# UNESCO world heritage



## ech wel

I quess one can say my quest in life is to visit all world heritage sites (WHS) in the world. A nearly impossible task giving the fact there are so many and so far spread around the world. But one can always try. Part of the quest is to photograph the sites and share them on scc of course...

In the late summer of 2010 I visited the Plitvice lakes in Croatia and was stunned by its sheer beauty. People who´d visisted before told me it´s like walking through a fairy tale landscape and, being there, it really felt like something special. Since this is a UNESCO world heritage site and I agreed with my partner that we really should do this more often (instead of laying on the beach and drinking beer) we started to look for more sites to visit. After all the sites claim to be of `outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity`. 

When we started studying the list we found out that we´d visited some sites already without realising they were declared Unescosites. As this quest is lasting a few years now and after seeing a few sites more it has taught us that you´ll end up watching part of countries which you would otherwise miss and that you can learn some really interesting stuf about particular parts of the history of countries you visit. 

A few months back I started a thread in the Dutch subforum about UNESCO sites. Personally I have an interest in architecture, history, culture, nature, travelling and photography. (not that I am a great photographer, far from it, but many of you are...) To put those things together in one thread could be very interesting IMO so I started posting pictures and asked people to do the same. Since than 178 sites in 47 countries have been posted. 

As I am eager to see as much sites as possible and because I 'm one of those impatient types I thought of creating a similar thread (open to all) in the international section of the forum. The more people who see it, the more international the crowd is, the better the chance is of people posting pictures of UNESCO-sites all over the world, right? So what I am basically saying is;* I would very much appreciate it if members would help me in my quest and post pictures of sites they have visited. There's only one rule, the pics have to be yours!* Anyone can pick a photo from the world wide web but it would be much more of a challenge if the skyscrapercity travel community is able to picture the (almost) complete list in photo's in this thread because they were there. It is impossible to do it on your own (unless you have very deep pockets, an overload of time and can do whatever you want without taking count of somebody else) but we, as a community could reach very far I think. You would only have to have a look in all these threads to see and think that. (at least that's what I did.)

To keep things clear and the pages not too long I was thinking of a max of 5 pictures (more or less) per post per site. Exceptions can be made off course when sites consists of multiple monuments and/or locations (which is often the case.) or if you think a site can only be shown in 6 or 7 or more pics. What I would like to avoid however is whole series with an overload of pictures of just one site/monument. Please be selective in your pictures and try to show a site with the number 5 quotum in mind or show it in more 5-pics-postings. Also, please respect someone elses postings and post some pics only if they really add something to the ones already posted. (It can be quite boring to see the same monument over and over again.) On the other hand, if you have a shot with a totally different perspective or of a complete new part of the inscription please do post! 

The list according to UNESCO.

*Everybody many thanks in advance for taking the effort of posting! You're the best!*

The list of sites posted up untill now:

*1. Albania*

1. Butrint

*2. Austria*

2. Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn
3. Wachau cultural landscape (post 2, post 3)
4. Historic Centre of Vienna (Belvedere, post 3, post 4)

*3. Belgium*

5. Flemish Béguinages (Bruges, Mechelen)
6. La Grand-Place, Brussels
7. The Four Lifts on the Canal du Centre and their Environs, La Louvière and Le Roeulx (Hainaut) 
8. Belfries of Belgium (post 2, post 3)and France
9. Historic centre of Brugge
10. Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta (Brussels) (post 2)
11. Neolithic Flint Mines at Spiennes (Mons) 
12. Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai 
13. Plantin-Moretus House-Workshops-Museum Complex
14. Stoclet House
15. Major Mining Sites of Wallonia (Grand-Hornu)

*4. Bolivia*

16. City of Potosí
17. Historic City of Sucre

*5. China*

18. Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

*6. Croatia*

19. Plitvice Lakes National Park (post 2)
20. Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica in the Historic Centre of Poreč
21. The Cathedral of St James in Šibenik

*7. Czech Republic*

22. Historic Centre of Český Krumlov
23. Historic Centre of Prague
24. Historic Centre of Telč
25. Holašovice Historical Village Reservation
26. Jewish Quarter and St Procopius' Basilica in Třebíč

*8. Estonia*

27. Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn 

*9. France*

28. Chartres Cathedral
29. Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments (post 2) (post 3) (post 4) (post 5)
30. Palace and Park of Fontainebleau 
31. Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct) 
32. Strasbourg – Grande île (post 2, post 3, post 4)
33. Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Rémi and Palace of Tau, Reims
34. Paris, Banks of the Seine
35. Bourges Cathedral
36. Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge 
37. Canal du Midi
38. Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne
39. Historic Site of Lyons 
40. Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France(Alyscamps, Bourges)
41. The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes (post 2, Chambord, post 4)
42. Provins, Town of Medieval Fairs
43. Le Havre, the City Rebuilt by Auguste Perret 
44. Fortifications of Vauban (Neuf-Brisach)
45. The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral Cultural Landscape 
46. Champagne hillsides, houses and cellars

*10. Germany*

46. Aachen Cathedral
47. Speyer Cathedral
48. Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust at Brühl
49. St Mary's Cathedral and St Michael's Church at Hildesheim
50. Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier 
51: Hanseatic City of Lübeck 
52. Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin (post 2)
53. Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch
54. Mines of Rammelsberg, Historic Town of Goslar and Upper Harz Water Management System
55. Town of Bamberg (post 2)
56. Collegiate Church, Castle and Old Town of Quedlinburg 
57. Völklingen Ironworks 
58. Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar and Dessau 
59. Cologne Cathedral
60. Classical Weimar (post 2, post 3)
61. Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin (Alte Nationalgalerie)
62. Wartburg Castle
63. Monastic Island of Reichenau (post 2), (post 3)
64. Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen 
65. Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar 
66. Upper Middle Rhine Valley (post 2)
67. Town Hall and Roland on the Marketplace of Bremen
68. Old town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof
68. Fagus Factory in Alfeld 
69. Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany
70. Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe
70. Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus

*11. Greece*

71. Medieval City of Rhodes 
72. Mount Athos 
73. The Old Town of Corfu (Post 2)

*12. Holy See*

74. Vatican City

*13. Hungary*

75. Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue (post 2)

*14. Iceland*

76. Þingvellir National Park

*15. India*

77. Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi
78. Red Fort Complex

*16. Italy*

79. Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura (post 2, 3, 4 and 5)
80. Historic centre of Florence (post 2 palazzo Vecchio, post 3, post 4)
81. Piazza del Duomo, Pisa
82. Historic Centre of San Gimignano 
83. Historic Centre of Siena (post 2)
84. Archaeoligical Area of Agrigento
85. Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and the Islands (Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto)
86. Villa Romana del Casale
87. Isole Eolie (Aeolian Islands) 
88. Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (South-Eastern Sicily) (Noto, Ragusa, Caltagirone, Catania)
89. Syracuse (post 2) and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica 
90. The Dolomites
91. Medici Villas and Gardens in Tuscany (Boboli Gardens)
92. Mount Etna

*17. Luxembourg*

93. City of Luxembourg: its Old Quarters and Fortifications

*18. Malawi*

94. Lake Malawi National Park

*19. Malta*

95. City of Valletta
96. Megalithic Temples of Malta

*20. Mexico*

97. Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco 
98. Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan 

*21. Netherlands*

99. Schokland and Surroundings
100. Defence line of Amsterdam (post 2)
101. Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout
102.Ir.D.F. Woudagemaal (D.F. Wouda Steam Pumping Station)
103. Droogmakerij de Beemster (Beemster polder)
104. Rietveld Schröderhuis (Rietveld Schröder House)
105. The Wadden Sea
106. Seventeenth-century canal ring area of Amsterdam inside the Singelgracht (post 2)
107. Van Nellefabriek

*22. Pakistan*

108. Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore 
109. Rohtas Fort 

*23. Philippines*

110. Historic Town of Vigan

*24. Poland*

111. Historic Centre of Kraków

*25. Portugal*

112. Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores 
112. Monastery of Batalha 
113. Historic Centre of Oporto 
114. Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley (pic 2) and Siega Verde
115. Laurisilva of Madeira 
116. Alto Douro Wine Region 
117. University of Coimbra - Alta and Sofia

*26. Spain*

118. Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada
119. Burgos Cathedral 
119. Historic Centre of Cordoba (post 2, post 3 Mezquita, post 4)
120. Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid
121. Works of Antoni Gaudí (Casa Milà) (Park Güell) (Casa Batlló)
122. Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain
123. Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches 
124. Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct (post 2)
125. Historic City of Toledo (post 2, 3)
126. Cathedral, Alcázar (post 2)and Archivo de Indias in Seville
126. Old City of Salamanca
127. Doñana National Park
128. Las Médulas 
128. University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares 
129. Aranjuez Cultural Landscape 
130. Renaissance Monumental Ensembles of Úbeda and Baeza
131. Teide National Park
132. Vizcayo bridge
133. Antequera Dolmens Site

*27. Sweden*

134. Royal domain of Drottningholm
135. Birka and Hovgården 

*28. Switzerland*

136. Three Castles, Defensive Wall and Ramparts of the Market-Town of Bellinzona

*29. Turkey*

137. Historical Areas of Istanbul (post 2, post 3, post 4, post 5, post 6)
138. Ephesus 

*30. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland*

139. Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites 
139. Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, and St Martin's Church
140. Maritime Greenwich
141. Heart of Neolithic Orkney 
142. Dorset and East Devon Coast 

*31. United States of America*

143. Grand Canyon National Park
144. Redwood National and State Parks
145. Yosemite National Park (post 2)


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## ech wel

I'll start with Plitvice since that was the site where it all started for me.

*Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia.*

Unesco: 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 beautiful lakes, caves and waterfalls. These geological processes continue today. The forests in the park are home to bears, wolves and many rare bird species

Wiki: Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe and the largest national park in Croatia. The national park was founded in 1949 and is situated in the mountainous karst area of central Croatia, at the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

The national park is world famous for its lakes arranged in cascades. Currently, 16 lakes can be seen from the surface. These lakes are a result of the confluence of several small rivers and subterranean karst rivers. The lakes are all interconnected and follow the water flow. They are separated by natural dams of travertine, which is deposited by the action of moss, algae, and bacteria. The particularly sensitive travertine barriers are the result of an interplay between water, air and plants. The encrusted plants and bacteria accumulate on top of each other, forming travertine barriers which grow at the rate of about 1 cm per year. The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colors, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The colors change constantly depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.

With regard to plant and animal diversity, the area of the Plitvice Lakes belongs to the most significant areas of Croatia. On the one hand, this is due to climatic conditions and on the other hand due to the location of this area, since the lakes are far away from polluted and noisy cities or industrial plants. For reasons of the poor industrial development of this region and early introduced protection measures, a nearly untouched landscape has been preserved. In the partially primeval beech and fir forests various rare species, such as the brown bear, have survived. At the Plitvice Lakes, all species continue to exist that have already existed before the coming of man. This is a rare case worldwide.

1.









2.









3.









4.









5.


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## capricorn2000

the park is quite green and serene. BTW, are you using a polaroid (CPL) filter 'cause the water (pic#2) is so clear that you can see the bottom of the lagoon.


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## openlyJane

......


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## ech wel

@ capricorn2000: No I didn't, actually a very simple dcc was used. The water is really that clear.

*Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and the Islands (Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto), Italy*

As the name of the inscription already shows, this is a multiple location site. The pictures below are taken in Cinque Terre which also is composed of five locations namely the villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. 

Unesco: 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 shaping of the surrounding landscape, overcoming the disadvantages of a steep, uneven terrain, encapsulate the continuous history of human settlement in this region over the past millennium.

The site was inscribed in 1997

Monterosso:










A walking trail connects the five villages...










...which provide you a nice view. Vernazza seen from the hills










Manarola










Riomaggiore










Bonus for the romantic people; Via dell'Amore


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## openlyJane

.....


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## ech wel

*Strasbourg – Grande île, France*

Unesco: 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 fairly small area. The cathedral, the four ancient churches and the Palais Rohan – former residence of the prince-bishops – far from appearing as isolated monuments, form a district that is characteristic of a medieval town and illustrates Strasbourg's evolution from the 15th to the 18th century. Date of inscribtion: 1988














































The gothic Cathedral was the principal element of the WHS nomination, both for its artistic and technical value. Goethe considered Notre-Dame de Strasbourg to be the Gothic cathedral par excellence.


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## annewr258

Bonus for the romantic people; Via dell'Amore


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## Dr.Seltsam

Beautiful photos! Especially those of these cute and gorgeous Italian towns!


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## ech wel

^Thank you!

*Belfries of Belgium and France, Belgium*

Unesco: The Belfries of Belgium and France is a group of 56 historical buildings designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Site. Built between the 11th and 17th centuries, they showcase the Roman, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles of architecture. They are highly significant tokens of the winning of civil liberties. While Italian, German and English towns mainly opted to build town halls, in part of north-western Europe, greater emphasis was placed on building belfries. Compared with the keep (symbol of the seigneurs) and the bell-tower (symbol of the Church), the belfry, the third tower in the urban landscape, symbolizes the power of the aldermen. Over the centuries, they came to represent the influence and wealth of the towns.

Map.










source

A few examples. 

Belfries of Ghent



















Brugge










Antwerp


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## ech wel

*Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin*

Unesco: 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 1930, are the realization of a visionary project and show the evolution of approaches to museum design over the course of the 20th century. Each museum was designed so as to establish an organic connection with the art it houses. The importance of the museum's collections – which trace the development of civilizations throughout the ages – is enhanced by the urban and architectural quality of the buildings.

The five museums are:

Alte Nationalgalerie
Altes Museum
Bode-Museum
Neues Museum
Pergamonmuseum

Alte Nationalgalerie. (Old National Gallery)


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## christos-greece

Interesting and very nice photos; well done :cheers:


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## DaveF12

awesome shots.


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## ech wel

^Thanx

*Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada, Spain*

This WHS consists of 3 different places and are remnants of the Moorish influence in southern Spain. The fortress Alhambra and the palace Generalife were built by the rulers of the Emirate of Granada. The Albayzín district contains examples of the Moorish vernacular architecture and was added to the listing in 1994.

Since the inscribtion is about 3 sites I will post 3 times about it. First up is the Alhambra, one of Spain's major tourist attractions.

The Alhambra was originally constructed as a fortress in 889, and was converted into a royal palace in 1333 by Yusuf I, Sultan of Granada in 1333. 

The entrance/patio del Mexuar: 










It is organized around two rectangular courts, the patio de Los Arrayanes and the Patio de Los Leones, and includes a large number of rooms of a highly refined taste, with marble columns, stalactite cupolas, ornamental works in stucco, gaily coloured azulejos , precious wood inlayed and sculpted, and paintings on leather compete with the richness and the delicacy of the natural decor: the water, still and sparkling in immense basins, flows out into the basins of the fountains (the circular fountain of the Court of Lions), glides through narrow canals, and explodes into jets of water or falls in refreshing cascades.

source: Wiki and Unesco

patio de los Arrayanes.










Palacio de los Leones 



















Sala de los Abencerrajes and Sala de las dos Hermanas with their magnificent stalactite ceilings


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## madonnagirl

this is one great thread....I'll regularly check this for updates.


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## ech wel

^ Thanks for your contributions but correct me if I´m wrong, Pula is not a WHS and these are not (all) selfmade pics are they? 

The Generalife.

Unesco: At a short distance to the east of the Alhambra are the gardens of the Generalife, rural residence of the Nasrid Emirs. The relationship between the architectural and the natural has been reversed here, where gardens and water predominate over the pavilions, summerhouses and living quarters. The massive boxwood trees, rose, carnation and gillyflower bushes, shrubs ranging from willow to cypress, comprise an absolute masterpiece of the art of horticulture by restoring the Koranic image of paradise to the believers.

Wiki: The complex consists of the Patio de la Acequia (Court of the Water Channel or Water-Garden Courtyard), which has a long pool framed by flowerbeds, fountains, colonnades and pavilions, and the Jardín de la Sultana (Sultana's Garden or Courtyard of the Cypress). The former is thought to best preserve the style of the medieval Persian garden in Al-Andalus.

Originally the palace was linked to the Alhambra by a covered walkway across the ravine that now divides them. The Generalife is one of the oldest surviving Moorish gardens.











map

Patio de la Acequia 










Jardín de la Sultana


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## MilbertDavid

great collections of the best structures ever built in the world.


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## ech wel

The last part of the Granada inscribtion, Albayzín.

Unesco: Archaeological excavations have shown that the hill where the Albayzín is now situated has been occupied continuously from as early as the Roman period. In the mid-8th century the region's governor built a fortress where the Plaza de San Nicolás is now located. After the disappearance of the Caliphate of Cordoba (1031), the ephemeral Zirid Emirate of Granada replaced it until 1090: the emirs devoted themselves to the embellishment of their capital, constructed on a site of exceptional beauty. A new defensive enclosure was added and around this a settlement grew up. The town prospered under the Nasrid dynasty and this was reflected by considerable development of the city, but Granada did not become of the important centres of Muslim Spain until much later - in 1238, when Muhammad ibn al Ahmar founded the present Alhambra.

In the 19th century the lower quarters of the town were transformed and lost their artistic qualities. Much of the significance of the Albayzín lies in the medieval town plan with its narrow streets and small squares and in the relatively modest houses in Moorish and Andalusian style that line then. There are, however, some more imposing reminders of its past prosperity.

View from Alhambra over Albaicin










View from Albaicin to Alhambra.




























Casa de Castril, former palace and now a museum


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## Lino

great thread!!
in Portugal we have lots and lots of UNESCO world heritage sites. I visited a few ones and live metres away from another one, the city centre of Porto! And my own city's university of Coimbra and downtown are trying to get on the list. I hope to add pics of it soon  fingers crossed.

Lisboa, Torre de Belém and Mosteiro dos Jerónimos
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/263

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 of Belém, built to commemorate Vasco da Gama's expedition, is a reminder of the great maritime discoveries that laid the foundations of the modern world.

Tower of Belém, taken by me. Great Manueline style with the navigation motives



























Tejo (Tagus) 









Jerónimos Monastery













































Prehistoric Art Site of Foz Côa

The two Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley (Portugal) and Siega Verde (Spain) are located on the banks of the rivers Agueda and Côa, tributaries of the river Douro, documenting continuous human occupation from the end of the Paleolithic Age. Hundreds of panels with thousands of animal figures (5,000 in Foz Côa and around 440 in Siega Verde) were carved over several millennia, representing the most remarkable open-air ensemble of Paleolithic art on the Iberian Peninsula.

Côa Valley and Siega Verde provide the best illustration of the iconographic themes and organization of Paleolithic rock art, using the same modes of expression in caves and in the open air, thus contributing to a greater understanding of this artistic phenomenon. Together they form a unique site of the prehistoric era, rich in material evidence of Upper Paleolithic occupation.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/866

I took these in Foz Côa, and you will also see the amazing wine valley of the Douro, another World Heritage Site.

Douro Wine Region









prehistoric art


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## ech wel

^ Great Update!! kay: 

Much appreciated and keeping my fingers crossed for more...


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## Lino

Thanks!

Porto

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/755
Brief Description

The city of Oporto, built along the hillsides overlooking the mouth of the Douro river, is an outstanding urban landscape with a 2,000-year history. Its continuous growth, linked to the sea (the Romans gave it the name Portus, or port), can be seen in the many and varied monuments, from the cathedral with its Romanesque choir, to the neoclassical Stock Exchange and the typically Portuguese Manueline-style Church of Santa Clara.



















new year's eve 2013









cathedral


















Dom Luís I Bridge, engineered by Theophile Seyrig, a partner of Eiffel


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## ech wel

*Droogmakerij de Beemster (Beemster Polder), Netherlands*

Unesco: The Beemster Polder, dating from the early 17th century, is is an exceptional example of reclaimed land in the Netherlands. It has preserved intact its well-ordered landscape of fields, roads, canals, ***** and settlements, laid out in accordance with classical and Renaissance planning principles.

map










source

The innovative and intellectually imaginative landscape of the Beemster Polder had a profound and lasting impact on reclamation projects in Europe and beyond. The creation of the polder marks a major step forward in the interrelationship between humankind and water at a crucial period of social and economic expansion.

Lagoons and deltas take up the greater part of Dutch land. Over the centuries this land was made habitable by means of land reclamation and protection against the water. Of the 3.4 million hectares that now constitute the Netherlands, a third is below sea level. If no ***** had been constructed and if there were no drainage of excess water, 65% of the country of today would be under water. Reclamation was effected by means of windmills; reclamation of the Beemster took place with the construction of fifteen windmill networks.

Me, being Dutch, consider it as just another polder, nothing special. Historically seen though I understand its importancy, it was the first reclamation of land. It is said that the grid used in de Beemster was later also used in New Amsterdam aka New York.










the ****










Street in central village Middenbeemster.










Farms with pyramid-like roof which is typical in this area



















de polder


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## Lino

Portugal :banana:
beautiful Netherlands...


Jan, please migrate this forum to a better system / database. We keep having errors when posting and I just got myself a whole post with pics erased.


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## Lino

delete


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## Lino

Su Nuraxi di Barumini, Sardinia, Italy
I was in this historic place in the middle of this amazing island in january 2009 (while living in Sardinia), got to know more about a place with thousands of years of history to tell, pity that many people who go to Sardinia only know it by its beaches and resorts, when there's so much to know.










http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/833

Brief Description

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) developed on the island of Sardinia. The complex consists of circular defensive towers in the form of truncated cones built of dressed stone, with corbel-vaulted internal chambers. The complex at Barumini, which was extended and reinforced in the first half of the 1st millennium under Carthaginian pressure, is the finest and most complete example of this remarkable form of prehistoric architecture.


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## ech wel

Lino said:


> Portugal :banana:
> beautiful Netherlands...


My gift to you... 

Before I posted I thought about saying something about it but than forgot all about that when I was posting... 

Nice update again!


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## DWest

this is one of the best threads here.


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## ech wel

*Three Castles, Defensive Wall and Ramparts of the Market-Town of Bellinzona, Switzerland*

Unesco: The Bellinzona 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. Running from the castle, a series of fortified walls protect the ancient town and block the passage through the valley. A second castle (Montebello) forms an integral part of the fortifications, while a third but separate castle (Sasso Corbaro) was built on an isolated rocky promontory south-east of the other fortifications. The Bellinzone ensemble is the sole remaining example in the entire Alpine region of medieval military architecture. 

Date of inscription: 2000


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## ech wel

*Historic centre of Florence, Italy*

Unesco: 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 centuries. Its 600 years of extraordinary artistic activity can be seen above all in the 13th-century cathedral (Santa Maria del Fiore), the Church of Santa Croce, the Uffizi and the Pitti Palace, the work of great masters such as Giotto, Brunelleschi, Botticelli and Michelangelo.

It would't do justice to the city of art to show just 5 pics of it. Florence has it all...one of the worlds most beautiful cities. 

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the main church of Florence. The facade.










The Belltower










The east pair of doors of the Florence Baptistery, dubbed by Michelangelo "the Gates of Paradise".










In front of the Palazzo Vecchio is Michelangelo´s statue and symbol of the city; David. At the right the Uffizi.










The Palazzo Vecchio ("Old Palace") is the town hall of Florence. This massive, Romanesque, crenellated fortress-palace is among the most impressive town halls of Tuscany.


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## ech wel

Being one of the most impressive townhalls (worldwide?) I thought it would deserve some special attention...So here are a few pics of the inside. 

Wiki about the Palazzo Vecchio: In 1299 the commune and people of Florence decided to build a palace, worthy of the city's importance and giving greater security, in times of turbulence, to the magistrates. Later it was home to the Medici, one of history's most important noble families who took over power in the 15th century when Florence was among the largest cities in Europe, considered rich and economically successful. 

A real showcase of wealth and art.

the first courtyard










Salone dei Cinquecento, the most imposing chamber inside the palazzo.










the ceiling consists of 39 panels representing Great Episodes from the life of Cosimo I (the first Medici family member to essentially control the city), the quarters of the city and the city itself and towards the center is the apotheosis : Scene of His Glorification as Grand Duke of Florence and Tuscany.










Chapel of Signoria










Sala dell'Udienza, the Hall of Justice used to house the meetings of the six priori (guild masters of the arts). It contains the oldest decorations in the palace. The carved coffer ceiling, laminated with pure gold, is by Giuliano da Maiano (1470–1476)


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## ech wel

Florence, let´s continue...

Unesco: Built over the Roman city, the historic centre of Florence may best be described as a treasure chest of works of art and architecture. Defined by the 14th-century walls, and built up thanks to the enormous business and economic power which Florence achieved, the two succeeding centuries were Florence's golden age.

Wiki: Florence is known as the "cradle of the Renaissance" (la culla del Rinascimento) for its monuments, churches and buildings. At the heart of the city, in Piazza della Signoria and in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, is Bartolomeo Ammanati's Fountain of Neptune (1563–1565), which is a masterpiece of marble sculpture at the terminus of a still-functioning Roman aqueduct.










Wiki: The Loggia dei Lanzi, also called the Loggia della Signoria, is a building on a corner of the Piazza della Signoria. It is effectively an open-air sculpture gallery of antique and Renaissance art. Underneath the bay on the far left is the bronze statue of Perseus by Benvenuto Cellini. It shows the mythical Greek hero holding his sword in his right hand and holding up triumphantly the Medusa's decapitated head in his left. Benvenuto Cellini worked almost ten years on this bronze. Behind the statue of Perseus on the left in the pic you see "The Rape of Polyxena", a fine diagonal sculpture by Pio Fedi from 1865.










Florence has large numbers of art-filled churches, the cathedral is shown above this is the Santa Croce. A Jewish architect Niccolo Matas from Ancona, designed the church's 19th century neo-Gothic facade, working a prominent Star of David into the composition.










The Basilica became popular with Florentines as a place of worship and patronage and it became customary for greatly honoured Florentines to be buried or commemorated there. As time progressed, space was also granted to notable Italians from elsewhere. 

Michelangelo's tomb










another piece of art


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## Lino

I was there twice... amazing museum Galleria degli Uffizi, all the statues, the lively city centre at night...


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## ech wel

^ I can imagine, the city is really worth a few visits, there is so much to see and you cannot take it in all at once..

Last few than..

Wiki: The Basilica di San Lorenzo (Basilica of St Lawrence) is one of the largest churches of Florence, Italy, situated at the centre of the city’s main market district, and the burial place of all the principal members of the Medici family from Cosimo il Vecchio to Cosimo III.










The Medici family left the Palazzo Vecchio and moved to the Pitti Palace. It was closed when we visited so we got to see the Boboli gardens behind the palace.










In the Grotta di Buontalenti



















Touch the Fontana del Porcellino and you will visit Florence again...


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## ech wel

So far contributions in this thread are a bit low so I guess you guys still have to satisfy yourselvelves with my snapshots... . Here is another WHS I "visited" last autumn.

