The World Heritage Sites (111/1223, 9.1 %)
Briefly
The World Heritage Sites I've verified physically.
Article history
- 2024-09-13 Added 6 new points in Cyprus and Malta: Choirokoitia, Painted Churches in the Troodos Region, Paphos, Megalithic Temples of Malta, City of Valletta, Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum (111/1223, 9.1 %).
- 2024-01-07 Added 1 old point in France (Nice) (104/1199, 8.7 %).
- 2023-12-31 Added 1 old point: Funerary and memory sites of the First World War (Western Front) (Transboundary) (103/1199, 8.6 %).
- 2023-12-30 Added 1 new point: Struve Geodetic Arc (Transboundary) (102/1199, 8.5 %).
- 2023-08-29 Added 18 new points: Riga Old Town (Latvia), Curonian Spit (Transboundary), Vilnius Old Town (Lithuania), Kernavė (Lithuania), Malbork Castle (Poland), Old Towns of Stralsund and Wismar (Germany), Hanseatic City of Lübeck (Germany), Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus (Germany), Wadden Sea (Transboundary), Danevirke (Germany), Christiansfeld (Denmark), Roskilde Cathedral (Denmark), Kronborg Castle (Denmark), Naval Port of Karlskrona (Sweden), Öland (Sweden), Royal Domain of Drottningholm (Sweden), Skogskyrkogården (Sweden), Hovgården (Sweden) (102/1199, 8.5 %)
- 2023-08-29 Fixed numbers.
- 2023-08-29 Added 1 old point: Triple Bridge (Slovenia).
- 2023-07-22 Added 4 new points: Aachen Cathedral (Germany), Belfries of Belgium and France (Transboundary), Plantin–Moretus Museum (Belgium), Kinderdijk windmills (Netherlands).
- 2023-07-21 Added 1 old point in Italy (Medici villas).
- 2021-12-12 Added 1 old point in Switzerland (Albula Railway).
- 2021-01-30 Added 2 old points in Spain (Vizcaya Bridge, Mudéjar architecture of Aragon).
- 2020-01-19 Added 11 new points (New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam).
- 2019-11-17 Added Progression chapter.
- 2019-05-27 Added 2 new points (United States of America).
- 2018-12-28 Added 9 new points (Jordan, Israel, Palestine).
- 2018-09-23 Text is published.
- 2018-09-19 Text is started.
Background
I'm after quality in travelling, not numbers like visiting every country, eventhough this page is just about that, the numbers, plus one other page (reference), but generally speaking I'm after great adventures.
One way to improve travelling quality is to get inspiration from the Unesco World Heritage Sites list, the most comprehensive collection of the cultural and natural sites in the world. The list contains 1223 sites at the moment (2024-09-14) (reference) (reference).
On average 26.02 new sites annually have been added to the list since 1978.
My first visit happened in Rhodes, 1999.
Progression
| Year | Points | Max | Progression |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 1 | 629 | 0.16 % |
| 2003 | 2 | 754 | 0.27 % |
| 2004 | 3 | 788 | 0.38 % |
| 2006 | 4 | 830 | 0.48 % |
| 2008 | 6 | 878 | 0.68 % |
| 2011 | 8 | 936 | 0.85 % |
| 2012 | 13 | 962 | 1.35 % |
| 2013 | 23 | 981 | 2.34 % |
| 2014 | 30 | 1007 | 2.98 % |
| 2015 | 44 | 1031 | 4.27 % |
| 2016 | 46 | 1052 | 4.37 % |
| 2017 | 53 | 1073 | 4.94 % |
| 2018 | 69 | 1092 | 6.32 % |
| 2019 | 78 | 1121 | 6.96 % |
| 2020 | 82 | 1121 | 7.31 % |
| 2021 | 81 | 1154 | 7.11 % |
| 2022 | 86 | 1154 | 7.45 % |
| 2023 | 105 | 1199 | 8.76 % |
| 2024 | 111 | 1223 | 9.08 % |
Source data (reference)
Austria
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn | X | 2015 | ||
| Historic Centre of Vienna | X | 2015 |
Belgium
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plantin–Moretus Museum | X | 2022 | ||
| La Grand-Place | X | 2013 |
China
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor | X | 2018 |
Croatia
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plitvice Lakes National Park | X | 2014 | ||
| Historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian | X | 2014 |
Czechia
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historic Centre of Prague | X | 2012 |
Cyprus
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paphos | X | 2024 | ||
| Painted Churches in the Troodos Region | X | 2024 | ||
| Choirokoitia | X | 2024 |
Denmark
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kronborg Castle | X | 2023 | ||
| Roskilde Cathedral | X | 2023 | ||
| Christiansfeld | X | 2023 |
Estonia
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn | X | 2013 |
Finland
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Rauma | X | 2008 | ||
| Petäjävesi Old Church | X | 2008 | ||
| Fortress of Suomenlinna | X | 2006 | ||
| Verla Groundwood and Board Mill | X | 2004 |
France
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palace and Park of Fontainebleau | X | 2017 | ||
| Palace and Park of Versailles | X | 2017 | ||
| Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay | X | 2017 | ||
| Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars | X | 2017 | ||
| Paris, Banks of the Seine | X | 2017 | ||
| Nice | X | 2014 | ||
| The Climats, terroirs of Burgundy | X | 2013 |
Germany
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danevirke | X | 2023 | ||
| Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus | X | 2023 | ||
| Hanseatic City of Lübeck | X | 2023 | ||
