Top 10 Unesco world heritage sites to visit

Unesco world heritage sites by country| Greece

Old Town of Rhodes

By Alison at Sofia Adventures

One of my top 10 Unesco world heritage sites is the beautiful Old Town of Rhodes, Greece. The Old Town of Rhodes is impeccably preserved, a true slice of history, yet it is still one of the commercial and cultural hearts of the island of Rhodes.

Rhodes is part of the Dodecanese Islands that are actually slightly closer to Turkey than the rest of the Greek Islands, so it is best to fly there as ferries from other places in Greece such as Crete or Thessaloniki take an extremely long time. You can fly from Heraklion, Crete to Rhodes directly which costs about $100 and takes only one hour.  The Old Town of Rhodes is located on the northern tip of the island, about 20 minutes in a car or taxi from the airport. It is free to enter the Old Town as it is a living, breathing part of Rhodes rather than a roped-off archaeological site

Acropolis, Athens

By Paula at Expert Abroad

Earlier this year I visited the Acropolis in Athens Greece and while I was looking forward to seeing it I was not prepared for how magical being there felt.

Located in the centre of Athens, The Acropolis is one of the best historical places in the world which is visible from almost anywhere in the city. In fact, there is a law that nothing can be built to stand any higher than this important site anywhere in the city. Most people don’t realise that the Acropolis is the name for the site and its a collection of buildings rather than one specific building. The main attraction here is the Parthenon, the large building you see on almost every Greek souvenir. At over 2400 years old, it is the most important building that survives from classical Greek times. It is recognised as the symbol of democracy and western civilisation. Other important buildings are the Temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion temple with its Porch of Maidens.

I was lucky enough to visit one morning just as the site was opening and we were able to follow the guards as they marched into the site to raise the flag.  This was really special and certainly added to the experience hugely.  They marched in time slowly through the site over to the flagpole at the other end of the site where they sang the National anthem as the flag was raised.  There were less than 100 people in the site at the time and we felt very lucky to have been able to experience this. I highly recommend arriving at the entrance that is located up the hill from Thēseiou metro station. It is an easy uphill walk that is generally not as busy at the main entry and the only way to follow the guards in.  Plan to arrive here by 7.45am if you would like to see them.

Unesco world heritage sites by country| Slovakia

Spišský Hrad, Levoča and Žehra

By Jana at Mommys Little World

 Spišský Hrad in Slovakia is one of  the best historical places in the world. I might be a little biased because I’m from Slovakia, but  I think this castle is one of the most beautiful castles you could ever see. It is the largest ensemble from the 13th and 14th century of all political buildings in Eastern Europe. The ruins sit near Levoča, a beautiful town worth a visit.

The ruins of the castle are an amazing background for pictures, and the trip to the castle is fun for the whole family. Towns Levoča and Žehra are both parts of the UNESCO world heritage sites, because of the amazing military, political and religious buildings from the 13th and 14th centuries.  The buildings stayed intact, even after all those years. If you go to Levoča, be sure to visit Basilica of St James. It’s a Gothic church from the 14th century. The church has 18 altars, most of them created by  Master Paul of Levoča. The main altar, created by Master Paul, is absolutely breathtaking.

The easiest way to get there is to fly to Bratislava, then rent a car and follow D1 highway to Levoča. The Spišský Hrad is about 12 miles past Levoča. Slovak roads can be confusing if you’re visiting for the first time, so make sure you have a map or GPS! I think just about everyone has a cell phone now though, so that shouldn’t be a problem.

Read more about Spišský Hrad at Mommys Little World.

Unesco world heritage sites by country| Chile

Unesco world heritage sites by country| Czech Republic

Český Krumlov

By Sarka at Plzen guide

There are many UNESCO world heritage sites around the world, but one of them is very special for me: it is the enchanting Český Krumlov in the Czech Republic.Český Krumlov is a small medieval town in the southern part of Bohemia, which was registered to UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.

Český Krumlov is located close to the borders with Germany and Austria; therefore it is easily accessible from Czechia capital City Prague, from Munich in Germany and also from Salzburg, Vienna and Linz in Austria.

Why is Český Krumlov so unforgettable? First because of the beautiful scenery which is created by the Vltava river meander, tiny streets, green parks and majestic gothic castle from the 13^th century, which is, by the way, one of the most beautiful Czech castles.

Cesky Krumlov, fortunately, has not been massively destroyed during its long history and after the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia in 1989, it was very nice reconstructed.

From my own experience, I can recommend to climb the castle tower, where you will have an amazing view of the town, or try canoeing on Vltava river streaming through Cesky Krumlov. I am sure you will realize that to spend here only one day is not enough, because there is so much beauty all around and so many things to discover.

Unesco world heritage sites by country| Italy

The Amalfi Coast

By Flo at Yoga wine travel 

The Amalfi Coast is a 50 KM stretch of coastline along Italy’s Sorrentine Peninsula and is a UNESCO world heritage listed landscape, once you see it with your own eyes you’ll understand why. Its dramatic landscape is lined with cascading multicolored houses in stunning towns running from Positano all the way along to Vietri Sul Mare. It is one of the most picturesque places I have ever traveled to and is designed so that you can spend your days walking through narrow cobblestone streets, eating delicious Italian food, sailing along the coast, lounging on beaches or sipping on limoncello -the locals’ specialty.

