraldi, head of Friends of the Earth in Brazil.
The figure was especially worrying because it showed that for the first time in history Amazon deforestation rose despite a slowdown in agriculture during the year, he said.
A record level was set in the mid-1990s in a year marked by an exceptional incidence of fires.
Small farmers have been major culprits in the trend as they hack away at Amazon jungle to expand their fields.
The data showed a big jump in deforestation along a road running through the heart of the Amazon that the government has said it wants to pave.
"The big reason for this (destruction) is the BR-163 road," Smeraldi said. "The government knew about this; it was warned. What is surprising is that they are not even talking about their anti-deforestation plans."
In the region of the road, deforestation soared by more than five times, Smeraldi said. Settlers have moved in even before the government started paving it.
Environmentalists have warned that roads, dams and pipeline projects through the Amazon -- home to up to 30 percent of the planet's animal and plant species -- represent the biggest threat to the forest because they open up access to large-scale development and settlement.
Font: www.alertnet.org

Deforestation, Indonesia

Unesco World Heritage Sites
All 788 World Heritage Sites as of Oct 2004.
Descriptive snippets are quoted from:
http://whc.unesco.org © 2003 UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Notes
05/13/05 - Updated Nordic coordinates from placemarks provided by Moaguten. Thanks!
10/08/04 - Fixed lat/lon for Viet Nam Ha Long Bay, Belize Barrier Reef, Greece Acropolis, Ireland Skellig Michael. Reduced placemark icon size to "1"

Afghanistan

Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam
pic gg "The 65m-tall Minaret of Jam is a graceful, soaring structure, dating back to the 12th century. Covered in elaborate brickwork with a blue tile inscription at the top, it is..." more

Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley
pic gg "The cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley represent the artistic and religious developments which from the 1st to the 13th centuries..." more

Albania

Butrint
pic gg "Inhabited since prehistoric times, Butrint has been the site of a Greek colony, a Roman city and a bishopric. Following a period of prosperity under Byzantine administration,..." more

Algeria

Al Qal'a of Beni Hammad
pic gg "In a mountainous site of extraordinary beauty, the ruins of the first capital of the Hammadid emirs, founded in 1007 and demolished in 1152, provide an authentic picture of a..." more

Tassili n'Ajjer
pic gg "Located in a strange lunar landscape of great geological interest, this site has one of the most important groupings of prehistoric cave art in the world. More than 15,000..." more

M'Zab Valley
pic gg "A traditional human habitat, created in the 10th century by the Ibadites around their five ksour (fortified cities), has been preserved intact in the M'Zab valley...." more

Djemila
pic gg "Situated 900 m above sea-level, Djemila, or Cuicul, with its forum, temples, basilicas, triumphal arches and houses, is an interesting example of Roman town planning adapted..." more

Tipasa
pic gg "On the shores of the Mediterranean, Tipasa was an ancient Punic trading-post conquered by Rome and turned into a strategic base for the conquest of the kingdoms of..." more

Timgad
pic gg "Timgad lies on the northern slopes of the Aures mountains and was created ex nihilo as a military colony by the Emperor Trajan in A.D. 100. With its square enclosure and..." more

Kasbah of Algiers
pic gg "The Kasbah is a unique kind of medina, or Islamic city. It stands in one of the finest coastal sites on the Mediterranean, overlooking the islands where a Carthaginian..." more

Andorra

Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley
pic gg "The Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley offers a microcosmic perspective of the way people have harvested the resources of the high Pyrenees over millennia. Its dramatic glacial..." more

Argentina

Los Glaciares
pic gg "The Los Glaciares National Park is an area of exceptional natural beauty, with rugged, towering mountains and numerous glacial lakes, including Lake Argentino, which is 160..." more

Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis: San Ignacio Mini, Santa Ana, Nuestra Senora de Loreto and Santa Maria Mayor (Argentina), Ruins of Sao Miguel das Missoes (Brazil)
pic gg "The ruins of Sao Miguel das Missoes in Brazil, and those of San Ignacio Mini, Santa Ana, Nuestra Senora de Loreto and Santa Maria la Mayor in Argentina, lie at the heart of a..." more

Iguazu National Park
pic gg "The semicircular waterfall at the heart of this site is some 80 m high and 2,700 m in diameter and is situated on a basaltic line spanning the border between Argentina and..." more

Cueva de las Manos, Rio Pinturas
pic gg "The Cueva de las Manos, Rio Pinturas, contains an exceptional assemblage of cave art, executed between 13,000 and 9,500 years ago. It takes its name (Cave of the Hands) from..." more

Peninsula Valdes
pic gg "Peninsula Valdes in Patagonia is a site of global significance for the conservation of marine mammals. It is home to an important breeding population of the endangered..." more

Ischigualasto / Talampaya Natural Parks
pic gg "These two contiguous parks, extending over 275,300 ha in the desert region on the western border of the Sierra Pampeanas of central Argentina, contain the most complete..." more

Jesuit Block and Estancias of Cordoba
pic gg "The Jesuit Block in Cordoba, heart of the former Jesuit Province of Paraguay, contains the core buildings of the Jesuit system: the university, the church and residence of..." more

Quebrada de Humahuaca
pic gg "Quebrada de Humahuaca follows the line of a major cultural route, the Camino Inca, along the spectacular valley of the Rio Grande, from its source in the cold high desert..." more

Armenia

Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin
pic gg "These two Byzantine monasteries in the Tumanian region from the period of prosperity during the Kiurikian dynasty (10th to 13th century) were important centres of learning...." more

Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots
pic gg "The cathedral and churches of Echmiatsin and the archaeological remains at Zvartnots graphically illustrate the evolution and development of the Armenian central-domed..." more

Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley
pic gg "The monastery of Geghard contains a number of churches and tombs, most of them cut into the rock, which illustrate the very peak of Armenian medieval architecture. The..." more

Australia

Kakadu National Park
pic gg "This unique archaeological and ethnological reserve, located in the Northern Territory, has been inhabited continuously for more than 40,000 years. The cave paintings, rock..." more

Great Barrier Reef
pic gg "The Great Barrier Reef is a site of remarkable variety and beauty on the north-east coast of Australia. It contains the world's largest collection of coral reefs, with..." more

Willandra Lakes Region
pic gg "The fossil remains of a series of lakes and sand formations that date from the Pleistocene can be found in this region, together with archaeological evidence of human..." more

Tasmanian Wilderness
pic gg "In a region that has been subjected to severe glaciation, these parks and reserves, with their steep gorges, covering an area of over 1 million ha, constitute one of the last..." more

Lord Howe Island Group
pic gg "A remarkable example of isolated oceanic islands, born of volcanic activity more than 2,000 m under the sea, these islands boast a spectacular topography and are home to..." more

Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves (Australia)
pic gg "This site, comprising several protected areas, is situated predominantly along the Great Escarpment on Australia's east coast. The outstanding geological features..." more

Ulu-r-u-Kata Tju-t-a National Park
pic gg "This park, formerly called Uluru (Ayers Rock - Mount Olga) National Park, features spectacular geological formations that dominate the vast red sandy plain of central..." more

Wet Tropics of Queensland
pic gg "This area, which stretches along the north-east coast of Australia for some 450 km, is made up largely of tropical rainforests. This biotope offers a particularly extensive..." more

Shark Bay, Western Australia
pic gg "At the most westerly point of the Australian continent, Shark Bay, with its islands and the land surrounding it, has three exceptional natural features: its vast sea-grass..." more

Fraser Island
pic gg "Fraser Island lies just off the east coast of Australia. At 122 km long, it is the largest sand island in the world. Majestic remnants of tall rainforest growing on sand and..." more

Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh/ Naracote)
pic gg "Riversleigh and Naracoorte, situated in the north and south respectively of eastern Australia, are among the world's 10 greatest fossil sites. They are a superb..." more

Heard and McDonald Islands
pic gg "Heard Island and McDonald Islands are located in the Southern Ocean, approximately 1,700 km from the Antarctic continent and 4,100 km south-west of Perth. As the only..." more

Macquarie Island
pic gg "Macquarie Island (34 km long x 5 km wide) is an oceanic island in the Southern Ocean, lying 1,500 km south-east of Tasmania and approximately halfway between Australia and..." more

Greater Blue Mountains Area
pic gg "The Greater Blue Mountains Area consists of 1.03 million ha of sandstone plateaux, escarpments and gorges dominated by temperate eucalypt forest. The site, comprised of eight..." more

Purnululu National Park
pic gg "The 239,723 ha Purnululu National Park is located in the State of Western Australia. It contains the deeply dissected Bungle Bungle Range composed of Devonian-age quartz..." more

Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens
pic gg "The Royal Exhibition Building and its surrounding Carlton Gardens were designed for the great international exhibitions of 1880 and 1888 in Melbourne. The building and..." more

Austria

Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg
pic gg "Salzburg has managed to preserve an extraordinarily rich urban fabric, developed over the period from the Middle Ages to the 19th century when it was a city-state ruled by a..." more

Palace and Gardens of Schonbrunn
pic gg "From the 18th century to 1918, Schonbrunn was the residence of the Habsburg emperors. It was designed by the architects Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Nicolaus..." more

Hallstatt-Dachstein Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape
pic gg "Human activity in the magnificent natural landscape of the Salzkammergut began in prehistoric times, with the salt deposits being exploited as early as the 2nd millennium..." more

Semmering Railway
pic gg "The Semmering Railway, built over 41 km of high mountains between 1848 and 1854, is one of the greatest feats of civil engineering from this pioneering phase of railway..." more

City of Graz - Historic Centre
pic gg "Graz is a particularly fine example of a central European urban complex whichexperienced many centuries of Habsburg rule. The old city is a harmonious blend of the..." more

Wachau Cultural Landscape
pic gg "The Wachau is a stretch of the Danube Valley between Melk and Krems, a landscape of high visual quality. It preserves in an intact and visible form many traces - in terms of..." more

Historic Centre of Vienna
pic gg "Vienna developed from early Celtic and Roman settlements into a Medieval and Baroque city, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It played an essential role as a..." more

Ferto/Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape
pic gg "The Ferto/Neusiedler Lake area has been the meeting place of different cultures for eight millennia. This is graphically demonstrated by its varied landscape, the result of..." more

Azerbaijan

Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower
pic gg "Built on a site inhabited since the Palaeolithic period, the Walled City of Baku reveals evidence of Zoroastrian, Sasanian, Arabic, Persian, Shirvani, Ottoman, and Russian..." more

Bangladesh

Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat
pic VR gg "Situated in the suburbs of Bagerhat, at the meeting-point of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, this ancient city, formerly known as Khalifatabad, was founded by the Turkish..." more

Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur
pic VR gg "Evidence of the rise of Mahayana Buddhism in Bengal from the 7th century onwards, Somapura Mahavira, or the Great Monastery, was a renowned intellectual centre until the 12th..." more

The Sundarbans
pic VR gg "The Sundarbans mangrove forest, one of the largest such forests in the world (140,000 ha), lies on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of..." more

Belarus

Belovezhskaya Pushcha / Bialowieza Forest
pic gg "Situated on the watershed of the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, this immense forest range, consisting of evergreens and broad-leaved trees, is home to some remarkable animal..." more

Mir Castle Complex
pic gg "The construction of this castle began at the end of the 15th century, in Gothic style. It was subsequently extended and reconstructed, first in the Renaissance and then in..." more

Belgium

Flemish Beguinages
pic gg "The Beguines were women who dedicated their lives to God without retiring from the world. In the 13th century they founded the beguinages, enclosed communities designed to..." more

The Four Lifts on the Canal du Centre and their Environs, La Louviere and Le Roeulx (Hainault)
pic gg "The four hydraulic boat-lifts on this short stretch of the historic Canal du Centre are industrial monuments of the highest quality. Together with the canal itself and its..." more

Grand-Place, Brussels
pic gg "La Grand-Place in Brussels is a remarkably homogeneous body of public and private buildings, dating mainly from the late 17th century. The architecture provides a vivid..." more

Belfries of Flanders and Wallonia
pic gg "The 30 belfries in Flanders and Wallonia, invariably found in an urban setting, are imposing bell-towers of medieval origin, generally attached to the town hall and..." more

Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta (Brussels)
pic gg "The four major town houses - Hotel Tassel, Hotel Solvay, Hotel van Eetvelde, and Maison & Atelier Horta - located in Brussels and designed by the architect Victor Horta,..." more

Neolithic Flint Mines at Spiennes (Mons)
pic gg "The Neolithic flint mines at Spiennes, covering more than 100 ha, are the largest and earliest concentration of ancient mines in Europe. They are also remarkable for the..." more

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai
pic gg "The Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Tournai was built in the first half of the 12th century. It is especially distinguished by a Romanesque nave of extraordinary dimensions, a..." more

Historic Centre of Brugge
pic gg "Brugge is an outstanding example of a medieval historic settlement, which has maintained its historic fabric as this has evolved over the centuries, and where original Gothic..." more

Belize

Belize Barrier-Reef Reserve System
pic gg "The coastal area of Belize is an outstanding natural system consisting of the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, offshore atolls, several hundred sand cays,..." more

Benin

Royal Palaces of Abomey
pic gg "From 1625 to 1900, 12 kings succeeded one another at the head of the powerful Kingdom of Abomey. With the exception of King Akaba, who had his own separate enclosure, they..." more

Bolivia

City of Potosi
pic gg "In the 16th century, this area was regarded as the world's largest industrial complex. The extraction of silver ore relied on a series of hydraulic mills. The site..." more

Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitos
pic gg "Between 1696 and 1760, six ensembles of reducciones (settlements of Christianized Indians) inspired by the 'ideal cities' of the 16th-century philosophers were..." more

Historic City of Sucre
pic gg "Sucre, the first capital of Bolivia, was founded by the Spanish in the first half of the 16th century. Its many well-preserved 16th-century religious buildings, such as San..." more

Fuerte de Samaipata
pic gg "The archaeological site of Samaipata consists of two parts: the hill with its many carvings, believed to have been the ceremonial centre of the old town (14th-16th..." more

Tiwanaku: Spiritual and Political Centre of the Tiwanaku Culture
pic gg "The city of Tiwanaku, capital of a powerful pre-Hispanic empire that dominated a large area of the southern Andes and beyond, reached its apogee between 500 and 900 A.D. Its..." more

Noel Kempff Mercado National Park
pic gg "The National Park is one of the largest (1,523,000 ha) and most intact parks in the Amazon Basin. With an altitudinal range of 200 m to nearly 1,000 m, it is the site of a..." more

Botswana

Tsodilo
pic gg "With one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world, Tsodilo has been called the 'Louvre of the Desert'. Over 4,500 paintings are preserved in an area..." more

Brazil

Historic Town of Ouro Preto
pic gg "Founded at the end of the 17th century, Ouro Preto (Black Gold) was the focal point of the gold rush and Brazil's golden age in the 18th century. With the exhaustion of..." more

Historic Centre of the Town of Olinda
pic gg "Founded in the 16th century by the Portuguese, the town's history is linked to the sugar-cane industry. Rebuilt after being looted by the Dutch, its basic urban fabric..." more

Historic Centre of Salvador de Bahia
pic gg "As the first capital of Brazil, from 1549 to 1763, Salvador de Bahia witnessed the blending of European, African and Amerindian cultures. It was also, from 1558, the first..." more

Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas
pic gg "This sanctuary in Minais Gerais, south of Belo Horizonte was built in the second half of the 18th century. It consists of a church with a magnificent Rococo interior of..." more

Iguazu National Park
pic gg "The park shares with Iguazional Park in Argentina one of the world's largest and most impressive waterfalls, extending over some 2,700 m. It is home to many rare and..." more

Brasilia
pic gg "Brasilia, a capital created ex nihilo in the centre of the country in 1956, was a landmark in the history of town planning. Urban planner Lucio Costa and architect Oscar..." more

Serra da Capivara National Park
pic gg "Many of the numerous rock shelters in the Serra da Capivara National Park are decorated with cave paintings, some more than 25,000 years old. They are an outstanding..." more

Historic Centre of Sao Luis
pic gg "The late 17th-century core of this historic town, founded by the French and occupied by the Dutch before coming under Portuguese rule, has preserved the original rectangular..." more

Historic Centre of the Town of Diamantina
pic gg "Diamantina, a colonial village set like a jewel in a necklace of inhospitable rocky mountains, recalls the exploits of diamond prospectors in the 18th century and testifies..." more

Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves
pic gg "The Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves, in the states of Bahia and Espirito Santo, consist of eight separate protected areas containing 112,000 ha of Atlantic forest..." more

Atlantic Forest Southeast Reserves
pic gg "The Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves, in the states of Parana and Sao Paulo, contain some of the best and most extensive examples of Atlantic forest in Brazil. The 25..." more

Central Amazon Conservation Complex
pic gg "The Central Amazon Conservation Complex makes up the largest protected area in the Amazon Basin (over 6 million hectares) and is one of the planet's richest regions in..." more

Pantanal Conservation Area
pic gg "The Pantanal Conservation Complex consists of a cluster of four protected areas with a total area of 187,818 ha. Located in western central Brazil at the south-west corner of..." more

Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves
pic gg "Peaks of the Southern Atlantic submarine ridge form the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and Rocas Atoll off the coast of Brazil. They represent a large proportion of the..." more

Cerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks
pic gg "The two sites included in the designation contain flora and fauna and key habitats that characterize the Cerrado - one of the world's oldest and most diverse tropical..." more

Historic Centre of the Town of Goias
pic gg "Goias is a testament to the occupation and colonization of the lands of central Brazil in the 18th and 19th centuries. The urban layout is an example of the organic..." more

Bulgaria

Boyana Church
pic gg "Located on the outskirts of Sofia, Boyana Church consists of three buildings. The eastern church was built in the 10th century, then enlarged at the beginning of the 13th..." more

Madara Rider
pic gg "The Madara Rider, representing the figure of a knight triumphing over a lion, is carved into a 100-m-high cliff near the village of Madara in north-east Bulgaria. Madara was..." more

Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak
pic gg "Discovered in 1944, this tomb dates from the Hellenistic period, around the end of the 4th century B.C. It is located near Seutopolis, the capital city of the Thracian king..." more

Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo
pic gg "In the valley of the Roussenski Lom river, in north-east Bulgaria, a complex of rock-hewn churches, chapels, monasteries and cells developed in the vicinity of the village of..." more

Rila Monastery
pic gg "Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church. His ascetic dwelling and tomb became a holy site and were..." more

Ancient City of Nessebar
pic gg "Situated on a rocky peninsula on the Black Sea, the more than 3,000-year-old site of Nessebar was originally a Thracian settlement (Menebria). At the beginning of the 6th..." more

Srebarna Nature Reserve
pic gg "The Srebarna Nature Reserve is a freshwater lake adjacent to the Danube and extending over 600 ha. It is the breeding ground of almost 100 species of birds, many of which are..." more