*Plantin-Moretus House-Workshops-Museum Complex, Belgium*

Unesco: The Plantin-Moretus Museum is a printing plant and publishing house dating from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Situated in Antwerp, one of the three leading cities of early European printing along with Paris and Venice, it is associated with the history of the invention and spread of typography. Its name refers to the greatest printer-publisher of the second half of the 16th century: Christophe Plantin (c. 1520–89). The monument is of outstanding architectural value. It contains exhaustive evidence of the life and work of what was the most prolific printing and publishing house in Europe in the late 16th century. The building of the company, which remained in activity until 1867, contains a large collection of old printing equipment, an extensive library, invaluable archives and works of art, among them a painting by Rubens.

Unfortunately my girl didn't have any interest in the interior (shopping was more important ) but here are 2 pics of the exterior..


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## j.r.f.

*Sucre, Bolivia*

Sucre (population 247,300 in 2006) is the constitutional capital of Bolivia, the capital of the department of Chuquisaca and the 4th most populated city in Bolivia. Located in the south-central part of the country, Sucre lies at an elevation of 2750m (9,000 ft). In 1991, Sucre became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


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## ech wel

:banana:

Wow, fantastic pics, great architecture!


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## ech wel

*Doñana National Park, Spain*

Unesco: Doñana 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 biotopes, especially lagoons, marshlands, fixed and mobile dunes, scrub woodland and maquis. It is home to five threatened bird species. It is one of the largest heronries in the Mediterranean region and is the wintering site for more than 500,000 water fowl each year.

We visited the site late september and that probably isn't the best time because the marshlands/lagoons were almost dry and we didn't see much birdlife. But still...here are some shots.





































One of the most threatened animal species, the Spanish lynx










Doñana has a known history of over 700 years. It was the favourite hunting reserve of Spanish kings such as Philip IV, Philip V and Alfonso XIII. It was owned by the Duchess of Alba and formed the backdrop of her portrait by Goya. The palace of Doñana remains as a testimony to this exalted past.


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## ech wel

*Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout, Netherlands*

Unesco: The outstanding contribution made by the people of the Netherlands to the technology of handling water is admirably demonstrated by the installations in the Kinderdijk-Elshout area. Construction of hydraulic works for the drainage of land for agriculture and settlement began in the Middle Ages and have continued uninterruptedly to the present day. The site illustrates all the typical features associated with this technology – *****, reservoirs, pumping stations, administrative buildings and a series of beautifully preserved windmills.


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## Lino

Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroísmo (Terceira Island) in the Azores
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/206

Like the Tower of Belém and the Monastery of the Hieronymites in Lisbon, and Goa in India, Angra do Heroismo is directly and tangibly associated with an event of a universal historic significance: the maritime exploration that allowed exchanges between the world's great civilizations. Set in the mid-Atlantic, the port of Angra, obligatory port-of-call for fleets from Africa and the Indies, is the eminent example of a creation linked to the maritime world, within the framework of the great explorations.

Within the history of the maritime explorations of the 15th and 16th centuries, which established communications between the great civilizations of Africa, Asia, America and Europe, Angra do Heroismo holds an eminent position: this port on the island of Terceira, in the Azores, served as a link for almost three centuries between Europe and the 'New World'. Vasco de Gama in 1499 and Pedro de Alvarado in 1536 set up an obligatory port-of-call for the fleets of Equatorial Africa and of the East and West Indies during their voyages back and forth from Europe. A Provedoria das Armadas e Naus da India (Office of Fleets and Vessels of the Indies) was immediately set up there.


I was there with my family years ago in a travel to S. Miguel and Terceira Islands. Breathtaking islands, do visit them when you can, towns and villages, food, landscapes, geological phenomena, wine, tea plantation, etc etc...  

Cathedral and Statue of Pope John Paul II who visited Angra in 1991




































Angra do Heroísmo




































Council Garden

























:lol:

Monument to the Liberal Troops who gathered and left from Terceira, where they did training to free continental Portugal from the Absolutist Monarchy in the 1830s. D. Miguel was the absolutist king and his brother D. Pedro fought him to impose the liberal monarchy. For the fact, Angra was called "do Heroísmo" for its heroic standing.









seen from above


















Império do Espírito Santo (Empire of the Holy Ghost) where they keep a figure for the parades dedicated to this figure, which is really big in this archipelago. Each town keeps its own Império and each has its own colours. Terceira Island is full of colours!









Igreja da Misericórdia, also the first hospital in the island:









beach


















lousy Benfica flag :lol:


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## ech wel

*Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid, Spain*

Unesco: 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 beautiful site in Castile. Its austere architecture, a break with previous styles, had a considerable influence on Spanish architecture for more than half a century. It was the retreat of a mystic king and became, in the last years of Philip II's reign, the centre of the greatest political power of the time.

The construction of the monastery and site of the Escurial in Madrid was the realization of an unusual vow by Philip II of Spain in repentance for having shelled the church San Lorenzo in 1577. This explains the gigantic expiatory monastery, the general plan of which reproduces the form of an inverted griddle, the instrument of the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence. The handle is represented by the Royal Palace, which projects on the eastern side, and four angle towers, 55 m high, represent the feet. The college, the convent and the cloister, all quadrangular in plan, are placed on either side of the central court (Patio de los Reyes) which precedes the church; it is constructed of a bluish granite from Guadarrama.

Unfortunately you're not allowed to take pictures inside so I can't show the splendid library but here are some pics of the outside of the massive complex.


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## ech wel

*The Dolomites, Italy*

Unesco: The site of the Dolomites comprises a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps, numbering 18 peaks which rise to above 3,000 metres and cover 141,903 ha. It features some of the most beautiful mountain landscapes anywhere, with vertical walls, sheer cliffs and a high density of narrow, deep and long valleys. A serial property of nine areas that present a diversity of spectacular landscapes of international significance for geomorphology marked by steeples, pinnacles and rock walls, the site also contains glacial landforms and karst systems. It is characterized by dynamic processes with frequent landslides, floods and avalanches. The property also features one of the best examples of the preservation of Mesozoic carbonate platform systems, with fossil records

During my visit is was very cloudy so I couldn't take much pictures of the peaks but here is one.


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## j.r.f.

*Potosí, Bolivia*

Potosí is a city and the capital of the department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the highest cities in the world by elevation at a nominal 4,090 metres (13,420 ft) and it was the location of the Spanish colonial mint.

Potosí lies beneath the Cerro de Potosí—sometimes referred to as the Cerro Rico ("rich mountain")—a mountain popularly conceived of as being "made of" silver ore, which has always dominated the city. The Cerro Rico (4,824 metres (15,827 ft)) is the reason for Potosí's historical importance, since it was the major supply of silver for Spain during the period of the New World Spanish Empire. Founded in 1545 as a mining town, it soon produced fabulous wealth, becoming one of the largest cities in the Americas and the world, with a population exceeding 200,000 people.

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## j.r.f.

*Potosí, Bolivia*

Potosí is a city and the capital of the department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the highest cities in the world by elevation at a nominal 4,090 metres (13,420 ft) and it was the location of the Spanish colonial mint.

Potosí lies beneath the Cerro de Potosí—sometimes referred to as the Cerro Rico ("rich mountain")—a mountain popularly conceived of as being "made of" silver ore, which has always dominated the city. The Cerro Rico (4,824 metres (15,827 ft)) is the reason for Potosí's historical importance, since it was the major supply of silver for Spain during the period of the New World Spanish Empire. Founded in 1545 as a mining town, it soon produced fabulous wealth, becoming one of the largest cities in the Americas and the world, with a population exceeding 200,000 people.

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## Linguine

nice, interesting photos. thanks. :cheers2:


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## ech wel

*Speyer Cathedral, Germany*

Unesco: 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 Romanesque monuments from the time of the Holy Roman Empire. The cathedral was the burial place of the German emperors for almost 300 years.

The cathedral, along with those of Worms and Mainz, is a major monument of Romanesque art. It is, by virtue of its proportions, the largest, and, by virtue of the history to which it is linked (the Salic emperors made it their place of burial), the most important.



















some saint


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## Ni3lS

Nice thread ech wel..

Let's make one thing perfectly clear. This is the URBAN SHOWCASE forum. Please read the description of this forum before you post. Here you only post photos you made YOURSELF. You don't post pictures taken by others, that's what the general photography forum is for. You can spam all you want over there. I deleted all photos that were randomly found on Flickr or somewhere else. It seems like ech wel is fine with others contributing to his thread, but the sole rule is the photos are taken by YOU and only YOU. 

Thank you


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## ech wel

Thanks Ni3lS!

And yes, contributions are more than welcome as I said already in the OP. I'd like to see as much WHS as possible in this thread and there are just too many of them for just one man to visit and show. I can use all the help I can get!


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## ech wel

*Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin, Germany*

Unesco: 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 reinforces its sense of uniqueness. 

In 1744 Frederick II ordered a vineyard to be planted on six terraces on the southern side of a hill, Bald Mountain. Sanssouci, a name which reflects the king's desire for intimacy and simplicity, translates the theme of a rustic villa into the marble, mirrors and gold of a Rococo-style palace.

Postdam-Sanssouci is the crystallization of a great number of influences from Italy, England, Flanders, Paris and Dresden. A synthesis of art trends in European cities and courts in the 18th century, the castle and the park offer new models that greatly influenced the development of the monumental arts and the organization of space east of the Oder. The one-storey palace included a rotunda with a projected axis and, on either side, a suite of five rooms.

Sanssouci, probably the most famous palace of the inscribtion. It was a cloudy day in 2011



















Inside



















Park


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## ech wel

some more of the above.

Unesco: After the Seven Years War (1756-63) Frederick the Great ordered the construction of the New Palace, a huge Rococo-style construction with over 200 rooms, including the famous Shell Room.

Sadly I f***ed up the pics of the Shell Room...so no photo's of that. But I have some of the exterior. The New Palace might be less famous but IMO is more impressive.



















Chinese house (with chinese people)










Orangery Palace


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## DWest

awesome images and one of the best thread.


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## ech wel

^ Thanks! Words like that keeps one motivated!

*City of Luxembourg: its Old Quarters and Fortifications, Luxembourg*

Unesco: 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 repeatedly reinforced as it passed from one great European power to another: the Holy Roman Emperors, the House of Burgundy, the Habsburgs, the French and Spanish kings, and finally the Prussians. Until their partial demolition, the fortifications were a fine example of military architecture spanning several centuries.


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## christos-greece

Beautiful and very nice photos


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## ech wel

*Historic Centre of Cordoba, Spain*

Unesco: 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 rival the splendours of Constantinople, Damascus and Baghdad. In the 13th century, under Ferdinand III, the Saint, Cordoba's Great Mosque was turned into a cathedral and new defensive structures, particularly the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos and the Torre Fortaleza de la Calahorra, were erected.

Cordoba is a must see when you're in Andalucia. Here are some pics I took.

On the foreground the Calahorra and the Roman bridge, in the background the gem of the city the mosque-cathedral. Also visible (left in the back) is the the Triunfos de San Rafael.










Almodóvar Gate










There are reminders of the important Jewish population of Moorish Cordoba in the quarter known as La Judería, which best preserves the original street pattern. Also flowers and patios are typical around here


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## ech wel

More Cordoba

Wiki: Córdoba has the second largest Old town in Europe, the largest urban area in the world declared World Heritage by UNESCO. An Iberian and Roman city in ancient times, in the Middle Ages it became the capital of an Islamic caliphate. The old town contains numerous architectural reminders of when Corduba was the capital of Hispania Ulterior during the Roman Republic and capital of Hispania Baetica during the Roman Empire; and when Qurṭubah was the capital of the Islamic Caliphate of Córdoba, including most of the Iberian Peninsula. It has been estimated that in the 10th century and beginning of the 11th century, Córdoba was the most flamboyant city in the world, people there had a great sense of fashion/swagger and during these centuries became the intellectual centre of Europe.

Narrow streets



















Plaza del Potro, mentioned in the Don Quichot story










Roman temple of Cordoba










View over the city seen from the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, a former royal property and the seat of the Inquisition.










Outside Moorish wall of the Mezquita, the fantastic mosque-cathedral of Cordoba


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## alexander2000

awesome places, structures and museum-piece artifacts.
this is one of the best threads here..


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## ech wel

christos-greece said:


> Beautiful and very nice photos





alexander2000 said:


> awesome places, structures and museum-piece artifacts.
> this is one of the best threads here..


Thanks guys, appreciated!

Let´s continue with Cordobas main sight, the great mosque/cathedral aka the Mezquita.

Wiki: The Cathedral is regarded as the one of the most accomplished monuments of Renaissance and Moorish architecture. The building is most notable for its arcaded hypostyle hall, with 856 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite. These were made from pieces of the Roman temple which had occupied the site previously, as well as other destroyed Roman buildings. The double arches were a new introduction to architecture, permitting higher ceilings than would otherwise be possible with relatively low columns. The double arches consist of a lower horseshoe arch and an upper semi-circular arch. The famous alternating red and white voussoirs of the arches were inspired by those in the Dome of the Rock.[15] and also resemble those of the Aachen Cathedral, which were built almost at the same time. 










The mosque also has richly gilded prayer niches. The mihrab is a masterpiece of architectural art, with geometric and flowing designs of plants.



















In 1236, Córdoba was conquered by King Ferdinand III of Castile in the Reconquista, and the mosque was returned into a Catholic church. The most significant alteration was the building of a Renaissance cathedral nave right in the middle of the expansive structure. The insertion was constructed by permission of El Libertarod Charles V, king of Castile and Aragon. However, when Charles V visited the completed cathedral he was displeased by the result and famously commented, "they have taken something unique in all the world and destroyed it to build something you can find in any city."










The minaret of the mosque was also converted to the bell tower of the cathedral. It was adorned with Santiago de Compostela’s captured cathedral bells.


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## ech wel

*Historic Site of Lyons, France*

Unesco: 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 political, cultural and economic development ever since, is vividly illustrated by its urban fabric and the many fine historic buildings from all periods.

Wiki: The Rhône and Saône rivers converge to the south of the historic city centre forming a peninsula or "Presqu'île". There are two large hills, one to the west and one to the north of the city centre, as well as a large plain which sprawls eastward. West of the Presqu'île, the original medieval city (Vieux Lyon) was built on the west bank of the Saône river at the foot of the Fourvière hill. This area, along with portions of the Presqu'île and much of the Croix-Rousse is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.

View over the city seen from the hill Fourvière.










Fourvière is known as _the hill that prays_. This is the location for the highly decorated basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, built with private funds between 1872 and 1884 . Detail of the facade.










Splendid interior of the Basilica.










Main street in Vieux-Lyon, the city's oldest district.










Another street, less crowded










The Place des Terreaux is a square located in the centre of Lyon, on the Presqu'île between the Rhône and the Saône, at the foot of the hill of La Croix-Rousse. At the center of the square, the municipal officials inaugurated on 22 September 1891 an allegorical fountain of Saône, made by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi.










The Roman city is represented by the buildings excavated on Fourvière. The large theatre, capable of seating some 10,000 spectators, was built in the early 1st century AD and reconstructed under Hadrian


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## oakwood....

ech welc great thread,
Especially I liked the photos of the Plitvice lakes, I hope you've enjoyed the untouched and preserved nature, and carry only the good memories from that trip. :cheers:


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## ech wel

^ Thanks. Of all the sites I visited (not that much, around 50) I rate it as one of the best!


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## marlonbasman

great collection of the best of the best.


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## ech wel

*Historic Centre of Siena, Italy*

Unesco: Siena, an outstanding medieval city that has preserved its character and quality to a remarkable degree, and its influence on art, architecture and town planning in the Middle Ages, both in Italy and elsewhere in Europe, was great.

Let's start with the main sight in the city, one of Europe's best churches IMO, the Siena Cathedral. 

Wiki: The cathedral itself was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, etiologically linked to black and white horses of the legendary city's founders, Senius and Aschius. 

By far the most impressive cardinal point is the west façade. Acting as the main entryway to the Duomo proper, it boasts three portals, the central one is capped by a bronze-work sun.



In the interior the pictorial effect of the black and white marble stripes on the walls and columns strikes the eye. Black and white are the colours of the civic coat of arms of Siena. The horizontal moulding around the nave and the presbytery contains 172 plaster busts of popes dating from the 15th and 16th centuries starting with St. Peter and ending with Lucius III.










The inlaid marble mosaic floor is one of the most ornate of its kind in Italy, covering the whole floor of the cathedral. This undertaking went on from the 14th to the 16th centuries, and about forty artists made their contribution. The floor consists of 56 panels in different sizes.



Adjoining the cathedral is the Piccolomini Library, housing precious illuminated choir books and frescoes.










Unlike Florence or Pisa, Siena did not build a separate baptistry. The baptistry is located underneath the eastern bays of the choir of the Duomo.



Interior of the baptistery


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## DaveF12

amazing! they are deserving of the title. thank you so much for sharing them.


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## ech wel

^ Nice words Dave, thanks a lot

Not only the cathedral but the whole historic centre of Siena is a WHS. So here another few.

Unesco: The historic centre developed along the Y-shaped segments defined by the three main arteries that meet at the Croce del Travaglio, represented by the Piazza del Campo, and on to which the network of minor roads are grafted. Houses and palaces follow one another in rows along the main streets, creating a characteristic urban space with certain notable elements. The Piazza del Campo, sited at the junction of three hills, is one of the most remarkable urban open spaces in all Italy. Its formation coincides with the growth of the medieval city and the assertion of communal power. Financial and commercial activities were concentrated halfway along the Via Francigena, the entire lengths of the present-day Via dei Banchi Sopra and Via dei Banchi Sotto, and the market-place proper was located in the Piazza del Campo, at that time divided in two sectors. 

At the end of the 12th century, the communal government decided to unite the two sectors to create a unique semicircular open space, and promulgated a series of ordinances which regulated only commercial activities but also the services and dimensions of the houses (their style twin-arched or triple-arched windows), in order to make the facades around the piazza uniform. The building of the Palazzo Pubblico, the seat of the communal government, began at the same time. Its gently incurving and crenellated facade is highlighted by the Gothic triple-arched windows. 

Once the public authorities were installed in the Palazzo Pubblico, work began on embellishing the piazza with the laying down of the paving, construction of the Fonte Gaia, decorated by Jacopo dalla Quercia, the Torre del Mangia, and the Cappella della Piazza, the latter two built up against the palazzo. Under the Medici, the piazza became the ideal setting for spectacular festivals and was opened up to the palio , the famous horserace between teams from the different quarters of the city.

Palazzo Pubblico and Fonte Gaia.



courtyard of the palazzo with tower



Buildings at the other side of the piazza



The city owed its prosperity to the banking activities carried out by certain families at the papal Court in Rome and on the great international markets of northern Europe, Marseilles, Champagne, and London.

On the Piazza Salimbeni is the Palazzo Salimbeni, a notable building and also the medieval headquarters of Monte dei Paschi di Siena, one of the oldest banks in continuous existence and a major player in the Sienese economy.



The Basilica of San Domenico is a basilica church in Siena, one of the most important in the city.


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## ech wel

*Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica in the Historic Centre of Poreč, Croatia*

Unesco: 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 basilica, atrium, baptistery and episcopal palace are outstanding examples of religious architecture, while the basilica itself combines classical and Byzantine elements in an exceptional manner.

The present church was built in the mid-6th century to the orders of the bishop whose name it retains, Euphrasius.

entrance



Wiki: The most striking feature of the basilica are its mosaics, dating from the 6th century, and which are considered amongst the finest examples of Byzantine art in the world.

The mosaics in the triumphal arch over the apse represent Christ; holding an opened book with the text "Ego sum Lux vera" (I am the true light) with the Apostles, each with their attribute, The arch below contains mosaic medallions with the Lamb of God and portraits of twelve female martyrs. The vault over the apse is decorated with mosaics with Mary and Child, sitting on the Heavenly throne, under a wreath held by a hand - symbol of God the Father. This is the only surviving depiction of the Mother of God in an early-Christian western basilica. She is flanked by angels, Bishop Euphrasius, holding the model of the church; also local saints are depicted, including St. Maurus, the first bishop of Poreč and the Istrian diocese, and the archdeacon Claudius .

The apsis is dominated by the marble ciborium, modelled after the one in St. Mark's in Venice, it was built in 1277 on the orders of by Otto, Bishop of Poreč. The canopy, decorated with mosaics, is carried by four marble columns that belonged to the previous 6th-century ciborium. The front side of the canopy depicts representations of scenes from Mary's life, the Annunciation. In the 15th century Bishop Johann Porečanin ordered in Italy a Renaissance relief for the antependium of the altar, made of gilded silver



16th-century bell tower 



Roof of 6th-century octagonal baptistry. Built in the 5th century together with the pre-Euphrasian basilica



View from the bell tower over historic centre of Poreč


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## ech wel

La Grand-Place, Brussels, Belgium

The Grand Place was voted the most beautiful square in Europe in 2010. A survey by a Dutch website asked its users to rate different squares across Europe. Moscow’s Red Square and the Place Stanislas in Nancy, France, took second and third place. (Both are WHS too)

Unesco: 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 illustration of the level of social and cultural life of the period in this important political and commercial centre.

The Hôtel de Ville (City Hall), which covers most of the south side of the Grand'Place, consists of a group of buildings around a rectangular internal courtyard. The part facing on to the square is from the 15th century, consisting of two L-shaped buildings. The entire facade is decorated with statues dating from the 19th century.



Facing the City Hall across the square is its other main feature, the Maison du Roi (King's House), now used as the City Museum. In 1873 the City Council decided that its state of conservation was so bad that it should be demolished and rebuilt. The reconstruction was based on the original. The result is a three-storey brick building with an arcaded facade, saddleback roof and centrally placed tower with lantern.



During the course of the 16th century many of the houses were rebuilt with new facades in Renaissance or Baroque style. On 14 August 1695 Louis XIV of France ordered Marshal Villeroy to bombard the city as a reprisal following the destruction of French coastal towns and ports by Dutch and English warships. Despite the severity of the bombardment, reconstruction was rapid, thanks to the action taken by the City authorities and the generous support of other towns and provinces. In a remarkable ordinance promulgated in 1697 by the City Magistrate, all proposals for the reconstruction of facades had to be submitted to the authorities for approval, so as to preserve the harmony of the square. In four years the Grand-Place had been completely restored to its original layout and appearance.

Guildhalls on the Grand Place


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## MyGeorge

great thread I love it.


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## Avemano

ech wel said:


> Further down the Rhine valley...
> 
> Wiki: Pfalzgrafenstein Castle is a toll castle on the Falkenau island, otherwise known as Pfalz Island in the Rhine river near Kaub. The castle functioned as a toll-collecting station that was not to be ignored, as it worked in concert with Gutenfels Castle and the fortified town of Kaub on the right side of the river. A chain across the river forced ships to submit, and uncooperative traders could be kept in the dungeon until a ransom was delivered. The dungeon was a wooden float in the well.
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> Unlike the vast majority of Rhine castles, "the Pfalz" was never conquered or destroyed, withstanding not only wars, but also the natural onslaughts of ice and floods by the river.
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> The Burg Gutenfels (also known as castle Caub) is a castle 110m above the town of Kaub, built in 1220. On the foreground a Rhine cruise ship, a popular way to visit and see the WHS.
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> And down we go to the city of Oberwesel. Winegrowing, fishing, trade and handicrafts helped the town gather enough wealth to begin work on the town walls in 1220, building them in three phases from then until the mid 14th century.
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> Move on to Sankt Goarshausen, a tourist town located on the eastern shore of the Rhine. It is above all famous for the Lorelei rock nearby. Lorelei is also the name of a feminine water spirit, similar to mermaids or Rhine maidens, associated with this rock in popular folklore and in works of music, art and literature. In 1824 Heinrich Heine speaks in one of his most famous poems, Die Lorelei about the eponymous female as a sort of siren who, sitting on the cliff above the Rhine and combing her golden hair, unwittingly distracted shipmen with her beauty and song, causing them to crash on the rocks.
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> Katz Castle is a castle above the town of St. Goarshausen.
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> Last castle of the tour. The Marksburg is a fortress above the town of Braubach in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the only medieval castle of the Middle Rhine that has never been destroyed. It is one of the principal sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Rhine Gorge. The fortress was used for protection rather than as a residence for royal families. The castle was built to protect the town of Braubach and to reinforce the customs facilities. It was built about 1117.


These photos remind me something, didn't they set some scenes of the movie "Sissi" on this river ?


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## ech wel

Thanks for the comments

*Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville, Spain*

Unesco: Together the Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias as a series, form a remarkable monumental complex in the heart of Seville. They perfectly epitomize the Spanish "Golden Age", incorporating vestiges of Islamic culture, centuries of ecclesiastical power, royal sovereignty and the trading power that Spain acquired through its colonies in the New World.

View from the cathedral minaret. At the left the Alcazar, to the right the archivo de Indias










From left to right the archivo, the cathedral, the Alcázar










The Archivo de Indias building was constructed in 1585 to house the Casa Lonja or Consulado de Mercaderes de Sevilla (Consulate of the merchants of Seville). It became the Archivo General de Indias in 1785, and since then it has become home to the greatest collection of documentation concerning the discovery of and relations with the New World. The Archivo de Indias, designed by the architect responsible for completing El Escorial, (another WHS shown already in this thread in post 40) Juan de Herrera, is one of the clearest examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture. An enormous influence on Baroque Andalusian architecture and on Spanish neoclassicism, it symbolizes the link between the Old and the New World.


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## ech wel

Together with the Alhambra (post 14) I found the Alcázar of Seville the most impressing non-religic building I have seen so far. Both are magnificent examples of Moorish/mudéjar architecture and both are a must-see-once-in-a lifetime. 

Unesco: The original nucleus of the Alcázar was constructed in the 10th century as the palace of the Moslem governor, and is used even today as the Spanish royal family's residence in this city, thereby retaining the same purpose for which it was originally intended: as a residence of monarchs and heads of state. Built and rebuilt from the early Middle Ages right up to our times, it consists of a group of palatial buildings and extensive gardens.

The Alcázar and its gardens is a palatial fortress erected beginning in 712 by the conquering Arabs to control the Guadalquivir. It boasts a crenellated enclosure from the Almohad period as well as several interior spaces dating from before the Reconquest. After 1248 it became a royal residence and was renovated under the reign of Peter the Cruel. The palace constructed in the interior of the Alcázar in 1364-66 illustrates the syncretism proper to Mudejar art which borrows its techniques and decorative expression from the Arabian art of Andalusia

Entrance Puerta del León



Façade of the Peter of Castile's Palace in the Alcázar





The Patio de las Doncellas (The Courtyard of the Maidens) is evocative of a captivating aesthetic which survived Christianization with its finely worked stuccos, wooden artesonados ceilings, the azulejos of the galleries, and the fountain that rises in the middle of the courtyard. 

The upper story of the Patio was an addition made by Charles V. The addition was designed by Luis de Vega in the style of the Italian Renaissance although he did include both Renaissance and mudéjar plaster work in the decorations. Construction of the addition began in 1540 and ended in 1572.


