The king of all lighthouses - Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France 868; Cordouan Lighthouse 1625; Gastronomic meal of the French...

The heart of wine-making and Romanesque architectural heritage - Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion 932; Gastronomic meal of the French 00437;...

' Above there is heaven, below there is Suzhou-Hangzhou ': for gardens, canals, food, operas, silk and scholastic activities - Classical Gardens of Suzhou 813; The Grand Canal 1443; Kun Qu opera 00004 Canal in Suzhou This post marks the 5th anniversary of my blog. What and Why The quote ' Above there is heaven, below there is Suzhou-Hangzhou ( Chinese : 上有天堂、下有苏杭 , Shangyou tiantang, Xiayou Su-hang ) ' aptly describes how beautiful Suzhou (苏州) has always been in the eyes of

The first capital of Russia, a major trading post and another centre of Russian Orthodoxy - Historic Monuments of Novgorod and Surroundings 604 Millennium Monument What and Why While Veliky Novgorod ( Russian : Великий Новгород) is so-called the 'new city', it is actually one of the oldest cities in the history of Russia (Россия, Rossiya ) . The city was founded in 859 CE by the Varangian (Old Norse: Væringjar ) prince Rurik (Рюрикъ , Rjurikŭ ) , which began the ruling dyn

World engineering marvel that conquers the scenic Alps - Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes 1276 Brusio viaduct What and Why The Bernina Express is a sightseeing railway line operated by the Rhaetian Railway ( German : Rhätische Bahn ) that runs between Chur of Switzerland ( Schweiz ) to Tirano of Italy (Italian: Italia ) with a main stop at Saint Moritz ( Sankt Moritz ) . The train line is actually two separated lines combined together: the Bernina Li

A Carthaginian trading post with a syncretic urban structure and culture - Kasbah of Algiers 565; Knowledge, know-how and practices...

A small Russian former capital with more churches than anyone else - White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal 633 Suzdal What and Why Just...

The picturesque unknown capital of Switzerland retaining a provincial atmosphere - Old City of Berne 267 Marktgasse What and Why With...

Cradle and tourbillon of Swiss-watchmaking - La Chaux-de-Fonds / Le Locle, Watchmaking Town Planning 1302; Craftsmanship of mechanical...

The warm cradle that produces Swiss wines - Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces 1243; The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement 1321; Winegrowers’ Festival in Vevey 01201; Art of dry stone construction, knowledge and techniques 02106 Lavaux vineyard What and Why Along the north bank of Lake Geneva ( French : Le Léman ) lies a 30-km stretch of terraced vineyards that produces the wine appellation of the region. The region, which occupi

Ancient pearling site that started the nation - Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy 1364 ; Fjiri 01747 Oyster beds in Muharraq What and Why For centuries, Muharraq ( Arabic: المحرق, Al-Muḥarraq ) was the Persian Gulf’s pearling epicentre. After all the region produces some of the finest pearls in the world, and this literally gave birth to the regional Bahraini culture and civilisation since the 3rd century BCE. Virtually everyone was involved in the pearling indu

Possibly Japan's most cultural and beautiful city steeped in tradition - Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) 688; Kabuki theatre 00163; 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 Kinkaku-ji What and Why Kyoto ( Japanese : 京都, Kyōto ) carries the reputation of being the

Hanseatic dockyards standing for more than a thousand years - Bryggen 59; Oselvar boat - reframing a traditional learning process of building and use to a modern context 01156; Nordic clinker boat traditions 01686 Bryggen 1 What and Why Bergen , a coastal city in Norway ( Norwegian : Norge ) , was the main commercial hub of the Hanseatic League (German: Hanse ) during the 13th to 17th century CE. The Hanseatic League started as a mediaeval commercial confederation of guilds

Iconic fjords, massive waterfalls, canyon valleys and impressive railway - West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord 1195; Craft techniques and customary practices of cathedral workshops, or Bauhütten, in Europe, know-how, transmission, development of knowledge and innovation 01558; Nordic clinker boat traditions 01686 Nærøyfjord What and Why The scenic and narrow Nærøyfjord , a branch of the large Sognefjord , is 18-km fjord is often cited as one of the most bea

A ‘nice’ touristy riviera city - Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera 1635; The skills related to perfume in Pays de Grasse: the...

Birthplace of Apollo and Artemis - Delos 530 Delos lions What and Why Delos ( Greek : Δήλος) , in spite of its current size, barrenness and lack of water, was surprisingly a major political focal point during the classical antiquity period . The island was a major commercial and trading centre from the 2nd century BCE till the 1st century CE, due to the belief in Greek mythology that the island was the birthplace of the twins Apollo (Ἀπόλλων, Apollōn ) , god of the sun, mu

A mosque? A cathedral? - Historic Centre of Cordoba 313; Fiesta of the patios in Cordova 00846; Mediterranean diet 00884...

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 CE. Banked on the Vistula river ( Polish : Wisła

The old salt mine with extraordinary salt rock sculptures - Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines 32 Saint Kinga Chapel What and Why The...

Venetian fortified town deep in the Mediterranean sea cliff - Natural and Culture-Historical Region of Kotor 125; Venetian Works of...