Pirin National Park
pic gg "Extending over an area of 27,400 ha and lying at an altitude of 1,008-2,914 m in the Pirin mountains, in south?west Bulgaria, Pirin National Park has a limestone Balkan..." more

Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari
pic gg "Discovered in 1982 near the village of Sveshtari, this 3rd-century B.C. Thracian tomb reflects the fundamental structural principles of Thracian cult buildings. The tomb has..." more

Cambodia

Angkor
pic VR gg "Angkor is one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia. Stretching over some 400 sq. km, including forested area, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the..." more

Cameroon

Dja Faunal Reserve
pic gg "This is one of the largest and best-protected rainforests in Africa, with 90% of its area left undisturbed. Almost completely surrounded by the Dja river, which forms a..." more

Canada

Nahanni National Park
pic gg "Located along the South Nahanni River, one of the most spectacular wild rivers in North America, this park contains deep canyons and huge waterfalls, as well as a unique..." more

L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site
pic gg "At the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula of the island of Newfoundland, the remains of an 11th-century Viking settlement are evidence of the first European presence in..." more

Dinosaur Provincial Park
pic gg "In addition to its particularly beautiful scenery, Dinosaur Provincial Park - located at the heart of the province of Alberta's badlands - contains some of the most..." more

Kluane/Wrangell-St. Elias/Glacier Bay/Tatshenshini-Alsek
pic gg "These parks comprise an impressive complex of glaciers and high peaks on both sides of the border between Canada (Yukon Territory and British Columbia) and the United States..." more

SGaang Gwaii (Anthony Island)
pic gg "The village of Ninstints (Nans Dins) is located on a small island off the west coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii). Remains of houses, together with carved..." more

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
pic gg "In south-west Alberta, the remains of marked trails and an aboriginal camp, and a tumulus where vast quantities of buffalo (American Bison) skeletons can still be found, are..." more

Wood Buffalo National Park
pic gg "Situated on the plains in the north-central region of Canada, the park (which covers 44,807 sq. km) is home to North America's largest population of wild bison. It is..." more

Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks
pic gg "The contiguous national parks of Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho, as well as the Mount Robson, Mount Assiniboine and Hamber provincial parks, studded with mountain peaks,..." more

Historic District of Quebec
pic VR gg "Quebec was founded by the French explorer Champlain in the early 17th century. It is the only North American city to have preserved its ramparts, together with the numerous..." more

Gros Morne National Park
pic gg "Situated on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland, the park provides a rare example of the process of continental drift, where deep ocean crust and the rocks of the..." more

Waterton Glacier International Peace Park
pic gg "In 1932 Waterton Lakes National Park (Alberta, Canada) was combined with the Glacier National Park (Montana, United States) to form the world's first International Peace..." more

Old Town Lunenburg
pic gg "Lunenburg is the best surviving example of a planned British colonial settlement in North America. Established in 1753, it has retained its original layout and overall..." more

Miguasha National Park
pic VR gg "The palaeontological site of Miguasha National Park, in south-eastern Quebec on the southern coast of the Gaspe peninsula, is considered to be the world's most..." more

Central African Republic

Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park
pic gg "The importance of this park derives from its wealth of flora and fauna. Its vast savannahs are home to a wide variety of species: black rhinoceroses, elephants, cheetahs,..." more

Chile

Rapa Nui National Park
pic gg "Rapa Nui, the indigenous name of Easter Island, bears witness to a unique cultural phenomenon. A society of Polynesian origin that settled there c. A.D. 300 established a..." more

Churches of Chiloe
pic gg "The Churches of Chiloe represent a unique example in Latin America of an outstanding form of ecclesiastical wooden architecture. They represent a tradition initiated by the..." more

Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaiso
pic gg "The colonial city of Valparaiso presents an excellent example of late19th-century urban and architectural development in Latin America. In its natural amphitheatre-like..." more

China

Mount Taishan
pic VR gg "The sacred Mount Tai ('shan' means 'mountain') was the object of an imperial cult for nearly 2,000 years, and the artistic masterpieces found there are in..." more

The Great Wall
pic VR gg "In c. 220 B.C., under Qin Shi Huang, sections of earlier fortifications were joined together to form a united defence system against invasions from the north. Construction..." more

Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang
pic VR gg "Seat of supreme power for over five centuries, the Forbidden City, with its landscaped gardens and many buildings (whose nearly 10,000 rooms contain furniture and works of..." more

Mogao Caves
pic VR gg "Situated at a strategic point along the Silk Route, at the crossroads of trade as well as religious, cultural and intellectual influences, the 492 cells and cave sanctuaries..." more

Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
pic VR gg "No doubt thousands of statues still remain to be unearthed at this archaeological site, which was not discovered until 1974. Qin (d. 210 B.C.), the first unifier of China, is..." more

Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian
pic VR gg "Scientific work at the site, which lies 42 km south-west of Beijing, is still underway. So far, it has led to the discovery of the remains of Sinanthropus pekinensis, who..." more

Mount Huangshan
pic VR gg "Huangshan, known as 'the loveliest mountain of China', was acclaimed through art and literature during a good part of Chinese history (e.g. the Shanshui..." more

Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area
pic VR gg "Stretching over 72,000 ha in the northern part of Sichuan Province, the jagged Jiuzhaigou valley reaches a height of more than 4,800 m, thus comprising a series of diverse..." more

Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area
pic VR gg "Situated in the north-west of Sichaun Province, the Huanglong valley is made up of snow-capped peaks and the easternmost of all the Chinese glaciers. In addition to its..." more

Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area
pic VR gg "A spectacular area stretching over more than 26,000 ha in China's Hunan Province, the site is dominated by more than 3,000 narrow sandstone pillars and peaks, many over..." more

Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde
pic VR gg "The Mountain Resort (the Qing dynasty's summer palace), in Hebei Province, was built between 1703 and 1792. It is a vast complex of palaces and administrative and..." more

Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu
pic VR gg "The temple, cemetery and family mansion of Confucius, the great philosopher, politician and educator of the 6th-5th centuries B.C., are located at Qufu, in Shandong Province...." more

Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains
pic VR gg "The palaces and temples which form the nucleus of this group of secular and religious buildings exemplify the architectural and artistic achievements of China's Yuan,..." more

Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa
pic gg "The Potala Palace, winter palace of the Dalai Lama since the 7th century, symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its central role in the traditional administration of Tibet. The..." more

Lushan National Park
pic VR gg "Mount Lushan, in Jiangxi, is one of the spiritual centres of Chinese civilization. Buddhist and Taoist temples, along with landmarks of Confucianism, where the most eminent..." more

Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area
pic VR gg "The first Buddhist temple in China was built here in Sichuan Province in the 1st century A.D. in the beautiful surroundings of the summit Mount Emei. The addition of other..." more

Old Town of Lijiang
pic VR gg "The Old Town of Lijiang, which is perfectly adapted to the uneven topography of this key commercial and strategic site, has retained a historic townscape of high quality and..." more

Ancient City of Ping Yao
pic VR gg "Ping Yao is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional Han Chinese city, founded in the 14th century. Its urban fabric shows the evolution of architectural..." more

Classical Gardens of Suzhou
pic VR gg "Classical Chinese garden design, which seeks to recreate natural landscapes in miniature, is nowhere better illustrated than in the nine gardens in the historic city of..." more

Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing
pic VR gg "The Summer Palace in Beijing - first built in 1750, largely destroyed in the war of 1860 and restored on its original foundations in 1886 - is a masterpiece of Chinese..." more

Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing
pic VR gg "The Temple of Heaven, founded in the first half of the 15th century, is a dignified complex of fine cult buildings set in gardens and surrounded by historic pine woods. In..." more

Mount Wuyi
pic VR gg "Mount Wuyi is the most outstanding area for biodiversity conservation in south-east China and a refuge for a large number of ancient, relict species, many of them endemic to..." more

Dazu Rock Carvings
pic VR gg "The steep hillsides of the Dazu area contain an exceptional series of rock carvings dating from the 9th to the 13th century. They are remarkable for their aesthetic quality,..." more

Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System
pic VR gg "Construction of the Dujiangyan irrigation system began in the 3rd century B.C. This system still controls the waters of the Minjiang River and distributes it to the fertile..." more

Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui - Xidi and Hongcun
pic VR gg "The two traditional villages of Xidi and Hongcun preserve to a remarkable extent the appearance of non-urban settlements of a type that largely disappeared or was transformed..." more

Longmen Grottoes
pic VR gg "The grottoes and niches of Longmen contain the largest and most impressive collection of Chinese art of the late Northern Wei and Tang Dynasties (316-907). These works,..." more

Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties
pic VR gg "The Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties are four groups of tombs in four provinces of eastern China. The tombs, designed in keeping with the Chinese principles of..." more

Yungang Grottoes
pic VR gg "The Yungang Grottoes, in Datong city, Shanxi Province, with their 252 caves and 51,000 statues, represent the outstanding achievement of Buddhist cave art in China in the 5th..." more

Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas
pic gg "Consisting of eight geographical clusters of protected areas within the boundaries of the Three Parallel Rivers National Park, in the mountainous north-west of Yunnan..." more

Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom
pic gg "The site includes archaeological remains of three cities and 40 tombs: Wunu Mountain City, Guonei City and Wandu Mountain City, 14 tombs are imperial, 26 of nobles. All..." more

Colombia

Port, Fortresses and Group of Monuments, Cartagena
pic gg "Situated in a bay in the Caribbean Sea, Cartagena has the most extensive fortifications in South America. A system of zones divides the city into three neighbourhoods: San..." more

Los Katios National Park
pic gg "Extending over 72,000 ha in north-western Colombia, Los Katios National Park comprises low hills, forests and humid plains. An exceptional biological diversity is found in..." more

Historic Centre of Santa Cruz de Mompox
pic gg "Founded in 1540 on the banks of the River Magdalena, Mompox played a key role in the Spanish colonization of northern South America. From the 16th to the 19th century the..." more

National Archeological Park of Tierradentro
pic gg "Several monumental statues of human figures can be seen in the park, which also contains many hypogea dating from the 6th to the 10th century. These huge underground tombs..." more

San Agustin Archeological Park
pic gg "The largest group of religious monuments and megalithic sculptures in South America stands in a wild, spectacular landscape. Gods and mythical animals are skilfully..." more

Costa Rica

Talamanca Range-La Amistad Reserves / La Amistad National Park
pic gg "The location of this unique site in Central America, where Quaternary glaciers have left their mark, has allowed the fauna and flora of North and South America to interbreed...." more

Cocos Island National Park
pic gg "Cocos Island National Park, located 550 km off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, is the only island in the tropical eastern Pacific with a tropical rainforest. Its position as..." more

Area de Conservacion Guanacaste
pic gg "The 127,000-ha Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1999, contains important natural habitats for the conservation of biological..." more

Cote d'Ivoire

Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve
pic gg "Located on the borders of Guinea, Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire, Mount Nimba rises above the surrounding savannah. Its slopes are covered by dense forest at the foot of..." more

Tai National Park
pic gg "This park is one of the last major remnants of the primary tropical forest of West Africa. Its rich natural flora, and threatened mammal species such as the pygmy..." more

Comoe National Park
pic gg "One of the largest protected areas in West Africa, this park is characterized by its great plant diversity. Due to the presence of the Comoe river, it contains plants which..." more

Croatia

Old City of Dubrovnik
pic gg "The 'Pearl of the Adriatic', situated on the Dalmatian coast, became an important Mediterranean sea power from the 13th century onwards. Although severely damaged..." more

Historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian
pic gg "The ruins of Diocletian's Palace, built between the late 3rd and the early 4th centuries A.D., can be found throughout the city. The cathedral was built in the Middle..." more

Plitvice Lakes National Park
pic gg "The waters flowing over the limestone and chalk have, over thousands of years, deposited travertine barriers, creating natural dams which in turn have created a series of..." more

Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica in the Historic Centre of Porec
pic gg "The group of religious monuments in Porec, where Christianity was established as early as the 4th century, constitutes the most complete surviving complex of its type. The..." more

Historic City of Trogir
pic gg "Trogir is a remarkable example of urban continuity. The orthogonal street plan of this island settlement dates back to the Hellenistic period and it was embellished by..." more

The Cathedral of St. James in Sibenik
pic gg "The Cathedral of St James in Sibenik (1431-1535), on the Dalmatian coast, bears witness to the considerable exchanges in the field of monumental arts between Northern Italy,..." more

Cuba

Old Havana and its Fortifications
pic gg "Havana was founded in 1519 by the Spanish. By the 17th century, it had become one of the Caribbean's main centres for ship-building. Although it is today a sprawling..." more

Trinidad and the Valley de los Ingenios
pic gg "Founded in the early 16th century in honour of the Holy Trinity, the city was a bridgehead for the conquest of the American continent. Its 18th- and 19th-century buildings,..." more

San Pedro de la Roca Castle, Santiago de Cuba
pic gg "Commercial and political rivalries in the Caribbean region in the 17th century resulted in the construction of this massive series of fortifications on a rocky promontory,..." more

Vinales Valley
pic gg "The Vinales valley is encircled by mountains and its landscape is interspersed with dramatic rocky outcrops. Traditional techniques are still in use for agricultural..." more

Desembarco del Granma National Park
pic gg "Desembarco del Granma National Park, with its uplifted marine terraces and associated ongoing development of karst topography and features, represents a globally significant..." more

Archaeological Landscape of the First Coffee Plantations in the Southeast of Cuba
pic gg "The remains of the 19th-century coffee plantations in the foothills of the Sierra Maestra are unique evidence of a pioneer form of agriculture in a difficult terrain. They..." more

Alejandro de Humboldt National Park
pic gg "Complex geology and varied topography have given rise to a diversity of ecosystems and species unmatched in the insular Caribbean and created one of the most biologically..." more

Cyprus

Paphos
pic gg "Paphos has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. It was a centre of the cult of Aphrodite and of pre-Hellenic fertility deities. Aphrodite's legendary birthplace..." more

Painted Churches in the Troodos Region
pic gg "This region is characterized by one of the largest groups of churches and monasteries of the former Byzantine Empire. The complex of 10 monuments included on the World..." more

Choirokoitia
pic gg "The Neolithic settlement of Choirokoitia, occupied from the 7th to the 4th millennium B.C., is one of the most important prehistoric sites in the eastern Mediterranean. Its..." more

Czech Republic

Historic Centre of Prague
pic gg "Built between the 11th and 18th centuries, the Old Town, the Lesser Town and the New Town speak of the great architectural and cultural influence enjoyed by this city since..." more

Historic Centre of Cesky Krumlov
pic gg "Situated on the banks of the Vltava river, the town was built around a 13th-century castle with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements. It is an outstanding example of a..." more

Historic Centre of Telc
pic gg "The houses in Telc, which stands on a hilltop, were originally built of wood. After a fire in the late 14th century, the town was rebuilt in stone, surrounded by walls and..." more

Pilgrimage Church of St John of Nepomuk at Zelena Hora
pic gg "This pilgrimage church, built in honour of St John of Nepomuk, stands at Zelena Hora, not far from Zdar nad Sazavou in Moravia. Constructed at the beginning of the 18th..." more

Kutna Hora: Historical Town Centre with the Church of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec
pic gg "Kutna Hora developed as a result of the exploitation of the silver mines. In the 14th century it became a royal city endowed with monuments that symbolized its prosperity...." more

Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape
pic gg "Between the 17th and 20th centuries, the ruling dukes of Liechtenstein transformed their domains in southern Moravia into a striking landscape. It married Baroque..." more

Gardens and Castle at Kromeriz
pic VR gg "Kromeriz stands on the site of an earlier ford across the River Morava, at the foot of the Chriby mountain range which dominates the central part of Moravia. The gardens and..." more

Holasovice Historical Village Reservation
pic gg "Holasovice is an exceptionally complete and well-preserved example of a traditional central European village. It has a large number of outstanding 18th- and 19th-century..." more

Litomysl Castle
pic VR gg "Litomysl Castle was originally a Renaissance arcade-castle of the type first developed in Italy and then adopted and greatly developed in central Europe in the 16th century...." more

Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc
pic gg "This memorial column, erected in the early years of the 18th century, is the most outstanding example of a type of monument specific to central Europe. In the characteristic..." more

Tugendhat Villa in Brno
pic gg "The Tugendhat Villa in Brno, designed by the architect Mies van der Rohe, is an outstanding example of the international style in the modern movement in architecture as it..." more

Jewish Quarter and St Procopius' Basilica in Trebic
pic gg "The ensemble of the Jewish Quarter, the old Jewish cemetery and the Basilica of St Procopius in Trebic are reminders of the co-existence of Jewish and Christian cultures from..." more

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Complex of Koguryo Tombs
pic gg "The site includes several groups and individual tombs - totalling about 30 individual graves - from the later period of the Koguryo Kingdom, one of the strongest kingdoms in..." more

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Virunga National Park
pic gg "Virunga National Park (covering an area of 790,000 ha) comprises an outstanding diversity of habitats, ranging from swamps and steppes to the snowfields of Rwenzori at an..." more

Garamba National Park
pic gg "The park's immense savannahs, grasslands and woodlands, interspersed with gallery forests along the river banks and the swampy depressions, are home to four large..." more

Kahuzi-Biega National Park
pic gg "A vast area of primary tropical forest dominated by two spectacular extinct volcanoes, Kahuzi and Biega, the park has a diverse and abundant fauna. One of the last groups of..." more

Salonga National Park
pic gg "Salonga National Park is Africa's largest tropical rainforest reserve. Situated at the heart of the central basin of the Zaire river, the park is very isolated and..." more

Okapi Wildlife Reserve
pic gg "The Okapi Wildlife Reserve occupies about one-fifth of the Ituri forest in the north-east of Zaire. The Zaire river basin, of which the reserve and forest are a part, is one..." more

Dominica

Morne Trois Pitons National Park
pic gg "Luxuriant natural tropical forest blends with scenic volcanic features of great scientific interest in this national park centred on the 1,342-m-high volcano known as Morne..." more

Dominican Republic

Colonial City of Santo Domingo
pic gg "After Christopher Columbus's arrival on the island in 1492, Santo Domingo became the site of the first cathedral, hospital, customs house and university in the Americas...." more

Ecuador

Galapagos Islands
pic gg "Situated in the Pacific Ocean some 1,000 km from the South American continent, these neneteen islands and the surrounding marine reserve have been called a unique..." more

City of Quito
pic gg "Quito, the capital of Ecuador, was founded in the 16th century on the ruins of an Inca city and stands at an altitude of 2,850 m. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has..." more

Sangay National Park
pic gg "With its outstanding natural beauty and two active volcanoes, the park illustrates the entire spectrum of ecosystems, ranging from tropical rainforests to glaciers, with..." more

