Easter Island, also called Rapa Nui, is the most isolated island on Earth—it’s located 2,000 km from the nearest speck of land and 3,700 kilometers from the continental coast of Chile, and yet Easter Island has captivated the world. Famed for its stone heads—or moai, as they are known locally—the entirety of Easter Island is …
From the World Heritage inscription for the Historic District of Old Quebec: Québec was founded by the French explorer Champlain in the early 17th century. It is the only North American city to have preserved its ramparts, together with the numerous bastions, gates and defensive works which still surround Old Québec. The Upper Town, built …
One of the more iconic sites in all of Bosnia and Herzegovina—the old bridge in Mostar—is actually not that old. At least, the current incarnation of Stari Most is a lot newer than one might think, given the bridge’s long history. Originally built in 1557 under the administration of the Ottoman Empire, it was destroyed …
Trier is amazing. I had no idea of the rich history of the city, which is the oldest in all of Germany. Just to give you an idea of what can be found when visiting Trier: Trier used to be one of the most important cities in the western world, a fact which escapes most …
From the World Heritage inscription: The Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany are a serial property comprising fifteen components. They represent an outstanding example of undisturbed, complex temperate forests and exhibit the most complete and comprehensive ecological patterns and processes of pure stands of European beech across a …
Jasper National Park lies just north of Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies and is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site. In some respects, Banff and Jasper can be considered continuations of each other. As the parks are adjoining and cover similar geography, there are often debates as to …
When I tell people about Kluane National Park, I often get a quizzical look. Kluane isn’t well known, even amongst Canadians. I’m guessing this is due to it being in the Yukon which doesn’t have a very large population. Kluane is located in the southwestern most corner of the Yukon, bordering Wrangle-St. Elias National Park …
From the World Heritage inscription: The Lake Ohrid region, a mixed World Heritage property covering 83,350 ha, was inscribed for its natural values in 1979 and for its cultural values a year later. Lake Ohrid is a superlative natural phenomenon, providing refuge for numerous endemic and relict freshwater species of flora and fauna dating from …
From the World Heritage inscription: This fossil site is located at the south-eastern tip of the island of Newfoundland, in eastern Canada. It consists of a narrow, 17 km-long strip of rugged coastal cliffs. Of deep marine origin, these cliffs date to the Ediacaran Period (580-560 million years ago), representing the oldest known assemblages of …