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## christos-greece

^^ Great, very nice updates and thanks


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## ech wel

^ Cheers Christos! :cheers:

A few more of the Alcázar and the gardens...







The gardens


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## ech wel

Last few pics from Seville, the Cathedral

Unesco: Seville owes its importance during the 16th and 17th centuries to its designation as the capital of the Carrera de Indias (the Indies route: the Spanish trading monopoly with Latin America). It was the "Gateway to the Indies" and the only trading port with the Indies from 1503 until 1718.

The Conjunto Monumental, or group of historic buildings encompassing the Cathedral/Giralda, the Alcázar and the Archivo de Indias, constitutes a remarkable testimony to the major stages of the city's urban history (Islamic, Christian, and that of Seville with its associations with the New World), as well as symbolizing a city that became the trading capital with the Indies for two centuries - a time during which Seville was the hub of the Spanish monarchy and played a major role in the colonization of Latin America following its discovery by Columbus. The cathedral is also the burial site of Christopher Columbus.

Founded in 1403 on the site of a former mosque, the Cathedral, built in Gothic and Renaissance style, covers seven centuries of history. With its five naves it is the largest Gothic building in Europe. Its bell tower, the city's most wel known symbol the Giralda, was the former minaret of the mosque, a masterpiece of Almohad architecture and now is important example of the cultural syncretism thanks to the top section of the tower, designed in the Renaissance period by Hernán Ruiz.

Leaving the Alcázar one can see the bell tower of the Cathedral



Wiki: The Giralda is the bell tower of the Cathedral of Seville. Its height is 343 feet (105 m). Its square base is 23 feet (7.0 m) above sea level and is 44 feet (13 m) long per side. In the 16th century the belfry was added; the statue on its top, called "El Giraldillo", was installed in 1568 to represent the triumph of the Christian faith.



Seville Cathedral was built to demonstrate the city's wealth, According to local oral tradition, the members of the cathedral chapter said: "Let us build a church so beautiful and so great that those who see it built will think we were mad". 










As said the Cathedral was built above Seville's former Mezquita Mayor. Besides the bell tower (mosque minaret) another mosque element has been preserved and converted into the access courtyard to the cathedral the Patio de los Naranjos (patio of orange trees)



Pierre Dancart's masterpiece, considered one of the finest altarpieces in the world. Sadly they were renovating it when we were visiting..










Detail of the roof inside.


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## ech wel

*Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany, Germany*

Unesco: The Ancient Beech Forests of Germany, represent examples of on-going post-glacial biological and ecological evolution of terrestrial ecosystems and are indispensable to understanding the spread of the beech (Fagus sylvatica) in the Northern Hemisphere across a variety of environments. The new inscription represents the addition of five forests totaling 4,391 hectares that are added to the 29,278 hectares of Slovakian and Ukranian beech forests inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2007.

The Ancient Beech Forests of Germany include five locations in various parts of Germany. One of them is Hainich National Park in Thuringen which we visited. Animals in the park include wildcats, 15 species of bats, 7 species of woodpeckers, and over 500 types of wood beetles.

Winter probably isn't the best time to visit because, when all the leaves are gone, you can't get that "jungle-feeling" in that season. To be honest, we found it to be a rather common park. 










You can take a boardwalk through the top of the trees (as you can see at the right in the above photo). This is the tower which leads you to it.










Small trees










Big trees


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## ech wel

Thanks for liking everyone!

*Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, China*

This is probably one of the most iconic sites inscribed on the list. Who doesn´t know or hasn´t seen images of the terracotta army? I have to confess that I have to cheat on this one. I've never been to China so obviously I didn't visit the actual site. I did visit an exhibition though here in The Haque so, as a consequence, the pics shown below are not from the "real thing" but from their The Haque show. What can I say: if you can't visit the site yourself, the site must come to you... 

The first Asian site in this thread.

Unesco: 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 buried, surrounded by the famous terracotta warriors, at the centre of a complex designed to mirror the urban plan of the capital, Xianyan. The small figures are all different; with their horses, chariots and weapons, they are masterpieces of realism and also of great historical interest.

The mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang is the largest preserved one in China. The Terracotta Army was discovered on 29 March 1974 to the east of Xi'an in Shaanxi province by a group of farmers when they were digging a water well. Excavations were begun immediately and since then thousands of warriars hae been dug up. According to current estimates, the statue army of the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum must have represented the exact number of the imperial guards. Over the past thirteen years, discoveries have revealed the dimensions of the mausoleum, and the site constitutes one of the most fabulous archaeological reserves in the world.

a pic of a pic from "the real thing"



The warriors on display





I know this post doesn't fit in with the text I wrote in the first post but hell it's the last post of the page and it's a way for me to show a WHS outside Europe. I will delete it if anyone takes the effort of posting their pics of the site itself.


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## ech wel

*Historic Centre of Brugge, Belgium*

Unesco: 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 constructions form part of the town's identity. As one of the commercial and cultural capitals of Europe, Brugge developed cultural links to different parts of the world. It is closely associated with the school of Flemish Primitive painting.

I like the Belgium cities, brick architecture and special Belgium beer always make up for a nice day out. And Brugge has the best of both of them!

Old street in Bruges with its most famous landmark, its 13th-century belfry, in the backgroud. (part of another WHS we've already seen in post 10)



Wiki: Bruges has most of its medieval architecture intact. Many of its medieval buildings are notable, including the Church of Our Lady, whose brick spire reaches 122.3 m (401.25 ft), making it one of the world's highest brick towers/buildings. The sculpture Madonna and Child, which can be seen in the transept, is believed to be Michelangelo's only sculpture to have left Italy within his lifetime.



The Provincial Court



the tourist-segway-gang on tour along one of Bruges' canals



And their counterparts in a boat..



Detail of The Basilica of the Holy Blood. The relic of the Holy Blood, which was brought to the city after the Second Crusade by Thierry of Alsace, is paraded every year through the streets of the city. Originally built in the 12th century as the chapel of the residence of the Count of Flanders it was promoted to minor basilica in 1923.


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## ech wel

*Paris, Banks of the Seine, France*

Probably one of the best known and most visited site on the list. Paris c´est magnifique!

Unesco: 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 Cathedral of Notre-Dame and the Sainte Chapelle are architectural masterpieces while Haussmann's wide squares and boulevards influenced late 19th- and 20th-century town planning the world over.

Some of the masterpieces: the 19th century Eiffel Tower, one of the most well known structures of the world.



Les Invalides is a complex of buildings containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the building's original purpose.



The Louvre is one of the world's largest museums, nearly 35,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century are exhibited over an area of 60,600 square metres. With more than 8 million visitors each year, the Louvre is the world's most visited museum. The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace (Palais du Louvre) which began as a fortress built in the late 12th century under Philip II. Remnants of the fortress are visible in the basement of the museum. The building was extended many times to form the present Louvre Palace.



The Île de la Cité is one of two remaining natural islands in the Seine. It is the centre of Paris and the location where the medieval city was refounded. La Conciergerie is a former royal palace and prison located on the west of the Île de la Cité (literally island of the city). It is part of the larger complex known as the Palais de Justice. During the French Revolution hundreds of prisoners were taken from La Conciergerie to be executed on the guillotine. 



The most famous building on the Island is of course the Notre Dame. The cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and among the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world. 

Notre-Dame de Paris was among the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress (arched exterior supports). The building was not originally designed to include the flying buttresses around the choir and nave but after the construction began, the thinner walls (popularized in the Gothic style) grew ever higher and stress fractures began to occur as the walls pushed outward. In response, the cathedral's architects built supports around the outside walls, and later additions continued the pattern.


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## ech wel

*Aachen Cathedral, Germany*

Unesco: 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 Eastern part of the Holy Roman Empire, it was splendidly enlarged in the Middle Ages. 

When he began work on his Palatine Chapel in 786, Charlemagne's dream was to create a 'new Rome'. The core of Aachen Cathedral at the time of its construction was the largest dome north of the Alps. Its fascinating architecture, with classical, Byzantine and Germanic-Franconian elements, is the essence of a monumental building of the greatest importance. For 600 years, from 936 to 1531, Aachen Cathedral was the coronation church for thirty German kings, and even today it retains much of the glamour of its historic past.

In 1978, it was one of the first 12 items to make the entry into the UNESCO list of world heritage sites, as the first German and one of the first three European historical ensembles.



As said, the Palatine Chapel is based on an octagonal ground plan. The octagon is found in baptisteries as a symbol representing eternal life as – likely because the number eight is symbolic of renewal. This interplay between circle (dome) and square (found in the angular octagon) speaks of the transitional dance between earth and heaven. The circle is symbolic of the heavens (also eternity/infinity) and the angularity of the square is symbolic of earthly presence. 

The chapel with Barbarossa Chandelier. Also note the arches which has resemblance of those of the mosque of Cordoba (post 56)



The Cathedral Treasury in Aachen is regarded as one of the most important ecclesiastical treasuries in northern Europe. Pilgrims are able to see some of the relics every seven years when they are displayed. The Shrine of St. Mary rests in the choir of the church and dates from 1220-1239. Adorned with the figures of Christ, Mary, Charlemagne, Pope Leo III and the Twelve Apostles, the shrine contains the four great Aachen relics: St. Mary's cloak, Christ's swaddling clothes, St. John the Baptist's beheading cloth and Christ's loincloth



When Charlemagne died in 814, his remains were placed in a vault in the cathedral. The golden arm below with bones of Charlemagne.




bust of Charlemagne made from silver and gold


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## ech wel

*Historic Areas of Istanbul, Turkey*

Unesco: Strategically located on the Bosphorus peninsula between the Balkans and Anatolia, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, Istanbul was successively the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the Ottoman Empire and has been associated with major events in political history, religious history and art history for more than 2,000 years. The city is situated on a peninsula which is surrounded by the Golden Horn (Haliç), a natural harbor on the north, the Bosphorus on the east and the Marmara Sea on the south. The Historic Peninsula, on which the former Byzantium and Constantinople developed, was surrounded by ancient walls, built initially by Theodosius in the early fifth century.

The Outstanding Universal Value of Istanbul resides in its unique integration of architectural masterpieces that reflect the meeting of Europe and Asia over many centuries, and in its incomparable skyline formed by the creative genius of Byzantine and Ottoman architects.

The four areas of the property are the Archaeological Park, at the tip of the Historic peninsula; the Suleymaniye quarter with Suleymaniye Mosque complex, bazaars and vernacular settlement around it; the Zeyrek area of settlement around the Zeyrek Mosque (the former church of the Pantocrator), and the area along both sides of the Theodosian land walls including remains of the former Blachernae Palace.

The main area is IMO the Archaelogical Park. In this area there are many buildings that could have made the list on their own if they had not stand all in the same city I think. The area is one of those sites every fan of history and architecture should see once in their lifetime.

Let's start with the best well known, the Hagia Sophia. Wiki: Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have "changed the history of architecture." It remained the world's largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years thereafter, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520 (another WHS already shown in post 98)



In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks under Sultan Mehmed II, who ordered this main church of the Orthodox Christianity converted into a mosque. By this point, the Church had fallen into a state of disrepair. Nevertheless, the Christian cathedral made a strong impression on the new Ottoman rulers and they decided to convert it into a mosque. The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels and other relics were removed and the mosaics depicting Jesus, his Mother Mary, Christian saints and angels were also removed or plastered over. Islamic features – such as the mihrab, minbar, and four minarets – were added. It remained a mosque until 1931 when it was closed to the public for four years. It was re-opened in 1935 as a museum by the Republic of Turkey.

Inside the Hagia Sophia one can still see both Islamic and Christian symbols.



The Deësis mosaic probably dates from 1261. It was commissioned to mark the end of 57 years of Roman Catholic use and the return to the Orthodox faith. It is the third panel situated in the imperial enclosure of the upper galleries. It is widely considered the finest in Hagia Sophia, because of the softness of the features, the humane expressions and the tones of the mosaic. The style is close to that of the Italian painters of the late 13th or early 14th century, such as Duccio. In this panel the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist (Ioannes Prodromos), both shown in three-quarters profile, are imploring the intercession of Christ Pantocrator for humanity on Judgment Day. The bottom part of this mosaic is badly deteriorated. This mosaic is considered as the beginning of the Renaissance in Byzantine pictorial art.

Detail



Istanbul is primarily known for its Byzantine and Ottoman architecture, but its buildings reflect the various peoples and empires that have previously ruled the city. Examples of Genoese and Roman architecture remain visible in Istanbul alongside their Ottoman counterparts. Roman architecture has proved to be durable. Obelisks from the Hippodrome of Constantinople are still visible in Sultanahmet Square. The Hippodrome of Constantinople was a circus that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople. In the pic below one can see 2 obelisks. The first is an obelisk brought in from Egypt and erected inside the racing track. Carved from pink granite, it was originally erected at the Temple of Karnak in Luxor (yes also a WHS) during the reign of Tuthmosis III in about 1490 BC. Emperor Theodosius had the obelisk cut into three pieces and brought to Constantinople. The top section survives, and it stands today where Theodosius placed it, on a marble pedestal. The obelisk has survived nearly 3,500 years in astonishingly good condition. Behind the Egypt one is the "walled obelisk" built in the 10th century.



Wiki: The Basilica Cistern ( "Sunken Palace") is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul. This cathedral-size cistern is an underground chamber approximately 138 metres by 64.6 metres - about 9,800 square metres in area - capable of holding 80,000 cubic metres of water. The ceiling is supported by a forest of 336 marble columns, each 9 metres high.


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## ech wel

For those of you who are interestred: Unesco added 4 more sites on the list

Mount Etna and the Mountains of Pamir inscribed on World Heritage List alongside El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar


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## Lino

I am proud to add one fantastic and close city to me: the University and Uptown of my own city: Coimbra!
University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia



















in a typical students' residence, called República









Enter my friend, come in Peace
if you bring ham and wine
but if it's the bill that brings you
we went out a while ago :lol:

watch the dangerous dog


















uptown (Alta) Coimbra









Porta da Barbacã, a medieval door to the city as old as the country


















this is Torre d'Anto. This ancient watching tower was house to poet António Nobre and will be soon the Museum of the Guitar and Fado of Coimbra








(only image that is not mine, sorry).










that's a guitar of Coimbra









and that's how it sounds





and Coimbra students and population will be celebrating in a couple of hours, at midnight according to tradition, with such a Serenade


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## ech wel

^ Thanks for updating Nightsky! Appreciated. Hope to see your pics of Riga soon. :cheers:

With Tallinn included the total number of sites shown in this thread is now 60 in 20 different countries. Beware 100, here we come!


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## ech wel

Wtf? I can't see my pics nomore! :bash: Does somebody know what to do? I checked on photobucket but everything seems to be normal on that site. So far I have uploaded 436 photos so I don't think I have reached the limit. I have not got a message from photobucket itself but where my photo is supposed to be there is a text "upgrade to plus for additional bandwith". But I can't figure out how to do that....(btw I am not willing to pay). If this happened to somebody before please help, it would be very much appreciated!


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## openlyJane

ech wel said:


> Wtf? I can't see my pics nomore! :bash: Does somebody know what to do? I checked on photobucket but everything seems to be normal on that site. So far I have uploaded 436 photos so I don't think I have reached the limit. I have not got a message from photobucket itself but where my photo is supposed to be there is a text "upgrade to plus for additional bandwith". But I can't figure out how to do that....(btw I am not willing to pay). If this happened to somebody before please help, it would be very much appreciated!


Your photos should reappear next month. If you have exceeded the capacity for this month, then you will just have to wait until next month if you want to upload more.

I pay for extra capacity - it is really a very minimal cost - and is worth it if you take a lot of photos. Having said that, I was about to reach another storage limit recently - and decided to delete lots of old photos to free up space - whole file loads, in fact. I started a new, and hopefully improved, thread as a result!


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## ech wel

Thanks for the answer openlyJane. Strange though because I don't think I uploaded more than before. I quess I'll just have to be patient than. Maybe I'll check for an other provider as well because I hope this thread will live long and don't want to run in to this kind off trouble every now and than...


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## ech wel

^ Glad you were right Jane  Time for some new pics.

*Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France*

Unesco: The Pilgrimage Route of Santiago de Compostela played a key role in religious and cultural exchange and development during the later Middle Ages, and this is admirably illustrated by the carefully selected monuments on the routes followed by pilgrims in France. After Jerusalem was captured by the Caliph Omar in 638, Christians were hesitant about going to the Holy City as pilgrims. Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, where the tomb of the apostle St James the Great, who brought Christianity to the Iberian peninsula, had been founded around 800, benefited from the decline of Jerusalem as a pilgrimage centre.

Santiago began as a local religious centre, becoming the See of a bishopric around 900, but its renown grew rapidly after the visit in 951 of Godescalc, Bishop of Le Puy and one of the first foreign pilgrims to be recorded. From the 11th century onwards, pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela reached its apogee. Thousands of pilgrims, among them kings and bishops, travelled long distances to pray at the tomb of one of Christ's closest companions. 


Obviously this is a multiple location site. A bit strange about this site is that there is a bit of duplication; sites that are on the Routes of Compostela in France as well as being listed separately such as Bourges, Vezelay and Amiens cathedral. 

Pictured below is the former abbey de Gellone located in Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert. Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is a medieval village and listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France. Which is something I can totally agree on. Not much seems to have changed there throughout the centuries.







Wiki: The scallop shell, often found on the shores in Galicia, has long been the symbol of the Camino de Santiago. Over the centuries the scallop shell has taken on mythical, metaphorical and practical meanings, even if its relevance may actually derive from the desire of pilgrims to take home a souvenir.

The scallop shell also acts as a metaphor. The grooves in the shell, which meet at a single point, represent the various routes pilgrims traveled, eventually arriving at a single destination: the tomb of James in Santiago de Compostela. The shell is also a metaphor for the pilgrim: As the waves of the ocean wash scallop shells up onto the shores of Galicia, God's hand also guides the pilgrims to Santiago.

The symbol can be seen everywhere on route. 



Pont du Diable/Devil's bridge

According to Unesco of special importance, one of the oldest medieval bridges in France. Constructed by Benedictine monks in the first half of the 11th century, it provided a link between the abbey at Aniane and the Gellone Abbey at Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert.


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## ech wel

Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France/Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments, France

2 For the price of 1, that's right. 69 Locations make up the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France-site, 7 of these locations are already inscribed in their own right, usually because of their role in the pilgrimage route – a nice bit of double counting I quess you could say. One of those "double counted sites" is the necropolis of Alyscamps with the Church of St Honorat in Arles. 

Unesco: The four main pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela in France began at Paris, Vézelay, Le Puy, and Arles respectively, (and 3 of them are a WHS in their own right...)and each of these was fed by a number of subsidiary routes. The places of worship along the pilgrimage routes in France range from great structures such as Saint-Sernin at Toulouse or Amiens Cathedral to parish churches. All are included either because they figure on the guide produced by Aymeric Picaud (Saint-Front Cathedral at Périgueux or the Church of Saint-Léonard de-Noblat) or because they contain important relics and other material that connect them directly with the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.



Unesco: In Roman times Arles was surrounded by graveyards, including one situated along the Via Aurelia which later became known as Les Alyscamps. This cemetery subsequently became important when the Christian martyr Saint Genest and the first bishops of Arles were buried there. In 1040 the site became the Saint-Honorat priory, one of the required stops on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Today a path lined with numerous sarcophagi, painted by Van Gogh and Gauguin, leads to the church of St Honorat at the far end.



The church has long been deserted which gives this site quite a spooky feeling.







As said, Les Alyscamps is part of Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments-site. This site contains multiple locations/monuments in Arles so I'll post more of Arles later.


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## ech wel

*Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments, France*

Unesco: 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 Roman theatre and the cryptoporticus (subterranean galleries) – date back to the 1st century B.C. During the 4th century Arles experienced a second golden age, as attested by the baths of Constantine and the necropolis of Alyscamps. In the 11th and 12th centuries, Arles once again became one of the most attractive cities in the Mediterranean. Within the city walls, Saint-Trophime, with its cloister, is one of Provence's major Romanesque monuments.

Arles Amphitheatre



The amphitheatre, built around AD 90, ranks among the great amphitheatres and could hold 20,000 spectators. Gladiator fights and animal hunts took place here until the end of the 5th century. During the Middle Ages, the building became a fortress, sheltering two chapels and 212 houses within its walls. These parasitic constructions were destroyed in 1825.







The Roman forum, not much is left of it but you can still see a Roman temple incorparated in the facade of a hotel


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## ech wel

Still Arles

Unesco: The underground passages of the Cryptoporticus were used as foundations for the Roman forum, the political, commercial, and religious centre of the Roman city. They were built in 30 BC on the side of the hill, and their construction necessitated gigantic earth filling and levelling operations. The U-shaped Cryptoporticus is made up of three double corridors covered with barrel vaults. They intersect at right angles and are separated by rows of massive pillars supporting basket-handle arches. Towards the end of the Roman Empire shops were built, opening on the outer side.





The Roman theatre was built at the end of the 1st century BC. The cavea could hold 10,000 people in 33 rows of seats. The majestic high wall at the back of the stage was decorated with columns and statues; two columns and the collection of sculptures are in the Arles Archaeological Museum. From the 5th century onwards, the theatre was occupied by houses and religious buildings, which were demolished starting in 1834. At that time the semi-circular orchestra section with its precious marble pavement, the space occupied by the machinery used to raise and lower the curtain, part of the seats, and parts of the outer wall preserved in the Tower of Roland during the Middle Ages were restored and conserved.





Arles obelisk. In the background one can see the church of St Trophime.


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## gabo79

coool


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## ech wel

More coool stuff from Arles.. 

Wiki: The Church of St. Trophime is a Roman Catholic church and former cathedral built between the 12th century and the 15th century. The church is an important example of Romanesque architecture, and the sculptures over the portal, particularly the Last Judgement, and the columns in the adjacent cloister, are considered some of the finest examples of Romanesque sculpture.

The West portal is one of the treasures of Romanesque sculpture, presenting the story of the Apocalypse according to St. John, and the Gospel of St. Matthew. Christ is seated in majesty in the timpanum, with the symbols of the Evangelists around him; the angel of St. Matthew, the lion of St. Mark, the bull of St. Luke, and the eagle of St. John. The Apostles are seated below him. To the left of the portal, a procession of chosen Christians are going to heaven, while to the right sinners are being cast into hell.



Detail on the West portal, Daniel in the lions' den



In 1252 Raimon de Montredon organizes the transfer of the relics of St. Trophime from the basilica of St. Stephen in Alyscamps to the new cathedral of St. Trophime. One of those items was a Roman sarcophagus in the church, reputed to hold the remains of Saint Honoratus.



The adjacent cloister was constructed in the second half of the 12th century and the first half of the 13th century. 



The gallery's are devoted to religious figures and scenes popular in Provence.



Cloister column with carving of St Trophimus, according to Catholic lore the first bishop of Arles.


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## ech wel

Last bit of Arles, a nice town which you shouldn´t miss if you have the opportunity. 

Unesco: Beside the Rhône the Baths of Constantine were built during the 4th century as part of a complex including several buildings. Still visible today are the hot rooms, the pools, the ventilation system for the hot air circulating within the walls through tubuli (hollow tiles) and between the piles of bricks (hypocausts). The walls, consisting of alternating rows of bricks and small worked limestone blocks, are built around a semi-circular apse which was lit by three high round-arched windows, and covered with a magnificent quarter-sphere vault (cul-de-four). Towards the south were located the warm baths, the cold baths, and the palaestra (gymnasium).







Besides the Roman and Romanesque Monuments Arles is also famous for the Dutch painter van Gogh who completed many of his most famous paintings here, including The Night Cafe, now called cafe van Gogh. It's located across the street with the hotel and it's incorporated Roman temple which he omitted in his painting. (shown above)



the painting










source


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## ech wel

*Seventeenth-century canal ring area of Amsterdam inside the Singelgracht, Netherlands*

Unesco: The Amsterdam Canal District illustrates exemplary hydraulic and urban planning on a large scale through the entirely artificial creation of a large-scale port city. The gabled facades are characteristic of this middle-class environment, and the dwellings bear witness both to the city’s enrichment through maritime trade and the development of a humanist and tolerant culture linked to the Calvinist Reformation. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Amsterdam was seen as the realization of the ideal city that was used as a reference urban model for numerous projects for new cities around the world. (like WHS Saint Petersburg in Russia) Date of inscription: 2010

A map showing the inscribed area in blue










source



The Prinsengracht with the Westerchurch, built in 1620-1631 after a design by the late Renaissance architect Hendrick de Keyser. The famous painter Rembrandt van Rijn is buried here.



An other house designed by Hendrick de Keyser and completed by his son Pieter is "house Bartolotti" on Keizersgracht canal. Built around 1617 for one of the richest men of that period of Amsterdam.



Amsterdam's growth made it one of the great European capitals, and its port became the most important for international maritime trade. In 1685 the city's per capita income was four times that of Paris, allowing the quantity and quality of the real-estate development along the canals throughout the century.


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## ech wel

I forgot to tell something about one of the best known inhabitant in the canal ring, for a sad reason that is, so here is a bit more.

Wiki: The Anne Frank House located on the Prinsengracht canal is a museum dedicated to Jewish wartime diarist Anne Frank, who hid from Nazi persecution with her family and four other people in hidden rooms at the rear of the building. They remained hidden here for two years and one month until they were anonymously betrayed to the Nazi authorities, arrested, and deported to their deaths in concentration camps. Of the hidden group, only father Otto Frank survived the war.



and some more canals and gabled houses







a later addition to the canal ring


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## ech wel

*Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar and Dessau, Germany*

Unesco: 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 and decorated by the school's professors (Walter Gropius, Hannes Meyer, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy and Wassily Kandinsky) launched the Modern Movement, which shaped much of the architecture of the 20th century. Bauhaus was influenced by the Rietveld Schröderhuis (post 85)

Now on a personal note I have to say that this was not one of my favorite sites when visiting (I found the buildings rather common). But, since then, I have learned that the common thing is exactly why this site is so special! One can still find the ideas of Bauhaus in everyday life. The Bauhaus style, also known as the International Style, was marked by the absence of ornamentation and by harmony between the function of an object or a building and its design. Bauhaus turned away from fanciful experimentation, and turned toward rational, functional, sometimes standardized building. I was told that Bauhaus was the idea which shaped the face of our modern cities of today. So, after all, a pretty important inscription on the list... 

The main building of the Bauhaus-University in Weimar





















faculty Weimar










The Weimar Bauhaus was obliged to close in 1925 for political reasons. Walther Gropius found support for his cultural and political stance in Dessau, along with the opportunity to create a number of large-scale new buildings. These buildings are considered the symbol of Bauhaus but I haven't visited them (yet) If somebody has pics of them, I would love to see them in this thread.