Historic Centre of Santa Ana de los Rios de Cuenca
pic gg "Santa Ana de los Rios de Cuenca is set in a valley surrounded by the Andean mountains in the south of Ecuador. This inland colonial town (entroterra), now the country's..." more

Egypt

Memphis and its Necropolis - the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur
pic gg "The capital of the Old Kingdom of Egypt has some extraordinary funerary monuments, including rock tombs, ornate mastabas, temples and pyramids. In ancient times, the site was..." more

Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis
pic VR gg "Thebes, the city of the god Amon, was the capital of Egypt during the period of the Middle and New Kingdoms. With the temples and palaces at Karnak and Luxor, and the..." more

Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae
pic gg "This outstanding archaeological area contains such magnificent monuments as the Temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel and the Sanctuary of Isis at Philae, which were saved from..." more

Islamic Cairo
pic gg "Tucked away amid the modern urban area of Cairo lies one of the world's oldest Islamic cities, with its famous mosques, madrasas, hammams and fountains. Founded in the..." more

Abu Mena
pic gg "The church, baptistry, basilicas, public buildings, streets, monasteries, houses and workshops in this early Christian holy city were built over the tomb of the martyr Menas..." more

Saint Catherine Area
pic VR gg "The Orthodox Monastery of St Catherine stands at the foot of Mount Horeb where, the Old Testament records, Moses received the Tablets of the Law. The mountain is known and..." more

El Salvador

Joya de Ceren Archaeoloical Site
pic gg "Joya de Ceren was a pre-Hispanic farming community that, like Pompeii and Herculaneum in Italy, was buried under a volcanic eruption c. A.D. 600. Because of the exceptional..." more

Estonia

Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn
pic VR gg "The origins of Tallinn date back to the 13th century, when a castle was built there by the crusading knights of the Teutonic Order. It developed as a major centre of the..." more http://www.balticsww.com/tourist/estonia/

Finland

Old Rauma
pic gg "Situated on the Gulf of Botnia, Rauma is one of the oldest harbours in Finland. Built around a Franciscan monastery, where the mid-15th-century Holy Cross Church still..." more http://www.oldrauma.fi/english/

Fortress of Suomenlinna
pic gg "Built in the second half of the 18th century by Sweden on a group of islands located at the entrance of Helsinki's harbour, this fortress is an especially interesting..." more http://www.suomenlinna.fi/index.php?menuid=23&lang=eng

Petajavesi church Old Church
pic gg "Petajavesi Old Church, in central Finland, was built of logs between 1763 and 1765. This Lutheran country church is a typical example of an architectural tradition that is..." more http://www.petajavesi.fi/kirkko/en/yhteystiedot.shtml

Verla Groundwood and Board Mill
pic gg "The Verla groundwood and board mill and its associated residential area is an outstanding, remarkably well-preserved example of the small-scale rural industrial settlements..." more

Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmaki
pic gg "This Bronze Age burial site features more than 30 granite burial cairns, providing a unique insight into the funerary practices and social and religious structures of..." more

Ethiopia

Rock-hewn Churches, Lalibela
pic gg "The 11 medieval monolithic cave churches of this 13th-century 'New Jerusalem' are situated in a mountainous region in the heart of Ethiopia near a traditional..." more

Simien National Park
pic gg "Massive erosion over the years on the Ethiopian plateau has created one of the most spectacular landscapes in the world, with jagged mountain peaks, deep valleys and sharp..." more

Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar Region
pic gg "In the 16th and 17th centuries, the fortress-city of Fasil Ghebbi was the residence of the Ethiopian emperor Fasilides and his successors. Surrounded by a 900-m-long wall,..." more

Lower Valley of the Awash
pic gg "The Awash valley contains one of the most important groupings of palaeontological sites on the African continent. The remains found at the site, the oldest of which date back..." more

Tiya
pic gg "Tiya is among the most important of the roughly 160 archaeological sites discovered so far in the Soddo region, south of Addis Ababa. The site contains 36 monuments,..." more

Aksum
pic gg "The ruins of the ancient city of Aksum are found close to Ethiopia's northern border. They mark the location of the heart of ancient Ethiopia, when the Kingdom of Aksum..." more

Lower Valley of the Omo
pic gg "A prehistoric site near Lake Turkana, the lower valley of the Omo is renowned the world over. The discovery of many fossils there, especially Homo gracilis, has been of..." more

France

Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay
pic gg "Perched on a rocky islet in the midst of vast sandbanks exposed to powerful tides between Normandy and Brittany stand the 'Wonder of the West', a Gothic-style..." more

Chartres Cathedral
pic gg "Partly built starting in 1145, and then reconstructed over a 26-year period after the fire of 1194, Chartres Cathedral marks the high point of French Gothic art. The vast..." more

Palace and Park of Versailles
pic gg "The Palace of Versailles was the principal residence of the French kings from the time of Louis XIV to Louis XVI. Embellished by several generations of architects, sculptors,..." more

Vezelay, Church and Hill
pic gg "Shortly after its foundation in the 9th century, the Benedictine abbey of Vezelay acquired the relics of St Mary Magdalene and since then it has been an important place of..." more

Decorated Grottoes of the Vezere Valley
pic gg "The Vezere valley contains 147 prehistoric sites dating from the Palaeolithic and 25 decorated caves. It is particularly interesting from an ethnological and anthropological,..." more

Palace and Park of Fontainebleau
pic gg "Used by the kings of France from the 12th century, the medieval royal hunting lodge of Fontainebleau, standing at the heart of a vast forest in the Ile-de-France, was..." more

Amiens Cathedral
pic gg "Amiens Cathedral, in the heart of Picardy, is one of the largest 'classic' Gothic churches of the 13th century. It is notable for the coherence of its plan, the..." more

Roman Theatre and its Surroundings and the "Triumphal Arch" of Orange
pic gg "Situated in the Rhone valley, the ancient theatre of Orange, with its 103-m-long facade, is one of the best preserved of all the great Roman theatres. Built between A.D. 10..." more

Roman and Romanesque Monuments of Arles
pic gg "Arles is a good example of the adaptation of an ancient city to medieval European civilization. It has some impressive Roman monuments, of which the earliest - the arena, the..." more

Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay
pic gg "This stark Burgundian monastery was founded by St Bernard in 1119. With its church, cloister, refectory, sleeping quarters, bakery and ironworks, it is an excellent..." more

Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans
pic gg "The Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, near Besancon, was built by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux. Its construction, begun in 1775 during the reign of Louis XVI, was the first major..." more

Place Stanislas, Place de la Carriere and Place d'Alliance in Nancy
pic gg "Nancy, the temporary residence of a king without a kingdom - Stanislas Leszczynski, later to become Duke of Lorraine - is paradoxically the oldest and most typical example of..." more

Church of Saint-Savin sur Gartempe
pic gg "Known as the 'Romanesque Sistine Chapel', the Abbey-Church of Saint-Savin contains many beautiful 11th- and 12th-century murals which are still in a remarkable..." more

Cape Girolata, Cape Porto, Scandola Nature Reserve and the Piana Calanches in Corsica
pic gg "The natue reserve, which is part of the Regional Natural Park of Corsica, occupies the Scandola peninsula, an impressive, porphyritic rock mass. The vegetation is an..." more

Pont du Gard Roman Aqueduct
pic gg "Built by the Romans shortly before the Christian era to allow the aqueduct of Nimes to cross the Gard..." more

Strasbourg - Grande Ile
pic gg "Surrounded by two arms of the River Ill, the Grande Ile (Big Island) is the historic centre of the Alsatian capital. It has an outstanding complex of monuments within a..." more

Paris, Banks of the Seine
pic gg "From the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, from the Place de la Concorde to the Grand and Petit Palais, the evolution of Paris and its history can be seen from the River Seine. The..." more

Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Remi and Palace of Tau, Reims
pic gg "The outstanding handling of new architectural techniques in the 13th century, and the harmonious marriage of sculptural decoration with architecture, has made Notre-Dame in..." more

Bourges Cathedral
pic gg "The Cathedral of St Etienne of Bourges, built between the late 12th and late 13th centuries, is one of the great masterpieces of Gothic art and is admired for its proportions..." more

Historic Centre of Avignon
pic gg "In the 14th century, this city in the South of France was the seat of the papacy. The Palais des Papes, an austere-looking fortress lavishly decorated by Simone Martini and..." more

Canal du Midi
pic gg "This 360-km network of navigable waterways linking the Mediterranean and the Atlantic through 328 structures (locks, aqueducts, bridges, tunnels, etc.) is one of the most..." more

Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne
pic gg "Since the pre-Roman period, a fortified settlement has existed on the hill where Carcassonne now stands. In its present form it is an outstanding example of a medieval..." more

Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
pic gg "Santiago de Compostela was the supreme goal for countless thousands of pious pilgrims who converged there from all over Europe throughout the Middle Ages. To reach Spain..." more

Historic Site of Lyons
pic gg "The long history of Lyons, which was founded by the Romans in the 1st century B.C. as the capital of the Three Gauls and has continued to play a major role in Europe's..." more

Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion
pic gg "Viticulture was introduced to this fertile region of Aquitaine by the Romans, and intensified in the Middle Ages. The Saint-Emilion area benefited from its location on the..." more

The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes
pic gg "The Loire Valley is an outstanding cultural landscape of great beauty, containing historic towns and villages, great architectural monuments (the chateaux), and cultivated..." more

Provins, Town of Medieval Fairs
pic gg "The fortified medieval town of Provins is situated in the former territory of the powerful Counts of Champagne. It bears witness to early developments in the organization of..." more

Gambia

James Island and Related Sites
pic gg "James Island and Related Sites present a testimony to the main periods and facets of the encounter between Africa and Europe along the River Gambia, a continuum stretching..." more

Georgia

City-Museum Reserve of Mtskheta
pic gg "The historic churches of Mtskheta, former capital of Georgia, are outstanding examples of medieval religious architecture in the Caucasus. They show the high artistic and..." more

Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery
pic gg "The construction of Bagrati Cathedral, named after Bagrat III, the first king of united Georgia, started at the end of the 10th century and was completed in the early years..." more

Upper Svaneti
pic gg "Preserved by its long isolation, the Upper Svaneti region of the Caucasus is an exceptional example of mountain scenery with medieval-type villages and tower-houses. The..." more

Germany

Aachen Cathedral
pic gg "Construction of this palatine chapel, with its octagonal basilica and cupola, began c. 790-800 under the Emperor Charlemagne. Originally inspired by the churches of the..." more

Speyer Cathedral
pic gg "Speyer Cathedral, a basilica with four towers and two domes, was founded by Conrad II in 1030 and remodelled at the end of the 11th century. It is one of the most important..." more

Wurzburg Residence with the Court Gardens and Residence Square
pic gg "This magnificent Baroque palace - one of the largest and most beautiful in Germany and surrounded by wonderful gardens - was created under the patronage of the prince-bishops..." more

Pilgrimage Church of Wies
pic gg "Miraculously preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, the Church of Wies (1745-54), the work of architect Dominikus Zimmermann, is a masterpiece of Bavarian..." more

Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust at Bruhl
pic gg "Set in an idyllic garden landscape, Augustusburg Castle (the sumptuous residence of the prince-archbishops of Cologne) and the Falkenlust hunting lodge (a small rural folly)..." more

St. Mary's Cathedral and St. Michael's Church at Hildesheim
pic gg "St Michael's Church was built between 1010 and 1020 on a symmetrical plan with two apses that was characteristic of Ottonian Romanesque art in Old Saxony. Its interior,..." more

Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier
pic gg "Trier, which stands on the Moselle river, was a Roman colony from the 1st century A.D. and then a great trading centre beginning in the next century. It became one of the..." more

Hanseatic City of Lubeck
pic gg "Lubeck - the former capital and Queen City of the Hanseatic League - was founded in the 12th century and prospered until the 16th century as the major trading centre for..." more

Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin
pic gg "With 500 ha of parks and 150 buildings constructed between 1730 and 1916, Potsdam's complex of palaces and parks forms an artistic whole, whose eclectic nature..." more

Abbey and Altenmunster of Lorsch
pic gg "The abbey, together with its monumental entrance, the famous 'Torhall', are rare architectural vestiges of the Carolingian era. The sculptures and paintings from..." more

Mines of Rammelsberg and Historic Town of Goslar
pic gg "Situated near the Rammelsberg mines, Goslar held an important place in the Hanseatic League because of the rich Rammelsberg metallic ore deposits. From the 10th to the 12th..." more

Maulbronn Monastery Complex
pic gg "Founded in 1147, the Cistercian Maulbronn Monastery is considered the most complete and best-preserved medieval monastic complex north of the Alps. Surrounded by fortified..." more

Town of Bamberg
pic gg "From the 10th century onwards, this town became an important link with the Slav peoples, especially those of Poland and Pomerania. During its period of greatest prosperity,..." more

Collegiate Church, Castle, and Old Town of Quedlinburg
pic gg "Quedlinburg, in the Land of Sachsen-Anhalt, was a capital of the East Franconian German Empire at the time of the Saxonian-Ottonian ruling dynasty. It has been a prosperous..." more

Volklingen Ironworks
pic gg "The ironworks, which cover some 6 ha, dominate the city of Volklingen. Although they have recently gone out of production, they are the only intact example, in the whole of..." more

Messel Pit Fossil Site
pic gg "Messel Pit is the richest site in the world for understanding the living environment of the Eocene, between 57 million and 36 million years ago. In particular, it provides..." more

Cologne Cathedral
pic gg "Begun in 1248, the construction of this Gothic masterpiece took place in several stages and was not completed until 1880. Over seven centuries, successive builders were..." more

Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar and Dessau
pic gg "Between 1919 and 1933, the Bauhaus School, based first in Weimar and then in Dessau, revolutionized architectural and aesthetic concepts and practices. The buildings put up..." more

Luther Memorials in Eisleben and Wittenberg
pic gg "These places in Saxony-Anhalt are all associated with the lives of Martin Luther and his fellow-reformer Melanchthon. They include Melanchthon's house in Wittenberg, the..." more

Classical Weimar
pic gg "In the late 18th and early 19th centuries the small Thuringian town of Weimar witnessed a remarkable cultural flowering, attracting many writers and scholars, notably Goethe..." more

Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin
pic gg "The museum as a social phenomenon owes its origins to the Age of Enlightenment in the 18th century. The five museums on the Museumsinsel in Berlin, built between 1824 and..." more

Wartburg Castle
pic gg "Wartburg Castle blends superbly into its forest surroundings and is in many ways 'the ideal castle'. Although it has retained some original sections from the feudal..." more

Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Worlitz
pic gg "The Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Worlitz is an exceptional example of landscape design and planning of the Age of the Enlightenment, the 18th century. Its diverse components -..." more

Monastic Island of Reichenau
pic gg "The island of Reichenau on Lake Constance preserves the traces of the Benedictine monastery, founded in 724, which exercised remarkable spiritual, intellectual and artistic..." more

Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen
pic gg "The Zollverein industrial landscape in Land Nordrhein-Westfalen consists of the complete infrastructure of a historical coal-mining site, with some 20th-century buildings of..." more

Upper Middle Rhine Valley
pic gg "The 65km-stretch of the Middle Rhine Valley, with its castles, historic towns and vineyards, graphically illustrates the long history of human involvement with a dramatic and..." more

Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar
pic gg "The medieval towns of Wismar and Stralsund, on the Baltic coast of northern Germany, were major trading centres of the Hanseatic League in the 14th and 15th centuries. In the..." more

Town Hall and Roland on the Marketplace of Bremen
pic gg "The Town Hall and Roland on the marketplace of Bremen in northwest Germany are outstanding representations of the civic and trading rights as they developed in the Holy Roman..." more

Muskauer Park / Park Muzakowski
pic gg "A landscaped park of 559.90-ha astride the Neisse river and the border between Poland and Germany, it was created by Prince Hermann von Puckler-Muskau from 1815 to 1844...." more

Dresden Elbe Valley
pic gg "The 18th and 19th century cultural landscape of Dresden Elbe Valley extends some 18-km along the river from Ubigau Palace and Ostragehege fields in the northwest to the..." more

Ghana

Forts and Castles, Volta Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions
pic gg "The remains of fortified trading-posts, erected between 1482 and 1786, can still be seen along the coast of Ghana between Keta and Beyin. They were links in the trade routes..." more

Asante Traditional Buildings
pic gg "To the north-east of Kumasi, these are the last material remains of the great Asante civilization, which reached its high point in the 18th century. Since the dwellings are..." more

Greece

Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae
pic gg "This famous temple to the god of healing and the sun was built towards the middle of the 5th century B.C. in the lonely heights of the Arcadian mountains. The temple, which..." more

Archaeological Site of Delphi
pic gg "The pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi, where the oracle of Apollo spoke, was the site of the omphalos, the 'navel of the world'. Blending harmoniously with the..." more

Acropolis, Athens
pic VR gg "Illustrating the civilizations, myths and religions that flourished in Greece over a period of more than 1,000 years, the Acropolis, the site of four of the greatest..." more

Mount Athos
pic gg "An Orthodox spiritual centre since 1054, Mount Athos has enjoyed an autonomous statute since Byzantine times. The 'Holy Mountain', which is forbidden to women and..." more

Meteora
pic gg "In a region of almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, monks settled on these 'columns of the sky' from the 11th century onwards. Twenty-four of these monasteries were..." more

Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessalonika
pic gg "Founded in 315 B.C., the provincial capital and sea port of Thessalonika was one of the first bases for the spread of Christianity. Among its Christian monuments are fine..." more

Archaeological Site of Epidaurus
pic gg "In a small valley in the Peloponnesus, the site of Epidaurus sprawls out over several levels. The cult of Asclepius first began there in the 6th century B.C., but the..." more

Medieval City of Rhodes
pic gg "The Order of St John of Jerusalem occupied Rhodes from 1309 to 1523 and set about transforming the city into a stronghold. It subsequently came under Turkish and Italian..." more

Mystras
pic gg "Mystras, the 'wonder of the Morea', was built as an amphitheatre around the fortress erected in 1249 by the prince of Achaia, William of Villehardouin. Reconquered..." more

Archaeological Site of Olympia
pic gg "The site of Olympia, in a valley in the Peloponnesus, has been inhabited since prehistoric times. In the 10th century B.C., Olympia became a centre for the worship of Zeus...." more

Delos
pic gg "According to Greek mythology, Apollo was born on this tiny island in the Cyclades archipelago. Apollo's sanctuary attracted pilgrims from all over Greece and Delos was a..." more

Monasteries of Daphni, Hossios Luckas and Nea Moni of Chios
pic gg "Although geographically distant from each other, these three monasteries (the first is in Attica, near Athens, the second in Phocida near Delphi, and the third on an island..." more

Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos
pic gg "Many civilizations have inhabited this small Aegean island, near Asia Minor, since the 3rd millennium B.C. The remains of Pythagoreion, an ancient fortified port with Greek..." more

