Best World Heritage Sites Photo Gallery

Oct 23,2011 - by Mike Brenson 0

World heritage sites are the places which have been earmarked by the UNESCO for their natural beauty and importance as a tourist spot. The post of world heritage sites keep changing frequently and when some place is awarded with the world heritage site name, it automatically becomes a very important place. The names of the Seven Wonders of the World also keep changing just like the world heritage sites. But unlike the Seven Wonders of the World, the world heritage sites are more common and have lesser importance.

Even if you have a look at your country itself, you will find so many world heritage sites which are more popularly known as being a tourist spot. Being awarded as a world heritage site is a big deal in itself because it means that the place deserves enough to have competed among so many other places and then it had been selected to be awarded that position.

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In this article, I have collected some few good world heritage sites from different corners of the world and have compiled into one single post so that you can view as many of them as possible at one place. I hope that you will like this article and please don’t forget to post your comments.

Victoria Falls, Zambia and Zimbabwe

World Heritage sites can be found on every continent in the world. Chosen for their natural or cultural signficance, these unique sites are protected and preserved by the countries—187, as of June 2010—that adhere to the World Heritage Convention.

Here, Victoria Falls—created by the Zambezi River plunging up to 324 feet (99 meters) into basalt gorges—stretches from southern Zambia into Zimbabwe. The Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls World Heritage site includes a conservation area covering 7,142 square miles (18,500 square kilometers).

Photograph by Christian Heeb, laif/Redux

Timbuktu, Mali

The World Heritage site of Timbuktu includes three mosques and 16 cemeteries and mausoleums that reflect its heritage as a center of Islamic learning in Africa. Among its madrasahs, or Muslim places of study, is the historic Koranic Sankore University, pictured here.

Photograph by Naftali Hilger, laif/Redux

The Great Wall, China

Snow blankets China’s Great Wall, a feat of construction and strategy stretching over 2,000 years of shifting conflicts and civilizations. A World Heritage site since 1987, the architecturally and culturally significant structure is recognized as an integral accomplishment in human history.

Photograph by Bu Xiangdong, Xinhua Press/Corbis

Mountain Railways, India

Three historic railways comprise a World Heritage site recognizing their importance in trade and technological development. Still in use today, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (pictured here), Nilgiri Mountain Railway, and Kalka Shimla Railway were all begun or completed in the 19th century.

Photograph by Christian Kaiser, laif/Redux

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

The stretch of coral reef known as the Great Barrier Reef is the most extensive on Earth. Ranging from Australia’s northeast coast to Papua New Guinea, the reef supports an array of species as a natural habitat and feeding and nesting ground. It became a World Heritage site in 1981.

Photograph by Anthony Johnson

Casa Mila, Spain

The rooftop of Barcelona’s Casa Milàexhibits the eclectic style of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926). Seven of Gaudí’s buildings make up a World Heritage site recognizing the creativity and innovation of his work, including Casa Milà, La Sagrada Familia, and Park Güell. All are located in and around Barcelona in the architect’s native province of Catalonia.

Photograph by Karl-Heinz Raach, laif/Redux

Amalfi Coast, Italy

The natural beauty and historic significance of the scenic Amalfi Coast—where human settlement dates to the early Middle Ages—were recognized by UNESCO with a World Heritage listing in 1997. Towns along the coast—like Positano, pictured here—feature important architectural and cultural sites within their picturesque communities.

Photograph by Thomas Linkel, laif/Redux

Pueblo de Taos, New Mexico

The pre-Hispanic adobe architecture unique to New Mexico’s Pueblo de Taos reflects the culture heritage of the region’s Pueblo Indians. Named a World Heritage site in 1992, Pueblo de Taos consists of stepped dwellings once used for housing, storage, and religious ceremonies.

Photograph by Panoramic Images/Getty Images

Old Quebec, Canada

The century-old Fairmont Le ChâteauFrontenac hotel overlooks the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. Historic architecture, heritage conservation, and North America’s oldest preserved ramparts earned the Historic District of Old Quebec recognition as a World Heritage site in 1985.

Photograph by Richard T. Nowitz, National Geographic

Machu Picchu, Peru

Called the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu by UNESCO, this World Heritage site is a remarkable remnant of the Inca Empire. Over 62 miles (100 kilometers) from the Inca capital of Cusco in present-day Peru, the ancient city built into the surrounding mountainous landscape is one of the world’s best known archeological sites.

Photograph by Frank Tophoven, laif/Redux

Amazon Basin, Brazil

Freshwater dolphins are among the threatened species protected within the Central Amazon Conservation Complex, a biologically diverse habitat that became a World Heritage site in 2000. Covering nearly 15 million acres (6 million hectares), the site makes up the Amazon Basin’s largest protected area.

Photograph by Kevin Schafer, National Geographic