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## ech wel

*Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne, France*

Unesco: 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 fortified town, with its massive defences encircling the castle and the surrounding buildings, its streets and its fine Gothic cathedral. Carcassonne is also of exceptional importance because of the lengthy restoration campaign undertaken by Viollet-le-Duc, one of the founders of the modern science of conservation.

a fairytale-like medieval town (if you think away all the tourists) 



Carcassonne was once an important bordertown between France and the Crown of Aragon hence the 3 kilometres long double surrounding walls interpersed by 52 towers.



The impressive fortifications, visible from far off in the Aude countryside, are composed of two enclosures and a 12th century count's castle, itself surrounded by fortifications. 



The Narbonne Gate with its two enormous towers is a remarkable construction designed for the art of war; the halls which are superposed on the various levels express the refinements of Gothic architecture. Also visible is a sculpture of Mme. Carcas on a column. According to legend she gave the citadel its name by ringing the bells after a siege of the town (Carcas sonner)



The historical city houses in particular the remarkable Gothic basilica of Saint-Nazaire and Saint-Celse.


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## VITORIA MAN

thanks for sharing your pics to all


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## openlyJane

Carcassonne has long been on my 'to visit' list.


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## ech wel

*Canal du Midi, France*

Unesco: 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 remarkable feats of civil engineering in modern times. Built between 1667 and 1694, it paved the way for the Industrial Revolution. The care that its creator, Pierre-Paul Riquet, took in the design and the way it blends with its surroundings turned a technical achievement into a work of art.

Map of Canal du Midi










source

Wiki: The building of a canal was an old idea. Leaders such as: Augustus, Nero, Charlemagne, Charles IX and Henry IV have dreamed of it as it is a true political and economic issue. The construction of such a structure would save vessels and goods from sailing around the Iberian Peninsula which could take a month to complete. At that time shipping was fraught with dangers such as piracy and the Barbary pirates.

Along the canal plane trees were planted and there is a path which could be used by horses who pulled the boats.



At the town of Béziers there is a staircase of eight locks at Fonsérannes to bring it to the river Orb. It allows boats to be raised a height of 21.5 m, in a distance of 300 m.



During our visit of the Fonsérannes locks a heavy thunderstorm broke out. I had to wait for over an hour in the car to be able to make some pics. Well I quess you sometimes have to be patient to make this thread a bit worthful and show what you want to show....



Several Canal Bridges were built along the route of the Canal du Midi. They allow the canal to cross rivers that could disrupt the water flow in the canal. During a better day at he office we went to see the bridge which carries the Canal du Midi over the Orb River in the city of Béziers.





Some of the locks on the canal are architectural gems. For instance the Agde Round Lock has three doors: two doors provide access to each side of the channel and the third provides access to the Hérault river going to the Mediterranean. This system allows triple access while protecting the canal from river flooding. It's a roundabout in the water sort of speak.


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## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates


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## ech wel

*The Wadden Sea, Netherlands*

Unesco: The Wadden Sea is the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world, with natural processes undisturbed throughout most of the area. It encompasses a multitude of transitional zones between land, the sea and freshwater environment, and is rich in species specially adapted to the demanding environmental conditions. It is considered one of the most important areas for migratory birds in the world, and is connected to a network of other key sites for migratory birds. Its importance is not only in the context of the East Atlantic Flyway but also in the critical role it plays in the conservation of African-Eurasian migratory waterbirds. In the Wadden Sea up to 6.1 million birds can be present at the same time, and an average of 10-12 million pass through it each year.







Wiki: The word wad is Dutch for "mud flat". The landscape has been formed for a great part by storm tides in the 10th to 14th centuries, overflowing and carrying away former peat land behind the coastal dunes. Mudflat hiking (to walk and wade on the watershed of the mudflats) is the thing to do here...not for me though


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## ech wel

*Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen, Germany*

Unesco: The Zollverein industrial complex in Land Nordrhein-Westfalen consists of the complete infrastructure of a historical coal-mining site, with some 20th-century buildings of outstanding architectural merit. It constitutes remarkable material evidence of the evolution and decline of an essential industry over the past 150 years.

Wiki: The first coal mine on the premises was founded in 1847, mining activities took place from 1851 until December 23, 1986. For decades starting in the late 1950s, the two parts of the site, Zollverein Coal Mine and Zollverein Coking Plant (erected 1957−1961, closed on June 30, 1993), ranked among the largest of their kinds in Europe. Shaft 12, built in Bauhaus style , was opened in 1932 and is considered an architectural and technical masterpiece, earning it a reputation as the “most beautiful coal mine in the world”.

Shaft 12, "the Eiffel tower of the Ruhr area". On the foreground a scale model of the plant.



When I first started to get an interest in the Unesco list it was mainly because I wanted to check which historical towns were the most attractive to visit. I used it as a guideline on my travels sort of speak. Industrial sites however were not part of my interest. I always loved to visit towns but couldn't care less about some industrial plant or factory in some whereever wasteland. But this has gradually changed a bit in the last few months. I have widened my horizon and because of my eagerness to visit as much sites as possible I decided a few weeks ago to give this site a chance. I didn't expect much of it but as I strolled along the place I actually came to like it. It's a shame that my photographic skills are low but it certainly is a place where you can take some interesting shots. 

 





Zollverein survived WW2 (as did the Rammelsbergmine in Goslar which seems a bit strange to me because they were essential for the nazi-war machine) but when it closed down in 1993 it was destined to be demolished or, in case of the coking plant, was planned to be sold to China. In the end it was thankfully saved from destruction and became a WHS in 2001. 

coking plant


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## ech wel

*Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai, Belgium*

Unesco: 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 wealth of sculpture on its capitals and a transept topped by five towers, all precursors of the Gothic style. The choir, rebuilt in the 13th century, is in the pure Gothic style.



On a WHS-hunting-trip in the south of Belgium this was the one I thought I couldn't visit in one day together with a few other sites. (Belfries, the 4 lifts, Neolithic Flint Mines and mining sites of Wallonia are all very close to eachother) But as the day developed it turned out I still had some time left and, being only half an hour away by car, I thought I might as well tick this one off too. I should have known better....

Not particularly interested in cathedrals any more since I have seen a lot allready I knew this one woul'dn't add much more since it was still undergoing renovation works and not much was to be seen. I still had to give it a try though being in the neighborhood. I should have left it. They were right about the views. One can only enter a small part of the church right now and the outside is partly hidden because of the repair works. I suppose that's all part of the game visiting old buildings. The bad part was me crashing my car in the towncenter. Just so you know, updating this thread can be a real pain in the ass.  To get a little payback I put this site on the bottom of the page. It deserves its place! 







2 sites in 1 pic. The belfry on the right belongs to the list of Belfries of Belgium and France.


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## MyGeorge

awesome thread, I should say...very educational and one of the best.


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## ech wel

Thanks a lot George! :cheers:


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## stevekeiretsu

*Canterbury Cathedral, England, UK*

Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Its formal title is the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Christ at Canterbury.

Founded in 597, the cathedral was completely rebuilt from 1070 to 1077. The east end was greatly enlarged at the beginning of the twelfth century, and largely rebuilt in the Gothic style following a fire in 1174, with significant eastward extensions to accommodate the flow of pilgrims visiting the shrine of Thomas Becket, the archbishop who was murdered in the cathedral in 1170. The Norman nave and transepts survived until the late fourteenth century, when they were demolished to make way for the present structures.


Canterbury Cathedral by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr


Queue for Canterbury Cathedral by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr


Canterbury Cathedral - site of Becket's shrine by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr


Canterbury Cathedral interior by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr


Canterbury Cathedral interior by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr


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## ech wel

Good to see you back in this thread Steve and thanks for the update!

Finally we can add another country to the list in the OP again.


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## stevekeiretsu

ech wel said:


> Good to see you back in this thread Steve and thanks for the update!
> 
> Finally we can add another country to the list in the OP again.


yes i was looking under U for UK then G for GB then E for England and was rather amazed when I realised there have been no photos from WHS sites here at all so far. 

I've actually visited/seen 12 of them but mostly as a small child so I don't have any (decent) photos. I'll try and put together something on the London ones soon, at least!


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## ech wel

Ah that would be great, looking forward to them!

I've been to the UK a few times but that was in the years before I got an interest in WHS. When I later checked I noticed that I saw 3 of the UK sites by coincidence (tower of Londen, Westminster and Liverpool). Unfortunately I lost the pics due to a computer crash....so it would be great if you could post some.


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## christos-greece

Once again, very nice updates; well done :cheers:


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## stevekeiretsu

Old Royal Naval College, the architectural centrepiece of *Maritime Greenwich*, London.

Described by UNESCO as being of "outstanding universal value" and reckoned to be the "finest and most dramatically sited architectural and landscape ensemble in the British Isles".

This is nonsense in my view as Durham Cathedral and Castle are a far more dramatically sited ensemble, but anyway, it's rather fine architecture, that I don't deny! Here it is from Island Gardens, across the Thames.





At the top of the hill behind is the Royal Observatory, from where Greenwich Meridian / Mean Time was defined. The building with the red ball is Flamsteed House, the original observatory building, designed by Sir Christopher Wren.



The view from the top of the hill is renowned, with Canary Wharf rising behind the world heritage site. This photo is a few years old, because I couldn't be bothered to go up the hill today :lol:



Back down at the Old Royal Naval College







Nearby are the Cutty Sark, and the entrance to the Greenwich foot tunnel, opened in 1902. I don't think either of these are technically part of the WHS, but I'm not entirely sure.


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## christos-greece

^^ Once again great, very nice updates


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## ech wel

Very nice update indeed! Time of posting is nice too, just when summertime started!  With a site like this, that has so much to do with time, I think it's a nice detail... 



> Nearby are the Cutty Sark, and the entrance to the Greenwich foot tunnel, opened in 1902. I don't think either of these are technically part of the WHS, but I'm not entirely sure.


Cutty Sark is part of the WHS for sure, it's mentioned in the$ inscription. I believe the foot tunnel is too judging by the map on the Unesco website. But than again, I don't know the exact location of the tunnel.


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## stevekeiretsu

Ha, the timing of the visit/post was quite accidental!

Yes, judging by that map the tunnel entrance is within the WHS boundary (right in the top left corner, next to the ship-shaped shape, which is the Cutty Sark)


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## charliewong90

great collection of heritage photos....


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## ech wel

*The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral Cultural Landscape, France*

Unesco: This 302,319 ha property, in the southern part of central France, is a mountain landscape interspersed by deep valleys that is representative of the relationship between agro-pastoral systems and their biophysical environment, notably through drailles or drove roads. Villages and substantial stone farmhouses on deep terraces of the Causses reflect the organization of large abbeys from the 11th century. Mont Lozère, inside the property, is one of the last places where summer transhumance is still practiced in the traditional way, using the drailles.

The region is mountainous with numerous narrow valleys, making conditions poorly suited to host cities, but well-suited for pastoralism. Because of its large size I think visiting the site by car is the best way to see the inscribed area. If you want to do an easy job you can take the highway that crosses the core zone but a better way off course is cruising the small roads away from the highway. A little bravery comes at hand driving these roads but it enables you to stop every now and than and enjoy the view.



One of the best natural features in the area is the Cirque de Navacelles. The Vis River eroded here a deep channel through the base of the valley, creating an incised meander which eventually eroded through creating a cut-off at the neck of the loop. This left an oxbow lake which later dried up, leaving deposits of silt and peat. This created what is the only patch of arable land for many miles around.





Too poor to host cities, too rich to be abandoned, the landscape of Causses and Cévennes are the result of the modification of the natural environment by agro-pastoral systems over a millennium.



local wildlife


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## ech wel

Sorry no photo´s from me this time but I just came across a fabulous website full of pics of Unesco-sites. Pics are way better than that I am able to produce so just have a look, you might like it. 

@ mod: I don´t know if this is allowed but if it's not....well you know what to do..:cheers:


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## ech wel

Just because I don't want to be blamed for bumping this thread.... 

*Collegiate Church, Castle and Old Town of Quedlinburg, Germany*

Unesco: 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 trading town since the Middle Ages. The number and high quality of the timber-framed buildings make Quedlinburg an exceptional example of a medieval European town. The Collegiate Church of St Servatius is one of the masterpieces of Romanesque architecture.

Villa Quitilingaburg is first mentioned in 922 in an official document of Henry I (the Fowler), who was elected (the first) German King in 919. The town owes its wealth and importance during the Middle Ages to Henry I and his successors. On the death of Henry I in 936 his widow Mathilde remained in Quedlinburg at the collegiate church of St Servatius on the Castle Hill, founded by Henry's son and successor Otto I as a collegial establishment for unmarried daughters of the nobility.

Wiki: During the Nazi regime, the memory of Henry I became a sort of cult, as Heinrich Himmler saw himself as the reincarnation of the "most German of all German" rulers. The collegiate church and castle were to be turned into a shrine for Nazi Germany.



Besides the church the importance of Quedlinburg rests on two other main elements: the preservation of the medieval street pattern and the wealth of urban vernacular buildings, especially timber-framed houses of the 16th and 17th centuries.



At the right of the pic the legendary Roland can be seen, hanging on the most right house. Wiki: Roland was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. He became an iconic figure and his life was turned into an epic tale of the noble Christian killed by Islamic forces in medieval minstrel culture. In Germany, Roland gradually became a symbol of the independence of the growing cities from the local nobility. There is also a small statue of him on the Marketplace. Another statue of Roland is located in Bremen where it is part of an other WHS (together with the town hall)


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## Maartenhj

*Thanks*



ech wel said:


> Sorry no photo´s from me this time but I just came across a fabulous website full of pics of Unesco-sites. Pics are way better than that I am able to produce so just have a look, you might like it.
> 
> @ mod: I don´t know if this is allowed but if it's not....well you know what to do..:cheers:


Hi,

Thanks for the compliment in my guestbook. As you can see I have my own website on World Heritage Sites. The sites I have visited so far are mainly in Europe. 
My hobbies are both visiting WHS and photography. You can find a lot my photos on e.g. fotopedia.com (world heritage app), fotolia.com, 500px.com and of course on my own website www.greatphotos.eu.

Good to see another initiative to show the beauty of the world heritage sites to the world. Are future lies in our past, the WHS show the most important sites of our past, so it is of the highest importance to preserve these sites for the generations to come. Websites like these can help in this preservation.

Maartenhj


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## MyGeorge

lovely photo update....love your thread.


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## christos-greece

Once again awesome, very nice photos :cheers:


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## GhostOfDorian

Here some photos of the fortification of Neuf-Brisach built by Vauban. Several of Vaubans fortifications in France together became world heritage a few years ago.


Neu-Breisach 4-1 von GhostOfDorian auf Flickr


Neu-Breisach 3-1 von GhostOfDorian auf Flickr

Porte Vauban, the ship in front is an installation of the artist Helmut Lutz from (Old-) Breisach.


Neu-Breisach 2-1 von GhostOfDorian auf Flickr 


Neu-Breisach 1-1 von GhostOfDorian auf Flickr


Neu-Breisach 5-1 von GhostOfDorian auf Flickr


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## ech wel

^Great!kay:

Thanks GOD


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## christos-greece

Lovely, amazing, very nice new photos


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## GhostOfDorian

Thank you Christos

Some more pictures of Neuf-Brisach


Neu-Breisach 9-1 von GhostOfDorian auf Flickr

Porte de Colmar


Neu-Breisach 6 von GhostOfDorian auf Flickr


Neu-Breisach 10-1 von GhostOfDorian auf Flickr


Neu-Breisach 8-1 von GhostOfDorian auf Flickr


Neu-Breisach 7-1 von GhostOfDorian auf Flickr


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## ech wel

The third town of the Val di Noto we visited was Caltagirone. It is situated on a hill and was not as clean as Noto. In fact, there seemed to be quite some maintenance to do in town. That said, for us it was the town with the most character.

Unesco: Caltagirone is significant for its multifaceted town planning and architectural facades, and for its unusual link between the pre- and post-1693 periods. Its rich architecture exists inside an urban context resulting from the configuration of the site. The most important buildings include the churches of Santa Maria del Monte, St James the Apostle, St Joseph, St Dominic, the Holy Saviour, St Chiara and St Rita, Jesus, St Stephen, and St Francis of Assisi and, among secular buildings, the Corte Capitanale, Civic Museum, former Pawnshop, and San Francesco Bridge.

On the foreground you see the tower and dome of St James the Apostle, in the back the towers of the church of Santa Maria del Monte



Caltagironeby ech_wel, on Flickr

San Francesco bridge and (in the back) church



Caltagirone San Francesco bridge and church by ech_wel, on Flickr

A view on the same churchtowers from the famous stairs of the town.



Caltagirone view from stairs by ech_wel, on Flickr

The city has been long famous for the production of pottery, particularly maiolica and terra-cotta wares. The main landmark of the city is the 142-step monumental Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte, built from 1608 in the old part of the town. The peculiarity is that each step is decorated with different hand-decorated ceramics, using styles and figures derived from the millennial tradition of pottery making.



Caltagirone stairs by ech_wel, on Flickr

Church of the Gesù (1570). The façade has eight statues portraying saints and the Madonna with Child.



Caltagirone church Jesus by ech_wel, on Flickr

superb decorated balcony



Caltagirone balcony by ech_wel, on Flickr


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## ech wel

The last town we visited was Catania, much bigger than the rest of the towns and certainly the one with the most beautiful piazza.

Unesco: Catania acquired a particular quality of urban design when it was rebuilt on a comprehensive, geometric unitary plan amid the rubble of the destroyed city. At its core are the outstanding Piazza del Duomo and the Via dei Crociferi, together with the nearby Badia de Sant'Agata, Collegiata, Benedictine monastery, and Palazzo Biscari.

Piazza del Duomo and the church badia di Sant'Agata. On the left is the elephant fountain, symbol of the city. The ancient lavic stone elephant is carrying an Egyptian obelisk on its back. Both items were found after the quake on the rubble of the town and got their new place on the piazza. They represent the survial of the city, the cross on top is there to protect the town from more misfortune.



Catania Piazza del Duomo by ech_wel, on Flickr



honniemooen 881 by ech_wel, on Flickr

The cathedral is dedicated to saint Agathe, in the facade her niche is visible (behind the man)



Catania cathedral by ech_wel, on Flickr

Basilica della Collegiata, a typical example of Sicilian baroque



Collegiata church by ech_wel, on Flickr

Via dei Crociferi



honniemooen 989 by ech_wel, on Flickr


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## ech wel

*Archaeological Area of Agrigento, Italy*

The first appearance of the ancient Greeks in this thread although the site is located in nowadays Sicily, Italy.. This is probably one of those sites most people think of when asked to describe a Unesco-site, ancient temples , stones and ruins. This is what Unesco says about it:

Agrigento was one of the greatest cities of the ancient Mediterranean world, and it has been preserved in an exceptionally intact condition. Its great row of Doric temples is one of the most outstanding monuments of Greek art and culture.

Agrigento (or Akragas) was founded in the 6th century BC by Greek settlers originating from Rhodes and Crete. Here beneath is pictured the Olympeion field, it was the location of the temple of the Olympian Zeus, once one of the biggest Greek temples in the ancient world



Agrigento by ech_wel, on Flickr

This archeological site is rather large, according to Wiki even the largest in the world, and contains 7 Doric temples. 

The symbol of Agrigento is the Temple of Castor and Pollux which is in a fact a modern reconstruction from the early 19th century



Agrigento by ech_wel, on Flickr

The so-called Temple of Concord is the most impressive surviving Doric temple on site and only second in the Greek world after the Parthenon in Athens. It has survived to a remarkable degree owing to its having been adapted for use as a church in the 6th century AD



Agrigento by ech_wel, on Flickr

The most ancient one on site is the Temple of Heracles 



Agrigento by ech_wel, on Flickr

The Temple of Juno (or Hera) is at the top of the ridge of all the temples, it oversees all the others.



Agrigento by ech_wel, on Flickr


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## openlyJane

Fantastic Sicilian photographs. I know Sicily is officially Italy - but I have a hard time thinking of it as anything other than itself.....

Yes, Noto is like a perfect stage set - but perhaps Modica has more character? I will be staying in Ragusa Ibla this summer - and am very much looking forward to that. Photos will follow!


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## neil02

Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines

Calle Crisologo in Black and White by neilevangelista, on Flickr


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## neil02

Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines

Calle Crisologo by neilevangelista, on Flickr


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## neil02

Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines

Vigan at night by neilevangelista, on Flickr

Vigan by neilevangelista, on Flickr


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## neil02

Antique shops along Calle Crisologo by neilevangelista, on Flickr

Calle Crisologo Vigan by neilevangelista, on Flickr


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## neil02

Calle Crisologo Vigan by neilevangelista, on Flickr

Calesa along Crisologo street in Vigan by neilevangelista, on Flickr


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## neil02

Calesa, Caballero tree, Capiz shell windows and Terracotta roof. by neilevangelista, on Flickr

Calesa ride along Crisologo street, Vigan by neilevangelista, on Flickr


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## GhostOfDorian

I don't want to turn this thread into an album of the Grande Ile of Strasbourg, but I will show you the best of my pictures and the best of the buildings one can see there. For those who are interested in more, I published my pictures in those separate threads.

English: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1669715&page=2
French: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1669683
German: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1678502

The baroque Palais Rohan next to the cathedral.


Palais Rohan 8-1 von GhostOfDorian auf Flickr


Palais Rohan 6-2 von GhostOfDorian auf Flickr


Palais Rohan 9-1 von GhostOfDorian auf Flickr


Palais Rohan 4-1 von GhostOfDorian auf Flickr


Palais Rohan 3-1 von GhostOfDorian auf Flickr


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## ech wel

Great, the first Asian Unesco-site in this thread! :banana:

Nice updates neil02 and GhostOfDorian :cheers:


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## ech wel

*Major Mining Sites of Wallonia, Belgium*

Mining is pretty popular on the Unesco-list. This site consists of four separate places: Le Grand-Hornu, Bois-du-Luc, Bois du Cazier and the mine of Blegny. We've only visited Le Grand-Hornu and did not expect much of it but, like Zollverein, when we walked the ground we came to like it. It certainly is something different than world famous sites like the great wall in China or the pyramids in Egypt but that makes the list so much more interesting IMO 

Unesco: The four sites of the property form a strip 170 km long by 3–15 km wide, crossing Belgium from east to west, consisting of the best-preserved 19th- and 20th-century coal-mining sites of the country. It features examples of the utopian architecture from the early periods of the industrial era in Europe within a highly integrated, industrial and urban ensemble, notably the Grand-Hornu colliery and workers’ city designed by Bruno Renard in the first half of the 19th century.

Entrance



Hornu by ech_wel, on Flickr

The main area of Grand-Hornu is an oval square, surrounded by former ateliers, offices and a building that housed the steam machine. Most of the construction is made of brick.



Hornu by ech_wel, on Flickr



Hornu by ech_wel, on Flickr



Hornu by ech_wel, on Flickr

It was built by Henri De Gorge between 1810 and 1830 as was 400 houses for workers built in a model town surrounding the site. It is an prime example of functional town-planning and social values, the town included a school and a hospital which was quite unique for this time. The houses were all designed a like except the one for the owner of the place, who had its own "palace".



Hornu by ech_wel, on Flickr

Henri De Gorge is honoured with a statue in the middle of the site



Hornu by ech_wel, on Flickr


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## GhostOfDorian

Petite France at Grand Ile of Strasbourg in France.


Petite France 1-1 by GhostOfDorian, on Flickr


Petite France 6-1 by GhostOfDorian, on Flickr

Barrage Vauban


Barrage Vauban 1-1 by GhostOfDorian, on Flickr

House facades next to the cathedral


Place de la Cathédrale 2-1 by GhostOfDorian, on Flickr

Ponts Couvert


Ponts Couvert 1-1 by GhostOfDorian, on Flickr


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## GhostOfDorian

Island of Reichenau at Lake Constance.


Reichenau 4-1 by GhostOfDorian, on Flickr


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## christos-greece

^^ Great, very nice updates :cheers:


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## ech wel

*Van Nellefabriek, Netherlands*

Located in my hometown Rotterdam this site was as recently added as june 2014. Rotterdam is liked to be known as a city of architecture, especially modern architecture that is because the old city center was flattened during WW2 and not much of the old stuff was left. That said, the building inscribed was built before the war (between 1925 and 1931) but has the looks of a modern building. It is considered as an icon of the Modern Movement. 

Rotterdam has the largest port of Europe, therefore it is nice that this element of Rotterdam is also seen in its WHS. The factory also represents the Netherlands world wide trade of goods made possible by its shipping and harbours. 

Unesco: Van Nellefabriek was designed and built in the 1920s on the banks of a canal in the Spaanse Polder industrial zone north-west of Rotterdam. The site is one of the icons of 20th-century industrial architecture, comprising a complex of factories, with façades consisting essentially of steel and glass, making large-scale use of the curtain wall principle. It was conceived as an ‘ideal factory’, open to the outside world, whose interior working spaces evolved according to need, and in which daylight was used to provide pleasant working conditions. It embodies the new kind of factory that became a symbol of the modernist and functionalist culture of the inter-war period and bears witness to the long commercial and industrial history of the Netherlands in the field of importation and processing of food products from tropical countries, and their industrial processing for marketing in Europe.



van Nelle by ech_wel, on Flickr



van Nelle by ech_wel, on Flickr



van Nelle by ech_wel, on Flickr



van Nelle by ech_wel, on Flickr



van Nelle by ech_wel, on Flickr


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## GhostOfDorian

The monastery island of Reichenau in the middle of Lake Constance. The church of St. Georg dates back to around 900 A.D.


Reichenau 2-1 by GhostOfDorian, on Flickr


Reichenau 1-1 by GhostOfDorian, on Flickr


Reichenau 3-1 by GhostOfDorian, on Flickr


Reichenau 4-1 by GhostOfDorian, on Flickr


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## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates for once again :cheers:


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## GhostOfDorian

The oldest parts of the cathedral of Reichenau date back to 800 A.D. There one finds also the former monastery building.


Reichenau 7-1 by GhostOfDorian, on Flickr


Reichenau 8-1 by GhostOfDorian, on Flickr


Reichenau 6-1 by GhostOfDorian, on Flickr


Reichenau 5-1 by GhostOfDorian, on Flickr


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## stevekeiretsu

*Heart of Neolithic Orkney*, Scotland, UK

I'm going to bend a few rules in this post but hopefully it will be worth it 

the inscription states: _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 settlement (Skara Brae), together with a number of unexcavated burial, ceremonial and settlement sites. The group constitutes a major prehistoric cultural landscape which gives a graphic depiction of life in this remote archipelago in the far north of Scotland some 5,000 years ago._

As there are four separate sites within the Site, I will post a handful of pics from each site. As the 5 pics rule was to keep it varied, hopefully it be varied enough anyway as the sites are different.

Heading roughly from east to west:

*Maeshowe* is a Neolithic chambered cairn and passage grave situated on Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. It was probably built in around 2800 BC.