Archaeological Site of Vergina
pic gg "The city of Aigai, the ancient first capital of the Kingdom of Macedonia, was discovered in the 19th century near Vergina, in northern Greece. The most important remains are..." more

Archaeological Sites of Mycenae and Tiryns
pic gg "The archaeological sites of Mycenae and Tiryns are the imposing ruins of the two greatest cities of the Mycenaean civilization, which dominated the eastern Mediterranean..." more

Historic Centre (Chora) with the Monastery of Saint John "the Theologian" and the Cave of the Apocalypse on the Island of Patmos
pic gg "The small island of Patmos in the Dodecanese is reputed to be where St John the Theologian wrote both his Gospel and the Apocalypse. A monastery dedicated to the..." more

Guatemala

Tikal National Park
pic gg "In the heart of the jungle, surrounded by lush vegetation, lies one of the major sites of Mayan civilization, inhabited from the 6th century B.C. to the 10th century A.D. The..." more

Antigua Guatemala
pic gg "Antigua, the capital of the Captaincy-General of Guatemala, was founded in the early 16th century. Built 1,500 m above sea-level, in an earthquake-prone region, it was..." more

Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua
pic gg "Inhabited since the 2nd century A.D., Quirigua had become during the reign of Cauac Sky (723-84) the capital of an autonomous and prosperous state. The ruins of Quirigua..." more

Guinea

Haiti

National History Park - Citadel, Sans Souci, Ramiers
pic gg "These Haitian monuments date from the beginning of the 19th century, when Haiti proclaimed its independence. The Palace of Sans Souci, the buildings at Ramiers and, in..." more

Holy See

Historic Rome, the Holy See and San Paolo Fuori le Mura
pic gg "Founded, according to legend, by Romulus and Remus in 753 B.C., Rome was first the centre of the Roman Republic, then of the Roman Empire, and it became the capital of the..." more

Vatican City
pic gg "The Vatican City, one of the most sacred places in Christendom, attests to a great history and a formidable spiritual venture. A unique collection of artistic and..." more

Honduras

Maya Site of Copan
pic gg "Discovered in 1570 by Diego Garcia de Palacio, the ruins of Copan, one of the most important sites of the Mayan civilization, were not excavated until the 19th century. The..." more

Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve
pic gg "Located on the watershed of the Rio Platano, the reserve is one of the few remains of a tropical rainforest in Central America and has an abundant and varied plant and..." more

Hungary

Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrassy Avenue
pic gg "This site has the remains of monuments such as the Roman city of Aquincum and the Gothic castle of Buda, which have had a considerable influence on the architecture of..." more

Old Village of Holloko and its Surroundings
pic gg "Holloko is an outstanding example of a deliberately preserved traditional settlement. This village, which developed mainly during the 17th and 18th centuries, is a living..." more

Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst
pic gg "The variety of formations and the fact that they are concentrated in a restricted area means that the 712 caves currently identified make up a typical temperate-zone karstic..." more

Millenary Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma and its Natural Environment
pic gg "The first Benedictine monks settled here in 996. They went on to convert the Hungarians, to found the country's first school and, in 1055, to write the first document in..." more

Hortobagy National Park - the Puszta
pic gg "The cultural landscape of the Hortobagy Puszta consists of a vast area of plains and wetlands in eastern Hungary. Traditional forms of land use, such as the grazing of..." more

Early Christian Necropolis of Pecs (Sopianae)
pic gg "In the 4th century, a remarkable series of decorated tombs were constructed in the cemetery of the Roman provincial town of Sopianae (modern Pecs). These are important both..." more

Tokaj Wine Region Historic Cultural Landscape
pic gg "The cultural landscape of Tokaj graphically demonstrates the long tradition of wine production in this region of low hills and river valleys. The intricate pattern of..." more

Iceland

Pingvellir National Park
pic gg "Pingvellir (Thingvellir) is the National Park where the Althing - an open-air assembly, which represented the whole of Iceland - was established in 930 and continued to meet..." more

India

Ajanta Caves
pic VR gg "The first Buddhist cave monuments at Ajanta date from the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. During the Gupta period (5th and 6th centuries A.D.), many more richly decorated caves..." more

Ellora Caves
pic VR gg "These 34 monasteries and temples, extending over more than 2 km, were dug side by side in the wall of a high basalt cliff, not far from Aurangabad, in Maharashtra. Ellora,..." more

Agra Fort
pic VR gg "Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within..." more

Taj Mahal
pic VR gg "An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the..." more

Sun Temple, Konarak
pic VR gg "On the shores of the Bay of Bengal, bathed in the rays of the rising sun, the temple at Konarak is a monumental representation of the sun god Surya's chariot; its 24..." more

Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram
pic VR gg "This group of sanctuaries, founded by the Pallava kings, was carved out of rock along the Coromandel coast in the 7th and 8th centuries. It is known especially for its rathas..." more

Kaziranga National Park
pic VR gg "In the heart of Assam, this park is one of the last areas in eastern India undisturbed by a human presence. It is inhabited by the world's largest population of..." more

Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
pic VR gg "On a gentle slope in the foothills of the Himalayas, where wooded hills give way to alluvial grasslands and tropical forests, the Manas sanctuary is home to a great variety..." more

Keoladeo National Park
pic VR gg "This former duck-hunting reserve of the Maharajas is one of the major wintering areas for large numbers of aquatic birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia...." more

Churches and Convents of Goa
pic VR gg "The churches and convents of Goa, the former capital of the Portuguese Indies - particularly the Church of Bom Jesus, which contains the tomb of St Francis-Xavier -..." more

Khajuraho Group of Monuments
pic VR gg "The temples at Khajuraho were built during the Chandella dynasty, which reached its apogee between 950 and 1050. Only about 20 temples remain; they fall into three distinct..." more

Group of Monuments at Hampi
pic VR gg "The austere, grandiose site of Hampi was the last capital of the last great Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar. Its fabulously rich princes built Dravidian temples and palaces..." more

Fatehpur Sikri
pic VR gg "Built during the second half of the 16th century by the Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory) was the capital of the Mughal Empire for only some 10 years. The..." more

Group of Monuments at Pattadakal
pic VR gg "Pattadakal, in Karnataka, represents the high point of an eclectic art which, in the 7th and 8th centuries under the Chalukya dynasty, achieved a harmonious blend of..." more

Elephanta Caves
pic VR gg "The 'City of Caves', on an island in the Sea of Oman close to Bombay, contains a collection of rock art linked to the cult of Shiva. Here, Indian art has found one..." more

Great Living Chola Temples
pic VR gg "The great Temple of Tanjore (Thanjavur) was built between 1003 and 1010 in the reign of the great King Rajaraja, founder of the Chola Empire which stretched over all of South..." more

Sundarbans National Park
pic VR gg "The Sundarbans covers 10,000 sq. km of land and water (more than half of it in India, the rest in Bangladesh) in the Ganges delta. It contains the world's largest area..." more

Nanda Devi National Park
pic gg "The Nanda Devi National Park is one of the most spectacular wilderness areas in the Himalayas. It is dominated by the peak of Nanda Devi, which rises to over 7,800 m. No..." more

Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi
pic VR gg "On a hill overlooking the plain and about 40 km from Bhopal, the site of Sanchi comprises a group of Buddhist monuments (monolithic pillars, palaces, temples and monasteries)..." more

Humayun's Tomb, Delhi
pic VR gg "This tomb, built in 1570, is of particular cultural significance as it was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent. It inspired several major architectural..." more

Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi
pic VR gg "Built in the early 13th century a few kilometres south of Delhi, the red sandstone tower of Qutb Minar is 72.5 m high, tapering from 2.75 m in diameter at its peak to 14.32 m..." more

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR)
pic VR gg "The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is the first, and still the most outstanding, example of a hill passenger railway. Opened in 1881, it applied bold, ingenious engineering..." more

Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya
pic VR gg "The Mahabodhi Temple Complex is one of the four holy sites related to the life of the Lord Buddha, and particularly to the attainment of Enlightenment. The first temple was..." more

Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka
pic VR gg "The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka are in the foothills of the Vindhyan Mountains on the southern edge of the central Indian plateau. Within massive sandstone outcrops, above..." more

Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park
pic gg "A concentration of largely unexcavated archaeological, historic and living cultural heritage properties cradled in an impressive landscape which includes prehistoric..." more

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus)
pic gg "The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as Victoria Terminus in Mumbai, is an outstanding example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in India, blended with..." more

Indonesia

Borobudur Temple Compounds
pic VR gg "This famous Buddhist temple, dating from the 8th and 9th centuries, is located in central Java. It was built in three tiers: a pyramidal base with five concentric square..." more

Ujung Kulon National Park
pic VR gg "This national park, located in the extreme south-western tip of Java on the Sunda shelf, includes the Ujung Kulon peninsula and several offshore islands and encompasses the..." more

Komodo National Park
pic gg "These volcanic islands are inhabited by a population of around 5,700 giant lizards, whose appearance and aggressive behaviour have led to them being called 'Komodo..." more

Prambanan Temple Compounds
pic VR gg "Built in the 10th century, this is the largest temple compound dedicated to Shiva in Indonesia. Rising above the centre of the last of these concentric squares are three..." more

Sangiran Early Man Site
pic VR gg "Excavations here from 1936 to 1941 led to the discovery of the first hominid fossil at this site. Later, 50 fossils of Meganthropus palaeo and Pithecanthropus erectus/Homo..." more

Lorentz National Park
pic gg "Lorentz National Park (2.5 million ha) is the largest protected area in South-East Asia. It is the only protected area in the world to incorporate a continuous, intact..." more

Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra
pic gg "The 2.5 million hectare Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra site comprises three national parks: Gunung Leuser National Park, Kerinci Seblat National Park and Bukit..." more

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Tchogha Zanbil
pic gg "The ruins of the holy city of the Kingdom of Elam, surrounded by three huge concentric walls, are found at Tchogha Zanbil. Founded c. 1250 B.C., the city remained unfinished..." more

Persepolis
pic gg "Founded by Darius I in 518 B.C., Persepolis was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. It was built on an immense half-artificial, half-natural terrace, where the king of..." more

Meidan Emam, Esfahan
pic gg "Built by Shah Abbas I the Great at the beginning of the 17th century, and bordered on all sides by monumental buildings linked by a series of two-storeyed arcades, the site..." more

Takht-e Soleyman
pic gg "The archaeological site of Takht-e Soleyman, in north-western Iran, is situated in a valley set in a volcanic mountain region. The site includes the principal Zoroastrian..." more

Pasargadae
pic gg "Pasargadae was the first dynastic capital of the Achaemenid Empire, founded by Cyrus II, the Great, in Pars, homeland of the Persians, in the 6th century BC. Its palaces,..." more

Bam and its Cultural Landscape
pic gg "Bam is situated in a desert environment on the southern edge of the Iranian high plateau. The origins of Bam can be detected to the Achaemenid period (6 th to 4 th cent...." more

Iraq

Hatra
pic gg "A large fortified city under the influence of the Parthian Empire and capital of the first Arab Kingdom, Hatra withstood invasions by the Romans in A.D. 116 and 198 thanks to..." more

Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat)
pic gg "The ancient city of Ashur is located on the Tigris River in northern Mesopotamia in a specific geo-ecological zone, at the borderline between rain-fed and irrigation..." more

Ireland

Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne
pic gg "The three main prehistoric sites of the Bru na Boinne Complex, Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, are situated on the north bank of the River Boyne 50 km north of Dublin. This is..." more

Skellig Michael
pic gg "This monastic complex, perched since about the 7th century on the steep sides of the rocky island of Skellig Michael, some 12 km off the coast of south-west Ireland,..." more

Israel

Masada
pic gg "Masada is a rugged natural fortress, of majestic beauty, in the Judaean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. It is a symbol of the ancient kingdom of Israel, its violent..." more

Old City of Acre
pic gg "Acre is a historic walled port-city with continuous settlement from the Phoenician period. The present city is characteristic of a fortified town dating from the Ottoman 18th..." more

White City of Tel-Aviv -- the Modern Movement
pic gg "Tel Aviv was founded in 1909 and developed as a metropolitan city under the British Mandate in Palestine. The White City was constructed from the early 1930s until the 1950s,..." more

Italy

Rock Drawings in Valcamonica
pic gg "Valcamonica, situated in the Lombardy plain, has one of the world's greatest collections of prehistoric petroglyphs - more than 140,000 symbols and figures carved in the..." more

Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie with "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci
pic gg "The refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie forms an integral part of this architectural complex, begun in Milan in 1463 and reworked at the end of the 15th..." more

Historic Centre of Florence
pic gg "Built on the site of an Etruscan settlement, Florence, the symbol of the Renaissance, rose to economic and cultural pre-eminence under the Medici in the 15th and 16th..." more

Venice and its Lagoon
pic VR gg "Founded in the 5th century and spread over 118 small islands, Venice became a major maritime power in the 10th century. The whole city is an extraordinary architectural..." more

Piazza del Duomo, Pisa
pic gg "Standing in a large green expanse, Piazza del Duomo houses a group of monuments known the world over. These four masterpieces of medieval architecture - the cathedral, the..." more

Historic Centre of San Gimignano
pic gg "'San Gimignano delle belle Torri' is in Tuscany, 56 km south of Florence. It served as an important relay point for pilgrims travelling to or from Rome on the Via..." more

I Sassi di Matera
pic gg "This is the most outstanding, intact example of a troglodyte settlement in the Mediterranean region, perfectly adapted to its terrain and ecosystem. The first inhabited zone..." more

City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto
pic gg "Founded in the 2nd century B.C. in northern Italy, Vicenza prospered under Venetian rule from the early 15th to the end of the 18th century. The work of Andrea Palladio..." more

Historic Centre of Siena
pic gg "Siena is the embodiment of a medieval city. Its inhabitants pursued their rivalry with Florence right into the area of urban planning. Throughout the centuries, they..." more

Historic Centre of Naples
pic gg "From the Neapolis founded by Greek settlers in 470 B.C. to the city of today, Naples has retained the imprint of the successive cultures that emerged in Europe and the..." more

Crespi d'Adda
pic gg "Crespi d'Adda in Capriate San Gervasio in Lombardy is an outstanding example of the 19th- and early 20th-century 'company towns' built in Europe and North..." more

Ferrara, City of the Renaissance, and its Po Delta
pic gg "Ferrara, which grew up around a ford over the River Po, became an intellectual and artistic centre that attracted the greatest minds of the Italian Renaissance in the 15th..." more

Castel del Monte
pic gg "When the Emperor Frederick II built this castle near Bari in the 13th century, he imbued it with symbolic significance, as reflected in the location, the mathematical and..." more

The Trulli of Alberobello
pic gg "The trulli, limestone dwellings found in the southern region of Puglia, are remarkable examples of drywall (mortarless) construction, a prehistoric building technique still..." more

Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna
pic gg "Ravenna was the seat of the Roman Empire in the 5th century and then of Byzantine Italy until the 8th century. It has a unique collection of early Christian mosaics and..." more

Historic Centre of the City of Pienza
pic gg "It was in this Tuscan town that Renaissance town-planning concepts were first put into practice after Pope Pius II decided, in 1459, to transform the look of his birthplace...." more

18th-Century Royal Palace at Caserta, with the Park, the Aqueduct of Vanvitelli, and the San Leucio Complex
pic gg "The monumental complex at Caserta, created by the Bourbon king Charles III in the mid-18th century to rival Versailles and the Royal Palace in Madrid, is exceptional for the..." more

Residences of the Royal House of Savoy
pic gg "When Emmanuel-Philibert, Duke of Savoy, moved his capital to Turin in 1562, he began a vast series of building projects (continued by his successors) to demonstrate the power..." more

Botanical Garden (Orto Botanico), Padua
pic gg "The world's first botanical garden was created in Padua in 1545. It still preserves its original layout - a circular central plot, symbolizing the world, surrounded by a..." more

Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and the Islands (Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto)
pic gg "The Ligurian coast between Cinque Terre and Portovenere is a cultural landscape of great scenic and cultural value. The layout and disposition of the small towns and the..." more

Cathedral, Torre Civica and Piazza Grande, Modena
pic gg "The magnificent 12th-century cathedral at Modena, the work of two great artists (Lanfranco and Wiligelmus), is a supreme example of early Romanesque art. With its piazza and..." more

Archaeological Areas of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata
pic gg "When Vesuvius erupted on 24 August A.D. 79, it engulfed the two flourishing Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as the many wealthy villas in the area. These have..." more

Costiera Amalfitana
pic gg "The Amalfi coast is an area of great physical beauty and natural diversity. It has been intensively settled by human communities since the early Middle Ages. There are a..." more

Archaeological Area of Agrigento
pic gg "Founded as a Greek colony in the 6th century B.C., Agrigento became one of the leading cities in the Mediterranean world. Its supremacy and pride are demonstrated by the..." more

Villa Romana del Casale
pic gg "Roman exploitation of the countryside is symbolized by the Villa Romana del Casale (in Sicily), the centre of the large estate upon which the rural economy of the Western..." more

Su Nuraxi di Barumini
pic gg "During the late 2nd millennium B.C. in the Bronze Age, a special type of defensive structure known as nuraghi (for which no parallel exists anywhere else in the world)..." more

Archaeological Area and the Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia
pic gg "Aquileia (in Friuli-Venezia Giulia), one of the largest and wealthiest cities of the Early Roman Empire, was destroyed by Attila in the mid-5th century. Most of it still lies..." more

Historic Centre of Urbino
pic gg "The small hill town of Urbino, in the Marche, experienced a great cultural flowering in the 15th century, attracting artists and scholars from all over Italy and beyond, and..." more

Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park with the Archeological sites of Paestum and Velia, and the Certosa di Padula
pic gg "The Cilento is an outstanding cultural landscape. The dramatic groups of sanctuaries and settlements along its three east-west mountain ridges vividly portray the area's..." more

Villa Adriana (Tivoli)
pic gg "The Villa Adriana (at Tivoli, near Rome) is an exceptional complex of classical buildings created in the 2nd century A.D. by the Roman emperor Hadrian. It combines the best..." more

City of Verona
pic gg "The historic city of Verona was founded in the 1st century B.C. It particularly flourished under the rule of the Scaliger family in the 13th and 14th centuries and as part of..." more

Isole Eolie (Aeolian Islands)
pic gg "The Aeolian Islands provide an outstanding record of volcanic island-building and destruction, and ongoing volcanic phenomena. Studied since at least the 18th century, the..." more

Assisi, the Basilica of San Francesco and Other Franciscan Sites
pic gg "Assisi, a medieval city built on a hill, is the birthplace of Saint Francis, closely associated with the work of the Franciscan Order. Its medieval art masterpieces, such as..." more

Villa d'Este, Tivoli
pic gg "The Villa d'Este in Tivoli, with its palace and garden, is one of the most remarkable and comprehensive illustrations of Renaissance culture at its most refined. Its..." more

Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (South-eastern Sicily)
pic gg "The eight towns in south-eastern Sicily: Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo, Ragusa and Scicli, were all rebuilt after 1693 on or beside..." more

Sacri Montiof Piedmont and Lombardy
pic gg "The nine Sacri Monti (Sacred Mountains) of northern Italy are groups of chapels and other architectural features created in the late 16th and 17th centuries and dedicated to..." more

Val d'Orcia
pic gg "The landscape of Val d'Orcia is part of the agricultural hinterland of Sienna, re-drawn and developed when it was colonized by the city-state in the 14th and 15th..." more

Etruscan Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia
pic gg "Two large Etruscan cemeteries, which reflect different types of burial practices from the 9th to the 1st century BC, and bear witness to the achievements of Etruscan culture...." more

Japan

Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area
pic gg "There are around 48 Buddhist monuments in the Horyu-ji area, in Nara Prefecture. Several date from the late 7th or early 8th century, making them some of the oldest surviving..." more

Himeji-jo
pic gg "Himeji-jo is the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture, comprising 83 buildings with highly developed systems of defence and ingenious..." more

Yakushima
pic gg "Located in the interior of Yaku Island, at the meeting-point of the palaearctic and oriental biotic regions, Yakushima exhibits a rich flora, with some 1,900 species and..." more

Shirakami-Sanchi
pic gg "Situated in the mountains of northern Honshu, this trackless site includes the last virgin remains of the cool-temperate forest of Siebold's beech trees that once..." more

Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)
pic gg "Built in A.D. 794 on the model of the capitals of ancient China, Kyoto was the imperial capital of Japan from its foundation until the middle of the 19th century. As the..." more

Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama
pic gg "Located in a mountainous region that was cut off from the rest of the world for a long period of time, these villages with their Gassho-style houses subsisted on the..." more

Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome)
pic gg "The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) was the only structure left standing in the area where the first atomic bomb exploded on 6 August 1945. Through the efforts of..." more

Itsukushima Shinto Shrine
pic gg "The island of Itsukushima, in the Seto inland sea, has been a holy place of Shintoism since the earliest times. The first shrine buildings here were probably erected in the..." more

Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara
pic gg "Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. During this period the framework of national government was consolidated and Nara enjoyed great prosperity, emerging as the..." more

Shrines and Temples of Nikko
pic gg "The shrines and temples of Nikko, together with their natural surroundings, have for centuries been a sacred site known for its architectural and decorative masterpieces...." more

Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu
pic gg "Five hundred years of Ryukyuan history (12th-17th century) are represented by this group of sites and monuments. The ruins of the castles, on imposing elevated sites, are..." more

Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range
pic gg "Set in the dense forests of the Kii Mountains overlooking the Pacific Ocean, three sacred sites - Yoshino and Omine, Kumano Sanzan, and Koyasan - linked by pilgrimage routes..." more

Jerusalem (Site proposed by Jordan)

Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls
pic gg "As a holy city for Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Jerusalem has always been of great symbolic importance. Among its 220 historic monuments, the Dome of the Rock stands out:..." more

Jordan

Petra
pic gg "Inhabited since prehistoric times, this Nabataean caravan-city, situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, was an important crossroads between Arabia, Egypt and..." more

Quseir Amra
pic gg "Built in the early 8th century, this exceptionally well-preserved desert castle was both a fortress with a garrison and a residence of the Umayyad caliphs. The most..." more

Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a)
pic gg "Most of the Um er-Rasas archaeological site has not been excavated. Containing remains from the Roman, Byzantine and Early Moslem periods (end of 3rd to 9th century AD), the..." more

Kazakhstan

Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi
pic gg "The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, in the town of Yasi, now Turkestan, was built at the time of Timur (Tamerlane), from 1389 to 1405. In this partly unfinished building,..." more

Petroglyphs within the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly
pic gg "Set around the comparatively lush Tamgaly Gorge, amidst the vast, arid Chu-Ili mountains, is a remarkable concentration of some 5,000 petroglyphs (rock carvings) dating from..." more

Kenya

Mount Kenya National Park / Natural Forest
pic gg "At 5,199 m, Mount Kenya is the second highest peak in Africa. It is an ancient extinct volcano, during whose period of activity (3.1-2.6 million years ago) it is thought to..." more

Lake Turkana National Parks
pic gg "The most saline of Africa's large lakes, Turkana is an outstanding laboratory for the study of plant and animal communities. The three National Parks serve as a stopover..." more

Lamu Old Town
pic gg "Lamu Old Town is the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa, retaining its traditional functions. Built in coral stone and mangrove timber, the town is..." more

Lao People's Democratic Republic

Town of Luang Prabang
pic VR gg "Luang Prabang is an outstanding example of the fusion of traditional architecture and Lao urban structures with those built by the European colonial authorities in the 19th..." more

Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural Landscape
pic VR gg "The Champasak cultural landscape, including the Vat Phou Temple complex, is a remarkably well-preserved planned landscape more than 1,000 years old. It was shaped to express..." more

Lebanon

Anjar
pic gg "The city of Anjar was founded by Caliph Walid I at the beginning of the 8th century. The ruins reveal a very regular layout, reminiscent of the palace-cities of ancient..." more

Baalbek
pic gg "This Phoenician city, where a triad of deities was worshipped, was known as Heliopolis during the Hellenistic period. It retained its religious function during Roman times,..." more

Byblos
pic gg "The ruins of many successive civilizations are found at Byblos, one of the oldest Phoenician cities. Inhabited since Neolithic times, it has been closely linked to the..." more

Tyre
pic gg "According to legend, purple dye was invented in Tyre. This great Phoenician city ruled the seas and founded prosperous colonies such as Cadiz and Carthage, but its historical..." more

Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab)
pic gg "The Qadisha valley is one of the most important early Christian monastic settlements in the world. Its monasteries, many of which are of a great age, stand in dramatic..." more

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna
pic gg "Leptis Magna was enlarged and embellished by Septimius Severus, who was born there and later became emperor. It was one of the most beautiful cities of the Roman Empire, with..." more

Archaeological Site of Sabratha
pic gg "A Phoenician trading-post that served as an outlet for the products of the African hinterland, Sabratha was part of the short-lived Numidian Kingdom of Massinissa before..." more

Archaeological Site of Cyrene
pic gg "A colony of the Greeks of Thera, Cyrene was one of the principal cities in the Hellenic world. It was Romanized and remained a great capital until the earthquake of 365. A..." more

Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus
pic gg "On the borders of Tassili N'Ajjer in Algeria, also a World Heritage site, this rocky massif has thousands of cave paintings in very different styles, dating from 12,000..." more

Old Town of Ghadames
pic gg "Known as the pearl of the desert, Ghadames stands in an oasis. It is one of the oldest pre-Saharan cities and an outstanding example of a traditional settlement. Its domestic..." more

Lithuania

Vilnius Historic Centre
pic gg "Political centre of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from the 13th to the end of the 18th century, Vilnius has had a profound influence on the cultural and architectural..." more

Curonian Spit
pic gg "Human habitation of this elongated sand dune peninsula, 98 km long and 0.4-4 km wide, dates back to prehistoric times. Throughout this period it has been threatened by the..." more

Kernave Archaeological Site (Cultural Reserve of Kernave)
pic gg "The Kernave Archeological Site, in eastern Lithuania about 35 km northwest of Vilnius, represents an exceptional testimony to some 10 millennia of human settlements in this..." more

Luxembourg

City of Luxembourg: its Old Quarters and Fortifications
pic gg "Because of its strategic position, Luxembourg was, from the 16th century until 1867, when its walls were dismantled, one of Europe's greatest fortified sites. It was..." more

Madagascar

Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve
pic gg "Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve comprises karstic landscapes and limestone uplands cut into impressive 'tsingy' peaks and a 'forest' of limestone..." more

Royal Hill of Ambohimanga
pic gg "The Royal Hill of Ambohimanga consists of a royal city and burial site, and an ensemble of sacred places. It is associated with strong feelings of national identity, and has..." more

Malawi

Lake Malawi National Park
pic gg "Located at the southern end of the great expanse of Lake Malawi, with its deep, clear waters and mountain backdrop, the national park is home to many hundreds of fish..." more

Malaysia

Kinabalu Park
pic VR gg "Kinabalu Park, in the State of Sabah on the northern end of the island of Borneo, is dominated by Mount Kinabalu (4,095 m), the highest mountain between the Himalayas and New..." more

Gunung Mulu National Park
pic VR gg "Important both for its high biodiversity and for its karst features, Gunung Mulu National Park, on the island of Borneo in the State of Sarawak, is the most studied tropical..." more

Mali

Old Towns of Djenne
pic gg "Inhabited since 250 B.C., Djenne became a market centre and an important link in the trans-Saharan gold trade. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it was one of the centres for..." more

Timbuktu
pic gg "Home of the prestigious Koranic Sankore University and other madrasas, Timbuktu was an intellectual and spiritual capital and a centre for the propagation of Islam throughout..." more

Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons)
pic gg "The Bandiagara site is an outstanding landscape of cliffs and sandy plateaux with some beautiful architecture (houses, granaries, altars, sanctuaries and Togu Na, or communal..." more

Tomb of Askia
pic gg "The dramatic 17-m pyramidal structure of Le Tombeau des Askia was built by Askia Mohamed, the Emperor of Songhai, in 1495 in his capital Gao. It bears testimony to the power..." more

Malta

Hal Saflieni Hypogeum
pic gg "The Hypogeum is an enormous subterranean structure excavated c. 2500 B.C., using cyclopean rigging to lift huge blocks of coralline limestone. Perhaps originally a sanctuary,..." more

City of Valletta
pic gg "The capital of Malta is inextricably linked to the history of the military and charitable Order of St John of Jerusalem. It was ruled successively by the Phoenicians, Greeks,..." more

Megalithic Temples of Malta
pic gg "Seven megalithic temples are found on the islands of Malta and Gozo, each the result of an individual development. The two temples of Ggantija on the island of Gozo are..." more

Mauritania

Banc d'Arguin National Park
pic gg "Fringing the Atlantic coast, the park comprises sand-dunes, coastal swamps, small islands and shallow coastal waters. The contrast between the harsh desert environment and..." more

Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata
pic gg "Founded in the 11th and 12th centuries to serve the caravans crossing the Sahara, these trading and religious centres became focal points of Islamic culture. They have..." more

Mexico

Sian Ka'an
pic gg "In the language of the Mayan peoples who once inhabited this region, Sian Ka'an means 'Origin of the Sky'. Located on the east coast of the Yucatan peninsula,..." more

Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque
pic gg "A prime example of a Mayan sanctuary of the classical period, Palenque was at its height between A.D. 500 and 700, when its influence extended throughout the basin of the..." more

Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco
pic gg "Built in the 16th century by the Spanish on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the old Aztec capital, Mexico City is now one of the world's largest and most densely populated..." more

Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan
pic gg "The holy city of Teotihuacan ('the place where the gods were created') is situated some 50 km north-east of Mexico City. Built between the 1st and 7th centuries..." more

Historic Centre of Oaxaca and Archaeological Site of Monte Alban
pic gg "Inhabited over a period of 1,500 years by a succession of peoples - Olmecs, Zapotecs and Mixtecs - the terraces, dams, canals, pyramids and artificial mounds of Monte Alban..." more

Historic Centre of Puebla
pic gg "Puebla, which was founded ex nihilo in 1531, is situated about 100 km east of Mexico City, at the foot of the Popocatepetl volcano. It has preserved its great religious..." more

Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines
pic gg "Founded by the Spanish in the early 16th century, Guanajuato became the world's leading silver-extraction centre in the 18th century. This past can be seen in its..." more

Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza
pic gg "This sacred site was one of the greatest Mayan centres of the Yucatan peninsula. Throughout its nearly 1,000-year history, different peoples have left their mark on the city...." more

Historic Centre of Morelia
pic gg "Built in the 16th century, Morelia is an outstanding example of urban planning which combines the ideas of the Spanish Renaissance with the Mesoamerican experience...." more

El Tajin, Pre-Hispanic City
pic gg "Located in the state of Veracruz, El Tajin was at its height from the early 9th to the early 13th century. It became the most important centre in north-east Mesoamerica after..." more

Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino
pic gg "Located in the central part of the peninsula of Baja California, the sanctuary contains some exceptionally interesting ecosystems. The coastal lagoons of Ojo de Liebre and..." more

Historic Centre of Zacatecas
pic gg "Founded in 1546 after the discovery of a rich silver lode, Zacatecas reached the height of its prosperity in the 16th and 17th centuries. Built on the steep slopes of a..." more

Rock Paintings of the Sierra de San Francisco
pic gg "From c. 100 B.C. to A.D. 1300, the Sierra de San Francisco (in the El Vizcaino reserve, in Baja California) was home to a people who have now disappeared but who left one of..." more

Earliest 16th-Century Monasteries on the Slopes of Popocatepetl
pic gg "These 14 monasteries stand on the slopes of Popocatepetl, to the south-east of Mexico City. They are in an excellent state of conservation and are good examples of the..." more

Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal
pic gg "The Mayan town of Uxmal, in Yucatan, was founded c. A.D. 700 and had some 25,000 inhabitants. The layout of the buildings, which date from between 700 and 1000, reveals a..." more

Historic Monuments Zone of Queretaro
pic gg "The old colonial town of Queretaro is unusual in having retained the geometric street plan of the Spanish conquerors side by side with the twisting alleys of the Indian..." more

Hospicio Cabanas Guadalajara
pic gg "The Hospicio Cabanas was built at the beginning of the 19th century to provide care and shelter for the disadvantaged - orphans, old people, the handicapped and chronic..." more

Archeological Zone of Paquime, Casas Grandes
pic gg "Paquime, Casas Grandes, which reached its apogee in the 14th and 15th centuries, played a key role in trade and cultural contacts between the Pueblo culture of the..." more

Historic Monuments Zone of Tlacotalpan
pic gg "Tlacotalpan, a Spanish colonial river port on the Gulf coast of Mexico, was founded in the mid-16th century. It has preserved its original urban fabric to a remarkable..." more

Historic Fortified Town of Campeche
pic gg "Campeche is a typical example of a harbour town from the Spanish colonial period in the New World. The historic centre has kept its outer walls and system of fortifications,..." more

Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalco
pic gg "Xochicalco is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a fortified political, religious and commercial centre from the troubled period of 650-900 that followed the break-up..." more

Ancient Maya City of Calakmul, Campeche
pic gg "Calakmul, an important Maya site set deep in the tropical forest of the Tierras Bajas of southern Mexico, played a key role in the history of this region for more than twelve..." more

Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda of Queretaro
pic gg "The five Franciscan missions of Sierra Gorda were built during the last phase of the conversion to Christianity of the interior of Mexico in the mid-18th century and became..." more

Luis Barragan House and Studio
pic gg "Built in 1948, the House and Studio of architect Luis Barragan in the suburb of Mexico City represents an outstanding example of the architect's creative work in the..." more

Mongolia

Uvs Nuur Basin
pic gg "The Uvs Nuur Basin (1,068,853 ha), is the northernmost of the enclosed basins of Central Asia. It takes its name from Uvs Nuur Lake, a large, shallow and very saline lake,..." more

Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape
pic gg "The 121,967-ha Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape encompasses an extensive area of pastureland on both banks of the Orkhon River and includes numerous archaeological remains..." more

Morocco

Medina of Fez
pic gg "Founded in the 9th century and home to the oldest university in the world, Fez reached its height in the 13th-14th centuries under the Marinids, when it replaced Marrakesh as..." more

Medina of Marrakesh
pic gg "Founded in 1070-72 by the Almoravids, Marrakesh remained a political, economic and cultural centre for a long period. Its influence was felt throughout the western Muslim..." more

Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou
pic gg "The ksar, a group of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls, is a traditional pre-Saharan habitat. The houses crowd together within the defensive walls, which are..." more

Historic City of Meknes
pic gg "Founded in the 11th century by the Almoravids as a military settlement, Meknes became a capital under Sultan Moulay Ismail (1672-1727), the founder of the Alawite dynasty...." more

Archaeological Site of Volubilis
pic gg "The Mauritanian capital, founded in the 3rd century B.C., became an important outpost of the Roman Empire and was graced with many fine buildings. Extensive remains of these..." more

Medina of Tetouan (formerly known as Titawin)
pic gg "Tetouan was of particular importance in the Islamic period, from the 8th century onwards, since it served as the main point of contact between Morocco and Andalusia. After..." more

Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador)
pic gg "Essaouira is an exceptional example of a late-18th-century fortified town, built according to the principles of contemporary European military architecture in a North African..." more

Portuguese City of Mazagan (El Jadida)
pic gg "The Portuguese fortification of Mazagan, now part of the city of El Jadida, 90-km southwest of Casablanca, was built as a fortified colony on the Atlantic coast in the early..." more

Mozambique

Island of Mozambique
pic gg "The fortified city of Mozambique is located on this island, a former Portuguese trading-post on the route to India. Its remarkable architectural unity is due to the..." more

Nepal

Sagarmatha National Park
pic gg "Sagarmatha is an exceptional area with dramatic mountains, glaciers and deep valleys, dominated by Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world (8,848 m). Several rare..." more

Kathmandu Valley
pic gg "At the crossroads of the great civilizations of Asia, seven groups of Hindu and Buddhist monuments, as well as the three residential and palace areas of the royal cities of..." more

Royal Chitwan National Park
pic gg "At the foot of the Himalayas, Chitwan is one of the few remaining undisturbed vestiges of the 'Terai' region, which formerly extended over the foothills of India..." more

Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha
pic gg "Siddhartha Gautama, the Lord Buddha, was born in 623 B.C. in the famous gardens of Lumbini, which soon became a place of pilgrimage. Among the pilgrims was the Indian emperor..." more

Netherlands

Schokland and Surroundings
pic gg "Schokland was a peninsula that by the 15th century had become an island. Occupied and then abandoned as the sea encroached, it had to be evacuated in 1859. But following the..." more

Defence Line of Amsterdam
pic gg "Extending 135 km around the city of Amsterdam, this defence line (built between 1883 and 1920) is the only example of a fortification based on the principle of controlling..." more

Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout
pic gg "The outstanding contribution made by the people of the Netherlands to the technology of handling water is admirably demonstrated by the installations in the..." more

Historic Area of Willemstad, Inner City and Harbour, Netherlands Antilles
pic gg "The people of the Netherlands established a trading settlement at a fine natural harbour on the Caribbean island of Curacao in 1634. The town developed continuously over the..." more

Ir.D.F. Woudagemaal (D.F. Wouda Steam Pumping Station)
pic gg "The Wouda Pumping Station at Lemmer in the province of Friesland opened in 1920. It is the largest steam-pumping station ever built and is still in operation. It represents..." more

