Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère [ve.zə.lɛ] Valley - France
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/85The Vézère valley contains 147 prehistoric sites dating from the Palaeolithic and 25 decorated caves. It is particularly interesting from an ethnological and anthropological, as well as an aesthetic point of view because of its cave paintings, especially those of the Lascaux Cave, whose discovery in 1940 was of great importance for the history of prehistoric art. The hunting scenes show some 100 animal figures, which are remarkable for their detail, rich colours and lifelike quality. WHS Dec 10, 2023, 8:51 AM cowpoke
Vézelay [ve.zə.lɛ], Church and Hill - France
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/84Shortly after its foundation in the 9th century, the Benedictine abbey of Vézelay acquired the relics of St Mary Magdalene and since then it has been an important place of pilgrimage. St Bernard preached the Second Crusade there in 1146 and Richard the Lion-Hearted and Philip II Augustus met there to leave for the Third Crusade in 1190. With its sculpted capitals and portal, the Madeleine of Vézelay – a 12th-century monastic church – is a masterpiece of Burgundian Romanesque art and architecture WHS Dec 10, 2023, 8:51 AM cowpoke
Memphis and its Necropolis [nɪˈkrɑpəlɪs] – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur [dɑh.ˈʃuːr] - Egypt
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/86The capital of the Old Kingdom of Egypt has some extraordinary funerary monuments, including rock tombs, ornate mastabas, temples and pyramids. In ancient times, the site was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. WHS Dec 10, 2023, 8:52 AM cowpoke
Mont-Saint-Michel [mɔ̃ sɛ̃ mi.ʃɛl] and its Bay - France
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/80Perched on a rocky islet in the midst of vast sandbanks exposed to powerful tides between Normandy and Brittany stand the 'Wonder of the West', a Gothic-style Benedictine abbey dedicated to the archangel St Michael, and the village that grew up in the shadow of its great walls. Built between the 11th and 16th centuries, the abbey is a technical and artistic <em>tour de force</em>, having had to adapt to the problems posed by this unique natural site. WHS Dec 9, 2023, 10:18 AM cowpoke
Chartres [ʃaʁtʁ] Cathedral - France
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/81Partly built starting in 1145, and then reconstructed over a 26-year period after the fire of 1194, Chartres Cathedral marks the high point of French Gothic art. The vast nave, in pure ogival style, the porches adorned with fine sculptures from the middle of the 12th century, and the magnificent 12th- and 13th-century stained-glass windows, all in remarkable condition, combine to make it a masterpiece. WHS Dec 9, 2023, 10:19 AM cowpoke
Palace and Park of Versailles [vɛʁ.sɑj] - France
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/83The Palace of Versailles was the principal residence of the French kings from the time of Louis XIV to Louis XVI. Embellished by several generations of architects, sculptors, decorators and landscape architects, it provided Europe with a model of the ideal royal residence for over a century. WHS Dec 9, 2023, 10:19 AM cowpoke
Kluane [kluˈɑːni] / Wrangell-St. Elias [ˈræŋɡəl sənt ɪˈlaɪəs] / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek [ˌtætʃənˈʃiːni ˈælsɛk] - Canada, USA
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/72These parks comprise an impressive complex of glaciers and high peaks on both sides of the border between Canada (Yukon Territory and British Columbia) and the United States (Alaska). The spectacular natural landscapes are home to many grizzly bears, caribou and Dall's sheep. The site contains the largest non-polar icefield in the world. WHS Dec 7, 2023, 8:06 AM cowpoke
Dinosaur Provincial Park - Canada
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/71In addition to its particularly beautiful scenery, Dinosaur Provincial Park – located at the heart of the province of Alberta's badlands – contains some of the most important fossil discoveries ever made from the 'Age of Reptiles', in particular about 35 species of dinosaur, dating back some 75 million years. WHS Dec 7, 2023, 8:04 AM cowpoke
Grand Canyon National Park - USA
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/75Carved out by the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon (nearly 1,500 m deep) is the most spectacular gorge in the world. Located in the state of Arizona, it cuts across the Grand Canyon National Park. Its horizontal strata retrace the geological history of the past 2 billion years. There are also prehistoric traces of human adaptation to a particularly harsh environment. WHS Dec 7, 2023, 8:06 AM cowpoke
Everglades National Park - United States of America
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/76This site at the southern tip of Florida has been called 'a river of grass flowing imperceptibly from the hinterland into the sea'. The exceptional variety of its water habitats has made it a sanctuary for a large number of birds and reptiles, as well as for threatened species such as the manatee. WHS Dec 8, 2023, 8:51 AM cowpoke