Parc Güell Barcelona

By Vickie at Vicki Viaja

Unesco world heritage sites by country| Bulgaria

Rila Monastery

By Stephanie at Sophia Adventures

Rila Monastery is the most important of the monasteries in Bulgaria, which means a lot since the countryside is dotted with them. The most important saint to the Bulgarians, the 10th century Saint Ivan Rilksi (also known as Saint John of Rila) spent his days in the area living as a hermit. Today you can visit his cave when visiting the monastery. His followers founded the monastery after his death. During the second Bulgarian Kingdom, the monastery grew in importance, and it survived the invasion of the Ottoman Turks who occupied Bulgaria for hundreds of years.

The monastery is one of the travel top 10 Unesco world heritage sites for many reasons – It’s simply stunning. The yellow-and-black painted facade is one of the best examples of Bulgarian National Revival architecture in the Neobyzantine style. I also love how it symbolized the Bulgarian national struggle to survive and be free.

The monastery is located in the Rila Mountains, about two hours outside of Sofia. You can reach it by bus or on an organized tour. I have also rented a car to visit it twice, and it’s an easy drive on good roads. The drive is also very beautiful once you get to the mountains.

If you want to make a full day of it, stop by the Stop Pyramids. It’s a bit of a hike up to the pyramids themselves, but they’re beautiful and in a gorgeous setting.

Unesco world heritage sites by country| Japan

Mount Fuji

By Sarah at   ASocialNomad

Mount Fuji – truly for me the symbol of Japan – she is iconic no matter what the season.  Stark and foreboding and yet absolutely compelling, she is stunning from a distance and fascinating up close.  I picked her as my favorite UNESCO world heritage site as she is completely natural.    The base of Fuji is easy to reach from Tokyo, where a bus from Shinjuku will take you to the fifth station of Mount Fuji (basically as far as transport goes) in around 2-2.5 hours.

Fuji is Japan’s highest mountain and is a mythical national symbol for Japan.  There are 8 stations on the way to the top.  Hiking starts at the fifth station.

It’s only possible to climb Fuji during the months of July and August, outside of these times, the trail markings are removed from the fifth station upwards.  There are, however, glorious relatively easy walks at the fifth station with interpretative information boards.  There is also a horse riding stable situated at the fifth station, where you can check out the slopes on horseback.

Perhaps the best views of Mount Fuji can be had from Fuji Five Lakes – which usually are made more stunning with the addition of Japanese Cherry Blossom or fall foliage.  Fuji is a truly magnificent sight, whether you choose to climb her or just admire her from afar her protection under UNESCO saves her for future generations.

If you have more days in Japan, check out this Japan 10 day itinerary to discover what more you can do on top of visiting Mount Fuji.

Read more: Wadden Islands

Unesco world heritage sites by country| Luxembourg.

Luxembourg Old Town

.By Glen and Claire at Couple Castaway

The Luxembourg old town was recognized as a Unesco world heritage site in 1994 due to the city’s fortifications and it’s quarter.

The year 2017 was a mashup of several trips to European cities and really opened up our eyes to the beauty of our doorsteps, but the one that stands out the most is Luxembourg Old Town. This town holds a special place in our hearts in that although it’s very similar to other European cities, it’s also very different.

In Luxembourg, there no hordes of tourists or obvious tourist traps to fall into. There’s not a massive amount of things to do. It’s quiet and has just enough to keep you occupied for a few days plus it’s not as expensive as you would think. The quick flight from London to Luxembourg (55 minutes) is nice but the best part is getting into town. For just 2 EUR per person, grab the 29 or 16 bus outside the terminal and they will take you into town in about 15 minutes.

The Old Town of Luxembourg is very safe, peaceful and incredibly photogenic. It’s also very walkable (if you don’t mind hills) and you can find yourself spending the day wandering about the Bock Casemates, the valley, and Adolphe Bridge just grabbing snacks and snapping away at the beauty of the town. For a quick and relatively cheap getaway, Luxembourg Old Town is definitely a must-see.

Unesco world heritage sites by country| China

The great wall of China

By Leona at Wander Must family

One of my top 10  UNESCO world heritage sites is without a doubt the fantastic Great Wall of China which is also one of the greatest China landmarks. The closest and most accessible city to the wall is Beijing. There are a number of places you can walk to but we opted for the Mutianyu section as it is less busy than the Badaling side and is perhaps the best option with kids. You can take a cable car up and even toboggan down when you have finished the walk.

The wall itself is in good condition at Mutianyu and offers spectacular views. It has been conserved in parts which means that it is relatively easy to walk, though there are lots of steep and uneven stairs at the watchtowers.

Because of the language barriers and traveling with a child, we decided to go with a tour operator on a private excursion but you could arrange to walk it independently.  While there are no facilities on the great wall of China, the town below has restrooms and eateries but do take snacks with you.

Read more: The great wall of china with kids.