Think “Barcelona architecture”, and the first name that comes to mind for majority of people is likely that of Antoni Gaudí. It is well-deserved, since a number of Gaudí’s creations are veritable symbols of Barcelona. But there are other tremendous architects who also contributed to this fantastic urban landscape. Among…
French town of Carcassonne, a little bit over an hour from the Spanish Catalan border, is fairly laconically recognized on the World Heritage list as an excellent example of a medieval fortified town. It truly is very impressive in this aspect and we took a day on our recent stay…
There are properties on the World Heritage list that have words “cultural landscape” in their name. These sites are relatively large areas whose history and development was directly influenced by the features of the landscape. The Andorran valley of Madriu-Perafita-Claror is one such site, offering an insight into how people…
My well-known affinity for sacred architecture did not translate into significant appreciation of Poblet Monastery. The World Heritage inscription mentions majestic architecture on more than one occasion and uses the word “important” with a variety of emphatic modifiers to describe its place in the history of Catalonia. I saw an…
An attractive city to the south-west of Barcelona, Tarragona’s claim to UNESCO recognition revolves around its Roman past, as evidenced by a significant number of architectural remains. The long history of the city means that the medieval, Renaissance, and modern architecture in the center coexist with remnants of Roman glory. Here is…
On a recent sunny Sunday afternoon I was able to close one of the gaps in my World Heritage portfolio – re-visit and properly photograph the Independence Hall, the site that is the second geographically closest to me. The principles of freedom and democracy enshrined in the Declaration of Independence…
The town of Canterbury in English Southeast has several monuments collectively recognized by UNESCO for being the historic seat of the head of the Anglican Church. If you have been following my blog for any period of time, you have heard me express my admiration for religious architecture. Canterbury Cathedral…
You will most likely spend less time admiring Stonehenge than it would take you to drive there from London. You will have to keep to the designated tourist path, never getting closer to the humongous rocks than a few dozen yards. There will be plenty of other visitors sharing the…
This, technically, is the next installment of my re-counting World Heritage sites series. But it just struck me as something of utmost importance that the pictures accompanying this entry were taken in February of 1991, practically exactly twenty-five years ago. Red Square is one of those places that…
Swiss capital is recognized by UNESCO for coherency of its planning concepts through the centuries. If that sentence above does not make obvious sense, it is meant to augment the slightly underwhelming impression the city left on me. Do not get me wrong – Bern is a lovely city, very…
The Rotal Botanic Gardens in London are recognized on UNESCO World Heritage List for their place in development of both garden art and botanical science. In our years of living in London, we only visited the place once and – as my Travelog entry attests – came away sufficiently impressed.…
Vatican is recognized by UNESCO both for its spiritual value and for the artistic and architectural treasures that it possesses. You don’t have to be a Catholic to appreciate the grandeur of the incomparable Piazza San Pietro, the exquisite features of Saint Peter’s Basilica, or the magnificent collections of Vatican…
The 65km-long stretch of River Rhine between Bingen and Koblenz is recognized on UNESCO World Heritage list for its importance as a major historic transport route as well as for the majestic cultural landscape formed on the both banks of the river. Those who have seen it will no doubt…
Wieliczka Salt Mines on the outskirts of Kraków is one of the first 12 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list, inscribed in 1978 (by the way, so is Kraków proper, which means that it was the undisputed capital of the World Heritage in the list’s infancy). Dating from the…
I have looked at it from a distance for close to twenty-five years but somehow never found time to visit. My collection of UNESCO World Heritage sites should have listed Statue of Liberty somewhere in the first dozen chronologically, given that it is geographically the closest site to where I…
This is not my kind of place. A cemetery. I can recall a few instances of touring a cemetery on past travels, but in each case it was either part of a larger guided city tour (so I did not have a choice in the matter) or was right there…
As people who have been following this blog for a while might be aware, we have seen our share of royal palaces all over Europe. Some impress us more, others less so. Because we started practically with the grandest of them all – Versailles – one might argue that we…
Of hundreds fjords that pierce the landscape in Western Norway only two are explicitly recognized on the UNESCO World Heritage list, as a single site even though they are not near each other. Both represent the comparatively small appendages of the bigger parent fjords, and both are sited for their…
Bryggen is one of the most impressive recent additions to my growing collection of World Heritage sites. Picturesque, full of historic significance, and able to retain many of its original features, this old wharf is recognized by UNESCO for being the only remaining preserved outpost of Hanseatic League as well…
The imposing Kronborg Castle in 16th-18th centuries controlled the narrowest part of the naval gateway to the Baltic which ensured its place in the history of Northern Europe, forming the basis for its UNESCO recognition. It is also a fine example of Renaissance architecture and, for some people most importantly,…