What’s in my Before I Die list? The entire UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites! Nothing less!!
It currently has 1121 entries! And usually, 10 to 20 new sites are listed every year. It is hard to keep up.
If you don’t know the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites, I recommend you to visit the UNESCO website and dream!! Their mission statement is “to reflect and preserve the world’s cultural and natural diversity of outstanding universal value“.
Weirdly enough, until a few years back, I didn’t realize that I was so into World Heritage sites. I had been to quite a few without really knowing it. Not only I had visited quite a few, I also lived in UNESCO sites!
I was born and raised in the Loire Valley, I lived in Paris for years and spent too much time on the Seine banks stuck in traffic, I lived in London and cycled everyday to work, passing by Tower bridge and the Tower of London and I now live in Luxembourg city! I’ve been surrounded pretty much all my life by World Heritage sites!!
I think that the next logical step would be for me to be hired by the UNESCO! I could go visit all the sites and take pictures, to update their website, for example! (wishful thinking!!)
Let’s be real: I know I won’t see them all and this is why
Let’s be real, I know, I won’t get to see all the sites and I’m ok with it. A few reasons to that:
– Some are unaccessible, like the Surtsey Island which is pretty much forbidden to mankind. The Island named Gough and Inaccessible Islands are, well, as the name suggest, pretty much inaccessible!
– Some are in countries where it might be a bit too dangerous to travel to. I consider that the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria is off limit, at least at the time being.
– Some sites get delisted. Rarely, the UNESCO has to delist a site when preservation has failed. Only 2 sites so far have been delisted but if a site is destroyed by war or else, the risk is that it gets delisted, if damages are irreversible. The list now is not set in stone.
– Some sites are in great danger. There are currently 54 sites classified as endangered. I doubt I’ll make it to Iraq, Syria, Yemen or Mali before it’s too late for those…
– There is also a matter of travel style. For example, we missed Xanthos-Letoon in Turkey on our way back from Pamukale because we chose to fully enjoy the latter, instead of rushing to the next site. Of course, I hope to have a chance to go back but I don’t regret the decision!
– I also have some preferences: Natural sites, ancient cities, medieval constructions, churches… those I love! But I must admit I’m not so keen on the sites which are part of the industrial era, so these are not on my priority list. And if I am indeed really looking forward to go to Poland, I don’t think I could ever visit Auschwitz, it would be too difficult for me.
– And probably most importantly, there are maybe too many! 1,092 as of this year. This would mean visiting circa 100 per year for the next 10 years, for ex. It is achievable, if it’s a full time occupation and you have the money but otherwise it seems unrealistic or at least it is for me, at the moment. So back to the idea of being hired by the UNESCO?! 😉
But I want to keep on dreaming and I want to keep on trying my best to enjoy as many as possible of these natural and cultural sites.
MY UNESCO World Heritage List… so far!
Here below, you will find an extract of the UNESCO World Heritage list. In blue and green, you will see most of sites I have visited so far. I have to regularly update this list. On out last trip, we visited 8 additional sites for example!
So?! How many UNESCO Sites have I been to, in total?
Well, I’m proud to say, I have visited over 140 UNESCO sites as of today. 140 out of 1092! Holy Gray! It may not seem a whole lot but I think it’s not so bad! Note that the below list isn’t fully up to date.
Look, I’m not bragging
I’m pretty proud of having visited so many UNESCO sites, but I’m not saying this just to brag. I have nothing to brag about really ad I know people who have seen many, many more than I.
I am here to show you as many of such sites as I can, especially if you can’t go there. I’m here to share with you the most beautiful places on Earth, the most interesting ones, the most incredible ones… I started RTatW over, for this reason and as things evolved, I started to create maps to inspire you and help you see such sites for yourself. I hope it’s working a little!
So here is my list! I use to list here all the UNESCO sites and highlight the ones I have been too but I changed this to mostly only include the ones I’ve been to. It might not be fully up to date, ok?!
I know, I know, I have a lot of work to do!!
Austria
- Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg
- Historic Centre of Vienna
Still looking for the best way to see the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps *
Grade: 2/10
Belgium
- Flemish Béguinages
- La Grand-Place, Brussels
- Belfries of Belgium and France * 3
- Historic Centre of Brugge
I couldn’t find the Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta (Brussels) on one of my last trip. My GPS got rogue!
Grade: 4/13
Canada
- Historic District of Old Québec
Grade: 1/19 pffff
Croatia
- Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica in the Historic Centre of Poreč
1/10 pffff again!
Cyprus
Choirokoitia I missed so I get a grade of 2/3
There is so much more to see in Cyprus. I created a map to help you discover this superb island. Click below!
Czech Republic
I’ve only been to Prague so far, but I fully intend to go back!
Grade: 1/12 🙁
Denmark
- Jelling Mounds, Runic Stones and Church
- Roskilde Cathedral
- Kronborg Castle
- Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement
- The par force hunting landscape in North Zealand
- Wadden Sea *
- Stevns Klint
I’ve been to all the Danish UNESCO Sites except the ones which are a bit further away (just a bit!):
- Ilulissat Icefjord
- Kujataa Greenland: Norse and Inuit Farming at the Edge of the Ice Cap
- Aasivissuit – Nipisat. Inuit Hunting Ground between Ice and Sea
Grade: 7/10!