The entrance passage is 36 feet (11 m) long and leads to the central almost square chamber measuring about 15 feet (4.6 m) on each side. The current height of the chamber is 12.5 feet (3.8 m). It is aligned so that the rear wall of its central chamber is illuminated on the winter solstice. 

On the solstice the setting sun also aligns with the 'Barnhouse Stone', about 700m away, seen in the photos below.

Unfortunately photography inside is forbidden, so I can't show you the extensive runes carved by Vikings who broke in in the 12th century.

Tour party at Maeshowe's entrance by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Maeshowe in its agricultural context by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Maeshowe and Barnhouse Stone by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Next...

*Standing Stones of Stenness*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standing_Stones_of_Stenness

This stone circle is possibly the oldest henge monument in Britain. Only four megaliths remain, but the largest is 6 metres (19 ft) high.

Standing Stones of Stenness by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Standing Stones of Stenness by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Standing Stones of Stenness by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Very close by, 'guarding' the narrow isthmus between the Loch of Stenness and the Loch of Harray, is the Watchstone.

The Watchstone by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Crossing the isthmus, it is a short walk before we reach the *Ness of Brodgar*.

This is where I bend the rules again, because this site isn't explicitly mentioned in the UNESCO listing. However, there's one simple reason for that: the listing was in 1999, and this site was only discovered in 2003. 

Only a fraction has been excavated so far, and excavations continue each summer (seen below). However it is already clear that this site is of massive importance, at least equal to any of the other four, so I think it is only a matter of time before the UNESCO listing is updated to explicitly include it.

The purpose of the building is not yet entirely clear but due to its great size and evidence of large-scale animal sacrifice/feasting it has been theorised as a temple or cathedral of some sort.

Excavations at the Ness of Brodgar by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Excavations at the Ness of Brodgar by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Another short walk and we approach the *Ring of Brodgar*.

This stone circle is 104 metres (341 ft) in diameter, the third largest in the British Isles. It is thought to have been built between 2500 BC and 2000 BC. It originally had 60 stones, of which 27 remain.

Ring of Brodgar, showing ditch/bank by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Ring of Brodgar by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Ring of Brodgar by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Ring of Brodgar by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Ring of Brodgar by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Finally, about 8 miles away, right on the western (Atlantic) coast of the island lies *Skara Brae*.

Europe's most complete Neolithic village, it consists of eight clustered houses, even including preserved stone furniture, and was occupied from roughly 3180 BCE–2500 BCE. It is linked to the previous monuments by the shared presence of distinctive pottery.

Skara Brae by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Skara Brae - house 1 by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Skara Brae - house 5 by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

I'll be posting more in my Orkney thread.


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## ech wel

> I'm going to bend a few rules in this post but hopefully it will be worth it


It definitely is! :cheers:

I have Always been fascinated about these kind of sites with megalithic monuments. It's the mystery surrounding these places that captivates me. How were the ancients capable of moving stones weighing up to multiple tons and building monuments like this? It needs organisation, menpower and time. But all I've learned in school about these people was that they lived a very primitive life spending all their time hunting animals and gathering food. 

Megalithic monuments have been found all over the world and some of them have made the list. I guess the most famous of them is Stonehenge and you've already posted the Megalithic Temples of Malta. Other examples are the stele of Aksum in Ethiopia, Qhapaq Ñan-the walls of Ollantaytambo in Peru, the stone figures of Rapa Nui in Chile and the Stone Spheres in Costa Rica. And than there are ancient constructions with some monolithic stones like some of the monuments in Egypt or of the Inca's, the 3 stones at the bottom of the Jupiter temple in Baalbek (around 800 tons) and stones used in the walls of Jerusalem. Very intriguing.

About Orkney; coincedentally I´ve just read an article about the site in National Geographic stating the excavations of Ness of Brodgar will change our view of how people lived 5000 years ago. It was compared by importance with some classical excavations around the Mediterranean like the Acropolis in Athens except that these findings are 2500 years older. A truly magnificent site. 

You also stated that the monuments are positioned in a way to catch the rays of the sun during winter solstice. This element of the sun is also something you see in quite some ancient WHS monuments. (Stonehenge, Nubian monuments, Brú na Bóinne, Chichen-Itza and some others) All very interesting stuff imo! 

Thanks for posting!


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## stevekeiretsu

ech wel said:


> It definitely is! :cheers:
> 
> I have Always been fascinated about these kind of sites with megalithic monuments. It's the mystery surrounding these places that captivates me. How were the ancients capable of moving stones weighing up to multiple tons and building monuments like this? It needs organisation, menpower and time.


Indeed, this fascinates me as well. Our tour guide said it was estimated that Maeshowe would have required 100,000 man hours to construct!



> But all I've learned in school about these people was that they lived a very primitive life spending all their time hunting animals and gathering food.


From what I gather regarding Orkney, the density and sophistication of their buildings is possibly because they had 'an easy life' in this regard. It's very fertile farmland, plus there are all the resources of the sea and lochs. the idea seems to be that food was plentiful allowing more time for culture and architecture etc




> Megalithic monuments have been found all over the world and some of them have made the list. I guess the most famous of them is Stonehenge and you've already posted the Megalithic Temples of Malta. Other examples are the stele of Aksum in Ethiopia, Qhapaq Ñan-the walls of Ollantaytambo in Peru, the stone figures of Rapa Nui in Chile and the Stone Spheres in Costa Rica. And than there are ancient constructions with some monolithic stones like some of the monuments in Egypt or of the Inca's, the 3 stones at the bottom of the Jupiter temple in Baalbek (around 800 tons) and stones used in the walls of Jerusalem. Very intriguing.


i must admit, except for the Stone Spheres, I have not heard of any of these non-european ones. I've been a fairly eurocentric traveller so far! I will have to read up on these and maybe it'll inspire me to go visit...



> About Orkney; coincedentally I´ve just read an article about the site in National Geographic stating the excavations of Ness of Brodgar will change our view of how people lived 5000 years ago. It was compared by importance with some classical excavations around the Mediterranean like the Acropolis in Athens except that these findings are 2500 years older. A truly magnificent site.


Aha, not entirely coincidental! I considered visiting Orkney a few years ago (when I was dating an archaeology/anthropology nerd) but circumstances didnt work out. I subscribe to Nat Geo magazine and when that issue came through it reminded me of the idea, so off I went.

This is the feature if anyone else wants to read it.


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## ech wel

Fun thing to read about NG 

I suppose there is a lot to discover about the ancients and their capability of moving these megaliths. It's not only that they managed to move these stones from far away, some structures consists from stones cut with right angles and sharp corners. How was that done with the primitive tools they had. 

Examples of "cyclopean masonry" have been found all over the world. In fact, the world is littered with these kind of structures. Dolmen are found everywhere (only on the Korean peninsula there are thousands). In Holland they are known as hunebeds, the only megalithic structure I've seen in real life so far. France is well known for its menhirs (Obelix used to carry them around) and Carnac is probably the most famous site. Stone circles (or henges) and pyramids are not rare at all. And as said before, many of these monuments seem to be connected with sun-and moonrise and the changing of the seasons. All very interesting but also sometimes surrounded by obscure theories like it was built by aliens and that kind of shit.


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## stevekeiretsu

I just discovered I visited a WHS last december without realising it

*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% primary forest. It contains a unique suite of plants and animals..._

Rabaçal valley by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Spot the path #2 by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

_The property also contains an important testimony of human use. The settlers of Madeira constructed *water channels, known as levadas, which run through the forest* following the contours of the landscape, and clinging to the cliffs and steep-sided valleys. Typically 80-150 cm wide and constructed of stone or more recently concrete, they carry water from the forest to hydropower stations and to the towns of the south, where they provide essential drinking water and irrigation supplies._

Levada das 25 Fontes by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Sun-dappled Levada das 25 Fontes #1 by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr


_Ancient trees in the valley bottoms, *waterfalls and cliffs add to the experience* of the values of the property._

First sight of a waterfall by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

Risco waterfall by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

_endemic animals include [... a] subspecies of chaffinch_

Tame Madeiran Chaffinch at Balcoes by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr


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## christos-greece

Once again great, very nice updates :cheers:


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## ech wel

Great update Steve! I was `collecting` some new sites myself the last few days so couldn´t give a proper comment before.  Laurisilva isn't a site that frequently visited so that makes this post very interesting I think..

As we are slowly (but surely) approaching 100 different sites in this thread it might be of some interest to give some comments about that fact as well. There is this site I follow where they keep a ranking of the sites best and least visited by fellow WHS-enthusiastics. The top 25 of this ranking is: 

1.Paris, Banks of the Seine - 411
2.Tower of London - 376
3.Westminster - 374
4.Rome - 352
5.Venice and its Lagoon - 333
6.Prague - 317
7.Florence - 314
8.Vienna - 310
9.Vatican City - 308
10.Grand Place, Brussels - 307
11.Versailles - 306
12.Statue of Liberty - 296
13.Piazza del Duomo (Pisa) - 287
14.Brugge - 273
15.Amsterdam Canal Ring - 269
16.Budapest - 266
17.Works of Antoni Gaudí - 263
18.Cologne Cathedral - 260
19.City of Luxembourg - 242
20.Schönbrunn - 241
21.Istanbul - 238
22.Salzburg - 238
23.Edinburgh - 231
24.Acropolis - 226
25.Stonehenge - 220

The number behind the name of the site is the number of members (of which there are now 607) who have visited the world heritage. Of the above list 12 sites have been pictured in this thread. (the ones in red)

Most remarkable to me is that we haven't seen pics of sites which are flooded every year with tourists such as Rome, Venice, London, NY and Vienna. When I started this thread I thought sites like that would quickly get their dedicated posts. But, so far, that turned out to be false. I have personally visited both Rome and London but lost the pics due to a computercrash... The good news is that I´ve just came back from Vienna. (So Schonbrunn and Vienna will soon be written in red! )

Laurasilva is, according to that list, no. 582. Out of a total of 1007 that is a quite low ranking, certainly if you keep in mind that it is an European site. You won't find that many European sites lower than that.

The site with the lowest ranking in this thread is, surprisingly, "Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores". It's also registered as an European site and its location is, just like Laurasilva, a Portugese island far from the mainland. (there is no such thing as coincidence I guess..)It has no. 791. That is especially low if you think of the fact that sites lower on the list than 716 have not been visited more than 20 times by the members of this site (and there are some fanatics overthere). Roughly you could say that the first 400 sites get their visits, between 400-600 visits are not that often and lower than that they are very rare.

The top 5 of least visited sites in this thread is:

791: Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores
729: van Nellefabriek (an European site but its low ranking is easily explainable since it's only a WHS for a few months, it will definitely rise in the list)
712: Lake Malawi National Park (a bit dubious as I've only posted pics of my fishtank not of the site itself)
646. Historic Town of Vigan

Ok, enough of the statistics for now, let's go for some new photos...


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## ech wel

*Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn, Austria*

A very well known world heritage site I think. As said above I have just been back from my visit to Vienna. Apart from the city itself Vienna has another WHS to offer namely the formidable palace of the former rulers of the Habsburg empire; Schönbrunn. It is no. 20 of the list mentioned earlier so that makes this post already outdated.

During our stay in Vienna it never stopped raining apart from a few hours visiting Schönbrunn. Sadly that wasn't the worst part of our visit. On our way back home we were witness of a horrific accident on Germany's A3 motorway. We were the first who were able to stop in time to avoid crashing into the cars in front of us. Unfortunately others were not that lucky. At least three people died just in front of our eyes.....Very, very sad.

Unesco: From the 18th century to 1918, Schönbrunn was the residence of the Habsburg emperors. It was designed by the architects Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Nicolaus Pacassi and is full of outstanding examples of decorative art. Together with its gardens, the site of the world’s first zoo in 1752, it is a remarkable Baroque ensemble and a perfect example of Gesamtkunstwerk.

Front of the palace, one of the most impressive and well preserved Baroque ensembles of its kind in Europe.



Schonbrunn by ech_wel, on Flickr

Neptune Fountain and Gloriette in the background. The ample Baroque gardens with their buildings (Gloriette, Roman ruins etc.) and statuary testify to the palace's imperial dimensions and functions. The original intention, when they were laid out in the 18th century, was to combine the glorification of the House of Habsburg with a homage to nature. 



Schonbrunn by ech_wel, on Flickr 

View from behind the Neptune fountain to the rear of the palace.



Schonbrunn by ech_wel, on Flickr

According to Unesco it is impossible to separate the gardens from the palace, of which they form an organic extension: this is an excellent example of the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, a masterly fusion of many art forms. 

The gardens are littered with statues and fountains. As said it's also home to world's first zoo. Definately worth a visit. The "tiergarten" is one of a few housing giant panda's and where else can you see baroque buildings like the imperial breakfast pavilion.

There was the rain again...



Schonbrunn by ech_wel, on Flickr

Ever seen a ceiling like this in a zoo?



Schonbrunn by ech_wel, on Flickr

Another famous building in the gardens is the Great Palm House, an impressive iron-framed structure, 114 m long and divided into three Sections, erected in 1880 using technology developed in England.



Schonbrunn by ech_wel, on Flickr


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## ech wel

Always appreciate the likes of both of you mb92 and VITORIA MAN! :cheers:


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## ech wel

*Historic Centre of Telč, Czech Republic*

Unesco: 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 further strengthened by a network of artificial ponds.

The later Middle Ages in central Europe saw the 'plantation' of planned settlements in areas of virgin forest for reasons of political control and economic expansion, and Telč is the best-preserved surviving example. It preserves its original layout and the castle-settlement relationship very clearly.



Telc by ech_wel, on Flickr

Telč is also an architectural and artistic ensemble of outstanding quality. The quality of the architecture is high, particularly the Renaissance market place and chateau. Its triangular market place possesses great beauty and harmony as well as great cultural importance, surrounded as it is by intact and well-preserved Renaissance buildings with a dazzling variety of facades.



Telc by ech_wel, on Flickr



Telc by ech_wel, on Flickr

Nice market place indeed but they might wanna loose the carpark on it...



Telc by ech_wel, on Flickr

Detail of the plaque column. These baroque monuments can be found all over Central-Europe and were mostly erected to celebrate the victory over the Turks. Because of the connection of war and plaque they later on were mostly remembered as plaque columns.



Telc by ech_wel, on Flickr


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## VITORIA MAN

i've been there , really amanzing town


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## mmahmood

*Rohtas Fort, District Jehlum Pakistan*

*UNESCO: *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. It was never taken by storm and has survived intact to the present day. The main fortifications consist of the massive walls, which extend for more than 4 km; they are lined with bastions and pierced by monumental gateways. Rohtas Fort, also called Qila Rohtas, is an exceptional example of early Muslim military architecture in Central and South Asia.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/586

The archeological site is about two hours ride form capital city of Islamabad due south on great Grand Trunk Road which once ran through the vast lengh and breadth of Mughal Empire of india from Kabul to Dehli and beyond. The fort is basically built to be cantonment and last hurdle to the invaders from Afghanistan and beyond to the fertile lands of Punjab. 

Photographs posted are from two separate visits of mine 4 years apart.

1) The Langar Khani Gate










2) The Sohail Gate










3) View of fortification wall










4) The Tallaqi Gate










5) The Kabuli Gate with well at bottom of photograph










Regards,
Muhammad Mahmood


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## ech wel

^^ Well to bring you all back to what I said about the list I´ve spoken off in post 251, the Rohtas Fort takes in no 938! A WHS not very well visited at all!

Very nice update Muhammad Mahmood, thanks a lot! :banana:


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## mmahmood

*The Lahore Fort, Punjab Province Pakistan*

*Wiki:* The Lahore Fort, locally referred to as Shahi Qila (Punjabi, Urdu: شاہی قلعہ‎) is citadel of the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.[1] It is located in the northwestern corner of the Walled City of Lahore in Iqbal Park which is one of the largest urban parks in Pakistan. The trapezoidal composition is spread over 20 hectares.

Origins of the fort go as far back as antiquity, however, the existing base structure was built during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar between 1556–1605 and was regularly upgraded by subsequent Mughal, Sikh and British rulers. It has two gates one is known as Alamgiri Gate build by Emperor Aurangzeb which opens towards Badshahi Mosque and other older one known as Maseeti (Punjabi language word means of Masjid) or Masjidi Gate which opens towards Masti Gate Area of Walled City and was built by Emperor Akbar. Currently Alamgiri Gate is used as the principal entrance while Masti Gate is permanently closed .The fort manifests the rich traditions of Mughal architecture.[2] Some of the famous sites inside the fort include: Sheesh Mahal, Alamgiri Gate, Naulakha pavilion, and Moti Masjid. In 1981, the fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Shalimar Gardens.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahore_Fort

Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan, the city of gardens and only one line can sum up the city that is ( translated as ) "If someone has not seen the city of Lahore, he/she has not seen anything in the world" rightly so and i proudly present my hometown, my brith place to rest of the world 

1) Aalamgiri Gate, Lahore Fort
Alamgiri Gate Lahore Fort by muhammad mahmood, on Flickr

2) Dancing Girls of Palace of Mirrors
Dancing Girls of Lahore Fort by muhammad mahmood, on Flickr

3) The Palace of Mirrors (Sheesh Mahal)









4) Naulakha Pavilion









5) Entrance to ladies court










Regards,
Muhammad Mahmood


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## mmahmood

ech wel said:


> ^^ Well to bring you all back to what I said about the list I´ve spoken off in post 251, the Rohtas Fort takes in no 938! A WHS not very well visited at all!
> 
> Very nice update Muhammad Mahmood, thanks a lot! :banana:


you are most welcome and i am pleased to make presence for my country on the list on first post of the thread


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## mmahmood

@ech wel
good to see two WHS entries from Pakistan in opening post,

here i would like to clear bit of information regarding listing of Lahore fort and Shalimar gardens on UNESCO website as one entry, These are two different archeological sites within Lahore city but at a distance of like 5 or 6 Kilometers in between them, perhaps UNESCO has listed them in single entry because of presence in one city, 

I would appreciate if you edit the listing in first post and exclude Shalimar Gardens from it.


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## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates as always :cheers:


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## Premislida

Really interesting!


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## ech wel

The devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that violently shook Nepal on Saturday left more than human casualties in its wake. Of course the most tragic news was the loss of life but Nepal also saw a number of its iconic UNESCO World Heritage sites (some dating more than 1,700 years) reduced to piles of rubble.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...quake-reduces-world-heritage-sites-to-rubble/

Edit: some more photos before-after

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32472307

and a drone video

http://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2015/04/27/nepal-curnow-drone-video.cnn


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## ech wel

*Mount Etna, Italy*

The recent disaster in Nepal showed us once again how cruel nature can be. But as we all know nature can be beautiful as well. Mount Etna is a bit of both worlds.

Of the 1007 sites 197 are natural and 31 mixed properties (both cultural as well as natural). So far we haven't seen much nature which I think is a bit of a miss. It would be great to see some of the great wildlife of which Africa is best known or what about pictureperfect desert-, arctic-, mountain or tropical rainforest landscapes? I had a look at the OP and only counted 9. (Plitvice, Wadden Sea, Beech forests, Isole Eolie, Dolomites, Laurisilva, Lake Malawi, Teide and Doñana)

Unesco: Mount Etna is an iconic site encompassing 19,237 uninhabited hectares on the highest part of Mount Etna, on the eastern coast of Sicily. Mount Etna is the highest Mediterranean island mountain and the most active stratovolcano in the world. The eruptive history of the volcano can be traced back 500,000 years and at least 2,700 years of this activity has been documented.

Etna in the back seen from the ancient Greek theater of Taormina. A well known shot.



Etna by ech_wel, on Flickr

Let's have a closer look and drive up the mountain. Some house which was overrun with lava during an earlier eruption. Many flowers are growing here. The volcano also supports important terrestrial ecosystems including endemic flora and fauna and its activity makes it a natural laboratory for the study of ecological and biological processes.



Etna by ech_wel, on Flickr

Further up you have to park your car. Etna was a bit grumpy during our visit. The temperature dropped from 30 to about 16 degrees. The sun was gone and she made an angry noise all the time. It really is alive...



Etna by ech_wel, on Flickr

In the back one can see the cable car which brings you further to the top.



Etna by ech_wel, on Flickr

on the top in bad weather conditions. It was june but wet snow and hailstones rained down on us.



Etna by ech_wel, on Flickr



Etna by ech_wel, on Flickr

During our two week visit the volcano was active all the time, you could see smokeplumes coming out of it and hear thunderlike noises. At night you could see flames and on one of those nights the lava came actually down the mountain. The shot was taken from the balcony of our appartment. Too bad nightshots are something me and my camera are not very capable of...but still, you'll get an idea. In real life though it looked much more spectacular.

We felt very lucky to experience such a thing and had a great night looking at this natural phenomenon with cold drinks, some cheese and prosciutta!



Etna by ech_wel, on Flickr


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## AlbertoZH

Alhambra-Generalife y Mosteiro dos Jerónimos - lugare miticos !


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## IThomas

Good thread. I come from Italy and it is always a pleasure to go around and visit secret places of my country. BTW This discussion is dedicated to UNESCO world heritage sites, so I'll introduce a new one. 

*The city of Verona*

The city is located in Veneto region (north-east Italy) between stunning destinations of Garda Lake and the nearest big cities of Vicenza, Padua and Venice. The place is not so far from my sister live. Here I knowed a pretty guy some time ago...  In summer, the city was amazing during the day, while romantic during the night! Elegant cafés and ancient osterie, craftsman shops and high couture shops enliven city life. Verona is a man-sized city with a welcoming atmosphere.

I'll post few pics, but the place worth a visit for sure. An incredible architecture, sculpure, painting collection!

***

Date of inscription: 2000

The historic city 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 the Republic of Venice from the 15th to 18th centuries. Verona has preserved a remarkable number of monuments from antiquity, the medieval and Renaissance periods, and represents an outstanding example of a military stronghold.

The heart of Verona is the ensemble consisting of the *Piazza delle Erbe* and the *Piazza dei Signori*, with their historic buildings, including the Palazzo del Comune, Palazzo del Governo, Loggia del Consiglio, Arche Scaligere and Domus Nova. The Piazza Bra has a number of classicist buildings.









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Verona is also one of the richest cities in Roman remains. These include the Porta Borsari, a city gate at the beginning of the decumanus maximus; the Porta Leoni, only half of which remains, attached to a later building; the Arco dei Gavi, dismantled in the Napoleonic period and rebuilt next to Castelvecchio in the 1930s; the *Ponte Pietra*...








...the Roman theatre, excavated in the mid-19th century and restored for use in spectacles; and the *Amphitheatre Arena*, the second-largest after the Colosseum in Rome (originally a wall of three orders surrounded it, but this collapsed in an earthquake in the 12th century).









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## IThomas

^^ Verona

In the Romanesque period (8th-12th centuries), the church of San Giovanni in Valle was built on the ruins of previous buildings. The interior has three aisles and there is pre-Romanesque crypt. The elevations of the church of San Lorenzo consist of a mixture of materials, tuff in the lower parts, and tuff and brick alternating in the upper part. The entrance has a Renaissance porch.. The *church of San Fermo* was built from tuff and brick on the remains of an earlier basilica of the 8th century. The tombs are on the exterior; the church has small arches, tall windows, ample staircases, and a beautiful Romanesque porch. 









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The *Cathedral (Duomo)* was first built in the 6th century but rebuilt in the 12th century after an earthquake. The facade, completed in the 14th century, is in Verona marble and has bas-reliefs representing sacred and profane episodes of different types. There is a fine 12th-century cloister with arcades on double colonnades.









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According to legend, at a site above his tomb along the Via Gallica, a first small church was erected by Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths. Erection of the present *Basilica of San Zeno* and associated monastery began in the 9th century. This edifice was damaged or destroyed by a Magyar invasion. In 967, a new Romanesque edifice was built by Bishop Raterius, with the patronage of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor. After an earthquake, the church was restored and enlarged in 1138. Work was completed in 1398 with the reconstruction of the roof and of the Gothic-style apse.









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## IThomas

^^ Verona

During the Scaliger period (13th-14th centuries), the *church of Sant'Anastasia *was built by the Dominicans; its facade remained incomplete. The *Arche Scaligere* is the cemetery of the Scaliger family, close to the Piazza dei Signori. 









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*Castelvecchio* is the fortified residence of the Scaliger family, built at the time of Cangrande II over a previous fortification. The House of Juliet is a small genuine medieval palace; *a balcony* was added in the 1930s, inspired by Shakespeare's drama. The House of Romeo is a medieval complex, greatly transformed in later periods, and relatively little remains from the original building.









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There are also numerous buildings that date from the Renaissance in the centre of Verona: the churches of Santi Nazaro e Celso, Santa Maria in Organo, *San Giorgio*, San Tommaso, San Bernardino, and Sant'Eufemia. There are the palaces of Canossa, Pompei and Bevilacqua, the gates of Porta Palio, Porta Nuova, Porta Vescovo and Porta San Zeno, as well as the Bishop's Palace and the Giusti Garden and Palace. From the Austrian period of the 19th century, notable buildings include the *Castel San Pietro* and the Caserma Santa Marta.









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## ech wel

Wow Verona is looking great, Italy has some really outstanding world heritage sites.

Thanks for your time and effort to contribute to this thread but, if you´d like to post more in the future, please add only pictures you´ve made yourself. Sorry to be so harsh but that´s what this thread is all about. :cheers:


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## DWest

wonderful! one of the best threads.


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## ech wel

*Neolithic Flint Mines at Spiennes (Mons), Belgium*

After 2,5 years existence of this thread I´ve finally managed to complete one country, that is I´ve visited all its WHSs and posted a fewe pics of them. (Well actually it is the second, after Luxemburg, but since they´ve only got one that wasn´t really a big achievement)

Unesco: 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 diversity of technological solutions used for extraction and for the fact that they are directly linked to a settlement of the same period.

The Neolithic Flint Mines of Spiennes occupy two chalk plateaux located to the south-east of the city of Mons. They cover an area essentially devoted to agriculture. The site appears on the surface as a large area of meadows and fields strewn with millions of scraps of worked flint. Underground, the site is an immense network of galleries linked to the surface by vertical shafts dug by Neolithic populations.

Inside the visitorcenter where you can go downunder...



Spiennes by Ech Wel, on Flickr

This is the third neolithic site in this thread after the temples of Malta and Neolithic Orkney. Aesthetically it is neolithics as well as Belgiums least inspiring site I would say. But to give this site credit, that's probably my own fault. There are only 12 people allowed to visit the mine a day and you have to make reservations for that in advance. I did neither of them and thought that a visit to the new visitorcenter would do the trick. It didn't. The visitor center is really small and there isn't really much to see. Especially if you look at the price you'll have to pay which I think is a joke, 9 euro for something you can easily see in 15 minutes timeframe.

