The Meteora monasteries in Greece

9 January 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  7 minutes

Meteora Panorama © Exwhysee

Meteora Panorama © Exwhysee

The Metéora (“suspended rocks”, “suspended in the air” or “in the heavens above” – etymologically similar to “Meteorite”) is one of the largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount Athos. The six monasteries are built on natural sandstone rock pillars, at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains, in central Greece. The nearest town is Kalambaka. The Metéora is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Only six of the originally 24 monasteries remain today. Of these six, four were inhabited by men, and two by women. Each monastery has fewer than 10 inhabitants. The monasteries are now tourist attractions.   read more…

Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus Christ

25 December 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  12 minutes

Church of the Nativity © flickr.com - Neil Ward/cc-by-2.0

Church of the Nativity © flickr.com – Neil Ward/cc-by-2.0

Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank in Palestine and approximately 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism. The New Testament identifies Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth. The town is inhabited by one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, although the size of the community has shrunk due to emigration.   read more…

Saint Michael’s Mount in France

3 February 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Architecture, Museums, Exhibitions, Sustainability, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  4 minutes

© Benh LIEU SONG

© Benh LIEU SONG

Mont Saint-Michel (English: Saint Michael’s Mount) is a rocky tidal island and a commune in Normandy, France. It is located approximately one kilometre (just over half a mile) off the country’s north coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches. The population of the island is 41.   read more…

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