World Heritage Sites

Properties on the World Heritage List must (a) be of outstanding universal value and (b) meet at least one of the ten selection criteria. UNESCO writes that until the end of 2004, World Heritage sites were selected on the basis of six cultural and four natural criteria. With the adoption of the revised Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, only one set of ten criteria exists. All ten criteria are listed below, however Sandalsand has added two headlines (culture and nature) because the set of criteria still relates to two sets.

Culture

(i) to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;

(ii) to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;

(iii) to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;

(iv) to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;

(v) to be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change;

(vi) to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria);

Nature

(vii) to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;

(viii) to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth’s history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features;

(ix) to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals;

(x) to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.

Some thoughts

An inscription on the World Heritage List is generally regarded as an honorary tribute. It will also boost both commercial and preservation activities in or at the site. 

Step one is to raise an awareness worldwide to the importance of preserving these sites for future generations. The next step is to do something about it, in other words to set up a conservation plan for the site. The final step is to live by it. These are very demanding tasks for all parties, and there are undoubtedly both economic and culture factors at play here.

UNESCO’s sign is found on many World Heritage Sites. The one pictured here is from Bryggen, in Bergen, Norway.

Some sites have been removed from the list. There have also been controversies between the WHC and a country relating to the future development of the site (like a particular bridge in Germany). Other removals have been obvious because the criteria are no longer met (such as the extinction of a particular bird in Oman).

With these cases in mind, one should note that the WHC operates a list of 56 properties in danger (2024).

Relative distribution of sites

When we look at the full site map, we immediately notice the prevalence of sites in Europe and North America (in reality Europe mostly). Nonetheless, almost the entire world is covered. That is actually no little achievement for the world community.

The following illustrations follow the WHC categorisation of world regions and show the relative distribution of sites. 

Sites on YouTube

Sites on a map

Drag and zoom on the map below to find sites visited by Sandalsand in more detail. Click on a marker to reveal the name and open the article about it. You will find the same links further down this page. Find all WHC sites on another Sandalsand map.

I have had my doubts what to do with Liverpool. It was once a World Heritage Site, but was delisted by UNESCO following a controversy with the city authorities. It is my hope it will be re-enlisted some time in the near future, so I have kept the article. However, I removed it from this map as well as from the table below.

Sites in a table

Here are the same sites in a table but with less information compared to the map markers above. Show more rows at a time, sort the table as you like, or search for a specific term. Click on a link to open that particular post. 

Sites in 67 countries

It could be that “heritage tourism” is spreading along with the eco-tourism trend. Sandalsand has only in later years become conscious of it.

It was never my idea to become a collector of heritage sites, but I have nonetheless been to a large number. In recent years I have become more intent to visit a “world heritage” when I travel. I suppose that may be one of the purposes of such an official list in the first place.

In any case, I am not satisfied that I visited the pleasant town of Weimar in Germany without exploring the examples of Bauhaus architecture. Likewise, I went to the town of Pécs in Hungary without a look at the Early Christian Necropolis. (To my possible excuse: Neither of them was on the List at the time of my visit.)

Sandalsand’s list is a representative summary of UNESCO’s. It covers the world, and the majority are in Europe. Also, it features sites in both (all) categories: 188 cultural, 13 natural, and 5 combined sites.

Read about each site in separate articles. They include:

• The official and my personal descriptions of the site
• A link to the official UNESCO web page
• My photographs or video
• A link to the article(s) describing the context of my visit(s)

The articles offer short introductions to fabulous destinations around the world. Enjoy!

Here they are, the World Heritage Sites visited by Sandalsand. In my view, they are all lovely destinations.

It is not down in any map; true places never are. (Herman Melville)