Droogmakerij de Beemster (Beemster Polder)
pic gg "The Beemster Polder, dating from the early 17th century, is the oldest area of reclaimed land in the Netherlands. It has preserved intact its well-ordered landscape of..." more

Rietveld Schroderhuis (Rietveld Schroder House)
pic gg "The Rietveld Schroder House in Utrecht was commissioned by Ms Truus Schroder-Schrader, designed by the architect Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, and built in 1924. This small family..." more

New Zealand

Tongariro National Park
pic gg "In 1993 Tongariro became the first property to be inscribed on the World Heritage List under the revised criteria describing cultural landscapes. The mountains at the heart..." more

Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand
pic gg "The landscape in this park, situated in south-west New Zealand, has been shaped by successive glaciations into fjords, rocky coasts, towering cliffs, lakes and waterfalls...." more

New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands
pic gg "The New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands consist of five island groups (the Snares, Bounty Islands, Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands and Campbell Island) in the Southern..." more

Nicaragua

Ruins of Leon Viejo
pic gg "Leon Viejo is one of the oldest Spanish colonial settlements in the Americas. It did not develop and so its ruins are outstanding testimony to the social and economic..." more

Niger

Air and Tenere Natural Reserves
pic gg "This is the largest protected area in Africa, covering some 7.7 million ha, though the area considered a protected sanctuary constitutes only one-sixth of the total area. It..." more

W National Park of Niger
pic gg "The part of 'W' National Park that lies in Niger is situated in a transition zone between savannah and forest lands and represents important ecosystem..." more

Nigeria

Sukur Cultural Landscape
pic gg "The Sukur Cultural Landscape, with the Palace of the Hidi (Chief) on a hill dominating the villages below, the terraced fields and their sacred symbols, and the extensive..." more

Norway

Urnes Stave Church
pic gg "The wooden church of Urnes (the stavkirke) stands in the natural setting of Sogn og Fjordane. It was built in the 12th and 13th centuries and is an outstanding example of..." more

Bryggen
pic gg "Bryggen, the old wharf of Bergen, is a reminder of the town's importance as part of the Hanseatic League's trading empire from the 14th to the mid-16th century...." more

Roros
pic gg "The history of Roros which stands in a mountainous setting, is linked to the copper mines: they were developed in the 17th century and exploited for 333 years until 1977...." more

Rock Drawings of Alta
pic gg "This group of petroglyphs in the Alta Fjord, near the Arctic Circle, bears the traces of a settlement dating from c. 4200 to 500 B.C. The thousands of paintings and..." more N69 56 49.6 E23 11 24.1

Vega-- The Vega Archipelago
pic gg "A cluster of dozens of islands centred on Vega, just south of the Arctic Circle, forms a cultural landscape of 103,710-ha, of which 6,930 is land. The islands bear testimony..." more N65 40 36.0 E11 57 44.9

Oman

Bahla Fort
pic gg "The oasis of Bahla owes its prosperity to the Banu Nebhan, the dominant tribe in the area from the 12th to the end of the 15th century. The ruins of the immense fort, with..." more

Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn
pic gg "The protohistoric site of Bat lies near a palm grove in the interior of the Sultanate of Oman. Together with the neighbouring sites, it forms the most complete collection of..." more

Arabian Oryx Sanctuary
pic gg "The Arabian Oryx Sanctuary is an area within the Central Desert and Coastal Hills biogeographical regions of Oman. Seasonal fogs and dews support a unique desert ecosystem..." more

The Frankincense Trail
pic gg "The frankincense trees of Wadi Dawkah and the remains of the caravan oasis of Shisr/Wubar and the affiliated ports of Khor Rori and Al-Balid vividly illustrate the trade in..." more

Pakistan

Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro
pic gg "The ruins of the huge city of Moenjodaro - built entirely of unbaked brick in the 3rd millennium B.C. - lie in the Indus valley. The acropolis, set on high embankments, the..." more

Taxila
pic gg "From the ancient Neolithic tumulus of Saraikala to the ramparts of Sirkap (2nd century B.C.) and the city of Sirsukh (1st century A.D.), Taxila illustrates the different..." more

Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol
pic gg "The Buddhist monastic complex of Takht-i-Bahi (Throne of Origins) was founded in the early 1st century. Owing to its location on the crest of a high hill, it escaped..." more

Historical Monuments of Thatta
pic gg "The capital of three successive dynasties and later ruled by the Mughal emperors of Delhi, Thatta was constantly embellished from the 14th to the 18th century. The remains of..." more

Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore
pic gg "These are two masterpieces from the time of the brilliant Mughal civilization, which reached its height during the reign of the Emperor Shah Jahan. The fort contains marble..." more

Rohtas Fort
pic gg "Following his defeat of the Mughal emperor Humayun in 1541, Sher Shah Suri built a strong fortified complex at Rohtas, a strategic site in the north of what is now Pakistan...." more

Panama

Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo
pic gg "Magnificent examples of 17th- and 18th-century military architecture, these Panamanian forts on the Caribbean coast form part of the defence system built by the Spanish Crown..." more

Darien National Park
pic gg "Forming a bridge between the two continents of the New World, Darien National Park contains an exceptional variety of habitats - sandy beaches, rocky coasts, mangroves,..." more

Archaeological Site of Panama Viejo and Historic District of Panama
pic gg "Founded in 1519 by the conquistador Pedrarias Davila, Panama Viejo is the oldest European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas. It was laid out on a rectilinear..." more

Paraguay

Jesuit Missions of La Santisima Trinidad de Parana and Jesus de Tavarangue
pic gg "In addition to their artistic interest, these missions are a reminder of the Jesuits' Christianization of the Rio de la Plata basin in the 17th and 18th centuries, with..." more

Peru

City of Cuzco
pic gg "Situated in the Peruvian Andes, Cuzco developed, under the Inca ruler Pachacutec, into a complex urban centre with distinct religious and administrative functions. It was..." more

Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu
pic gg "Machu Picchu stands 2,430 m above sea-level, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. It was probably the most amazing urban..." more

Chavin (Archaeological Site)
pic gg "The archaeological site of Chavin gave its name to the culture that developed between 1500 and 300 B.C. in this high valley of the Peruvian Andes. This former place of..." more

Huascaran National Park
pic gg "Situated in the Cordillera Blanca, the world's highest tropical mountain range, Mount Huascaran rises to 6,768 m above sea-level. The deep ravines watered by numerous..." more

Chan Chan Archaelogical Zone
pic gg "The Chimu Kingdom, with Chan Chan as its capital, reached its apogee in the 15th century, not long before falling to the Incas. The planning of this huge city, the largest in..." more

Manu National Park
pic gg "This huge 1.5 million-ha park has successive tiers of vegetation rising from 150 to 4,200 m above sea-level. The tropical forest in the lower tiers is home to an unrivalled..." more

Historic Centre of Lima
pic gg "Although severely damaged by earthquakes, this 'City of the Kings' was, until the middle of the 18th century, the capital and most important city of the Spanish..." more

Rio Abiseo National Park
pic gg "The park was created in 1983 to protect the fauna and flora of the rainforests that are characteristic of this region of the Andes. There is a high level of endemism among..." more

Lines and Geoglyphs of Nasca and Pampas de Jumana
pic gg "Located in the arid Peruvian coastal plain, some 400 km south of Lima, the geoglyphs of Nasca and the pampas of Jumana cover about 450 sq. km. These lines, which were..." more

Historical Centre of the City of Arequipa
pic gg "The historic centre of Arequipa, built in volcanic sillar rock, represents an integration of European and native building techniques and characteristics, expressed in the..." more

Philippines

Tubbataha Reef Marine Park
pic gg "The Tubbataha Reef Marine Park covers 33,200 ha, including the North and South Reefs. It is a unique example of an atoll reef with a very high density of marine species; the..." more

Baroque Churches of the Philippines
pic VR gg "These four churches, the first of which was built by the Spanish in the late 16th century, are located in Manila, Santa Maria, Paoay and Miag-ao. Their unique architectural..." more

Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras
pic VR gg "For 2,000 years, the high rice fields of the Ifugao have followed the contours of the mountains. The fruit of knowledge handed down from one generation to the next, and the..." more

Historic Town of Vigan
pic VR gg "Established in the 16th century, Vigan is the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. Its architecture reflects the coming together of cultural..." more

Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park
pic gg "This park features a spectacular limestone karst landscape with an underground river. One of the river's distinguishing features is that it emerges directly into the..." more

Poland

Cracow's Historic Centre
pic gg "The historic centre of Cracow, the former capital of Poland, is situated at the foot of the Royal Wawel Castle. The 13th-century merchants' town has Europe's..." more

Wieliczka Salt Mine
pic gg "This deposit of rock salt in Wieliczka-Bochnia has been mined since the 13th century. Spread over nine levels, it has 300 km of galleries with works of art, altars, and..." more

Auschwitz Concentration Camp
pic gg "The fortified walls, barbed wire, platforms, barracks, gallows, gas chambers and cremation ovens show the conditions within which the Nazi genocide took place in the former..." more

Historic Centre of Warsaw
pic gg "During the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944, more than 85% of Warsaw's historic centre was destroyed by Nazi troops. After the war, a five-year reconstruction campaign by..." more

Old City of Zamosc
pic gg "Zamosc was founded in the 16th century by the chancellor Jan Zamoysky on the trade route linking western and northern Europe with the Black Sea. Modelled on Italian theories..." more

Medieval Town of Torun
pic gg "Torun owes its origins to the Teutonic Order, which built a castle there in the mid-13th century as a base for the conquest and evangelization of Prussia. It soon developed a..." more

Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork
pic gg "This 13th-century fortified monastery belonging to the Teutonic Order was substantially enlarged and embellished after 1309, when the seat of the Grand Master moved here from..." more

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska: the Mannerist Architectural and Park Landscape Complex and Pilgrimage Park
pic gg "Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is a breathtaking cultural landscape of great spiritual significance. Its natural setting - in which a series of symbolic places of worship relating to..." more

Churches of Peace in Jawor and Swidnica
pic gg "The Churches of Peace in Jawor and Swidnica, the largest timber-framed religious buildings in Europe, were built in the former Silesia in the mid-17th century, amid the..." more

Wooden Churches of Southern Little Poland
pic gg "The wooden churches of southern Little Poland represent outstanding examples of the different aspects of medieval church-building traditions in Roman Catholic culture. Built..." more

Portugal

Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores
pic gg "Situated on one of the islands in the Azores archipelago, this was an obligatory port of call from the 15th century until the advent of the steamship in the 19th century. The..." more

Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belem in Lisbon
pic gg "Standing at the entrance to Lisbon harbour, the Monastery of the Hieronymites - construction of which began in 1502 - exemplifies Portuguese art at its best. The nearby Tower..." more

Monastery of Batalha
pic gg "The Monastery of the Dominicans of Batalha was built to commemorate the victory of the Portuguese over the Castilians at the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. It was to be the..." more

Convent of Christ in Tomar
pic gg "Originally designed as a monument symbolizing the Reconquest, the Convent of the Knights Templar of Tomar (transferred in 1344 to the Knights of the Order of Christ) came to..." more

Historic Centre of Evora
pic gg "This museum-city, whose roots go back to Roman times, reached its golden age in the 15th century, when it became the residence of the Portuguese kings. Its unique quality..." more

Monastery of Alcobaca
pic gg "The Monastery of Santa Maria d'Alcobaca north of Lisbon, was founded in the 12th century by King Alfonso I. Its size, the purity of its architectural style, the beauty..." more

Cultural Landscape of Sintra
pic gg "In the 19th century Sintra became the first centre of European Romantic architecture. Ferdinand II turned a ruined monastery into a castle where this new sensitivity was..." more

Historic Centre of Oporto
pic gg "The city of Oporto, built along the hillsides overlooking the mouth of the Douro river, is an outstanding urban landscape with a 1,000-year history. Its continuous growth,..." more

Prehistoric Rock-Art Sites in the Coa Valley
pic gg "This exceptional concentration of rock carvings from the Upper Palaeolithic (22,000-10,000 B.C.) is the most outstanding example of early human artistic activity in this form..." more

Laurisilva of Madeira
pic gg "The Laurisilva of Madeira is an outstanding relict of a previously widespread laurel forest type. It is the largest surviving area of laurel forest and is believed to be 90%..." more

Historic Centre of Guimaraes
pic gg "The historic town of Guimaraes is associated with the emergence of the Portuguese national identity in the 12th century. An exceptionally well-preserved and authentic example..." more

Alto Douro Wine Region
pic gg "Wine has been produced by traditional landholders in the Alto Douro region for some 2,000 years. Since the 18th century, its main product, port wine, has been world famous..." more

Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture
pic gg "The 987-ha site on the volcanic island of Pico, the second largest in Azores archipelago, consists of a remarkable pattern of spaced-out, long linear walls running inland..." more

Republic of Korea

Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple
pic gg "Established in the 8th century on the slopes of Mount T'oham, the Seokguram Grotto contains a monumental statue of the Buddha looking at the sea in the bhumisparsha..." more

Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon, the Depositories for the Tripitaka KoreanaWoodblocks
pic gg "The Temple of Haeinsa, on Mount Kaya, is home to the Tripitaka Koreana, the most complete collection of Buddhist texts, engraved on 80,000 woodblocks between 1237 and 1248...." more

Jongmyo Shrine
pic gg "Jongmyo is the oldest and most authentic of the Confucian royal shrines to have been preserved. Dedicated to the forefathers of the Choson dynasty (1392-1910), the shrine has..." more

Changdeokgung Palace Complex
pic gg "In the early 15th century, the Emperor T'aejong ordered the construction of a new palace at an auspicious site. A Bureau of Palace Construction was set up to create the..." more

Hwaseong Fortress
pic gg "When the Choson emperor Chongjo moved his father's tomb to Suwon at the end of the 18th century, he surrounded it with strong defensive works, laid out according to the..." more

Gyeongju Historic Areas
pic gg "The Gyeongju Historic Areas contain a remarkable concentration of outstanding examples of Korean Buddhist art, in the form of sculptures, reliefs, pagodas, and the remains of..." more

Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites
pic gg "The prehistoric cemeteries at Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa contain many hundreds of examples of dolmens - tombs from the 1st millennium B.C. constructed of large stone slabs...." more

Romania

Danube Delta
pic gg "The waters of the Danube, which flow into the Black Sea, form the largest and best preserved of Europe's deltas. The Danube delta hosts over 300 species of birds as well..." more

Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania
pic gg "These Transylvanian villages with their fortified churches provide a vivid picture of the cultural landscape of southern Transylvania. The seven villages inscribed, founded..." more

Monastery of Horezu
pic gg "Founded in 1690 by Prince Constantine Brancovan, the monastery of Horezu, in Walachia, is a masterpiece of the 'Brancovan' style. It is known for its architectural..." more

Churches of Moldavia
pic gg "With their painted exterior walls, decorated with 15th- and 16th-century frescoes that are considered masterpieces of Byzantine art, these seven churches in northern Moldavia..." more

Historic Centre of Sighisoara
pic gg "Founded by German craftsmen and merchants known as the Saxons of Transylvania, Sighisoara is a fine example of a small, fortified medieval town which played an important..." more

Wooden Churches of Maramures
pic gg "These eight churches are outstanding examples of a range of architectural solutions from different periods and areas. They show the variety of designs and craftsmanship..." more

Dacian Fortresses of the Orastie Mountains
pic gg "Built in the 1st centuries B.C. and A.D. under Dacian rule, these fortresses show an unusual fusion of military and religious architectural techniques and concepts from the..." more

Russian Federation

Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments
pic gg "The 'Venice of the North', with its numerous canals and more than 400 bridges, is the result of a vast urban project begun in 1703 under Peter the Great. Later..." more

Kizhi Pogost
pic gg "The pogost of Kizhi (i.e. the Kizhi enclosure) is located on one of the many islands in Lake Onega, in Karelia. Two 18th-century wooden churches, and an octagonal clock..." more

Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow
pic gg "Inextricably linked to all the most important historical and political events in Russia since the 13th century, the Kremlin (built between the 14th and 17th centuries by..." more

Historic Monuments of Novgorod and Surroundings
pic gg "Situated on the ancient trade route between Central Asia and northern Europe, Novgorod was Russia's first capital in the 9th century. Surrounded by churches and..." more

Cultural and Historic Ensemble of the Solovetsky Islands
pic gg "The Solovetsky archipelago comprises six islands in the western part of the White Sea, covering 300 sq. km. They have been inhabited since the 5th century B.C. and important..." more

White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal
pic gg "These two artistic centres in central Russia hold an important place in the country's architectural history. There are a number of magnificent 12th- and 13th-century..." more

Architectural Ensemble of the Trinity Sergius Lavra in Sergiev Posad
pic gg "This is a fine example of a working Orthodox monastery, with military features that are typical of the 15th to the 18th century, the period during which it developed. The..." more

Church of the Ascension, Kolomenskoye
pic gg "The Church of the Ascension was built in 1532 on the imperial estate of Kolomenskoye, near Moscow, to celebrate the birth of the prince who was to become Tsar Ivan IV..." more

Virgin Komi Forests
pic gg "The Virgin Komi Forests cover 3.28 million ha of tundra and mountain tundra in the Urals, as well as one of the most extensive areas of virgin boreal forest remaining in..." more

Lake Baikal
pic gg "Situated in south-east Siberia, the 3.15-million-ha Lake Baikal is the oldest (25 million years) and deepest (1,700 m) lake in the world. It contains 20% of the world's..." more

Volcanoes of Kamchatka
pic gg "This is one of the most outstanding volcanic regions in the world, with a high density of active volcanoes, a variety of types, and a wide range of related features. The six..." more

Golden Mountains of Altai
pic gg "The Altai mountains in southern Siberia form the major mountain range in the western Siberia biogeographic region and provide the source of its greatest rivers - the Ob and..." more

Western Caucasus
pic gg "The Western Caucasus, extending over 275,000 ha of the extreme western end of the Caucasus mountains and located 50 km north-east of the Black Sea, is one of the few large..." more

Historic and Architectural Complex of the Kazan Kremlin
pic gg "Built on an ancient site, the Kazan Kremlin dates from the Muslim period of the Golden Horde and the Kazan Khanate. It was conquered by Ivan the Terrible in 1552 and became..." more

The Ensemble of Ferapontov Monastery
pic gg "The Ferapontov Monastery, in the Vologda region in northern Russia, is an exceptionally well-preserved and complete example of a Russian Orthodox monastic complex of the..." more

Central Sikhote-Alin
pic gg "The Sikhote-Alin mountain range contains one the richest and most unusual temperate forests of the world. In this mixed zone between taiga and subtropics, southern species..." more

Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbent
pic gg "The Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbent were part of the northern lines of the Sasanian Persian Empire, which extended east and west of the Caspian Sea...." more

Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve
pic gg "Located well above the Arctic Circle, the site includes the mountainous Wrangel Island (7,608-km2), Herald Island (11-km2) and..." more

