The historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama in Japan

4 July 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  7 minutes

Gokayama - Ainokura © Minque

Gokayama – Ainokura © Minque

The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama are one of Japan’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The site is located in the Shogawa river valley stretching across the border of Gifu and Toyama Prefectures in central Japan on Honshu island. Shirakawa-gō is located in the village of Shirakawa in Gifu Prefecture. The Gokayama area is divided between the former villages of Kamitaira and Taira in Nanto, Toyama Prefecture.   read more…

Arkhangelsk in northern Russia

4 July 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  7 minutes

Arkhangelsk © Ларин Андрей/cc-by-sa-2.5

Arkhangelsk © Ларин Андрей/cc-by-sa-2.5

Arkhangelsk, sometimes Archangel, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, in the north of Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea. The city spreads for over 40 kilometers (25 mi) along the banks of the river and numerous islands of its delta. Arkhangelsk was the chief seaport of medieval Russia until 1703. A 1,133-kilometer (704 mi) long railway goes from Arkhangelsk to Moscow via Vologda and Yaroslavl. The city is also served by the Talagi Airport and a smaller Vaskovo Airport. The population is at 349,000.   read more…

Kyzyl, capital of the Tuva Republic

1 July 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  5 minutes

The Center of Asia monument © Dr.A.Hugentobler/cc-by-sa-3.0

The Center of Asia monument © Dr.A.Hugentobler/cc-by-sa-3.0

Kyzyl is the capital city of the Tuva Republic in southern Siberia. The name of the city means “red” in Tuvan (as well as in many other Turkic languages) with a population of 110,000. The population of Tuva is at 308,000. Forests, mountains, and steppe make up a large part of the geography. Tos-Bulak is the area of open fields and mineral springs which lies immediately south of Kyzyl. It is the location of the Naadam festival (15 August), the Tuvan Republic Day, where various competitions such as horseriding and khuresh (wrestling) are held.   read more…

Portrait: Le Corbusier, one of the most important and influential architects of the 20th century

27 June 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Architecture, Portrait, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  10 minutes

Centre Le Corbusier Zürich © Roland zh/cc-by-sa-3.0

Centre Le Corbusier Zürich © Roland zh/cc-by-sa-3.0

Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, who was better known as Le Corbusier (October 6, 1887 – August 27, 1965), was a Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer, and one of the pioneers of what is now called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930. His career spanned five decades, with his buildings constructed throughout Europe, India, and America. Since 2016, The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement is a World Heritage Site consisting of a selection of 17 building projects by Le Corbusier.   read more…

Tarragona in Catalonia

23 June 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  6 minutes

Tarragona © Vmenkov

Tarragona © Vmenkov

Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona. Today, the city had a population of 135,000.   read more…

The medieval town of Sighisoara in Transylvania

21 June 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  7 minutes

View from Villa Franka © Valimare

View from Villa Franka © Valimare

Sighişoara is a city and municipality on the Târnava Mare River in Mureş County, Romania. Located in the historic region Transylvania, Sighişoara has a population of 28,000.   read more…

Theme Week Galicia – Lugo

19 June 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  6 minutes

© Iagocasabiell/cc-by-sa-3.0-es

© Iagocasabiell/cc-by-sa-3.0-es

Lugo is a city in northwestern Spain. It is the capital of the province of Lugo. The municipality had a population of 99,000 in 2014, which makes it the fourth most populated city in Galicia. It should be emphasized that the outline of the city was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO on 7 November 2002, this being the most important recognition at international level regarding the conservation of landscapes and habitats of this Atlantic European region.   read more…

Theme Week Israel – Acre, the Crusaders City

17 June 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  6 minutes

Acre Sea Wall © Almog

Acre Sea Wall © Almog

Acre is a city in the northern coastal plain region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the world. The population is at 46,000. Acre is a mixed city. Jewish Israelis live in the New City quarter, while Arab Israelis live in the Old City quarter. Acre is the most “oriental” city in Israel. In 2001, Acre’s Old City has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Acre is the holiest city of the Bahá’í Faith.   read more…

Roskilde, vikings and festivals

15 June 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Architecture, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  7 minutes

Roskilde Monastery © Mogens Engelund / www.engelund.dk

Roskilde Monastery © Mogens Engelund / www.engelund.dk

Roskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network. Roskilde train station is a major stop between Copenhagen and the regions of Denmark located to its west. With a population of 47,117, the city is an economic center for the region.   read more…

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