Protected native area and ecosystems across two countries - Waterton Glacier International Peace Park 354 Waterton Glacier International Peace Park What and Why Glacier National Park is a national park located at the northern border of America renowned for its extensive ecosystems: both in terms of animal and plants and hence it is often referred to as the ' Crown of the Continent Ecosystem '. Together with the Waterton Lakes Park of Canada , it forms the Waterton-Glacier

National park with three distinctive climates - Olympic National Park 151 Olympic National Park What and Why Olympic National Park is a national forest distinctive in a number of ways: It is a relative small area but within the park there are three or four distinct ecosystems , including subalpine forest , temperate forest , glaciated mountains , and the rugged Pacific coast. As a result it offers a diversity of distinct endemism and plant species that varies within the pa

6,000 year-old megalithic burial mounds with astronomical precision - Brú na Bóinne - Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne 659; Irish Harping 01461 Boyne valley tomb What and Why Brú na Bóinne is a prehistoric human settlement near the town of Drogheda ( Irish : Droichead Átha ) for the past 6,000 years. One of the most important features of the sites are the magnificent tombs of the Neolithic or Late Stone Age , which demonstrates that this site must had been

Hilltop mediaeval town with one of the most beautiful cathedrals - Historic City of Toledo 379 Toledo What and Why Toledo stands out from other European cities for being a confluence of Christian, Muslim and Jewish cultures, and is hence nicknamed the 'City of the Three Cultures', and it becomes as a result a heritage city with extensive cultural monuments. The city was also the royal residence of the Holy Roman Emperor (Latin: Imperator Romanorum ) Charles V (Dutch: Karel

Historic residence of the King of Spain - Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid 318 El Escorial What and Why El Escorial is a massive and elegant Spanish royal sites ( Spanish : reales sitios ) and functioned as a monastery, basilica, royal palace, pantheon, library, museum, university, school and hospital throughout its time. Commissioned by Philip II ( Felipe II , né Felipe de Habsburg ) with the intention of demonstrating the power of Spain's ( España ) monarchy

A mosque? A cathedral? - Historic Centre of Cordoba 313; Fiesta of the patios in Cordova 00846; Mediterranean diet 00884 Mosque-Cathedral What and Why Cordova ( Spanish : Córdoba ) is an epicentre of cultural crossroads in Europe as it contains a mixture of the diverse cultures that have settled it throughout history. Very few cities in the world had the history and privilege to serve as the capital of a major Roman province, namely Further Hispania ( Hispania Ulterior )

Magical use of space, light, water and greens in a Moorish castle - Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada 314; Flamenco 00363; Mediterranean diet 00884 Alhambra What and Why Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex located on a hilltop in Granada and was originally constructed as a small fortress in the late 9th century on the remains of Roman fortifications . The complex was then largely ignored until its ruins were renovated and rebuilt in the mid-13th century by th

Alms-giving during sunrise - Town of Luang Prabang 479; Khaen music of the Lao people 01296; Traditional craft of Naga motif weaving in Lao communities 01973 Alms-giving at Luang Prabang What and Why Located in the confluence of Mekong River (ແມ່ນ້ຳຂອງ, Maenam Khong ) , Luang Prabang ( Lao : ຫລວງພະບາງ, Louangphabang ) is a remarkable city, so isolated from the outside world that it still possesses extremely well preserved architectural, religious and cultural heritages. In

Oppa Gangnam style! - Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty 1319; Arirang, lyrical folk song in the Republic of Korea 00445; Kimjang, making and sharing kimchi in the Republic of Korea 00881; Knowledge, beliefs and practices related to jang making in the Republic of Korea 01975 Gangnam style What and Why Gangnam ( Korean : 강남) , made famous by the hit song Gangnam Style ( 강남스타일 ) , is the current main business district of Seoul (서울) as a result of the rapid economic boom of Kor

An ultra-modern metropolis with a history of more than 2,000 years - Jongmyo Shrine 738; Changdeokgung Palace Complex 816; Royal ancestral ritual in the Jongmyo shrine and its music 00016; Kimjang, making and sharing kimchi in the Republic of Korea 00881; Knowledge, beliefs and practices related to jang making in the Republic of Korea 01975 Gwanghwamun What and Why Seoul ( Korean : 서울) is an ultra-modern city of stark contrasts. The city proper itself dates back to 18 BCE,

