Kluane National Park, Yukon

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 …

Read more

The Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region

The Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region

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 …

Read more

Mistaken Point

Mistaken Point UNESCO World Heritage Site, Canada

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 …

Read more

Van Nellefabriek

Van Nellefabriek UNESCO World Heritage Site, Netherlands

From the World Heritage inscription: Designed and built in the 1920s, the Van Nellefabriek demonstrates an extremely accomplished industrial architecture. It comprises a complex of buildings consisting of several factories aligned along the perspective of a large internal roadway, and close to several means of transport (canals, roads, railway lines). Supported on an internal structure …

Read more

Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona

Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona

From the World Heritage inscription for the Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona: These are two of the finest contributions to Barcelona’s architecture by the Catalan art nouveau architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. The Palau de la Música Catalana is an exuberant steel-framed structure full of light and space and …

Read more

Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks

Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks

From the World Heritage inscription for Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks: The contiguous national parks of Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho, as well as the Mount Robson, Mount Assiniboine and Hamber provincial parks, studded with mountain peaks, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, canyons and limestone caves, form a striking mountain landscape. The Burgess Shale fossil site, well known …

Read more

Wood Buffalo National Park

Wood Buffalo National Park UNESCO World Heritage Site

From the World Heritage inscription for Wood Buffalo National Park: Situated on the Northern Boreal Plains in the north-central region of Canada, Wood Buffalo comprises a vast wilderness area (44,807 km2 ) which is home to North America’s largest population of wild bison. It is also the natural nesting place of the whooping crane. Another …

Read more

Historic City of Vigan

Historic City of Vigan - UNESCO World Heritage Site

The above photo is of the Vigan Cathedral and the central plaza. The plaza area has small models of the wonders of the world as well as a map of the Philippines with models of the Filipino World Heritage sites on it. Vigan is a very quaint city and you can tell it is different …

Read more

Changdeokgung Palace Complex

Changdeok Palace - UNESCO World Heritage Site

From the World Heritage inscription for the Changdeokgung Palace Complex: In the early 15th century, Emperor T’aejong ordered the construction of a new palace at an auspicious site. A Bureau of Palace Construction was set up to create the complex, consisting of a number of official and residential buildings set in a garden that was …

Read more