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
Miguasha [mɪˈɡwɑːʃə] National Park - Canada
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/686The palaeontological site of Miguasha National Park, in south-eastern Quebec on the southern coast of the Gaspé peninsula, is considered to be the world's most outstanding illustration of the Devonian Period known as the 'Age of Fishes'. Dating from 370 million years ago, the Upper Devonian Escuminac Formation represented here contains five of the six fossil fish groups associated with this period. Its significance stems from the discovery there of the highest number and best-pres... WHS Apr 25, 2024, 8:27 AM cowpoke
Doñana [doˈɲana] National Park - Spain
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/685Doñana National Park in Andalusia occupies the right bank of the Guadalquivir river at its estuary on the Atlantic Ocean. It is notable for the great diversity of its biotopes, especially lagoons, marshlands, fixed and mobile dunes, scrub woodland and maquis. It is home to five threatened bird species. It is one of the largest heronries in the Mediterranean region and is the wintering site for more than 500,000 water fowl each year. 2024-04-25 WHS Apr 25, 2024, 8:27 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
Bwindi [bwiːndi] Impenetrable National Park - Uganda
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/682Located in south-western Uganda, at the junction of the plain and mountain forests, Bwindi Park covers 32,000 ha and is known for its exceptional biodiversity, with more than 160 species of trees and over 100 species of ferns. Many types of birds and butterflies can also be found there, as well as many endangered species, including the mountain gorilla. 2024-04-24 WHS Apr 24, 2024, 8:53 AM cowpoke
Complex of Hué [hwej˧˥] Monuments - Viet Nam
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/678Established as the capital of unified Viet Nam in 1802, Hué was not only the political but also the cultural and religious centre under the Nguyen dynasty until 1945. The Perfume River winds its way through the Capital City, the Imperial City, the Forbidden Purple City and the Inner City, giving this unique feudal capital a setting of great natural beauty. 2024-04-24 WHS Apr 24, 2024, 8:53 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
Rwenzori [ɾweˈnzɔɾi] Mountains National Park - Uganda
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/684The Rwenzori Mountains National Park covers nearly 100,000 ha in western Uganda and comprises the main part of the Rwenzori mountain chain, which includes Africa's third highest peak (Mount Margherita: 5,109 m). The region's glaciers, waterfalls and lakes make it one of Africa's most beautiful alpine areas. The park has many natural habitats of endangered species and a rich and unusual flora comprising, among other species, the giant heather. 2024-04-24 WHS Apr 24, 2024, 8:53 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
Angkor [ʔɑŋ.koʔ] - Cambodia
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668Angkor is one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia. Stretching over some 400 km2, including forested area, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. They include the famous Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decorations. UNESCO has set up a wide-ranging programme to safeguard this symbolic site and its surroundings. 2024 WHS Apr 21, 2024, 9:40 AM cowpoke
The Sassi [ˈsas.si] and the Park of the Rupestrian [ruːˈpɛstriən] Churches of Matera [maˈte.ra] - Italy
Rupestrian - adj: (of art) done on rock or cave walls.
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/670This is the most outstanding, intact example of a troglodyte settlement in the Mediterranean region, perfectly adapted to its terrain and ecosystem. The first inhabited zone dates from the Palaeolithic, while later settlements illustrate a number of significant stages in human history. Matera is in the southern region of Basilicata. 2024-04-22 WHS Apr 22, 2024, 9:09 AM cowpoke
Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago - Viet Nam
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/672Ha Long Bay, in the Gulf of Tonkin, includes some 1,600 islands and islets featuring spectacular limestone pillars rising from the sea, the eroded notches, arches and caves creating a picturesque and beautiful landscape. Because of their precipitous nature, most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by a human presence. Seven key ecosystem types are found here and the area is home to threatened endemic species such as the Cat Ba Langur (<em>Trachypithecus poliocephalus</em>),... WHS Apr 22, 2024, 9:09 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
Routes of Santiago de Compostela: <I>Camino Francés</I> and Routes of Northern Spain - Spain
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/669A network of four Christian pilgrimage routes in northern Spain, the site is an extension of the Route of Santiago de Compostela, a serial site inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993. The extension represents a network of almost 1,500 km: coastal, interior of the Basque Country–La Rioja, Liébana and primitive routes. It includes a built heritage of historical importance created to meet the needs of pilgrims, including cathedrals, churches, hospitals, hostels and even bridges. The extension WHS Apr 22, 2024, 9:05 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
Independence Hall - United States of America
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/78The Declaration of Independence (1776) and the Constitution of the United States (1787) were both signed in this building in Philadelphia. The universal principles of freedom and democracy set forth in these documents are of fundamental importance to American history and have also had a profound impact on law-makers around the world. WHS Dec 8, 2023, 8:51 AM cowpoke
