From the World Heritage inscription for the Kew Gardens: Set amongst a series of parks and estates along the River Thames’ south-western reaches, this historic landscape garden includes work by internationally renowned landscape architects Bridgeman, Kent, Chambers, Capability Brown and Nesfield illustrating significant periods in garden design from the 18th to the 20th centuries. The …
From the World Heritage inscription: At its height the Roman Empire extended into three continents. Its borders reflected the waxing and waning of power over more than a millennium. In what is now Germany there were several military campaigns into the area north of the Alps and east of the River Rhine from 55/53 BC …
From the World Heritage inscription for the Defense Line of Amsterdam: Extending 135 km around the city of Amsterdam, this defense line (built between 1883 and 1920) is the only example of a fortification based on the principle of controlling the waters. Since the 16th century, the people of the Netherlands have used their expert …
From the World Heritage inscription for the Willandra Lakes Region: The Willandra Lakes Region, in the semi-arid zone in southwest New South Wales (NSW), contains a relict lake system whose sediments, geomorphology and soils contain an outstanding record of a low-altitude, non-glaciated Pleistocene landscape. It also contains an outstanding record of the glacial-interglacial climatic oscillations …
From the World Heritage inscription or the Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel: The four Mount Carmel caves (Tabun, Jamal, el-Wad, and Skhul) and their terraces are clustered adjacent to each other along the south side of the Nahal Me’arot/Wadi el-Mughara valley. The steep-sided valley opening to the coastal plain on the west side …
The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras are among one of the most remarkable landscapes in the region—and in the world in fact. So unique are these rice terraces that in 1995 UNESCO recognized the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras as a World Heritage Site for its outstanding cultural landscape that can be traced …
One of the most remarkable parts of traveling through the Philippines is the chance to immerse myself in every aspect of culture and history. Perhaps nowhere is this fascinating blending of culture more noticeable than in the beautiful Baroque churches in the Philippines. These beautiful churches are so significant they were named one of the …
From the World Heritage inscription: The town of Chichen-Itza was established during the Classic period close to two natural cavities (cenotes or chenes), which gave the town its name “At the edge of the well of the Itzaes”. The cenotes facilitated tapping the underground waters of the area. The dates for this settlement vary according …
From the World Heritage inscription for Poblet Monastery: Santa María of Poblet presents a unique blend of architectural forms generally reserved for distinct applications. It has served as one of the largest and most complete of the Cistercian abbeys, as a massive military complex, and as a royal palace, residence, and pantheon. It is a …