New Lanark

New Lanark UNESCO World Heritage Site, Scotland

From the New Lanark World Heritage inscription: When Richard Arkwright’s new factory system for textile production was brought to New Lanark the need to provide housing and other facilities for the workers and managers was recognized. It was there that Robert Owen created a model for industrial communities that was to spread across the world …

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Old and New Towns of Edinburgh

Old and New Towns of Edinburgh

From the World Heritage inscription: Edinburgh has been the Scottish capital since the 15th century. It has two distinct areas: the Old Town, dominated by a medieval fortress; and the neoclassical New Town, whose development from the 18th century onwards had a far-reaching influence on European urban planning. The harmonious juxtaposition of these two contrasting …

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Visiting the Wachau Cultural Landscape, Austria

Visiting the Wachau Cultural Landscape, Austria

The Wachau Wachau Cultural Landscape is an Austrian World Heritage Site location along the Danube River approximately between the towns of Krems and Melk. It is one of the most popular world heritage sites in the country attracting thousands of riverboat passengers each year, as well as visitors from the nearby capitals of Vienna, Bratislava, …

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Visiting the Major Mining Sites of Wallonia

Visiting the Major Mining Sites of Wallonia, Belgium

The Major Mining Sites of Wallonia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site established in 2012 which preserves the heritage of coal mining and early industrialization in Wallonia. The site consists of four different properties: Grand-Hornu, Bois-du-Luc, Bois du Cazier, and the Blegny-Mine. It is one of 12 world heritage sites in Belgium, and also on the European …

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Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System

Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System UNESCO World Heritage Site

From the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System World Heritage inscription: The coastal area of Belize is an outstanding natural system consisting of the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, offshore atolls, several hundred sand cays, mangrove forests, coastal lagoons and estuaries. The system’s seven sites illustrate the evolutionary history of reef development and are …

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Australian Convict Sites

Australian Convict Sites - UNESCO World Heritage Site

From the World Heritage inscription for Australian Convict Sites: The property includes a selection of eleven penal sites, among the thousands established by the British Empire on Australian soil in the 18th and 19th centuries. The sites are spread across Australia, from Fremantle in Western Australia to Kingston and Arthur’s Vale on Norfolk Island in …

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Lord Howe Islands Group

Lord Howe Islands Group

From the World Heritage inscription for the Lord Howe Island Group: Located in the South Pacific, 700 km north-east of Sydney, the property is included administratively in New South Wales. The preserve includes some 75% of the land area of Lord Howe Island and all of the offshore islands and rocks of significant size in …

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SGang Gwaay

SGang Gwaay UNESCO World Heritage Site, Canada

From the World Heritage inscription for SGang Gwaay: At the village of SGang Gwaay llnagaay (Nan Sdins) the remains of large cedar longhouses, together with a number of carved mortuary and memorial poles, illustrate the art and way of life of the Haida. The site commemorates the living culture of the Haida, based on fishing …

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Rock Islands Southern Lagoon, Palau

Rock Islands Southern Lagoon UNESCO World Heritage Site, Palau

I visited the rock islands of Palau back in 2007. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in July of 2012. There are few places that were more deserving of World Heritage status than the rock islands of Palau. Despite being one of the smallest countries in the world, the rock islands feature …

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