You can see a full road trip itinerary to discover Denmark. Just click on the image below
France
- Chartres Cathedral
- Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay
- Palace and Park of Versailles (a fun itinerary related to Louis XIV can be found here!)
- Vézelay, Church and Hill
- Amiens Cathedral
- Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments
- Cistercian Fontenay Abbey
- Palace and Park of Fontainebleau
- Roman Theatre and its Surroundings and the “Triumphal Arch” of Orange
- From the Great Saltworks of Salins-les-Bains to the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, the Production of Open-pan Salt
- Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve
- Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d’Alliance in Nancy
- Strasbourg – Grande île – you can see Strasbourg Cathedral and quite a few pictures of Strasbourg on this page about France
- Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Rémi and Palace of Tau, Reims
- Paris, Banks of the Seine
Paris has so much to offer. Here is a map I created for you to explore the most romantic city in the World!
- Bourges Cathedral
- Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge
- Canal du Midi
- Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne
- Historic Site of Lyons
- Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion
- The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chaconnes (a very special itinerary here)
- Fortifications of Vauban
- Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars
- Climats, terroirs of Burgundy
- The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement * For a full list and the Cité Radieuse, click: here and for the Ronchamp chapel it is here!
Grade: 26/44
Germany
- Aachen Cathedral
- Speyer Cathedral
- Pilgrimage Church of Wies
- Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier
- Hanseatic City of Lübeck
- Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin (soon!)
- Maulbronn Monastery Complex
- Cologne Cathedral
- Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin
- Upper Middle Rhine Valley
- Berlin Modernism Housing Estates (very soon!)
- Wadden Sea *
- Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps *
- Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus
Grade: 13/44 soon 15/44
Holy See
- Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura * 11
- Vatican City
Grade: 2/2!
Italy
Italy is one of the countries with the most UNESCO sites. I won’t list them all as I’ve only seen:
- Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura*13
- Historic Centre of Florence
- Historic Center of Naples
- City of Verona
I’ve been to Milan, Gènes, Como… but none of the UNESCO sites around.
Grade: 4/55 ! 🙁
Now, there is something you will be glad to have on your trip to Italy: my Roman Architecture mini guide!
Kenya
- Mount Kenya National Park/Natural Forest
- Fort Jesus, Mombasa
Grade: 2/7
Luxembourg
- City of Luxembourg: its Old Quarters and Fortifications
I live there! So yeah, easy one!! –> Grade 1/1!
I created a map to show you what to visit in this tiny but lovely country. Of course, it includes the Grand Ducal Palace… like you have never seen it before!
Mauritius
- Aapravasi Ghat
I wish I had seen Le Morne Cultural Landscape. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to go back, then!
Grade: 1/2
Netherlands
- Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout
- Rietveld Schröderhuis (Rietveld Schröder House)
- Wadden Sea*
- Seventeenth-Century Canal Ring Area of Amsterdam inside the Singelgracht
Grade: 4/10
Norway
- Bryggen
- Urnes Stave Church (while waiting you can check this Stave Church!)
- West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord
Grade: 3/8
Portugal
- Convent of Christ in Tomar
- Monastery of Batalha
- Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon
- Historic Centre of Évora
- Monastery of Alcobaça
- Cultural Landscape of Sintra: Here for the Pena Palace and here for the Castle of the Moors or here and here…
- Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications
- University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia
Grade: 8/15 Hummm I think I’m missing something here
I created an itinerary map which will take you to all the UNESCO Sites around Lisbon, check it out! The Mafra Palace was not yet a UNESCO Site when I created this itinerary. It is now!
Slovenia
I didn’t find the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps*! Grade: 2/3
I love Slovenia! So of course I created an itinerary map for you!
Spain
Spain, like Italy, has a lot of UNESCO sites and I’ve only been to a few. I’ll only list those for now:
- Works of Antoni Gaudí: here and here
- Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona
- Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville
- San Cristóbal de La Laguna
- Teide National Park
Grade: 5/47
Sweden
- Royal Domain of Drottningholm
- Engelsberg Ironworks
- Rock Carvings in Tanum
- Skogskyrkogården
- Grimeton Radio Station, Varberg (surprisingly super interesting!)
When in Stockholm, I was really upset I didn’t manage to see the Birka and Hovgården site. Visby was also unreachable for festival reasons. Next time!
Grade: 5/15
Switzerland
There 11 UNESCO sites in Switzerland. I’ve only seen bits of Switzerland so I really should go back!
Tunisia
There are 8 UNESCO sites and I’ve seen none when I was there! I went before I paid attention to what was and what wasn’t!
Turkey
During my road trip in Turkey, I managed to see:
- Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia: here, here and here and more to come
- Hierapolis-Pamukkale
- Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük
Grade: 3/15
There are quite a few more as you can see on the itinerary map I created (it’s an old map!)
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites
- Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret’s Church
- Tower of London
- Old and New Towns of Edinburgh
- Maritime Greenwich
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- The English Lake District
Grade: 7/31. Seriously? That’s all? I lived there, I travelled a lot. Got double check the list!
United States of America
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Redwood National and State Parks
- Statue of Liberty
- Yosemite National Park
Grade: 5/23
My first map! The one that started it all!
