Historic and gastronomic centre of France with hidden corridors - Historic Site of Lyon 872; Belfries of Belgium and France 943; Gastronomic meal of the French 00437; Artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread 01883 Restaurants along Rue Saint-Jean What and Why Against common beliefs, the gastronomic centre of France is not Paris , but Lyon . So much that Lyon is inscribed as the UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy . The city has apparently more restaurants per capita

The Russian Versailles, Russian Amsterdam and its old citadel - Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments 540...

Beautiful European-styled city in the North - Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments 540 Hermitage at the...

Cultural and historic confluence of ancient Egyptian and Nubian civilisations - Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae 88; Handmade...

' 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

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

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

Magical use of space, light, water and greens in a Moorish castle - Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada 314; Flamenco 00363;...

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...

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

Mediaeval church with frescoes of long-lasting legacy - Boyana Church 42; Bulgarian Chitalishte (Community Cultural Centre): practical...

Indentured labour gateway - Aapravasi Ghat 1227; Bhojpuri folk songs in Mauritius, Geet-Gawai 01178 Aapravasi Ghat What and Why The...

A city of contrasting unequals: Bollywood against traditional culture, mega-rich against slum; Victorian architectures against Hindu...

Centre of transportation with a pink hue : old canal, pilgrimage routes and new aeroplane - Canal du Midi 770; Routes of Santiago de...

British colonial garden - Singapore Botanic Gardens 1483 ; Hawker culture in Singapore, community dining and culinary practices in a...

Part two of one of the most beautiful cities in Europe - Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and...

One of Europe's most touristy cities - Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue 400;...

A swampy city which sparked modernist architecture - Tugendhat Villa in Brno 1052 What and Why Villa Tugendhat is an architecturally...