Meet the flintstones



Spiennes by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The mines were in operation for many centuries and the remains vividly illustrate the development and adaptation of mining techniques employed by prehistoric populations in order to exploit large deposits of a material that was essential for the production of tools and cultural evolution generally. Essentially the production aimed at the manufacture of axes to fell trees and long blades to be transformed into tools. The standardisation of the production bears witness to the highly skilled craftsmanship of the stone-cutters of the flint of Spiennes.

[

Spiennes by Ech Wel, on Flickr

In the Neolithic period, (from the last third of the 5th millennium until the first half of the 3rd millennium), the site was the centre of intensive flint mining present underground. Different techniques were used, the most spectacular and characteristic of which was the digging out of shafts of 0.8 to 1.20m in diameter with a depth down to 16 metres. Some artifacts found are way older than 6000 years like this biface, it's dated 350000 years of age!



Spiennes by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The site is 6km away from the Mons city center. The town's belfry is also inscribed and part of the WHS Belfries of Belgium and France. Mons looked like a nice town. But on arrival I noticed a flat tyre of my car...Pissed of as I was about that I chose to leave town right away and started looking for some air...



Mons by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## ech wel

*Butrint, Albania*

Finally we can add a new country to the list in the first post. Most of you probably think Albania is a rather `excotic` place to visit but it´s just around the corner of the holiday Island of Corfu and can easily be reached by boat. And that is exactly what we did.

Unesco: 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, then a brief occupation by the Venetians, the city was abandoned in the late Middle Ages after marshes formed in the area. The present archaeological site is a repository of ruins representing each period in the city’s development.

Butrint's first substantial settlement took place in the 4th century BC with the creation of a healing sanctuary protected by solid fortified walls. With the rise of the Roman Empire, Butrint expanded to become a flourishing city. Public and private buildings like temples, fountains and baths were erected. 

The 3rd century BC theatre, later adapted to a Roman design with a stage building.



Butrint by Ech Wel, on Flickr

In the 5th century the region suffered vandal raids and life in the city changed dramatically. Houses, often made of wood, were constructed in the remains of the classical buildings. When Christianity arrived in the beginning of the 6th century numerous churches were built.

Great Basilica of the 6th century. There is supposed to be some great mosaic floors but they were covered for protection.



Butrint by Ech Wel, on Flickr

During the 13th century Butrint thrived again. A castle was built, its fortification walls were repaired and for four hundred years it became a military outpost of the Venetians.

Venetian tower of 15th century



Butrint by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The Lion gate- rebuilt in the middle ages.



Butrint by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The natural environment is also included in the WHS and gives this site a very nice setting.

remains of the city walls with Lake Butrint



Butrint by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## ech wel

Since 28-06-15 the WHC-members have gathered in Bonn, Germany. After a few days of "blabla" they have arrived at the most interesting part of the meeting; the discussion of including new sites on the list. So far they have decided to inscribe:

- The Blue and John Crow Mountains, Jamaica (first inscription of this country)
- Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale, Italy
- Baptism Site "Bethany Beyond the Jordan" (Al-Maghtas), Jordan 
- Rock Art in the Hail Region of Saudi Arabia 

More will follow tomorrow. If everything goes well I will reach a personally milestone of 100 visited sites after this weekend. (as I've visited already one of the few that are up next for discussion and had a positive recommendation of Icomos)


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## IThomas

That's a good news for Italy! 51 UNESCO sites :banana:

"This marks an international record of which we should be proud and of which we are even more enthusiastic due to the recognition of one of the happiest historical examples of integration and coexistence between the different cultures of the Mediterranean", said Italy's Minister of Heritage and Cultural Activities and Tourism, Dario Franceschini.


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## christos-greece

Wonderful, very nice updates; well done :cheers:


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## ech wel

IThomas said:


> That's a good news for Italy! 51 UNESCO sites :banana:
> 
> "This marks an international record of which we should be proud and of which we are even more enthusiastic due to the recognition of one of the happiest historical examples of integration and coexistence between the different cultures of the Mediterranean", said Italy's Minister of Heritage and Cultural Activities and Tourism, Dario Franceschini.


Congrats! 

During our stay in Sicily last year the island had 6 inscriptions already and we managed to visit them all. (well almost all as we only saw the Isole Eolie from the plane) Sadly we didn't find the time to see Palermo or Cefalu allthough we knew their monuments were on the tentative list. Chasing WHS is something I love to do but spending some time on the beach and being lazy has some part in our holidays too. Besides that, mrs ech wel needs some attention as well. I knew I would regret that decision because the nomination was likely to be accepted. And right I was, it's itching now....


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## IThomas

ech wel said:


> Congrats!
> 
> During our stay in Sicily last year the island had 6 inscriptions already and we managed to visit them all. (well almost all as we only saw the Isole Eolie from the plane) Sadly we didn't find the time to see Palermo or Cefalu allthough we knew their monuments were on the tentative list. Chasing WHS is something I love to do but spending some time on the beach and being lazy has some part in our holidays too. Besides that, mrs ech wel needs some attention as well. I knew I would regret that decision because the nomination was likely to be accepted. And right I was, it's itching now....


Almost five years ago, I and my friends have visited Palermo and its surrounds. What to say? A nice place. Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Carthaginians, Byzantines, Normans, Swabians, Arab, Hispanic... have dominated Palermo (as the rest of the island) over the centuries. The many architectural masterpieces are in Romanesque, Byzantine, Gothic, Baroque style. The food is a pleasure: the mix looks amazing. Also regional wines are good. There are many stories to tell, but I discovered that Palermo was the city that hosted the first Parliament in the world.

What I can add? They should improve infrastructures and other services...but seems that the right way has been traced. They have still so much work to do, but EU funds will improve situation, I think.

About Aeolian Islands, the place is good for nature-lovers and amateurs of Greek-Roman ruins. The seven islands have a sort of Greek style in certain aspects.

BTW you can find both places in my thread. :cheers: Palermo - Aeolian Islands.


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## ech wel

^^ Fantastic pics in your thread, especially the Palermo ones. It seems to me this new inscription is very well justified.

That said, it looks to me that this WHC is not very willing to reject or give out a deferral. Recommendations of Icomos are almost always overruled in favour of the state party. Deferrals become referrals, referrals get inscription. As long as one country puts in a proposal the WHC will be so pleased about your effort that it will reward you no matter what. I don't think this is the right approach as some eras or styles are well overrepresented.

Yesterday alone they inscribed 2 vineyardregions again on top of the about 20 sites already inscribed (which can be related to vines). Today Germany argued about their Naumberg nomination (which was recommended by Icomos to reject) that it has not only a gothic cathedral but vineyards too!! Yes Germany we know, so what? To inscribe every single vineyard and cathedral in Europe on the list will not improve it, on the contrary I would say. Vineyards are already the "new gothic cathedral" in the sense that there are just too many on the list (for my taste). Nevertheless the WHC gave the nomination a deferral instead of a rejection.

Yesterday's new inscribtions are:

- Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement (Denmark)
- The Par Force Hunting Landscape in North Zealand (Denmark)
- The Climats, terroirs of Burgundy (France)
- Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars (France) 
- Diyarbakir Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape (Turkey)
- Tusi sites (China) 
- Susa (Islamic Republic of Iran) 
- Cultural Landscape of Maymand (Islamic Republic of Iran) 
- Singapore Botanical Gardens (Singapore) (first inscription of this country)
- Baekje Historic Areas (Republic of Korea)
- Great Burkhan Khaldun Mountain and its surrounding sacred landscape (Mongolia) 

Today is the last day for new inscriptions and they have already inscribed "Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District" of Hamburg. So it's official now, I've got 100 sites visited on my personal list. :banana::cheers: What a glorious day it is!


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## ech wel

The WHC has finished its annual meeting and has left us with a total of 24 new inscriptions and 3 extensions of already inscribed sites. Today were added:

- Rjukan-Notodden Industrial Heritage Site (Norway)
- Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus (Germany) 
- Necropolis of Beth She’arim—a Landmark of Jewish Revival (Israel)
- The Forth Bridge (United Kingdom)
- San Antonio Missions (United States of America)
- Aquaduct of Padre Tembleque, Renaissance Hydraulic Complex in America (Mexico)
- Ephesus (Turkey)
- Fray Bentos Cultural-Industrial Landscape (Uruguay)
- Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Kyushu-Yamaguchi and Related Areas (Japan)


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## ech wel

*Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus, Germany*

This site was added to the list only yesterday. We visited Hamburg exactly one year ago but our main reason to travel wasn´t about Unesco this time. I hope this lame excuse will make up for this louzy update because I´ve only got 2 reasonable pics of the Speicherstadt to share and none of the nice Kontorhaus district. Additional pics would be more than welcome of course.

Unesco: Speicherstadt and the adjacent Kontorhaus district are two densely built urban areas in the centre of the port city of Hamburg. Speicherstadt, originally developed on a group of narrow islands in the Elbe River between 1885 and 1927, was partly rebuilt from 1949 to 1967. It is one of the largest coherent historic ensembles of port warehouses in the world (300,000 m2). It includes 15 very large warehouse blocks as well as six ancillary buildings and a connecting network of short canals. Adjacent to the modernist Chilehaus office building, the Kontorhaus district is an area of over five hectares featuring six very large office complexes built from the 1920s to the 1940s to house port-related businesses. The complex exemplifies the effects of the rapid growth in international trade in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.



Hamburg by Ech Wel, on Flickr



Hamburg by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates as well :cheers:


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## Jozef77

removed it, anyone who is interested in the Chilehaus can use google


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## ech wel

edit


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## ech wel

So far we haven´t seen any of Africa´s WHS in this thread and I think this is a huge miss. It´s not very likely that I will visit any of these place anywhere soon so I´d like to share this website I´ve just stumbled upon. It covers some of the best sites in the list. Some of you might be interested.



> Africa is home to a greater variety of wildlife and landscapes than any other major region of the world, a natural heritage of astonishing wealth. The site is also a call to action, for whilst the world recognises the ‘outstanding universal value' of this global heritage, it has largely failed to support its conservation. Africa has more places on the official ‘List of World Heritage In Danger' than any other region of the world. The continent is plagued by poverty and under-development, by war, civil strife and corruption. But its people are fighting back - and in the world of conservation, individuals, communities and institutions are turning the tide and giving hope for Africa's unique natural heritage.


Enjoy: http://www.africannaturalheritage.org/

Sorry for bumping


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## ech wel

*Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Rémi and Palace of Tau, Reims, France*

Unesco: 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 Reims one of the masterpieces of Gothic art. The former abbey still has its beautiful 9th-century nave, in which lie the remains of Archbishop St Rémi (440–533), who instituted the Holy Anointing of the kings of France. The former archiepiscopal palace known as the Tau Palace, which played an important role in religious ceremonies, was almost entirely rebuilt in the 17th century.

The cathedral is being renovated as seems to be the case everytime we visit a site...



Reims by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Along with the cathedrals of Chartres and Amiens, Reims is at the summit of the classical Gothic style. The cathedral in Reims served as the place where the kings of France were coronated, perhaps because of that the constructors enhanced the structural elements with greater lightness and made more openings in the walls to allow a maximum of light to filter through the stained glass and illuminate the sacred space. 

Nowhere is sculpture so prevalent on a Gothic facade than it is at Reims. The most famous of all is the smiling angel on the west facade.



Reims by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Most people in the 13th century couldn't read so the sculpture on the building served another goal besides the architectural one. It was supposed to tell the story of Jesus Christ and all that. Very important of course was to emphasize the fact that you would end up in hell if you didn't live an honourable life, aka if you didn't spent your life praying and serving the church.



Reims by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Before the kings were coronated they stayed at the Palace of Tau where they prepared themselves for their moment of thruth. At the left of the picture one can see a small part of the building.



Reims by Ech Wel, on Flickr

During WW 1 the cathedral was commissioned as a hospital, and troops and arms were removed from its immediate vicinity. German shellfire burned, damaged and destroyed important parts of the cathedral. Because of that many original stained glass windows were lost. They were replaced by modern ones which look very nice as well.



Reims by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Because of some difficulties we encountered our time in Reims was shortened. Sadly we didn't find the time to visit the Abbey of Saint-Rémi. Maybe another day...


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## ech wel

Jozef77 said:


> removed it, anyone who is interested in the Chilehaus can use google


Thanks Jozef, appreciated! :cheers:


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## charliewong90

great thread for sure....I really admire you for this excellent job you're doing.


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## Ala Altiva

:banana::cheers::cheers::bow:


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## ech wel

Thanks a lot Charliewong90! :cheers:

@ Eagle: Please don't add pictures found on the web. Contributions are most welcome but have to consist of SELFMADE photos only. Thank you.


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## la.risa.el.olvido

*Historic Centre of Mexico City* and Xochimilco
(I didn't have time to go to Xochimilco, so just the Historic Centre for now)

From Aztec Ruins to Baroque Churches and neoclassical/eclectic architecture.

(Sorry for the quality, the photos are from 2011)

1. *Ruins of the Great Temple* (Templo Mayor) and the *Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven* (or just Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral). 
The construction of the Aztec temple started around 1325 and it was destroyed by the Spanish in 1521. After that, the cathedral was built using the stones of the destroyed temple and right next to it in order to consolidate the Spanish power over the Aztec Empire. The building that we see today was built from 1573 to 1813 around the original church that was built immediately after the conquest of Tenochtitlan. It is also the largest Cathedral in the Americas. Because of the muddy subsoil of the site (let's remember that most of the centre of Mexico City was a lake during the Aztec Empire) the building has undergone several reconstruction and restoration work to prevent it from sinking.

Fusión de Culturas by Roy Vidales, en Flickr

2. *Palace of the Secretariat of Communications and Public Works*
Designed by Silvio Contri and built from 1904 to 1911, this Palace housed some federal offices and today it is the *MUNAL* (National Museum of Art). In front of it is the Plaza Manuel Tolsá, which has the _Equestrian statue of Charles IV of Spain_ (or El Caballito) a bronze sculpture for the last ruler of the New Spain Viceroyalty. On the other side of the plaza is the *Palace of Mines * (not visible in the photo), finished in 1813 to house the Royal School of Mines and Mining of the Royal Court.

Plaza del Caballito by Roy Vidales, en Flickr

3. *Palace of Fine Arts (Palacio de Bellas Artes)*
Replacing the first National Theater of Mexico, this building was designed by Adamo Boari and planned to be finished by the Centennial of the Mexican War of Independence in 1910. However, due to complications in the the construction (the soft subsoil of this area) and mainly because of the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) and its subsequent political and social problems, it was not finished until 1934. This explains the Neoclassical and Art Nouveau exterior of the building (pre-1910) in contrast with the Art Deco and nationalist murals of the interior (post war). To the left of the Palace you can see some of the *Alameda Central *, a former Aztec Marketplace that became a park in 1592, probably the oldest in the Americas. 

Palacio de Bellas Artes by Roy Vidales, en Flickr

4. *Postal Palace (Palacio de Correos)* and *Bank of Mexico Building* 
After an administrative division from the Secretariat of Communications and Public Works, the General Division of Mail of the city started to build its own place in 1902 with innovative design and even a foundation technique that was constructed and shipped from New York. Finally in 1907 the Postal Palace was inaugurated by the President at the time. 

Palacios en la ciudad by Roy Vidales, en Flickr

5. *Old Bethlehemite Convent and Hospital*
Built in 1760 this former Convent and Hospital had a lot of different uses since the Order of the Bethlehemites was suppressed in 1821. The College of Engineers, a Lancaster School, the Heroic Military Academy, the School of Medicine, a religious school for indigenous young girls, two theaters (one of them was The National Theatre, and it was here where the Mexican National Anthem was sung for the first time), two hotels and even a housing unit. In 1989 the building was bought by the Bank of Mexico and after a long restoration project it opened in 2006 as the *Interactive Museum of Economics.*

Museo de Economía by Roy Vidales, en Flickr

Sombras del Pasado by Roy Vidales, en Flickr​


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## ech wel

^^ Nice update! Great to see something outside of Europe too. kay:


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## christos-greece

Indeed great, very nice updates :cheers:


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## Ala Altiva

Palacio de las finas artes :cheers: Un deleite para todos


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## ech wel

*Old Town of Corfu, Greece*

The first entry of Greece in this thread!

Unesco: The Old Town of Corfu, on the Island of Corfu off the western coasts of Albania and Greece, is located in a strategic position at the entrance of the Adriatic Sea, and has its roots in the 8th century BC. The two forts of the town, designed by renowned Venetian engineers, were used for four centuries to defend the maritime trading interests of the Republic of Venice against the Ottoman Empire. In the course of time, the forts were repaired and partly rebuilt several times, more recently under British rule in the 19th century.

The first fort we visited was the new fort which towers above town. The photo was taken from the old fort. In front of the row houses one can see the esplanade, the green field of the town which was used in early times so defenders of the fort had a clear shot on attackers. Nowadays it is used to play cricket. A sport the people inherited from the British.



corfu by Ech Wel, on Flickr

views from the new fort on the old town



corfu by Ech Wel, on Flickr

old town and in the back ground the old fort



corfu by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The Venetians were here for the longest period and one can still see their proud lion on the walls of the fort.



corfu by Ech Wel, on Flickr

After the visit of the new fort we walked through the old town to the other fort. The mainly neoclassical housing stock of the Old Town is partly from the Venetian period, partly of later construction, notably the 19th century. As a fortified Mediterranean port, Corfu’s urban and port ensemble is notable for its high level of integrity and authenticity.



corfu by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## ech wel

Let´s continue our walk through the old town of Corfu. 

typical street in the old town.



corfu by Ech Wel, on Flickr

the recently restored Palace of Sts. Michael and George, formerly the residence of the British governor and the seat of the Ionian Senate, and the summer Palace of Mon Repos, formerly the property of the Greek royal family.



corfu  by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The Saint Spyridon Church is a Greek Orthodox church where the relics of St. Spyridon are kept. Popular belief says these relics protect the town against all evil.



corfu by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The old citadel is an old Venetian fortress built on an artificial islet with fortifications surrounding its entire perimeter. The central high point of the citadel rises like a giant natural obelisk complete with a military observation post at the top, with a giant cross at its apex.



corfu by Ech Wel, on Flickr

A Greek temple inside the forts perimeter. It was built by the British though in the 19th century.



corfu by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## christos-greece

^^ Very good, very nice photos; well done :cheers:


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## amirsol

Awesome


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## ech wel

*Provins, Town of Medieval Fairs, France*

Unesco: 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 international trading fairs and the wool industry. The urban structure of Provins, which was built specifically to host the fairs and related activities, has been well preserved.

market square



Provins by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Provins is thus one of the four towns (together with Troyes, Lagny and Bar-sur-Aube) where medieval fairs were held in the reign of the Counts of Champagne, developing here from the 11th to the 14th centuries. Provins is the only one to retain its original medieval fabric.



Provins by Ech Wel, on Flickr



Provins by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The town developed to the south of the Brie chalk plateau, in a gently hilly region at the confluence of the valleys of the Voulzie and the Durteint. It consists of the Upper Town, which grew up on a spur of the Brie plateau, and the Lower Town, lying further to the east at the confluence of two rivers. 

There are two large buildings in the Upper Town: the so-called 'Tour de César' or the Big Tower, is a stone structure, dating initially from the 12th century, consisting of three large spaces one above the other, covered with a 17th-century conical roof; and the Romanesque-Gothic church of Saint-Quiriace.



Provins by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The 12th-century ramparts still surrounding the Upper Town on three sides have been relatively well preserved, whereas the enclosure of the Lower Town was dismantled in the 19th century.



Provins by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## christos-greece

Your UNESCO world photos are always great, very nice :cheers:


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## ech wel

*Redwood National and State Parks, USA*

We finally made it and and visited a WHS outside of Europe! :banana: Unfortunately enough we apparently were so thrilled by the experience that we were hardly able to shoot some decent pictures of it... So forgive us our enthousiasm and try to like them anyway. In our defence though I have to say that it's not easy to show you guys the impressiveness of these giants in a normal picture. I think you will have to go there yourself to really get an understanding of how big these things are. Looking up to them and knowing that these trees were here already since Roman times really gets your mind thinking of how small we really are. 

Unesco: 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 coastal redwood trees, the tallest and most impressive trees in the world. The marine and land life are equally remarkable, in particular the sea lions, the bald eagle and the endangered California brown pelican.

Abundant greenery



Redwood by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Note the people on the left to get an idea of how enormous these trees really are. They are the tallest living things and among the most impressive trees in the world. Several of the world's tallest known trees grow within the property.



Redwood by Ech Wel, on Flickr

These trees can last for over 2000 years but this one has bit the dust. It was enormous though before he got down. 



Redwood by Ech Wel, on Flickr 

Again, look at these giants in comparison to the people who are standing near the fallen tree. Two men stand inside the tree but two families would fit in easily as well.



Redwood by Ech Wel, on Flickr



Redwood by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## ech wel

*Jewish Quarter and St Procopius' Basilica in Třebíč, Czech Republic*

Unesco: The ensemble of the Jewish Quarter, the old Jewish cemetery and the Basilica of St Procopius in Třebíč are reminders of the co-existence of Jewish and Christian cultures from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. The Jewish Quarter bears outstanding testimony to the different aspects of the life of this community. St Procopius' Basilica, built as part of the Benedictine monastery in the early 13th century, is a remarkable example of the influence of Western European architectural heritage in this region.

The site consists of 3 locations, the basilica, the jewish quarter and the jewish cemetery. 

Trebic's Jewish Quarter is the most representative in its kind in Central Europe, It is considered the most complete, including synagogues, Jewish schools, a hospital and a factory. 



Trebic by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The roofs of the jewish quarter, in the back the basilica



Trebic by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Facade of basilica



Trebic by Ech Wel, on Flickr




Trebic by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Above the Jewish Quarter is the Jewish Cemetery, consisting of about 4000 tombstones



Trebic by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Heroes in 1914-1918, hunted and murdered in 1939-1940. All inhabitants got deported, none returned.



Trebic by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## ech wel

*Vatican City, Holy See*

Unesco: 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 architectural masterpieces lie within the boundaries of this small state. At its centre is St Peter's Basilica, with its double colonnade and a circular piazza in front and bordered by palaces and gardens. The basilica, erected over the tomb of St Peter the Apostle, is the largest religious building in the world, the fruit of the combined genius of Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, Bernini and Maderno.



Vatican by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The Centre of Christianity since the foundation of Saint Peter’s Basilica by Constantine (4th century), and at a later stage the permanent seat of the Popes, the Vatican is at once the pre-eminently holy city for Catholics, an important archaeological site of the Roman world and one of the major cultural reference points of both Christians and non-Christians.

Detail of the facade with Christ flanked by a few of his Apostles.



Vatican by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Wiki: The dome of St. Peter's rises to a total height of 136.57 metres from the floor of the basilica to the top of the external cross. It is the tallest dome in the world and a dominant feature of the skyline of Rome. In the picture there are some saints visible too who stand on top of the collonade surrounding the square in front of the basilica.



Vatican by Ech Wel, on Flickr



rome by Ech Wel, on Flickr

To the east of the basilica is the Piazza di San Pietro, (St. Peter's Square). The present arrangement, constructed between 1656 and 1667, is a Baroque inspiration of Bernini. The obelisk, known as "The Witness", at 25.5 metres and a total height, including base and the cross on top, of 40 metres, is the second largest standing obelisk, and the only one to remain standing since its removal from Egypt and re-erection at the Circus of Nero in 37 AD, where it is thought to have stood witness to the crucifixion of St Peter. It was moved to its present location by order of Pope Sixtus V.



rome by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## ech wel

Sorry no new pics but some statistics fort those of you who like numbers...

Over a year ago I posted a list of most frequently visited WHS. The ones in red are pictured in this thread.

The list back than looked like this:

1.Paris, Banks of the Seine - 411
2.Tower of London - 376
3.Westminster - 374
4.Rome - 352
5.Venice and its Lagoon - 333
6.Prague - 317
7.Florence - 314
8.Vienna - 310
9.Vatican City - 308
10.Grand Place, Brussels - 307
11.Versailles - 306
12.Statue of Liberty - 296
13.Piazza del Duomo (Pisa) - 287
14.Brugge - 273
15.Amsterdam Canal Ring - 269
16.Budapest - 266
17.Works of Antoni Gaudí - 263
18.Cologne Cathedral - 260
19.City of Luxembourg - 242
20.Schönbrunn - 241
21.Istanbul - 238
22.Salzburg - 238
23.Edinburgh - 231
24.Acropolis - 226
25.Stonehenge - 220

The list of today would look like this:

1.Paris, Banks of the Seine - 512
2.Tower of London - 480
3.Westminster - 474
4.Rome - 452
5.Venice and its Lagoon - 418
6.Vatican City - 391
7.Prague - 390
8.Florence - 387
9.Vienna - 383
10.Versailles - 374
11.Statue of Liberty - 370
12.Grand Place, Brussels - 365
13.Piazza del Duomo (Pisa) - 349
14.Amsterdam Canal Ring - 349
15.Works of Antoni Gaudí - 341
16.Budapest - 330
17.Brugge - 327
18.Istanbul - 316
19.Cologne Cathedral - 312
20.Salzburg - 297
21.Edinburgh - 297
22.Schönbrunn - 294
23.City of Luxembourg - 290
24.Stonehenge - 286
25.Acropolis - 285

So of the top 25 WHS we are still missing 8 in this thread.

The top 5 least visited sites in this thread are:

Vigan - 32
Lake Malawi - 25
Fort and Shalamar Gardens - 24
Angra do Heroismo - 17
Rohtas Fort - 7


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## ech wel

*Town of Bamberg, Germany*

Unesco: 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, from the 12th century onwards, the architecture of Bamberg strongly influenced northern Germany and Hungary. In the late 18th century it was the centre of the Enlightenment in southern Germany, with eminent philosophers and writers such as Hegel and Hoffmann living there.

The most famous building of the town is the city hall, nicely located on an Island in the river Regnitz



Bamberg by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The medieval layout of the city with its three settlement areas is still well preserved. The property therefore contains all elements necessary for the Outstanding Universal Value.



Bamberg by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The Schlenkerla, one of Bamberg's famous breweries and taverns, known for its smoked Rauchbier.



Bamberg by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Alte Hofhaltung, residence of the bishops in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the back the town's cathedral.



Bamberg by Ech Wel, on Flickr



Bamberg by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## ech wel

Some more of Bamberg.

Wiki: Bamberg Cathedral; Of its many works of art may be mentioned the magnificent marble tomb of the founder and his wife, the empress Cunigunde, considered the masterpiece of the sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider, and carved between 1499 and 1513.



Bamberg by Ech Wel, on Flickr 

Another treasure of the cathedral is an equestrian statue known as the Bamberg Horseman (German: Der Bamberger Reiter). This statue, possibly depicting the Hungarian king Stephen I, most likely dates to the period from 1225 to 1237.



Bamberg by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Bamberg, like Rome, extends over seven hills, each crowned by a beautiful church. Holy Roman Emperor Henry II ordered the new cathedral. In 1017 Henry also founded Michaelsberg Abbey on the Michaelsberg ("Mount St. Michael"), near Bamberg, a Benedictine abbey for the training of the clergy.