Ensemble of the Novodevichy Convent
pic gg "The Novodevichy Convent, in south western Moscow, built in the 16th and 17th centuries, was part of a chain of monastic ensembles that were integrated into the defence system..." more

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park
pic gg "Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park is an outstanding, well-preserved example of 17th- and 18th-century military architecture in a Caribbean context. Designed by the..." more

Saint Lucia

Pitons Management Area
pic gg "The 2,909-ha site near the town of Soufriere, includes the Pitons, two volcanic spires rising side by side from the sea (770-m 743-m high respectively), linked by the Piton..." more

Senegal

Island of Goree
pic gg "The island of Goree lies off the coast of Senegal, opposite Dakar. From the 15th to the 19th century, it was the largest slave-trading centre on the African coast. Ruled in..." more

Niokolo-Koba National Park
pic gg "Located in a well-watered area along the banks of the Gambia river, the gallery forests and savannahs of Niokolo-Koba National Park have a very rich fauna, among them Derby..." more

Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary
pic gg "Situated in the Senegal river delta, the Djoudj Sanctuary is a wetland of 16,000 ha, comprising a large lake surrounded by streams, ponds and backwaters. It forms a living..." more

Island of Saint-Louis
pic gg "Founded as a French colonial settlement in the 17th century, Saint-Louis was urbanised in the mid-19th century. It was the capital of Senegal from 1872 to 1957 and played an..." more

Serbia and Montenegro

Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor
pic gg "In the Middle Ages, this natural harbour on the Adriatic coast in Montenegro was an important artistic and commercial centre with its own famous schools of masonry and..." more

Stari Ras and Sopocani
pic gg "On the outskirts of Stari Ras, the first capital of Serbia, there is an impressive group of medieval monuments consisting of fortresses, churches and monasteries. The..." more

Durmitor National Park
pic gg "This breathtaking national park was formed by glaciers and is traversed by rivers and underground streams. Along the Tara river canyon, which has the deepest gorges in..." more

Studenica Monastery
pic gg "The Studenica Monastery was established in the late 12th century by Stevan Nemanja, founder of the medieval Serb state, shortly after his abdication. It is the largest and..." more

Decani Monastery
pic gg "The Decani Monastery - at the foot of the slopes of the Prokletije mountains, in the western part of the province of Kosovo - was built in the mid 14th century for the..." more

Seychelles

Aldabra Atoll
pic gg "The atoll is comprised of four large coral islands which enclose a shallow lagoon; the group of islands is itself surrounded by a coral reef. Due to difficulties of access..." more

Vallee de Mai Nature Reserve
pic gg "In the heart of the small island of Praslin, the reserve has the vestiges of a natural palm forest preserved in almost its original state. The famous coco de mer, from a..." more

Slovakia

Banska Stiavnica
pic gg "Over the centuries, the town of Banska Stiavnica was visited by many outstanding engineers and scientists, many of whom contributed to its fame. The old medieval mining..." more

Spissky Hrad and its Associated Cultural Monuments
pic gg "Spissky Hrad has one of the largest ensembles of 13th- and 14th-century military, political and religious buildings in eastern Europe, and its Romanesque and Gothic..." more

Vlkolinec
pic gg "Vlkolinec, situated in the centre of Slovakia, is a remarkably intact settlement of 45 buildings with the traditional features of a central European village. It is the..." more

Bardejov Town Conservation Reserve
pic gg "Bardejov is a small but exceptionally complete and well-preserved example of a fortified medieval town, which typifies the urbanisation in this region. Among other remarkable..." more

Slovenia

Skocjan Caves
pic gg "This exceptional system of limestone caves comprises collapsed dolines, some 6 km of underground passages with a total depth of more than 200 m, many waterfalls and one of..." more

Solomon Islands

East Rennell
pic gg "East Rennell makes up the southern third of Rennell Island, the southernmost island in the Solomon Island group in the western Pacific. Rennell, 86 km long x 15 km wide, is..." more

South Africa

Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park
pic gg "The ongoing fluvial, marine and aeolian processes in the site have produced a variety of landforms, including coral reefs, long sandy beaches, coastal dunes, lake systems,..." more

Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, and Environs
pic gg "These sites have produced abundant scientific information on the evolution of the human being over the past 3.5 million years, his way of life, and the animals with which he..." more

Robben Island
pic gg "Robben Island was used at various times between the 17th and 20th centuries as a prison, a hospital for socially unacceptable groups and a military base. Its buildings,..." more

UKhahlamba / Drakensberg Park
pic gg "The uKhahlamba - Drakensberg Park has exceptional natural beauty in its soaring basaltic buttresses, incisive dramatic cutbacks, and golden sandstone ramparts. Rolling high..." more

Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape
pic gg "Mapungubwe is set hard against the northern border of South Africa, joining Zimbabwe and Botswana. It is an open, expansive savannah landscape at the confluence of the..." more

Cape Floral Region Protected Areas
pic gg "A serial site - in Cape Province, South Africa - made up of eight protected areas, covering 553,000-ha. The Cape Floral Region is one of the richest areas for plants in the..." more

Spain

Historic Centre of Cordoba
pic gg "Cordoba's period of greatest glory began in the 8th century after the Moorish conquest, when some 300 mosques and innumerable palaces and public buildings were built to..." more

Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzin, Granada
pic gg "Rising above the modern lower town, the Alhambra and the Albaycin, situated on two adjacent hills, form the medieval part of Granada. To the east of the Alhambra fortress and..." more

Burgos Cathedral
pic gg "Our Lady of Burgos was begun in the 13th century at the same time as the great cathedrals of the Ile-de-France and was completed in the 15th and 16th centuries. The entire..." more

Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid
pic gg "Built at the end of the 16th century on a plan in the form of a grill, the instrument of the martyrdom of St Lawrence, the Escurial Monastery stands in an exceptionally..." more

Parque Guell, Palacio Guell and Casa Mila in Barcelona
pic gg "These works by Antonio Gaudi (1852-1926) may be seen as truly universal in view of the diverse cultural sources that inspired them. They represent an eclectic as well as a..." more

Altamira Cave
pic gg "This prehistoric site in the province of Santander was inhabited in the Aurignacian period and then in the Solutrean and Magdalenian periods. Most of the stone implements..." more

Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct
pic gg "The Roman aqueduct of Segovia, probably built c. A.D. 50, is remarkably well preserved. This impressive construction, with its two tiers of arches, forms part of the setting..." more

Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias
pic gg "In the 9th century the flame of Christianity was kept alive in the Iberian peninsula in the tiny Kingdom of the Asturias. Here an innovative pre-Romanesque architectural..." more

Santiago de Compostela (Old Town)
pic gg "This famous pilgrimage site in north-west Spain became a symbol in the Spanish Christians' struggle against Islam. Destroyed by the Muslims at the end of the 10th..." more

Old Town of Avila with its Extra-Muros Churches
pic gg "Founded in the 11th century to protect the Spanish territories from the Moors, this 'City of Saints and Stones', the birthplace of St Teresa and the burial place of..." more

Mudejar Architecture of Aragon
pic gg "The development in the 12th century of Mudejar art in Aragon resulted from the particular political, social and cultural conditions that prevailed in Spain after the..." more

Historic City of Toledo
pic gg "Successively a Roman municipium, the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom, a fortress of the Emirate of Cordoba, an outpost of the Christian kingdoms fighting the Moors and, in..." more

Garajonay National Park
pic gg "Laurel forest covers some 70% of this park, situated in the middle of the island of La Gomera in the Canary Islands archipelago. The presence of springs and numerous streams..." more

Old Town of Caceres
pic gg "The city's history of battles between Moors and Christians is reflected in its architecture, which is a blend of Roman, Islamic, Northern Gothic and Italian Renaissance..." more

Cathedral, Alcazar and Archivo de Indias in Seville
pic gg "Together these three buildings form a remarkable monumental complex in the heart of Seville. The cathedral and the Alcazar - dating from the Reconquest of 1248 to the 16th..." more

Old City of Salamanca
pic gg "This ancient university town north-west of Madrid was first conquered by the Carthaginians in the 3rd century B.C. It then became a Roman settlement before being ruled by the..." more

Poblet Monastery
pic gg "This Cistercian abbey in Catalonia is one of the largest in Spain. At its centre is a 12th-century church. The austere, majestic monastery, which has a fortified royal..." more

Archaeological Ensemble of Merida
pic gg "The colony of Augusta Emerita, which became present-day Merida in Estremadura, was founded in 25 B.C. at the end of the Spanish Campaign and was the capital of Lusitania. The..." more

Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Guadalupe
pic gg "The monastery is an outstanding repository of four centuries of Spanish religious architecture. It symbolizes two significant events in world history that occurred in 1492:..." more

Route of Santiago de Compostela
pic gg "Santiago de Compostela was proclaimed the first European Cultural itinerary by the Council of Europe in 1987. This route from the French-Spanish border was - and still is -..." more

Donana National Park
pic gg "Donana National Park in Andalusia occupies the right bank of the Guadalquivir river at its estuary on the Atlantic Ocean. It is notable for the great diversity of its..." more

Historic Walled Town of Cuenca
pic gg "Built by the Moors in a defensive position at the heart of the Caliphate of Cordoba, Cuenca is an unusually well-preserved medieval fortified city. Conquered by the..." more

La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia
pic gg "Built between 1482 and 1533, this group of buildings was originally used for trading in silk (hence its name, the Silk Exchange) and it has always been a centre for commerce...." more

Pyrenees - Mont Perdu
pic gg "This outstanding mountain landscape, which spans the contemporary national borders of France and Spain, is centred around the peak of Mount Perdu, a calcareous massif that..." more

Las Medulas
pic gg "In the 1st century A.D. the Roman Imperial authorities began to exploit the gold deposits of this region in north-west Spain, using a technique based on hydraulic power...." more

The Palau de la M Catalana and the Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona
pic gg "These are two of the finest contributions to Barcelona's architecture by the Catalan art nouveau architect Lluis Domenech i Montaner. The Palau de la M Catalana is an..." more

San Millan Yuso and Suso Monasteries
pic gg "The monastic community founded by St Millan in the mid-6th century became a place of pilgrimage. A fine Romanesque church built in honour of the holy man still stands at the..." more

Rock-Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula
pic gg "The late prehistoric rock-art sites of the Mediterranean seaboard of the Iberian peninsula form an exceptionally large group. Here the way of life during a critical phase of..." more

University and Historic Precinct of Alcala de Henares
pic gg "Founded by Cardinal Jimenez de Cisneros in the early 16th century, Alcala de Henares was the world's first planned university city. It was the original model for the..." more

Ibiza, biodiversity and culture
pic gg "Ibiza provides an excellent example of the interaction between the marine and coastal ecosystems. The dense prairies of oceanic Posidonia (seagrass), an important endemic..." more

San Cristobal de La Laguna
pic gg "San Cristobal de La Laguna, in the Canary Islands, has two nuclei: the original, unplanned Upper Town; and the Lower Town, the first ideal 'city-territory' laid out..." more

Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco
pic gg "Tarraco (modern-day Tarragona) was a major administrative and mercantile city in Roman Spain and the centre of the Imperial cult for all the Iberian provinces. It was endowed..." more

Palmeral of Elche
pic gg "The Palmeral of Elche, a landscape of groves of date palms, was formally laid out, with elaborate irrigation systems, at the time the Muslim city of Elche was erected,..." more

Roman Walls of Lugo
pic gg "The walls of Lugo were built in the later part of the 3rd century to defend the Roman town of Lucus. The entire circuit survives intact and is the finest example of late..." more

Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boi
pic gg "The narrow Vall de Boi is situated in the high Pyrenees, in the Alta Ribagorca region and is surrounded by steep mountains. Each village in the valley contains a Romanesque..." more

Archaeological Site of Atapuerca
pic gg "The caves of the Sierra de Atapuerca contain a rich fossil record of the earliest human beings in Europe, from nearly one million years ago and extending up to the Common..." more

Aranjuez Cultural Landscape
pic gg "The Aranjuez cultural landscape is an entity of complex relationships: between nature and human activity, between sinuous watercourses and geometric landscape design, between..." more

Renaissance Monumental Ensembles of Ubeda and Baeza
pic gg "The urban morphology of the two small cities of Ubeda and Baeza in southern Spain dates back to the Moorish 9th century and to the Reconquista in the 13th century. An..." more

Sri Lanka

Sacred City of Anuradhapura
pic VR gg "This sacred city was established around a cutting from the 'tree of enlightenment', the Buddha's fig tree, brought there in the 3rd century B.C. by..." more

Ancient City of Polonnaruwa
pic VR gg "Polonnaruwa was the second capital of Sri Lanka after the destruction of Anuradhapura in 993. It comprises, besides the Brahmanic monuments built by the Cholas, the..." more

Ancient City of Sigiriya
pic VR gg "The ruins of the capital built by the parricidal King Kassapa I (477-95) lie on the steep slopes and at the summit of a granite peak standing some 370 m high (the..." more

Sinharaja Forest Reserve
pic VR gg "Located in south-west Sri Lanka, Sinharaja is the country's last viable area of primary tropical rainforest. More than 60% of the trees are endemic and many of them are..." more

Sacred City of Kandy
pic VR gg "This sacred Buddhist site, popularly known as the city of Senkadagalapura, was the last capital of the Sinhala kings whose patronage enabled the Dinahala culture to flourish..." more

Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications
pic VR gg "Founded in the 16th century by the Portuguese, Galle reached the height of its development in the 18th century, before the arrival of the British. It is the best example of a..." more

Golden Temple of Dambulla
pic VR gg "A sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries, this cave monastery, with its five sanctuaries, is the largest, best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka. The Buddhist mural..." more

Sudan

Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region
pic gg "These five archaeological sites, stretching over more than 60 km in the Nile valley, are testimony to the Napatan (900 to 270 BC) and Meroitic (270 BC to 350 AD) cultures, of..." more

Suriname

Central Suriname Nature Reserve
pic gg "The Central Suriname Nature Reserve comprises 1.6 million ha of primary tropical forest of west-central Suriname. It protects the upper watershed of the Coppename River and..." more

Historic Inner City of Paramaribo
pic gg "Paramaribo is a former Dutch colonial town from the 17th and 18th centuries planted on the northern coast of tropical South America. The original and highly characteristic..." more

Sweden

Royal Domain of Drottningholm
pic VR gg "The Royal Domain of Drottningholm stands on an island in Lake Malar in a suburb of Stockholm. With its castle, perfectly preserved theatre (built in 1766), Chinese pavilion..." more

Birka and Hovgarden
pic gg "The Birka archaeological site is located on Bjorko Island in Lake Malar and was occupied in the 9th and 10th centuries. Hovgarden is situated on the neighbouring island of..." more

Engelsberg Ironworks
pic gg "Sweden's production of superior grades of iron made it a leader in this field in the 17th and 18th centuries. This site is the best-preserved and most complete example..." more

Rock Carvings in Tanum
pic gg "The rock carvings in Tanum, in the north of Bohuslan are a unique artistic achievement not only for their rich and varied motifs (depictions of humans and animals, weapons,..." more

Skogskyrkogarden
pic gg "This Stockholm cemetery was created between 1917 and 1920 by two young architects, Asplund and Lewerentz, on the site of former gravel pits overgrown with pine trees. The..." more

Hanseatic Town of Visby
pic gg "A former Viking site on the island of Gotland, Visby was the main centre of the Hanseatic League in the Baltic from the 12th to the 14th century. Its 13th-century ramparts..." more

Church Village of Gammelstad, Lulea
pic gg "Gammelstad, at the head of the Gulf of Bothnia, is the best-preserved example of a 'church village', a unique kind of village formerly found throughout northern..." more http://www.lulea.se/gammelstad/kartor/g_stad.htm

Laponian Area
pic gg "The Arctic Circle region of northern Sweden is the home of the Saami, or Lapp people. It is the largest area in the world (and one of the last) with an ancestral way of life..." more http://www.wcmc.org.uk/protected_areas/data/wh/lappon.htm Placemark is in the middle of the big area.

Naval Port of Karlskrona
pic gg "Karlskrona is an outstanding example of a late-17th-century European planned naval city. The original plan and many of the buildings have survived intact, along with..." more

High Coast
pic gg "The High Coast is located on the west shore of the Gulf of Bothnia, a northern extension of the Baltic Sea. The area covers 142,500 ha including a marine component of 80,000..." more Placemark in the middle of the area. http://www.hogakusten.com/indexh.htm

Agricultural Landscape of Southern Oland
pic gg "The southern part of the island of Oland and in the Baltic Sea is dominated by a vast limestone plateau. Human beings have lived here for some five thousand years and adapted..." more The area is in fact the whole southern part of the island. Swedish website: ®ion=3

Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun
pic gg "The enormous mining excavation known as the Great Pit at Falun is the most striking feature of a landscape that illustrates the activity of copper production in this region..." more http://www.kopparberget.com/frameindex.asp?sp=GB

Varberg Radio Station
pic gg "The Varberg Radio Station at Grimeton in southern Sweden (built in 1922-24) is an exceptionally well preserved monument to early wireless transatlantic communication. It..." more http://fp.thesalmons.org/lynn/wh-sweden.html

Switzerland

Old City of Berne
pic gg "Founded in the 12th century on a hill site surrounded by the Aare river, Berne developed over the centuries in line with a an exceptionally coherent planning concept. The..." more

Convent of St Gall
pic gg "The Convent of St Gall, a perfect example of a great Carolingian monastery, was, from the 8th century to its secularization in 1805, one of the most important in Europe. Its..." more

Benedictine Convent of St John at Mustair
pic gg "The Convent of Mustair, which stands in a valley in the Grisons, is a good example of Christian monastic renovation during the Carolingian period. It has Switzerland's..." more

Three Castles, Defensive Wall and Ramparts of the Market-town of Bellinzone
pic gg "The Bellinzone site consists of a group of fortifications grouped around the castle of Castelgrande, which stands on a rocky peak looking out over the entire Ticino valley...." more

Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn
pic gg "This is the most glaciated part of the Alps, containing Europe's largest glacier and a range of classic glacial features such as U-shaped valleys, cirques, horn peaks..." more

Monte San Giorgio
pic gg "The pyramid-shaped, wooded mountain (1,096 m above sea level), to the south of Lake Lugano in Canton Ticino is regarded as the best fossil record of marine life from the..." more

Syrian Arab Republic

Ancient City of Damascus
pic gg "Founded in the 3rd millennium B.C., Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East. In the Middle Ages, it was the centre of a flourishing craft industry,..." more

Ancient City of Bosra
pic gg "Bosra, once the capital of the Roman province of Arabia, was an important stopover on the ancient caravan route to Mecca. A magnificent 2nd-century Roman theatre, early..." more

Site of Palmyra
pic gg "An oasis in the Syrian desert, north-east of Damascus, Palmyra contains the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centres of the..." more