| Old Towns of Stralsund and Wismar | X | 2023 | ||
| Aachen Cathedral | X | 2022 | ||
| Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin | X | 2014 | ||
| Cologne Cathedral | X | 2013 | ||
| Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen | X | 2013 |
Greece
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medieval City of Rhodes | X | 1999 |
Holy See
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vatican City | X | 2013 |
Hungary
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue | X | 2012 |
Israel
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White City of Tel-Aviv - the Modern Movement | X | 2018 | ||
| Tel Megiddo | X | 2018 (almost) | ||
| Beit She'arim National Park | X | 2018 | ||
| Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel: The Nahal Me’arot / Wadi el-Mughara Caves | X | 2018 | ||
| Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee | X | 2018 | ||
| Old City of Acre | X | 2018 | ||
| Masada | X | 2018 |
Italy
Japan
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) | X | 2018 | ||
| Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) | X | 2018 |
Jordan
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petra | X | 2018 | ||
| Wadi Rum | X | 2018 |
Korea
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Changdeokgung Palace Complex | X | 2018 |
Latvia
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riga Old Town | X | 2023 |
Lithuania
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kernavė | X | 2023 | ||
| Vilnius Old Town | X | 2023 |
Luxembourg
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Luxembourg: its Old Quarters and Fortifications | X | 2017 |
Malta
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum | X | 2024 | ||
| City of Valletta | X | 2024 | ||
| Megalithic Temples of Malta | X | 2024 |
Netherlands
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kinderdijk windmills | X | 2022 | ||
| Seventeenth-Century Canal Ring Area of Amsterdam inside the Singelgracht | X | 2013 |
New Zealand
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Te Wahipounamu | X | 2019 | ||
| Tongariro National Park | X | 2019 |
Norway
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Art of Alta | X | 2003 (almost) |
Palestine
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town | X | 2018 |
Poland
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malbork Castle | X | 2023 | ||
| Auschwitz Birkenau | X | 2015 | ||
| Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines | X | 2015 | ||
| Historic Centre of Kraków | X | 2015 |
Singapore
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore Botanic Gardens | X | 2019 |
Slovakia
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wooden Churches of the Slovak part of the Carpathian Mountain Area | X | 2012 | ||
| Vlkolínec | X | 2012 | ||
| Levoča, Spišský Hrad and the Associated Cultural Monuments | X | 2012 |
Spain
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia | X | 2015 | ||
| Mudéjar architecture of Aragon | X | 2015 | ||
| Vizcaya Bridge | X | 2015 | ||
| Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville | X | 2015 | ||
| Historic Centre of Cordoba | X | 2015 | ||
| Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada | X | 2015 | ||
| Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona | X | 2015 | ||
| Works of Antoni Gaudí | X | 2015 |
Sweden
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hovgården | X | 2023 | ||
| Skogskyrkogården | X | 2023 | ||
| Royal Domain of Drottningholm | X | 2023 | ||
| Öland | X | 2023 | ||
| Naval Port of Karlskrona | X | 2023 |
Switzerland
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albula Railway | X | 2014 | ||
| Three Castles, Defensive Wall and Ramparts of the Market-Town of Bellinzona | X | 2014 |
United Kingdom
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tower of London | X | 2011 | ||
| Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret’s Church | X | 2011 |
United States of America
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville | X | 2019 | ||
| Independence Hall | X | 2019 | ||
| Grand Canyon National Park | X | 2016 | ||
| Mesa Verde National Park | X | 2016 |
Vietnam
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tràng An Scenic Landscape Complex | X | 2020 | ||
| Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park | X | 2019 | ||
| Mỹ Sơn | X | 2019 | ||
| Hội An | X | 2019 | ||
| Hạ Long Bay | X | 2020 | ||
| Imperial City of Huế | X | 2019 | ||
| Citadel of the Hồ Dynasty | X | 2020 | ||
| Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long | X | 2020 |
Transboundary
| Site | C | N | M | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wadden Sea | X | 2023 | ||
| Belfries of Belgium and France | X | 2022 | ||
| Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst | X | 2015 | ||
| Curonian Spit | X | 2023 | ||
| Funerary and memory sites of the First World War (Western Front) | X | 2017 | ||
| Old City and Walls of Jerusalem | X | 2018 | ||
| Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor | X | 2018 | ||
| Struve Geodetic Arc | X | 2023 |
C = Cultural site
N = Natural site
M = Mixed site (cultural + natural)