Capital of art nouveau and pickpockets - Works of Antoni Gaudí 320; Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona 804; Human Towers 00364; Mediterranean diet 00884 Parc Guell What and Why Barcelona is now one of the most popular tourist cities, offering its visitors good art, football, food, culture, commerce and even science. It has developed itself as a significant global brand as a city and is considered one of the economic powerhouse in Spain ( Spanish

Second oldest standing structures on Earth - Megalithic Temples of Malta 132 Ġgantija What and Why The Megalithic Temples of Malta (Maltese: It-Tempji Megalitiċi ta' Malta) are several prehistoric temples built during the period 3600 BCE to 700 BCE in various spots in Malta. They were the oldest free-standing structures on Earth until the discovery of Göbekli Tepe of Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye). Archaeologists believe that these megalithic complexes, nowhere else found in the

Time warp to the mediaevals and Game of Thrones - City of Valletta 131; L-Għana, a Maltese folksong tradition 01681 Valletta What and Why Valletta 's 16th-century buildings have now been recognised as the backdrop of the famed television series Game of Thrones . The city main architecture is Baroque , adding elements of neo-classicism really put one back into a mediaeval fantasy. The city was ruled successively by the Phoenicia (Phoenician: 𐤊𐤍𐤏𐤍, Kenāʿan ) , Ancient Gr

Fortress of syncretism of religions - Fatehpur Sikri 255 Fatehpur Sikri What and Why Fatehpur Sikri ( Hindi : फ़तेहपुर सीकरी) was founded as the capital of the Mughal Empire (Persian: امپراتوری گورکانی هند, Mughliyah Saltanat ) in 1571 by Akbar (Persian: ابو الفتح جلال الدين محمد اكبر, né ابو الفتح جلال الدين محمد اكبر (Persian), Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar ) , when he was serving this role during mid to late-16th century as the third Mughal Emperor . Akbar (mea

World most majestic mausoleum - Agra Fort 251; Taj Mahal 252 Tāj Mahal (from internet) What and Why Agra ( Hindi : आगरा) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna (यमुना) river and is the first city in this series to house more than one UNESCO WHS. Most importantly it houses the Tāj Mahal (ताज महल) and the Agra Fort (आगरा का किला, Agra ka qila ) , with Tāj Mahal being arguably the most famous buildings in world architecture, especially exhibiting the extreme beauty and forte o

One of the first universities in the world and the world's most important Buddhist school - Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) at Nalanda, Bihar 1502 Nalanda T3 What and Why Nālandā ( Hindi : नालंदा) was a Mahāvihāra (Sanskrit: महाविहार) , meaning 'great Buddhist monastery', was established in the 5th century CE during the end of the Gupta Empire (Sanskrit: गुप्त राजवंश, Śri Gupta ) although it was reported that there had been some form of a loos

Derelict city of maritime history, Beatles and football - Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City 1150 Anfield What and Why Liverpool 's prominence as a major port city was unparalleled throughout the Industrial Revolution . The city was a pioneer in the development of modern dock technology, transport systems and port management, and building construction. As a result it became a major shipbuilding city and home to famous shipbuilders like the White Star Line , the owner of

Never say 'kekkō' until you've seen Nikkō - Shrines and Temples of Nikko 913; Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese, notably for the celebration of New Year 00869; Traditional skills, techniques and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan 01618 Nikko What and Why The first temple in Nikkō ( Japanese : 日光) was founded more than 1,200 years ago. In the early 17th century, the famous dying shōgun (将軍) Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川

Italy seaside city with a rich Greek culture - Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica 1200; Mediterranean diet 00884; Italian cooking, between sustainability and biocultural diversity 02093 Piazza Duomo What and Why Syracuse ( Italian : Siracusa ) was founded in the 8th century by Greek settlers, led by the coloniser Archias (Greek: Ἀρχίας) . The settlement of Syracuse was an exercise of urban planning, as a strong central leader, Archias laid out how properties and

'Not-old' Baroque town with Arab-Norman churches - Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (South-Eastern Sicily) 1024; Italian cooking, between sustainability and biocultural diversity 02093 Noto What and Why Noto is a very tiny town but is unexpectedly gorgeous. One of the most photogenic places during this trip. Similar to other Sicilian cities, Noto was occupied by the Arabs in the 9th century and then in late 11th century, it became the last Islamic stronghold in Sicily

One of the most scenic and cliff-hanging coastal landscapes in Europe - Costiera Amalfitana 830; Mediterranean diet 00884; Italian cooking, between sustainability and biocultural diversity 02093 Amalfi coastline What and Why The Amalfi Coast ( Italian : Costiera Amalfitana ) is the scenic 50-km stretch of coastline on the northern coast of the Gulf of Salerno ( Golfo di Salerno ) , which clearly possesses unrivalled sceneries and dramatic landscapes. The winding drive along