Ancient City of Aleppo
pic gg "Located at the crossroads of several trade routes from the 2nd millennium B.C., Aleppo was ruled successively by the Hittites, Assyrians, Arabs, Mongols, Mamelukes and..." more

Thailand

Historic Town of Sukhotai and Associated Historic Towns
pic VR gg "Sukhothai was the capital of the first Kingdom of Siam in the 13th and 14th centuries. It has a number of fine monuments, illustrating the beginnings of Thai architecture...." more

Historic City of Ayutthaya and Associated Historic Towns
pic VR gg "Founded c. 1350, Ayutthaya became the second Siamese capital after Sukhothai. It was destroyed by the Burmese in the 18th century. Its remains, characterized by the prang..." more

Thungyai - Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries
pic VR gg "Stretching over more than 600,000 ha along the Myanmar border, the sanctuaries, which are relatively intact, contain examples of almost all the forest types of continental..." more

Ban Chiang Archaeological Site
pic VR gg "Ban Chiang is considered the most important prehistoric settlement so far discovered in South-East Asia. It marks an important stage in human cultural, social and..." more

the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Ohrid Region with its Cultural and Historical Aspect and its Natural Environment
pic gg "Situated on the shores of Lake Ohrid, the town of Ohrid is one of the oldest human settlements in Europe. Built mainly between the 7th and 19th centuries, it has the oldest..." more

Togo

Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba
pic gg "The Koutammakou landscape in northeastern Togo, which extends into neighbouring Benin, is home to the Batammariba whose remarkable mud tower-houses have come to be seen as a..." more

Tunisia

Medina of Tunis
pic gg "Under the Almohads and the Hafsids, from the 12th to the 16th century, Tunis was considered one of the greatest and wealthiest cities in the Islamic world. Some 700..." more

Site of Carthage
pic gg "Carthage was founded in the 9th century B.C. on the Gulf of Tunis. From the 6th century onwards, it developed into a great trading empire covering much of the Mediterranean..." more

Amphitheatre of El Jem
pic gg "The impressive ruins of the largest colosseum in North Africa, a huge amphitheatre which could hold up to 35,000 spectators, are found in the small village of El Jem. This..." more

Ichkeul National Park
pic gg "The Ichkeul lake and wetland are a major stopover point for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds, such as ducks, geese, storks and pink flamingoes, who come to feed and..." more

Punic Town of Kerkuane and its Necropolis
pic gg "This Phoenician city was probably abandoned during the First Punic War (c. 250 B.C.) and as a result was not rebuilt by the Romans. The remains constitute the only example of..." more

Medina of Sousse
pic gg "Sousse was an important commercial and military port during the Aghlabid period (800-909) and is a typical example of a town dating from the first centuries of Islam. With..." more

Kairouan
pic gg "Founded in 670, Kairouan flourished under the Aghlabid dynasty in the 9th century. Despite the transfer of the political capital to Tunis in the 12th century, Kairouan..." more

Dougga / Thugga
pic gg "Before the Roman annexation of Numidia, the town of Thugga, built on an elevated site overlooking a fertile plain, was the capital of an important Libyco-Punic state. It..." more

Turkey

Historic Areas of Istanbul
pic gg "With its strategic location on the Bosphorus peninsula between the Balkans and Anatolia, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, Istanbul has been associated with major..." more

Goreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia
pic gg "In a spectacular landscape, entirely sculpted by erosion, the Goreme valley and its surroundings contain rock-hewn sanctuaries that provide unique evidence of Byzantine art..." more

Great Mosque and Hospital of Divrigi
pic gg "This region of Anatolia was conquered by the Turks at the beginning of the 11th century. In 1228-29 Emir Ahmet Shah founded a mosque, with its adjoining hospital, at Divrigi...." more

Hattusha
pic gg "The archaeological site of Hattusha, former capital of the Hittite Empire, is notable for its urban organization, the types of construction that have been preserved (temples,..." more

Nemrut Dag
pic gg "The mausoleum of Antiochus I (69-34 B.C.), who reigned over Commagene, a kingdom founded north of Syria and the Euphrates after the breakup of Alexander's empire, is one..." more

Xanthos-Letoon
pic gg "This site, which was the capital of Lycia, illustrates the blending of Lycian traditions and Hellenic influence, especially in its funerary art. The epigraphic inscriptions..." more

Hierapolis-Pamukkale
pic gg "Deriving from springs in a cliff almost 200 m high overlooking the plain, calcite-laden waters have created at Pamukkale (Cotton Palace) an unreal landscape, made up of..." more

City of Safranbolu
pic gg "From the 13th century to the advent of the railway in the early 20th century, Safranbolu was an important caravan station on the main East-West trade route. The Old Mosque,..." more

Archaeological Site of Troy
pic gg "Troy, with its 4,000 years of history, is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. The first excavations at the site were undertaken by the famous..." more

Turkmenistan

State Historical and Cultural Park "Ancient Merv"
pic gg "Merv is the oldest and best-preserved of the oasis-cities along the Silk Route in Central Asia. The remains in this vast oasis span 4,000 years of human history. A number of..." more

Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
pic gg "Located in south-western Uganda, at the junction of the plain and mountain forests, Bwindi Park covers 32,000 ha and is known for its exceptional biodiversity, with more than..." more

Rwenzori Mountains National Park
pic gg "The Rwenzori Mountains Natoinal Park covers nearly 100,000 ha in western Uganda and comprises the main part of the Rwenzori mountain chain, which includes Africa's third..." more

Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi
pic gg "The Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi constitute a site embracing almost 30 ha of hillside within Kampala district. Most of the site is agricultural, farmed by traditional..." more

Ukraine

Kiev: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kiev-Pechersk Lavra
pic gg "Designed to rival Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, Kiev's Saint-Sophia Cathedral symbolizes the 'new Constantinople', capital of the Christian principality of..." more

L'viv - the Ensemble of the Historic Centre
pic gg "The city of L'viv, founded in the late Middle Ages, was a flourishing administrative, religious and commercial centre for several centuries. The medieval urban..." more

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast
pic gg "The Giant's Causeway lies at the foot of the basalt cliffs along the sea coast on the edge of the Antrim plateau in Northern Ireland. It is made up of some 40,000..." more

Durham Castle and Cathedral
pic gg "Durham Cathedral was built in the late 11th and early 12th centuries to house the relics of St Cuthbert (evangelizer of Northumbria) and the Venerable Bede. It attests to the..." more

Ironbridge Gorge
pic gg "Ironbridge is known throughout the world as the symbol of the Industrial Revolution. It contains all the elements of progress that contributed to the rapid development of..." more

Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey
pic gg "A striking landscape was created around the ruins of the Cistercian Fountains Abbey and Fountains Hall Castle, in Yorkshire. The 18th-century landscaping, gardens and canal,..." more

Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites
pic gg "Stonehenge and Avebury, in Wiltshire, are among the most famous groups of megaliths in the world. The two sanctuaries consist of circles of menhirs arranged in a pattern..." more

Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd
pic gg "The castles of Beaumaris and Harlech (largely the work of the greatest military engineer of the time, James of St George) and the fortified complexes of Caernarfon and Conwy..." more

St. Kilda
pic gg "This volcanic archipelago, with its spectacular landscapes, is situated off the coast of the Hebrides and comprises the islands of Hirta, Dun, Soay and Boreray. It has some..." more

Blenheim Palace
pic gg "Blenheim Palace, near Oxford, stands in a romantic park created by the famous landscape gardener 'Capability' Brown. It was presented by the English nation to John..." more

Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret's Church
pic gg "Westminster Palace, rebuilt from the year 1840 on the site of important medieval remains, is a fine example of neo-Gothic architecture. The site - which also comprises the..." more

City of Bath
pic gg "Founded by the Romans as a thermal spa, Bath became an important centre of the wool industry in the Middle Ages. In the 18th century, under George III, it developed into an..." more

Hadrian's Wall
pic gg "Built on the orders of the Emperor Hadrian c. A.D. 122 at the northernmost limits of the Roman province of Britannia, the 118-km-long wall is a striking example of the..." more

Henderson Island
pic gg "Henderson Island, which lies in the eastern South Pacific, is one of the few atolls in the world whose ecology has been practically untouched by a human presence. Its..." more

Tower of London
pic gg "The massive White Tower is a typical example of Norman military architecture, whose influence was felt throughout the kingdom. It was built on the Thames by William the..." more

Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, and St Martin's Church
pic gg "Canterbury, in Kent, has been the seat of the spiritual head of the Church of England for nearly five centuries. Canterbury's other important monuments are the modest..." more

Old and New Towns of Edinburgh
pic gg "Edinburgh has been the Scottish capital since the 15th century. It has two distinct areas: the Old Town, dominated by a medieval fortress; and the neoclassical New Town,..." more

Gough and Inaccessible Islands
pic gg "Gough Island, in the South Atlantic, is one of the least-disrupted island and marine ecosystems in the cool temperate zone. The spectacular cliffs, towering above the ocean,..." more

Maritime Greenwich
pic gg "The ensemble of buildings at Greenwich, an outlying district of London, and the park in which they are set, symbolize English artistic and scientific endeavour in the 17th..." more

Heart of Neolithic Orkney
pic gg "The group of Neolithic monuments on Orkney consists of a large chambered tomb (Maes Howe), two ceremonial stone circles (the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar) and a..." more

Historic Town of St George and Related Fortifications, Bermuda
pic gg "The Town of St George, founded in 1612, is an outstanding example of the earliest English urban settlement in the New World. Its associated fortifications graphically..." more

Blaenavon Industrial Landscape
pic gg "The area around Blaenavon is evidence of the pre-eminence of South Wales as the world's major producer of iron and coal in the 19th century. All the necessary elements..." more

Saltaire
pic gg "Saltaire, West Yorkshire, is a complete and well-preserved industrial village of the second half of the 19th century. Its textile mills, public buildings and workers'..." more

Dorset and East Devon Coast
pic gg "The cliff exposures along the Dorset and East Devon coast provide an almost continuous sequence of rock formations spanning the Mesozoic Era, or some 185 million years of the..." more

Derwent Valley Mills
pic gg "The Derwent Valley in central England contains a series of 18th- and 19th- century cotton mills and an industrial landscape of high historical and technological interest. The..." more

New Lanark
pic gg "New Lanark is a small 18th- century village set in a sublime Scottish landscape where the philanthropist and Utopian idealist Robert Owen moulded a model industrial community..." more

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
pic gg "This historic landscape garden features elements that illustrate significant periods of the art of gardens from the 18th to the 20th centuries. The gardens house botanic..." more

Liverpool - Maritime Mercantile City
pic gg "Six areas in the historic centre and docklands of the maritime mercantile City of Liverpool bear witness to the development of one of the world's major trading centres..." more

United Republic of Tanzania

Ngorongoro Conservation Area
pic gg "A large permanent concentration of wild animals can be found in the huge and perfect crater of Ngorongoro. Nearby, the crater of Empakaai, filled by a deep lake, and the..." more

Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara
pic gg "The remains of two great East African ports admired by early European explorers are situated on two small islands near the coast. From the 13th to the 16th century, the..." more

Serengeti National Park
pic gg "The vast plains of the Serengeti comprise 1.5 million ha of savannah. The annual migration to permanent water holes of vast herds of herbivores (wildebeest, gazelles and..." more

Selous Game Reserve
pic gg "Large numbers of elephants, black rhinoceroses, cheetahs, giraffes, hippopotamuses and crocodiles live in this immense sanctuary, which measures 50,000 sq. km and is..." more

Kilimanjaro National Park
pic gg "At 5,895 m, Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa. This volcanic massif stands in splendid isolation above the surrounding plains, with its snowy peak looming over the..." more

Stone Town of Zanzibar
pic gg "The Stone Town of Zanzibar is a fine example of the Swahili coastal trading towns of East Africa. It retains its urban fabric and townscape virtually intact and contains many..." more

United States of America

Mesa Verde
pic gg "A great concentration of ancestral Pueblo Indian dwellings, built from the 6th to the 12th century, can be found on the Mesa Verde plateau in south-west Colorado at an..." more

Yellowstone
pic gg "The vast natural forest of Yellowstone National Park covers nearly 9,000 sq. km; 96% of the park lies in Wyoming, 3% in Montana and 1% in Idaho. Yellowstone contains half of..." more

Grand Canyon National Park
pic gg "Carved out by the Colorado river, the Grand Canyon (nearly 1,500 m deep) is the most spectacular gorge in the world. Located in the state of Arizona, it cuts across the Grand..." more

Everglades National Park
pic gg "This site at the southern tip of Florida has been called 'a river of grass flowing imperceptibly from the hinterland into the sea'. The exceptional variety of its..." more

Independence Hall
pic gg "The Declaration of Independence (1776) and the Constitution of the United States (1787) were both signed in this building in Philadelphia. The universal principles of freedom..." more

Redwood National Park
pic gg "Redwood National Park comprises a region of coastal mountains bordering the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. It is covered with a magnificent forest of sequoia redwood..." more

Mammoth Cave National Park
pic gg "Mammoth Cave National Park, located in the state of Kentucky, has the world's largest network of natural caves and underground passageways, which are characteristic..." more

Olympic National Park
pic gg "Located in the north-west of Washington State, Olympic National Park is renowned for the diversity of its ecosystems. Glacier-clad peaks interspersed with extensive alpine..." more

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
pic gg "Cahokia Mounds, some 13 km north-east of St Louis, Missouri, is the largest pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico. It was occupied primarily during the Mississippian..." more

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
pic gg "Stretching over more than 200,000 ha, this exceptionally beautiful park is home to more than 3,500 plant species, including almost as many trees (130 natural species) as in..." more

La Fortaleza and San Juan Historic Site in Puerto Rico
pic gg "Between the 15th and 19th centuries, a series of defensive structures was built at this strategic point in the Caribbean Sea to protect the city and the Bay of San Juan. They..." more

Statue of Liberty
pic gg "Made in Paris by the French sculptor Bartholdi, in collaboration with Gustave Eiffel (who was responsible for the steel framework), this towering monument to liberty was a..." more

Yosemite National Park
pic gg "Yosemite National Park lies in the heart of California. With its 'hanging' valleys, many waterfalls, cirque lakes, polished domes, moraines and U-shaped valleys, it..." more

Chaco Culture National Historical Park
pic gg "For over 2,000 years, Pueblo peoples occupied a vast region of the south-western United States. Chaco Canyon, a major centre of ancestral Pueblo culture between 850 and 1250,..." more

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
pic gg "This site contains two of the most active volcanoes in the world, Mauna Loa (4,170 m high) and Kilauea (1,250 m high), both of which tower over the Pacific Ocean. Volcanic..." more

Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville
pic gg "Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), author of the American Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States, was also a talented architect of neoclassical..." more

Pueblo de Taos
pic gg "Situated in the valley of a small tributary of the Rio Grande, this adobe settlement - consisting of dwellings and ceremonial buildings - represents the culture of the Pueblo..." more

Carlsbad Caverns National Park
pic gg "This karst landscape in the state of New Mexico comprises over 80 recognized caves. They are outstanding not only for their size but also for the profusion, diversity and..." more

Uruguay

Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento
pic gg "Founded by the Portuguese in 1680 on the Rio de la Plata, the city was of strategic importance in resisting the Spanish. After being disputed for a century, it was finally..." more

Uzbekistan

Itchan Kala
pic gg "Itchan Kala is the inner town (protected by brick walls some 10 m high) of the old Khiva oasis, which was the last resting-place of caravans before crossing the desert to..." more

Historic Centre of Bukhara
pic gg "Bukhara, which is situated on the Silk Route, is more than 2,000 years old. It is the most complete example of a medieval city in Central Asia, with an urban fabric that has..." more

Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz
pic gg "The historic centre of Shakhrisyabz contains a collection of exceptional monuments and ancient quarters which bear witness to the city's secular development, and..." more

Samarkand - Crossroads of Cultures
pic gg "The historic town of Samarkand is a crossroad and melting pot of the world's cultures. Founded in the 7th century B.C. as ancient Afrasiab, Samarkand had its most..." more

Venezuela

Coro and its Port
pic gg "With its earthen constructions unique to the Caribbean, Coro is the only surviving example of a rich fusion of local traditions with Spanish Mudejar and Dutch architectural..." more

Canaima National Park
pic gg "Canaima National Park is spread over 3 million ha in south-eastern Venezuela along the border between Guyana and Brazil. Roughly 65% of the park is covered by table mountain..." more

Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas
pic gg "The Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas, built to the design of the architect Carlos Rallanueva, between 1940 and 1960, is an outstanding example of the Modern Movement in..." more

Viet Nam

Complex of Hue Monuments
pic VR gg "Established as the capital of unified Viet Nam in 1802, Hue was not only the political but also the cultural and religious centre under the Nguyen dynasty until 1945. The..." more

Ha Long Bay
pic VR gg "Ha Long Bay, in the Gulf of Tonkin, includes some 1,600 islands and islets, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Because of their precipitous nature, most of..." more

Hoi An Ancient Town
pic VR gg "Hoi An Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan..." more

My Son Sanctuary
pic VR gg "Between the 4th and 13th centuries a unique culture which owed its spiritual origins to Indian Hinduism developed on the coast of contemporary Viet Nam. This is graphically..." more

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
pic gg "The karst formation of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park has evolved since the Palaeozoic (some 400 million years ago) and so is the oldest major karst area in Asia. Subject to..." more

Yemen

Old Walled City of Shibam
pic gg "Surrounded by a fortified wall, the 16th-century city of Shibam is one of the oldest and best examples of urban planning based on the principle of vertical construction. Its..." more

Old City of Sana'a
pic gg "Situated in a mountain valley at an altitude of 2,200 m, Sana'a has been inhabited for more than 2,500 years. In the 7th and 8th centuries the city became a major centre..." more

Historic Town of Zabid
pic gg "Zabid's domestic and military architecture and its urban plan make it an outstanding archaeological and historical site. Besides being the capital of Yemen from the 13th..." more

Zambia

Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls
pic gg "These are among the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. The Zambezi river, which is more than 2 km wide at this point, plunges noisily down a series of basalt gorges..." more

Zimbabwe

Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas
pic gg "On the banks of the Zambezi, great cliffs overhang the river and the floodplains. The area is home to a remarkable concentration of wild animals, including elephants,..." more

Great Zimbabwe National Monument
pic gg "The ruins of Great Zimbabwe - the capital of the Queen of Sheba, according to an age-old legend - are a unique testimony to the Bantu civilization of the Shona between the..." more

Khami Ruins National Monument
pic gg "Khami, which developed after the capital of Great Zimbabwe had been abandoned in the mid-16th century, is of great archaeological interest. The discovery of objects from..." more

Matobo Hills
pic gg "The area exhibits a profusion of distinctive rock landforms rising above the granite shield that covers much of Zimbabwe. The large boulders provide abundant natural shelters..." more