One of the most beautiful mediaeval European cities with a hint of former communist feel - Historic Centre of Kraków 29; Nativity scene (szopka) tradition in Krakow 01362 Old town square What and Why Kraków (pronounced /ˈkrakuf/) is always cited as one of the most culturally rich and beautiful cities in the world in various forum, so much so that its fame lands itself being the first batch of UNESCO WHS inscriptions in 1979. Banked on the Vistula river ( Polish : Wisła ) ,

The darkest and cruellest chapter in modern human history - Auschwitz Birkenau, German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940–1945) 31 Birkenau camp entrance What and Why Simply the grimmest of all places that I have visited, just the mention of the name sends shiver down one's spine. Auschwitz-Birkenau has become a widespread symbol of terror, genocide and the Holocaust in the global consciousness. This breath of horror persists until today when Poland ( Polish

The old salt mine with extraordinary salt rock sculptures - Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines 32 Saint Kinga Chapel What and Why The Wieliczka Salt Mine ( Polish : Kopalnia Soli Wieliczka ) , excavated since the 13th century, produced table salt continuously until 2007 and was one of the world's oldest operating salt mines. The mine is located in Wieliczka , which is a city just south of Kraków . Table salt, in the form of sodium chloride with brine welling up to the s

Two-route Mannerist pilgrimage park that gives its visitors an air of serenity - Kalwaria Zebrzydowska: the Mannerist Architectural and Park Landscape Complex and Pilgrimage Park 905 Basilica of Saint Mary What and Why Kalwaria Zebrzydowska park ( Polish : Sanktuarium pasyjno-maryjne w Kalwarii Zebrzydowskiej ) is a beautiful and serene Mannerist , or late Renaissance , architectural and park landscape complex and pilgrimage park, built in the 17th century as the Counter Refo

Mediaeval church with frescoes of long-lasting legacy - Boyana Church 42; Bulgarian Chitalishte (Community Cultural Centre): practical experience in safeguarding the vitality of the Intangible Cultural Heritage 00969 Boyana Church What and Why The Boyana Church ( Bulgarian : Боянска Ц ърква, Boyanska Tsărkva ) is a mediaeval Orthodox church built in the 10th century located in the Boyana district, apparently the most well-off area of Sofia (София, Sofiya ) . The church is

Culturally rich Orthodox monastery near the Bulgarian border - Rila Monastery 216 Rila monastery What and Why The Rila monastery ( Bulgarian : Рилски манастир, Rilski manastir ) is one of the greatest monasteries built in Bulgaria (България, Bŭlgariya ) or possibly in the Balkans , and is regarded a s one of the most significant cultural, historical, and spiritual landmarks of the country . The Eastern Orthodox monastery is founded as early as the 10th century and is cont

Mediaeval Serbian Orthodox Christian monastery in a conflict epicentre - Medieval Monuments in Kosovo 724 Visoki Dečani What and Why Visoki Dečani Monastery ( Albanian : Manastiri i Deçanit ) is one of the four mediaeval Serbian Orthodox Christian monasteries in the disputed state of Kosovo ( Kosova ) . The famous historic monastery is commissioned by the King of Serbia (Serbian: Србија, Srbij a ) Stefan Dečanski (Serbian: Стефан Дечански, né Стефан Немањић, Stefan Nema

Venetian fortified town deep in the Mediterranean sea cliff - Natural and Culture-Historical Region of Kotor 125; Venetian Works of Defence between the 16th and 17th centuries: Stato da Terra - Western State Da Mar 1533 Fortification of Kotor What and Why Kotor ( Montenegrin : Котор) is a beautifully landscaped historic fortification built largely by the Republic of Venice (Venetian: Venèçia ) around the Mediterranean inner bay, between the rugged mountains and the serene w

The Pearl of Adriatic as if a page from Games of Thrones - Old City of Dubrovnik 95; Festivity of Saint Blaise, the patron of Dubrovnik 00232; Art of dry stone construction, knowledge and techniques 02106 Dubrovnik What and Why Dubrovnik , known as the ' Pearl of the Adriatic ' by George Byron , is a city that comes out of the page of the mediaeval fantasy stories with the city being beautifully planned and constructed with brown marbles and limestones. The history of the ci

An Ottoman bridge symbolising ethnic diversity and reconciliation - Old Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar 946 Stari Most from across the bank What and Why Mostar is famous for its gorgeous Old Bridge ( Bosnian : Stari Most ) which connects the eastern and western part of the city across the river Neretva . The bridge is significant in many aspects: It carries history when it was built in the mid-16th century and stood for 427 years until it was blown up during the Bosn