Bamberg by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Houses next to river



Bamberg by Ech Wel, on Flickr

More houses next to the river. This quarter is also known as Little Venice.



Bamberg by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## ElUsurpador

Excellent thread! Please keep posting
:cheers:


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## ech wel

:cheers: Thank you! :cheers:


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## christos-greece

Really great, very nice updates :cheers:


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## ech wel

*Yosemite National Park, USA*

Unesco: 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 provides an excellent overview of all kinds of granite relief fashioned by glaciation. At 600–4,000 m, a great variety of flora and fauna can also be found here.

Wiki: Yosemite Valley represents only one percent of the park area, but this is where most visitors arrive and stay. The Tunnel View is the first view of the Valley for many visitors and is extensively photographed. El Capitan and Half Dome are the best known granite rocks of the park.



Yosemite by Ech Wel, on Flickr

When you visit a natural park in Europe you're Lucky when you'll see some wildlife but in the USA we learned that things can be different. Half an hour in the park and we had seen more animals than you normally see in Europe in a few years. So finally I am abe to add some wildlife to this thread too. Not exactly the big fie but still...

Oh deer



Yosemite by Ech Wel, on Flickr

squirrel



Yosemite by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Yosemite is also well known fot its many waterfalls. This is one of these mighty falls with a drop of a few hundred meters. But don't visit in september because than the fall is nothing more than a single drop every once in a while...



Yosemite by Ech Wel, on Flickr

El Capitan



Yosemite by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## ech wel

More Yosemite

We really enjoyed our stay in the park and rated it as one of the best natural sites we´ve visited so far. 

The park has three groves of ancient giant sequoia, this is the dead giant tunnel tree in Tuolumne Grove.



Yosemite by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Apocalypse in Yosemite. View from Glacier Point on a forest fire.



Yosemite by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The fire was closely watched by this chipmunk...



Yosemite by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Others could´t care less and continued their lunch...



Yosemite by Ech Wel, on Flickr

We did some hikes in the park and although they sometimes were pretty tiring we always got awarded with beautiful views.



Yosemite by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Tenaya Lake



Yosemite by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## marlonbasman

spectacular, I always check this thread whenever I'm in.


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## ech wel

Thanx Marlon, appreciated!

(Yes I've got a fan :banana


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## ech wel

*Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier, Germany*

Unesco: Trier, which stands on the Moselle River, was a Roman colony from the 1st century AD and then a great trading centre beginning in the next century. It became one of the capitals of the Tetrarchy at the end of the 3rd century, when it was known as the ‘second Rome’. The number and quality of the surviving monuments are an outstanding testimony to Roman civilization.

The best known Roman monument is the Porta *****, the the largest Roman city gate north of the Alps. The name Porta ***** originated in the Middle Ages due to the darkened colour of its stone.



Trier by Ech Wel, on Flickr

There is no place north of the Alps where so many important Roman buildings and such a concentration of traces of Roman settlement have been preserved as in Trier, the “Rome of the North”. In late classical times, Trier was one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire; it was the seat of the prefects of Gaul, Germania, Britannia and Hispania and after the imperial reforms of the Emperor Diocletian was the seat of the vice-emperor (Caesar) of the Western Empire. As was common in Roman times every city of importance had its own amphitheater. Trier was no exception.



Trier by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Roman bridge, the pillars are original.



Trier by Ech Wel, on Flickr

One of the oldest church buildings in the Western world, the Cathedral has been a witness to the Christian faith since Constantine made Christianity a tolerated and supported religion in his Empire. Its architectural design unites elements of all the periods of classical, medieval and modern times, but has always been marked by the monumental concept that lies at its origins.

Christmas is coming so Santa wanted to wish you all happy holidays! 



Trier by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The Church of Our Lady is the earliest church built in French High Gothic style outside France. It was built like a rose with 12 leaves, a symbol of the virgin Mary. 

the ceiling.



Trier by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## ech wel

With only a few days before Christmas we are reaching for the end of 2015. Like last year I´d like to have a small review at what we have seen passing by in this thread.

This year 18 new sites from 10 different countries were added. That's exactly half as much as last year. The total number of sites amounts 125 in 30 different countries. In order to fulfill my quest of visiting all sites and show them here(impossible I know but hey, isn't that what a quest is all about?) me and my partner made it to 15 new sites. The WHC however inscribed 24 new sites in july so instead of coming nearer to our goal we are drifting further away from it.

Like I've said before the world according to UNESCO is slightly different than what you might have learned at school. It is not divided in continents but in geographic zones: Africa, Arab States (composed of most of the Middle East and North Africa), Asia and Oceania, Europe & North America (includes Canada and the United States) and Latin America & Caribbean.










source

Too bad we still haven't seen any sites from the Arab states, Africa or Oceania in this thread but I was finally able to add 2 sites from North America! A personal milestone and something which was high om my bucket list for a long time. All the better was that we saw some wildlife in these sites which was something lacking in this thread as well. (Although I'll admit a chipmunk or deer isn't exactly as special as a rhino or tiger)

So another year hunting is over and a new one will begin in just a few days. Let's hope we can fill some gaps and show some more "exotic" sites. Would be great to see some sites who represent great civilizations of the past, stunning nature or places of whorship other than Christian. Well I quess that's what keeps me going after all. Let's see what we can make of 2016. Happy holidays and the best wishes to all!


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## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates :cheers:


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## ech wel

*Palace and Park of Fontainebleau, France*

Unesco: 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 transformed, enlarged and embellished in the 16th century by François I, who wanted to make a 'New Rome' of it. Surrounded by an immense park, the Italianate palace combines Renaissance and French artistic traditions.



Fontainebleau by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Wiki: The earliest record of a fortified castle at Fontainebleau dates to 1137. It became a favorite residence and hunting lodge of the Kings of France because of the abundant game and many springs in the surrounding forest. The medieval structure remained essentially intact until the reign Francis I (1494-1547). He commissioned the architect Gilles le Breton to build a palace in the new Renaissance style, recently imported from Italy. 

Beginning in about 1528, Francis constructed the Gallery Francis I, which allowed him to pass directly from his apartments to the chapel of the Trinitaires. This is the entrance to the Gallery.



Fontainebleau by Ech Wel, on Flickr

An "ordinary" room



Fontainebleau by Ech Wel, on Flickr

A large vase decorated with Renaissance themes, on it one can see Michelangelo painting Mona Lisa.



Fontainebleau by Ech Wel, on Flickr

In 1808 Napoleon decided to install his throne in the former bedroom of the Kings of France from Henry IV to Louis XVI, on the exact place where the royal bed had been. Under the Old Regime the King's bed was a symbol of royal authority in France, and was saluted by courtiers who passed by it. Napoleon wanted to show the continuity of his Empire with the past monarchies of France. 



Fontainebleau by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The horseshoe stairway at the square of Cour d'Adieu. Before Napoleon was being exiled to Elba this was the place where he said adieu (goodbye) to his troops.



Fontainebleau by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## christos-greece

^^ About Fontainebleau, France: wonderful, very nice photos


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## ech wel

Thanks Christos, glad you like it!


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## shik2005

Great thread. Thanks for sharing!


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## ech wel

*Belfries of Belgium*

Last weekend we paid a visit to the TWHS of the battlefields of WW 1 around Ypres. The WHC will decide if this site will be inscribed in 2018. However the reconstructed belfries already is an Unesco monument.



Ieper by Ech Wel, on Flickr

It was one of the largest commercial buildings of the Middle Ages, when it served as the main market and warehouse for the Flemish city's prosperous cloth industry. The original structure, erected mainly in the 13th century and completed 1304, lay in ruins after artillery fire devastated Ypres in World War I. At 125 metres in breadth, with a 70 metres high belfry tower, the Cloth Hall recalls the importance and wealth of the medieval trade city




Ieper by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Between 1933 and 1967, the hall was meticulously reconstructed to its prewar condition, under the guidance of architects J. Coomans and P. A. Pauwels. The niches on the side wings are now mostly vacant, but those in the centre contain statues of Count Baldwin IX of Flanders and Mary of Champagne, legendary founders of the building; and King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth, under whose reign the reconstruction began. Situated between these two couples, directly above the central archway entrance or Donkerpoort, is a statue of Our Lady of Thuyne, the patron of Ypres.



Ieper by Ech Wel, on Flickr




Ieper by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Another belfries on the list is the one in Mons-Bergen



Bergen by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## ech wel

*Birka and Hovgården, Sweden*

A new country for our list!! 

Unesco: The Birka archaeological site is located on Björkö Island in Lake Mälar and was occupied in the 9th and 10th centuries. Hovgården is situated on the neighbouring island of Adelsö. Together, they make up an archaeological complex which illustrates the elaborate trading networks of Viking-Age Europe and their influence on the subsequent history of Scandinavia. Birka was also important as the site of the first Christian congregation in Sweden, founded in 831 by St Ansgar.

The hills in the pic below are burial mounds of Vikingkings in Hovgården.



Hovgården by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Although an hour busdrive away from Stockholm the site is quite a bit of the beaten track. Even the local busdriver who passed the site every day didn't know about it.

The remains of the palace of the are visible on the foregroud. Not very spectacular I'll admit.



Hovgården by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The most noteworthy on site is the runestone. Most findings on this archeological site are now in museums.



Hovgården by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Historiska Museet in Stockholm has some findings on show so we decided to have al look there as well. 



stockholm by Ech Wel, on Flickr

We could only visit Hovgården because no boat takes the journey to the other island where Birka once was. The Vikings made there houses of wood so nothing remains of it now. To give you an idea the Swedes made a reconstruction of the village based on their findings which can be found in the museum too. 



Birka by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## buho

ech wel said:


> *** things to do: visit Toledo ***
> 
> Fantastic! I wasn't aware there was so much Moorish, Mudejar architecture in Toledo. Reminds a bit of the Andalucian towns we visited couple of years back. Spain really got some world-class sites inscribed! Thank you!


Toledo was one of the most important cities in Spain for centuries, the capital city of the visigothic kingdom (6 and 7th centuries), one of the most important moorish cities, the most important city for the jewish, the city of the school of translators that brought Aristoteles to the medieval Europe, the capital city of necromancy and black magic in Europe, birthplace of mudéjar style, the capital city of Spain with the emperor Charles V, etc!
If you wanna see more from Toledo, I made a thread here :wink2:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1790406&highlight=toledo


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## buho

*Aranjuez Cultural Landscape (Spain)*

UNESCO: The site is around a royal palace that was commissioned by Philip II in the 16th century and designed by Juan Bautista de Toledo and Juan de Herrera, who also designed El Escorial. It was completed during the reign of Ferdinand VI by the mid-18th century; Charles III had two wings added to it.

The huge gardens, built to relieve its royal residents from the dust and drought of the Spanish meseta using the waters of the adjacent Tagus and Jarama rivers, are Spain's most important of the Habsburg period. The Jardín de la Isla is on a man-made island bounded by the River Tagus and the Ría Canal. The Jardín del Príncipe contains a miniature palace (the Casa del Labrador, built for Charles IV) and the Museo de las Falúas Reales, housing the most important extant collection of Spain's royal pleasure barges.

Palacio Real de Aranjuez by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Palacio Real de Aranjuez by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

The Aranjuez Cultural Landscape contains all its elements and attributes: the irrigation and hydraulic systems, the vegetable and ornamental gardens, the tree-lined streets and squares, the Royal Palace, and the historic centre.
The Aranjuez Cultural Landscape is remarkable from a historical, chronological, and spatial viewpoint. From its origins in the 16th century, Aranjuez has been a reflection of the patronage and splendour of the Spanish Crown, personified by two of the most important monarchs in universal history, Charles V and Philip II. Aranjuez has been a convergence of ideas, aesthetics, and science at different times throughout history. It has also been a melting pot of ideas, a reference point and place of influence since its formation.

Estanque de los Chinescos, Jardín del Príncipe (Aranjuez) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Fuente de Apolo, Jardín del Príncipe (Aranjuez) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Fuente de Narciso, Jardín del Príncipe (Aranjuez) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Embarcadero Real, Jardín del Príncipe (Aranjuez) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Fuente de Baco, Jardín de la Isla (Aranjuez) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Fuente de Apolo, Jardín de la Isla (Aranjuez) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Fuente de Hércules e Hidra, Jardín de la Isla (Aranjuez) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Iglesia de San Antonio (Aranjuez) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Galería de la Casa de los Infantes (Aranjuez) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Casa del Labrador, Jardín del Príncipe (Aranjuez) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Palacio Real de Aranjuez by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr


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## yansa

Excellent pics, buho!
I love the view through the golden fence...


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## ech wel

Great update again buho, thanks a lot! :cheers:

Had a look in your Toledo-thread as well, very informative and more proof of the city's splendour. Definitely high on my personal have-to-see-list.



yansa said:


> I love the view through the golden fence...


exactly my thoughts too


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## buho

Thanks! kay:


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## buho

*Renaissance Monumental Ensembles of Úbeda and Baeza (Spain)*

UNESCO: The urban morphology of the two small cities of Úbeda and Baeza in southern Spain dates back to the Moorish 9th century and to the Reconquista in the 13th century. An important development took place in the 16th century, when the cities were subject to renovation along the lines of the emerging Renaissance. This planning intervention was part of the introduction into Spain of new humanistic ideas from Italy, which went on to have a great influence on the architecture of Latin America.

Plaza del Pópulo (Baeza, Jaén) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Universidad de Baeza by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Palacio de Jabalquinto by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Plaza de Santa María y Catedral de Baeza by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Catedral de Baeza by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Baeza nocturna by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Baeza nocturna by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Casa del Obispo Canastero (Úbeda) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Plaza Vázquez de Molina (Úbeda) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Capilla del Salvador de Úbeda by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Capilla del Salvador de Úbeda by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Capilla del Salvador de Úbeda by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Capilla del Salvador de Úbeda by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Hospital de Santiago de Úbeda by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Hospital de Santiago de Úbeda by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr


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## yansa

Superb update! kay:


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## ech wel

Exellent indeed


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## buho

Thanks! :wink2:

*University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares (Spain)*

UNESCO: Founded by Cardinal Jiménez de Cisneros in the early 16th century, Alcalá de Henares was the world's first planned university city. It was the original model for the Civitas Dei (City of God), the ideal urban community which Spanish missionaries brought to the Americas. It also served as a model for universities in Europe and elsewhere.

The contribution of Alcalá de Henares to the intellectual development of humankind finds expression in the advances in linguistics that took place there, not least in the definition of the Spanish language, and through the work of its great son, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra and his masterpiece, Don Quixote.

Plaza de Cervantes (Alcalá de Henares) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Catedral Magistral de Alcalá de Henares by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Calle Mayor (Alcalá de Henares) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Casa de Lizana (Alcalá de Henares) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Convento de la Imagen (Alcalá de Henares) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Colegio de San Ildefonso (Alcalá de Henares) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Colegio de San Ildefonso (Alcalá de Henares) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Colegio de San Ildefonso (Alcalá de Henares) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Patio Trilingüe, Colegio de San Ildefonso (Alcalá de Henares) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Paraninfo, Colegio de San Ildefonso (Alcalá de Henares) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Paraninfo, Colegio de San Ildefonso (Alcalá de Henares) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr


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## ech wel

These updates of yours really want to make me head for spain immediately. kay:. Too bad I'll have to wait a few more months till it's summer....

love the ceiling too, influenced by the moors I guess?


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## buho

:yes: And the floors too, Cisneros style is a mix of moorish, gothic and renaissance styles. In that building, every year is given the Cervantes prize, equivalent to Nobel prize of literature for spanish language writters.

Paraninfo, Colegio de San Ildefonso (Alcalá de Henares) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr


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## ech wel

And now for something completely different...

*Völklingen Ironworks, Germany*

Unesco: The ironworks, which cover some 6 ha, dominate the city of Völklingen. Although they have recently gone out of production, they are the only intact example, in the whole of western Europe and North America, of an integrated ironworks that was built and equipped in the 19th and 20th centuries and has remained intact.



Volklingen by Ech Wel, on Flickr

So, is a steel factory as important as the pyramids or the Chinese wall you might wonder? I quess not. But, it does make the list very divers. I wouldn't have visited if it wasn't on it but as I walked between all the rusty pipes and other big steel "things" I noticed I actually quite liked it.



Volklingen by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The Völklingen monument illustrates the industrial history of the 19th century in general and also the transnational Saar-Lorraine-Luxembourg industrial region in the heart of Europe in particular. The Ironworks are a synonym for and a symbol of human achievement during the First and Second Industrial Revolutions in the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.



Volklingen by Ech Wel, on Flickr 

The iron-making complex dominates the townscape of Völklingen. It contains installations covering every stage in the pig-iron production process, from raw materials handling and processing equipment for coal and iron ore to blast-furnace iron production, with all the ancillary equipment, such as gas purification and blowing equipment.

On top of that, as I'd walked the stairs, much to my delight, the weather improved.



Volklingen by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The installations are exactly as they were when production ceased in 1986. Much of the original coking plant survives, despite the 1935 reconstruction, notably the coal tower of 1898. Six of the gas-blowing engines, built between 1905 and 1914, are preserved, as are the suspended conveyer system of 1911 and the dry gas purification plant of the same time.



Volklingen by Ech Wel, on Flickr



Volklingen by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## ech wel

*Chartres Cathedral, France*

Unesco: 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 nave, in pure ogival style, the porches adorned with fine sculptures from the middle of the 12th century, and the magnificent 12th- and 13th-century stained-glass windows, all in remarkable condition, combine to make it a masterpiece.



Chartres by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Another gothic cathedral ech wel? Really? Yep, it is, sorry about that. One has to admit cathedrals are a bit overrepresented on the list but having said that, this one really deserves its place. In fact it is one of my favourite sites I've visited so far. Not that I'm particular fond of medieval religous structures it has more to do with all the myths surrounding this masterpiece. Freemasonry, secret brotherhoods, ancient Greeks, druids the tempelars etc they are all somewhat related to this cathedral. 

Approaching Chartres one can see the cathedral from far away. Its towers dominate the town.



Chartres by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The cathedral is, like many of them in this part of France, is dedicatd to the holy virgin Mary. The mother of Jesus Christ. If you look back in history than one can see that as early as the ancient Kelts and their priests, the druids, worshipped this place and a certain mother Goddess. 

One can find the virgin everywhere in the cathedral. In the choir stands a statue which expresses her ascension, she stands on the magnificent stained glass windows and she even has found a place on the tympanum in the Royal portals which is usually a place reserved for Christ himself.



Chartres by Ech Wel, on Flickr



Chartres by Ech Wel, on Flickr 

You'll enter the cathedral through the _Portail Royal_. The Kings Portal is the oldest part of the church which remained standing after the fire of 1194. There are a lot of theories about this portal and it's sometimes a bit hard to believe those but I think it's certainly interesting stuff. It mainly has to do with male (left portal) vs female (right portal) and the result of both in the middle. To express that one invented a whole theory of numbers in which male was connected with the number 3 and the triangle but also heaven and God, female was connected with four and square but also with earth and material. The result was five. The sculptures in the tympanum are there to emphasize that. 

That probably didn't sound to logical to you but for those of you who are interested in these kind of theories one only has to google the web to find many websites dedicated to this cathedral and its tales. 



Chartres by Ech Wel, on Flickr

to be continued...


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## ech wel

More Chartres

Wiki: The central portal is a representation of the End of Time as described in the Book of Revelation. In the centre of the tympanum is Christ within a mandorla, surrounded by the four symbols of the evangelists (the Tetramorph). The lintel shows the Twelve Apostles while the archivolts show the 24 Elders of the Apocalypse

According to the ancient Greek the world existed out of the four elements: earth, wind, fire and water. Each of these elements are also connected to the four symbols of the evangelists. In the middle is the fifth element, christ, the ether which fills the universe. Also, the elements fire and air are considered male, the other two female



Chartres by Ech Wel, on Flickr

In northern Europe it is common for the iconography on the north side of a church to focus on Old Testament themes, with stories from the lives of the saints and the Gospels being more prominent on the physically (and hence, spiritually) brighter southern side. Chartres is no exception to this general principle and the north transept portals, with their deep sheltering porches, concentrate on the precursors of Christ, leading up to the moment of His incarnation, with a particular emphasis on the Virgin Mary.

Besides the west there is also a south and north portal. According to the theories, again, one of them is considered male the other female. The way the-old-testament-men are sculptured reminds some of the ancient druids... 



Chartres by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Another example of the theme male-female are the towers of which (of course) one of them is considered male because of his height of excactly 365 feet which is the same as the days of a (sun)year. The sun is as the light Jesus said he was and therefore male. 

The other tower is 28 feet lower which matches the cycle of moon and women. Together sun and moon form the holy marriage of the universe. One can see this symbolism too with the free masonry.



Chartres by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Compared with other medieval churches, relatively few changes have been made to the cathedral since its consecration. All the glass from the cathedral was removed in 1939 just before the Germans invaded France, and it was cleaned after the War and releaded before replacing. While the city suffered heavy damage by bombing in the course of World War II, the cathedral was spared by an American Army officer who challenged the order to destroy it. What you'll see when visiting is pretty much the same as in medieval times.

Of course the colours of the stained glass windows are not a coincidence. Red is the colour of fire and is considered with the number 3, triangle and male, blue is connected wit the number four, square and female. 



Chartres by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Whole libraries have been written about this gothic masterpiece but I will leave it with this last picture of the monumental screen around the choir. It displays the life of the holy virgin and her child.



Chartres by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## ech wel

*Town Hall and Roland on the Marketplace of Bremen, Germany*

Unesco: The Town Hall and the statue of Roland on the marketplace of Bremen in north-west Germany are outstanding representations of civic autonomy and sovereignty, as these developed in the Holy Roman Empire in Europe. The old town hall was built in the Gothic style in the early 15th century, after Bremen joined the Hanseatic League. The building was renovated in the so-called Weser Renaissance style in the early 17th century. A new town hall was built next to the old one in the early 20th century as part of an ensemble that survived bombardment during the Second World War. The statue stands 5.5 m tall and dates back to 1404.



Bremen by Ech Wel, on Flickr

impressive sculptures are mainly on the front facade



Bremen by Ech Wel, on Flickr 




Bremen by Ech Wel, on Flickr



Bremen by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The Bremen Roland is considered to be one of the oldest and most representative still standing of such statues.



Bremen by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## ech wel

*Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch, Germany*

Unesco: The abbey, together with its monumental entrance, the famous 'Torhall', are rare architectural vestiges of the Carolingian era. 

Apart from the Gothic gables and a few relics of past repairs and completion, this gatehouse is one of the very rare buildings from the Carolingian era whose original appearance is intact. It is a reminder of the past grandeur of an abbey founded around 764 and gives architectural evidence of the awakening of the West to the spirit of the Early and High Middle Ages under the first King and Emperor, Charlemagne. 



Lorsch by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Apart from the gatehouse and a small roman church there really isn't much to see on site. From the former monastery only the foundations are left.



Lorsch by Ech Wel, on Flickr

1200 years old but still in good shape.



Lorsch by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## MyGeorge

great shots...and I'm so pleased to see your collection.


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## skylark

nice photos indeed, and one of the best threads....keep them coming.


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## ech wel

Thanks for the comments and likes all, appreciated!!


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## World 2 World

*Melacca - MALAYSIA*


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## christos-greece

Once again great, very nice updates about Unesco heritage :cheers:


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## ech wel

Sorry guys, but I'm back! 

I've been building a new blog about (not surpirisingly) Unesco-sites. For those who are interested to have a look, you are more than welcome over here

*Royal Domain of Drottningholm, Sweden*

Unesco: The Royal Domain of Drottningholm stands on an island in Lake Mälar in a suburb of Stockholm. With its castle, perfectly preserved theatre (built in 1766), Chinese pavilion and gardens, it is the finest example of an 18th-century north European royal residence inspired by the Palace of Versailles.

The palace and its interior



Drottningholm by Ech Wel, on Flickr



Drottningholm by Ech Wel, on Flickr 



Drottningholm by Ech Wel, on Flickr



Drottningholm by Ech Wel, on Flickr




Drottningholm by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## christos-greece

^^ Welcome back! And as always great, very nice updates :cheers:


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## Kintoy

Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras

Batad Rice Terraces



Bangaan Rice Terraces


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## pozayorker22

*Puebla Mexico
*


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## pozayorker22

*Guanajuato Mexico*


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## yansa

Really great pics, dear pozayorker22! :hug:

My favourites are #446/2, and this one:



pozayorker22 said:


>


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## capricorn2000

thanks and I'm glad this thread is reactivated....


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## pozayorker22

*Tlacotalpan Veracruz Mexico*


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## ech wel

Nice pics indeed guys, but please do only post when the photos have been made by yourself.

I will update soon, promised:cheers:.!


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## ech wel

ech wel said:


> I will update soon, promised:cheers:.!


My mother always told me; Ech Wel, you've got to keep your promises. So here we go!

*Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain, Spain

*

Unesco: Seventeen decorated caves of the Paleolithic age were inscribed as an extension to the Altamira Cave, inscribed in 1985. The property will now appear on the List as Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain. The property represents the apogee of Paleolithic cave art that developed across Europe, from the Urals to the Iberian Peninusula, from 35,000 to 11,000 BC. Because of their deep galleries, isolated from external climatic influences, these caves are particularly well preserved. The caves are inscribed as masterpieces of creative genius and as the humanity’s earliest accomplished art. They are also inscribed as exceptional testimonies to a cultural tradition and as outstanding illustrations of a significant stage in human history.

More pictures can be found here

the entrance (but you can't get in)



Altamira by Ech Wel, on Flickr



Altamira by Ech Wel, on Flickr



Altamira by Ech Wel, on Flickr



Altamira by Ech Wel, on Flickr



Altamira by Ech Wel, on Flickr[/QUOTE]


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## ech wel

*Alto Douro Wine Region, Portugal*

Unesco: 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 for its quality. This long tradition of viticulture has produced a cultural landscape of outstanding beauty that reflects its technological, social and economic evolution.

New fruit about to be harvested in a fantastic cultural landscape



Alto Douro by Ech Wel, on Flickr



Alto Douro by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Portugese tiles on the trainstation of Pinhao explaining the productionproces of port



Alto Douro by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The wine travelled down the river by a freight vessel and was delivered in the port of Oporto. Here's one delivering new Graham's port.




Alto Douro by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Cheers! For more pictures and the whole story click here!



Alto Douro by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## la.risa.el.olvido

*Historic Centre of Zacatecas*
México

DSC00893 by Roy Vidales, en Flickr

DSC00867 by Roy Vidales, en Flickr

DSC00935 by Roy Vidales, en Flickr

DSC01061 by Roy Vidales, en Flickr

DSC01498 by Roy Vidales, en Flickr

DSC01835 by Roy Vidales, en Flickr


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## la.risa.el.olvido

*Protective town of San Miguel and the Sanctuary of Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco*
México

DSC02454 by Roy Vidales, en Flickr

DSC02256 by Roy Vidales, en Flickr

DSC02388 by Roy Vidales, en Flickr

DSC02296 by Roy Vidales, en Flickr

DSC02593 by Roy Vidales, en Flickr


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## BARLACH

*More of San Miguel de Allende*

IMG_7636 (2) by Ricardo Labastida, en Flickr

IMG_7111 (2) by Ricardo Labastida, en Flickr

IMG_7038 (2) by Ricardo Labastida, en Flickr


IMG_7016 (2) by Ricardo Labastida, en Flickr

IMG_7031 (2) by Ricardo Labastida, en Flickr

Nice trhead .


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## buho

*Silk Market of Valencia (Spain)*

UNESCO

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. It is a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture. The grandiose Sala de Contratación (Contract or Trading Hall), in particular, illustrates the power and wealth of a major Mediterranean mercantile city in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Valencia by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Valencia by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Valencia by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Valencia by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Valencia by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Valencia by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Valencia by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Valencia by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Valencia by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Valencia by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Valencia by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Valencia by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Valencia by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Valencia by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr


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## ech wel

*Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias, Spain*

Unesco: 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 style was created that was to play a significant role in the development of the religious architecture of the peninsula. Its highest achievements can be seen in the churches of Santa María del Naranco, San Miguel de Lillo, Santa Cristina de Lena, the Cámara Santa and San Julián de los Prados, in and around the ancient capital city of Oviedo. Associated with them is the remarkable contemporary hydraulic engineering structure known as La Foncalada.

Santa Maria del Naranca, a former Asturias palace which was inspires by the Roman basilica in Trier 




Oviedo by Ech Wel, on Flickr

San Miquel de Lillo. 



Oviedo by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Typical Asturias window decoration... 



Oviedo by Ech Wel, on Flickr

San Julian de los Prados



Oviedo by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Fresco inside San Julian de los Prados



Oviedo by Ech Wel, on Flickr 

cathedral Oviedo



Oviedo by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## ech wel

*Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars, France*

Unesco: The property encompasses sites where the method of producing sparkling wines was developed on the principle of secondary fermentation in the bottle since the early 17th century to its early industrialization in the 19th century. The property is made up of three distinct ensembles: the historic vineyards of Hautvillers, Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Saint-Nicaise Hill in Reims, and the Avenue de Champagne and Fort Chabrol in Epernay. These three components – the supply basin formed by the historic hillsides, the production sites (with their underground cellars) and the sales and distribution centres (the Champagne Houses) - illustrate the entire champagne production process. The property bears clear testimony to the development of a very specialized artisan activity that has become an agro-industrial enterprise.

Wineyards in Hautvillers



Hautvillers by Ech Wel, on Flickr



Hautvillers by Ech Wel, on Flickr 

Moët en Chandon, best known for its Dom Pérignon



Epernay by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Champagne in the cellars.



Epernay by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Champagne, cheers!! :cheers::banana:



More about Champagne by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## stevekeiretsu

nice to see this thread still going strong



la.risa.el.olvido said:


> *Historic Centre of Zacatecas*
> México


love that pink stone!


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## stevekeiretsu

*Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites*

_Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites_ covers an area of 26 square km containing over 700 individual archaeological features and 160 Scheduled Monuments, but I will not attempt to cover every one of them :lol:

The WHS site comprises some of the largest, most complex and famous neolithic/megalithic constructions in the world.

*Stonehenge*


Stonehenge by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr


Stonehenge by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr


Stonehenge by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

*Avebury*


The road through Avebury by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr


Avebury megaliths by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr


Avebury henge by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

*West Kennet Avenue*


West Kennet Avenue by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

*Silbury Hill*


Silbury Hill by stevekeiretsu, on Flickr

More pics in my West Country thread.


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## yansa

Great places and pics, Steve! :applause:


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## Kintoy

Cahokia Mounds World Heritage site, Collinsville, IL


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## ech wel

Great pics Steve! Thanks a lot.

*Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, Germany*

Unesco: Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe

Descending a long hill dominated by a giant statue of Hercules, the monumental water displays of Wilhelmshöhe were begun by Landgrave Carl of Hesse-Kassel in 1689 around an east-west axis and were developed further into the 19th century. 



Hercules by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Reservoirs and channels behind the Hercules Monument supply water to a complex system of hydro-pneumatic devices that supply the site’s large Baroque water theatre, grotto, fountains and 350-metre long Grand Cascade. Beyond this, channels and waterways wind across the axis, feeding a series of dramatic waterfalls and wild rapids, the geyser-like Grand Fountain which leaps 50m high, the lake and secluded ponds that enliven the Romantic garden created in the 18th century by Carl’s great-grandson, Elector Wilhelm I.



Stroomversnelling by Ech Wel, on Flickr

The great size of the park and its waterworks along with the towering Hercules statue constitute an expression of the ideals of absolutist Monarchy while the ensemble is a remarkable testimony to the aesthetics of the Baroque and Romantic periods



Bloemenpracht by Ech Wel, on Flickr




Romeins aquaduct by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Roman Gods and mythologic figures are everywhere in the park. 



Apollotempel by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Palace of landgrave of Hessel. Read and see more about this great romantic place.



Slot Wilhelmshohe by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates; well done :cheers:


----------



## weirdo

*Baroque Churches of the Philippines - San Agustin, Intramuros*
UNESCO: The Baroque Churches of the Philippines is a serial inscription consisting of four Roman Catholic churches constructed between the 16thand the18th centuries in the Spanish period of the Philippines. They are located in separate areas of the Philippine archipelago, two at the northern island of Luzon, one at the heart of Intramuros, Manila, and the other in the central Visayas island of Iloilo.

This group of churches established a style of building and design that was adapted to the physical conditions in the Philippines and had an important influence on later church architecture in the region. The four churches are outstanding examples of the Philippine interpretation of the Baroque style, and represent the fusion of European church design and construction with local materials and decorative motifs to form a new church-building tradition.

The common and specific attributes of the churches are their squat, monumental and massive appearance, which illustrates a fortress/protective-like character in response to pirates, marauders and to the geologic conditions of a country that is prone to seismic activities.

I've been to the 3 out of the 4 currently inscribed. Pictured below is San Agustin in Intramuros, Manila

San Agustin Church by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


San Agustin Church by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


San Agustin Church by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


San Agustin Church by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


San Agustin Church by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr

I have more pictures of the church, and of Intramuros, the old walled city in Manila, in my Flickr album.


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## weirdo

*Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto - Kinkaku-ji*
UNESCO: The Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) consist of seventeen component parts that are situated in Kyoto and Uji Cities in Kyoto Prefecture and Otsu City in Shiga Prefecture. Built in A.D. 794 on the model of the ancient Chinese capital, Kyoto has acted as the cultural centre while serving as the imperial capital until the middle of the 19th century.

As the centre of Japanese culture for more than a thousand years, it spans the development of Japanese wooden architecture, particularly religious architecture, and the art of Japanese gardens, which has influenced landscape gardening the world over. Most of the one hundred ninety-eight buildings and twelve gardens that make up the seventeen component parts of the property were built or designed from the 10th to the 17th centuries.

All of the seventeen components of the inscribed property are religious establishments except for the castle of Nijo-jo. Together they cover a total of 1,056 hectares and are surrounded by a buffer zone of 3,579 hectares.


Kinkaku-ji by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Kinkaku-ji by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Kinkaku-ji by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Gate shingles by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Stone by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr

Check out my Kyoto Flickr album for more images.


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## weirdo

*Great Wall of China - Badaling Section*
UNESCO: The Great Wall was continuously built from the 3rd century BC to the 17th century AD on the northern border of the country as the great military defence project of successive Chinese Empires, with a total length of more than 20,000 kilometers. The Great Wall begins in the east at Shanhaiguan in Hebei province and ends at Jiayuguan in Gansu province to the west. Its main body consists of walls, horse tracks, watch towers, and shelters on the wall, and includes fortresses and passes along the Wall.

The Great Wall reflects collision and exchanges between agricultural civilizations and nomadic civilizations in ancient China. It provides significant physical evidence of the far-sighted political strategic thinking and mighty military and national defence forces of central empires in ancient China, and is an outstanding example of the superb military architecture, technology and art of ancient China. It embodies unparalleled significance as the national symbol for safeguarding the security of the country and its people.

I have only visited the Badaling section of this WH. It is the most visited among Chinese nationals and one of the most restored.


Badaling Great Wall by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Badaling Great Wall by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Badaling Great Wall by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Badaling Great Wall by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Badaling Great Wall by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr

More pictures of Badaling Great Wall and Yanqing County of Beijing in my Flickr album.


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## weirdo

*Historic Centre of Macao*
UNESCO: Macao, a lucrative port of strategic importance in the development of international trade, was under Portuguese administration from the mid-16th century until 1999, when it came under Chinese sovereignty. With its historic street, residential, religious and public Portuguese and Chinese buildings, the historic centre of Macao provides a unique testimony to the meeting of aesthetic, cultural, architectural and technological influences from East and West. The site also contains a fortress and a lighthouse, the oldest in China. It bears witness to one of the earliest and longest-lasting encounters between China and the West, based on the vibrancy of international trade.

Not too many quality photos here, and I lost a lot of image files. Pictures from 2010.


Largo do Senado by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Saint Paul ruins by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Calcada de Sao Paolo by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


St. Dominic's Church by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Ruins of Saint Paul's by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


----------



## weirdo

*Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto - Kiyomizu Dera*
Kiyomizu Dera is another temple included in the inscription.


Kyoto by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Sanjunoto by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Kiyomizu-dera by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Taisanji Buddhist Temple by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Kiyomizu-dera by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


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## weirdo

*Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration - Lake Kawaguchiko*
The beauty of the solitary, often snow-capped, stratovolcano, known around the world as Mount Fuji, rising above villages and tree-fringed sea and lakes has long been the object of pilgrimages and inspired artists and poets. The inscribed property consists of 25 sites which reflect the essence of Fujisan’s sacred and artistic landscape. In the 12th century, Fujisan became the centre of training for ascetic Buddhism, which included Shinto elements. On the upper 1,500-metre tier of the 3,776m mountain, pilgrim routes and crater shrines have been inscribed alongside sites around the base of the mountain including Sengen-jinja shrines, Oshi lodging houses, and natural volcanic features such as lava tree moulds, lakes, springs and waterfalls, which are revered as sacred. Its representation in Japanese art goes back to the 11th century, but 19th century woodblock prints of views, including those from sand beaches with pine tree groves have made Fujisan an internationally recognized icon of Japan and have had a deep impact on the development of Western art. 

Pictures of Lake Kawaguchiko, in Yamanashi Prefecture. It is one of the 25 related sites to the mountain included in the inscription. The mountain can be viewed from the lake on a clearer day. On the first picture, you can see it peeking through the clouds. Unluckily for me, I did not get to see it in its full glory.


Lake Kawaguchiko with Mount Fuji behind the clouds by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Lake Kawaguchiko by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Fujikawaguchiko by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Lake Kawaguchi by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Oishi Park by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr

I hope I was able to add more representations from Asia here. I have a few more, but I've yet to upload them.


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## yansa

Such superb updates, weirdo - enjoyed them very much! :applause:


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## stevekeiretsu

great additions weirdo!


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## ech wel

Nice ones Weirdo, thanks a lot!!

*Historic Centre of Guimarães, Portugal*


Unesco: The historic town of Guimarães is associated with the emergence of the Portuguese national identity in the 12th century. An exceptionally well-preserved and authentic example of the evolution of a medieval settlement into a modern town, its rich building typology exemplifies the specific development of Portuguese architecture from the 15th to 19th century through the consistent use of traditional building materials and techniques.

On the wall it says: Aqui nasceu Potugal - This is where Portugal was born



Guimaraes by Ech Wel, on Flickr

House of birth of Portugal. The first king of the country was born here.



Guimaraes by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Azulejos



Guimaraes by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Church of our beloved lady of the olivetree



Guimaraes by Ech Wel, on Flickr




Guimaraes by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## yansa

Beautiful impressions from Portugal, Ech Wel! :applause:


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## weirdo

*Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing*
UNESCO: The Temple of Heaven is an axial arrangement of Circular Mound Altar to the south open to the sky with the conically roofed Imperial Vault of Heaven immediately to its north. This is linked by a raised sacred way to the circular, three-tiered, conically roofed Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests further to the north. Here at these places the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties as interlocutors between humankind and the celestial realm offered sacrifice to heaven and prayed for bumper harvests. To the west is the Hall of Abstinence where the emperor fasted after making sacrifice. The whole is surrounded by a double-walled, pine-treed enclosure. Between the inner and outer walls to the west are the Divine Music Administration hall and the building that was the Stables for Sacrificial Animals. Within the complex there are a total of 92 ancient buildings with 600 rooms. It is the most complete existing imperial sacrificial building complex in China and the world's largest existing building complex for offering sacrifice to heaven.

Located south of the Forbidden City on the east side of Yongnei Dajie, the original Altar of Heaven and Earth was completed together with the Forbidden City in 1420, the eighteenth year of the reign of the Ming Emperor Yongle. In the ninth year of the reign of Emperor Jiajing (1530) the decision was taken to offer separate sacrifices to heaven and earth, and so the Circular Mound Altar was built to the south of the main hall for sacrifices particularly to heaven. The Altar of Heaven and Earth was thereby renamed the Temple of Heaven in the thirteenth year of the reign of Emperor Jiajing (1534). The current arrangement of the Temple of Heaven complex covering 273ha was formed by 1749 after reconstruction by the Qing emperors Qianlong and Guangxu.

The siting, planning, and architectural design of the Temple of Heaven as well as the sacrificial ceremony and associated music were based on ancient tenets relating numbers and spatial organisation to beliefs about heaven and its relationship to people on earth, mediated by the emperor as the ‘Son of Heaven’. Other dynasties built altars for the worship of heaven but the Temple of Heaven in Beijing is a masterpiece of ancient Chinese culture and is the most representative work of numerous sacrificial buildings in China.

Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests

Temple of Heaven by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr

Imperial Vault of Heaven

Temple of Heaven by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr

Echo Wall surrounding Imperial Vault of Heaven

Temple of Heaven by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr

Circular Mound Altar

Temple of Heaven by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr

The expansive park surrounding the temple complex is frequented by the elderly

Temple of Heaven by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr

ech wel, convince your wife to fly already and come visit Asia!


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## weirdo

*Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration - Oshino Hakkai*
Within the picturesque Oshino village are the eight ponds of Oshino Hakkai, they form 8 of the 25 sites inscribed under Fujisan WHS. 

I have posted pictures of Lake Kawaguchiko a few replies above.


Oshino Hakkai by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Wakuike Pond by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Oshino Hakkai by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Oshino by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


Oshino Hakkai by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


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## yansa

A wonderful reflection!



weirdo said:


> Wakuike Pond by Anthony Corpuz, on Flickr


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## ech wel

weirdo said:


> ech wel, convince your wife to fly already and come visit Asia!




I did!!

I've been to Thailand and Cambodia last summer and saw my first Asian world heritage sites. Excellent stuf, espicially Angkor Wat and the jungle of Khao Yai NP. 

Thanks for the updates! Great work!:cheers:


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## buho

*San Millán Yuso and Suso monasteries (Spain)*

UNESCO: The monastic community founded by St Millán in the mid-6th century became a place of pilgrimage. A fine 10th century mozarabic church built in honour of the holy man still stands at the site of Suso. It was here that the first literature was produced in Castilian, from which one of the most widely spoken languages in the world today is derived. In the early 16th century the community was housed in the fine new monastery of Yuso, below the older complex; it is still a thriving community today.

The Committee decided to inscribe this property on the basis of criteria (ii), (iv) and (vi), considering that the Monasteries of Suso and Yuso at San Millán de la Cogolla are exceptional testimony to the introduction and continuous survival of Christian monasticism, from the 6th century to the present day. The property is also of outstanding associative significance as the birthplace of the modern written and spoken Spanish language.

San Millán de la Cogolla by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

San Millán de la Cogolla by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

San Millán de la Cogolla by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

San Millán de la Cogolla by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

San Millán de la Cogolla by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

San Millán de la Cogolla by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr


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## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates; many thanks and well done


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## buho

*Royal monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe (Spain)*

UNESCO: 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: the Reconquest of the Iberian peninsula by the Catholic Kings and Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas. Its famous statue of the Virgin became a powerful symbol of the Christianization of much of the New World.

The town of Guadalupe, built around the Monastery, whose foundation dates back to 1337, offers in its medieval buildings a unique beauty that reflects the traditional architecture in an urban context.

It is an exceptional example of an ensemble comprised of widely differing architectural styles, including in particular the 14th- to 15th-century Mudéjar church and cloister. 

Guadalupe by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Guadalupe by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Guadalupe by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Guadalupe by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Guadalupe by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Guadalupe by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Guadalupe by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr


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## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates once again :cheers:


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## yansa

How wonderful, buho... I really love it! :applause:


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## buho

*Historic Walled Town of Cuenca (Spain)*

UNESCO: 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 Castilians in the 12th century, it became a royal town and bishopric endowed with important buildings, such as Spain's first Gothic cathedral, and the famous casas colgadas (hanging houses), suspended from sheer cliffs overlooking the Huécar river. Taking full advantage of its location, the city towers above the magnificent countryside.

Cuenca by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Cuenca by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Cuenca by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Cuenca by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Cuenca by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Cuenca by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Cuenca by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Cuenca by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Cuenca by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Cuenca by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Cuenca by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Cuenca by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr


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## yansa

Breathtaking! :applause:


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## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates indeed :applause:


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## ech wel

*Pythagorion and Heraion of Samos, Greece*

Unesco: 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 and Roman monuments and a spectacular tunnel-aqueduct, as well as the Heraion, temple of the Samian Hera, can still be seen.

The foundation of the pier in the picture is 2500 years old. Because of this engineering one of the first ports of the Mediterranean Sea could be built




Pythagorion by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Ruins in the old town of Pythagorion.



Pythagorion by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Spectacular tunnel-aquaduct. The ancients started to dig from both sites of the rock and met eachother in the middle. A formidable piece of engineering considering the time it was built. 



DSC02566-min by Ech Wel, on Flickr 

A 6 km long, holy way leads from Pythagorion to the temple of Hera. Once it was surrounded by thousands of statues but today only this small group has survived. 



DSC02641-min by Ech Wel, on Flickr

Dozens of columns supported the great temple of Hera but only one can still be seen on site. It is 9 m high, which is half of what it was original.



DSC02633-min by Ech Wel, on Flickr


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## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates and well done :cheers:


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## VITORIA MAN

Desde Portugalete by Gustavo Garijo, en Flickr

puente colgante de Bizkaia by Fernando66, en Flickr

El Gran Puente Colgante de Bizkaia by Gaspar Serrano, en Flickr

Barquilla del Puente Colgante de Bizkaia by Miguel Angel Sanchez, en Flickr

The Vizcaya Bridge was built to connect the two banks which are situated at the mouth of the Nervion River. It is the world's oldest transporter bridge and was built in 1893, designed by Alberto Palacio, one of Gustave Eiffel's disciples. The Engineer Ferdinand Joseph Arnodin was in charge, and the main financier of the project was Santos Lopez de Letona. It was the solution given by the engineer to the problem of connecting the towns of Portugalete and Getxo without disrupting the maritime traffic of the Port of Bilbao and without having to build a massive structure with long ramps. Palacio wanted to design a bridge which could transport passengers and cargo, and that could allow ships to go through. Palacio's shuttle bridge was adequate and could be built for a reasonable price.

The service was only interrupted once, for four years, during the Spanish Civil War, when the upper section was dynamited. From his house in Portugalete, Palacio saw his masterpiece partially destroyed just before his own death.


On July 13, 2006, the Vizcaya Bridge was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In Spain, it is the only monument in the Industrial Heritage category. UNESCO considers the bridge to be a perfect combination of beauty and functionality. It was the first to use a combination of iron technology and new steel cables which began a new form of constructing bridges which was later imitated throughout the world.



View along the top of the bridge
The bridge, still in use, is 164 meters long, and its gondola can transport six cars and several dozen passengers in one and a half minutes.

It operates every 8 minutes during the day (every hour at night), all year round, with different fares for day and night services, and is integrated into Bilbao's Creditrans (now "Barik") ticket system. An estimated four million passengers and half a million vehicles use the bridge annually.[1]

There are two new visitor lifts installed in the 50-metre-high pillars of the bridge that allow walking over the bridge's platform, from where there is a superb view of the port and the Abra bay.

Architecture
The structure is made of four 61 metre towers which are the pillars and stand on the river banks. The towers are braced by iron cables to the crossbeam and are parallel to the river and by cables following the line of the bridge into the hill behind (on the Portugalete side) and the ground (on the Las Arenas side). The upper crossbeam which lies horizontally, rests between two towers by 70 suspension cables. They also help support a great amount of weight and are supported in the corbels which helps balance the weight. The gondola transports vehicles and they hang from a 36-wheeled caty and is 25m. long. It moves along the rails through the horizontal crossbeam.


The structure is 45 metres high and 160 metres long. In the final design they decided to use two horizontal girders to support the rails, and these are supported by four pillars which stand on four towers which are situated on the river banks. It is made of iron. Much iron was extracted from the mines of Vizcaya, which increased the mining and shipping industry. Therefore, the Vizcaya Bridge also represents the growth and triumph of a new


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## DiogoBaptista

*Cathedral of Évora, Évora, Portugal*
Our Lady of Assumption Basilica

*Historic Centre of Évora*
UNESCO World Heritage Site





> SOURCE: https://www.facebook.com/maybeitsparadise/posts/990935071113851


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## DiogoBaptista

Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga

*Declared on July 7, 2019 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO*



> *(iv)
> to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;*​





> Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga (Portugal) — The site, a cultural landscape located on the slopes of Mount Espinho, overlooking the city of Braga in the north of Portugal, evokes Christian Jerusalem, recreating a sacred mount crowned with a church. The sanctuary was developed over a period of more than 600 years, primarily in a Baroque style, and illustrates a European tradition of creating Sacri Monti (sacred mountains), promoted by the Catholic Church at the Council of Trent in the 16th century, in reaction to the Protestant Reformation. The Bom Jesus ensemble is centred on a Via Crucis that leads up the western slope of the mount. It includes a series of chapels that house sculptures evoking the Passion of Christ, as well as fountains, allegorical sculptures and formal gardens. The Via Crucis culminates at the church, which was built between 1784 and 1811. The granite buildings have whitewashed plaster façades, framed by exposed stonework. The celebrated Stairway of the Five Senses, with its walls, steps, fountains, statues and other ornamental elements, is the most emblematic Baroque work within the property.​





MaXxImE said:


> *Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte / BRAGA, PORTUGAL*
> 
> *Construction period: 18th century*
> *Architectural styles: Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassical*
> 
> 
> Braga, Santuario do Bom Jesus do Monte par Ruggero Poggianella Photostream ©, sur Flickr
> 
> 
> bom jesus do monte, braga, portugal par youngdoo, sur Flickr
> 
> 
> Bom Jesus par Laura Jo, sur Flickr
> 
> 
> Santuário do Bom Jesus do Monte . Braga, Portugal par Rubem Jr, sur Flickr
> 
> 
> Braga, Bom Jesu do Monte par Ruggero Poggianella Photostream ©, sur Flickr
> 
> 
> IMG_7804 par demeeschter, sur Flickr
> 
> 
> Bom Jesus Braga III par hfmsantos, sur Flickr
> 
> 
> Main altar in Bom Jesus do Monte Church par Frans Harren, sur Flickr


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## DiogoBaptista

Royal Building of Mafra – Palace, Basilica, Convent, Cerco Garden and Hunting Park (Tapada)

*Declared on July 7, 2019 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO*



> *(iv)
> to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;*​





> Located 30 km northwest of Lisbon, the site was conceived by King João V in 1711 as a tangible representation of his conception of the monarchy and the State. This imposing quadrangular building houses the king’s and queen's palaces, the royal chapel, shaped like a Roman baroque basilica, a Franciscan monastery and a library containing 36,000 volumes. The complex is completed by the Cerco garden, with its geometric layout, and the royal hunting park (Tapada). The Royal Mafra Building is one of the most remarkable works undertaken by King João V, which illustrates the power and reach of the Portuguese Empire. João V adopted Roman and Italian baroque architectural and artistic models and commissioned works of art that make Mafra an exceptional example of Italian Baroque.​





JohnnyMass said:


> *Basilica of Mafra National Palace / MAFRA, PORTUGAL*
> 
> *Construction period: 18th century (1717 to 1735)*
> *Architectural style: Baroque*
> 
> 
> 
> Mafra by Joaquim Mello, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Convento de Mafra by Paty_2000, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Mafra National Palace, Portugal by joaoleitao, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Mafra Palace by jrb1908, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Basilica of Mafra National Palace / Basilica do Palácio de Mafra by Miguel H. CarriÃ§o, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Basilica of Mafra National Palace / Basilica do Palácio de Mafra by Miguel H. CarriÃ§o, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Quiet Reverence by Canadapt, on Flickr
> 
> 
> The Six Historical Organs of the Basilica of Mafra, PORTUGAL by europanostra, on Flickr


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## Barragon

*Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal

Angra do Heroísmo 

Angra do Heroísmo *


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## christos-greece

*^^^* Lovely, very nice town


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## buho

*Mudéjar architecture of Aragón (Spain)*

UNESCO: 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 Reconquista. This art, influenced by Islamic tradition, also reflects various contemporary European styles, particularly the Gothic. Present until the early 17th century, it is characterized by an extremely refined and inventive use of brick and glazed tiles in architecture, especially in the belfries. 

Torre de San Martín (Teruel) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Torre del Salvador de Teruel by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Catedral de Teruel by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Tobed by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Calatayud by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Iglesia de San Pablo de Zaragoza by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Seo de Zaragoza (6) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Seo de Zaragoza (3) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Aljafería de Zaragoza (8) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Aljafería de Zaragoza (22) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Aljafería de Zaragoza (24) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Aljafería de Zaragoza (57) by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr


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## Totu

Wow! Very interesting thread!


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## buho

*Ibiza, biodiversity and culture (Spain)*

UNESCO: Ibiza provides an excellent example of the interaction between the marine and coastal ecosystems. The dense prairies of oceanic Posidonia (seagrass), an important endemic species found only in the Mediterranean basin, contain and support a diversity of marine life. Ibiza preserves considerable evidence of its long history. The archaeological sites at Sa Caleta (settlement) and Puig des Molins (necropolis) testify to the important role played by the island in the Mediterranean economy in protohistory, particularly during the Phoenician-Carthaginian period. The fortified Upper Town (Alta Vila) is an outstanding example of Renaissance military architecture; it had a profound influence on the development of fortifications in the Spanish settlements of the New World. 

Ibiza by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Ibiza by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Ibiza by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Ibiza by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Ibiza by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr

Ibiza by santiago lopez-pastor, en Flickr


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