Category: UNESCO
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Masterpieces Along the Seine in Paris, France | A UNESCO World Heritage Site
I adore France and have found myself in this remarkable country five times, I obviously have not grown tired of it. Paris has been the centerpiece of my visits to France, and she has always shown me a good time. One of my favorite ways to explore the city is strolling along the banks of…
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Madrid’s El Retiro Park – A UNESCO World Heritage Site | Discovering Spain
A walk through the picturesque El Retiro Park makes for a tranquil afternoon for both locals and tourists alike. I had strolled the park gardens several times during my visit to Madrid, and it was a relaxing time away from the busyness of the city’s bustle. The park is one of the largest in the…
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Berat – A UNESCO World Heritage Site | Discovering Albania
The Ottomaon-era town of Berat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an exceptional location in Albania with centuries of historical and cultural significance. This is a town that is known for its religious tolerance, unique architecture, and is famously called the “Town of a thousand windows.” When I explored Berat, I was on my own…
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Historic Centre of “Old Town” Tallinn, Estonia- A UNESCO World Heritage Site
Crossing into Estonia was a big travelers milestone for me. Four years prior I had visited Krakow, Poland and fell in love with Eastern Europe. I promised myself that I would visit every country in East Europe, which included the Balkans and Baltic States. It took me four years of solo traveling back to Europe…
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Beautiful Budapest – A UNESCO World Heritage Site | Exploring Hungary
The Queen of the Danube, the beautiful city of Budapest lives up to that noble title. Once upon a time this city was two separate towns, Buda and Pest, with Buda being the royal capital and Pest the commercial side. Both sides being divided by the grand Danube River. It was not until 1837 when…
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Châteaux of the Loire Valley – A UNESCO World Heritage Site | Discovering France
Exploring the châteaux of the Loire Valley was quite a special experience while I was visiting France. I have seen a numerous amount of palaces, castles, and chateaus throughout Europe, but there was something very distinctive about Loire Valley and its châteaux. There are over three hundred in the region that range from traditional fortified castles…
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Buda Castle – A UNESCO World Heritage Site | Discovering Budapest, Hungary
On an early morning while visiting Budapest, I hopped a taxi to bring me across the Danube River to the Buda side of the city. My point of destination was Buda Castle, and I was purposely early for the reason that I do not enjoy crowds, especially when visiting a highly visited attraction. I enjoy…
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Old Town Regensburg – A UNESCO World Heritage Site | Exploring Germany
I could have stayed longer in Regensburg. Although truth be told, I could have stayed longer in Bavaria and one day (or month) I will do just that. Old Town Regensburg, besides the other towns that I have written about is why I fell in love with Germany, and particularly the state of Bavaria. Regensburg…
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Charming Old Town Krakow, Poland | A UNESCO World Heritage Site
This is where it all began for me, my love for Eastern Europe! Prior to visiting the charming city of Krakow, I had just explored Prague and Warsaw. Both were beautiful cities with great history, but it was old town Krakow that did it for me. The moment that I stepped into the market square,…
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Krakow’s Wawel Royal Castle – A UNESCO World Heritage Site | Discovering Poland
Being a UNESCO World Heritage Site junkie, visiting the Wawel Royal Castle was pure joy for me. The castle complex is part of The Historic Centre of Krakow, which was designated as a UNESCO site in 1978, and is one of the first 10 sites ever listed. I always get a thrill when visiting prestigious…
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St. Mary’s Basilica – A UNESCO World Heritage Site | Krakow, Poland
Looking at the red brick façade of St. Mary’s Basilica, one would not expect the magnificent interior of this 13th century cathedral. When I had entered St. Mary’s, I was overwhelmed with its ornately painted murals of cornflower blue, burgundy, and gold. My eyes scanned the details from the rich wood pews, gold carved alters,…
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Historic Heidelberg – A UNESCO Creative City | Discovering Germany
The city of Heidelberg was a fascinating place to visit while I was traveling for a month throughout Germany. It is one of the country’s most educated cities, with centuries of history and habitation, as well as being an atmospheric town along the River Neckar. Heidelberg is full of culture, and was designated a “City…
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Beautiful Bamberg in Bavaria- A UNESCO a World Heritage Site | Exploring Germany
The beautiful town of Bamberg was one of many reasons that I had fallen in love with Bavaria. After I first saw photos of the Atles Rathaus, the Old town hall, which is positioned on the river with bridges on either sides, I thought how stunning! I had seen various photos of towns in Bavaria…
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The Baptismal Site of Jesus – a UNESCO World Heritage Site | Discovering Jordan
While traveling to the Dead Sea in Jordan, I had taken a short side trip to the Eshria’a” or the Baptism Site of Jesus, which sits along the River Jordan. Although I do not follow any religion, I decided to come here to honor my early years of Christian/ Catholic up bringing. Visiting the Baptismal…
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The Underground World of the Wieliczka Salt Mines – A UNESCO World Heritage Site | Exploring Poland
“Go ahead, please lick the walls!” We were encouraged by our Wieliczka salt mine guide to lick the salt walled caves. I scanned our group to see if anyone was taking him up on that offer, but everyone had the same perplexed look. Was he serious? He was very serious, as salt is a natural…
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Cologne Cathedral – A UNESCO World Heritage Site | Exploring Germany
The city of Cologne was an extraordinary city to visit while I was on a month exploration trip of Germany. The city is the largest along the Rhine River, and has immense culture with marvelous museums, fantastic dining, as well as the treasured Gothic cathedral. Visiting the cathedral was one of my highlights while visiting…
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Quseir Amra – A UNESCO World Heritage Site| Discovering Jordan
“We are also going to a sand castle!” is all my friend said when we were exploring northern Jordan, close to the Iraq border. At one point, I saw a sign that we were 300 km (186 miles) to the Iraq border, and was a little surprised because I had no idea which direction we…
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Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam – A UNESCO World Heritage Site | Discovering Germany
Visiting Sanssouci Palace was as beautiful as the sound of its name. Although it was a drizzly day when I went, the splendor of this palace in Potsdam, East Germany was brilliant. I had specifically come to Potsdam from Berlin to visit Sanssouci, and was not disappointed. Sanssouci Palace, which means “without worries” or “carefree”,…
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Philippine’s Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park – A UNESCO World Heritage Site
I have been into numerous caverns and caves over my lifetime, so my curiosity about the Underground River in the Philippines got the best of me. One year, I decided that we should take a family trip to my parents homeland to ride canoe-like boats into a dark cave. We flew from Las Vegas to…
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The Mysterious Nazca Lines – A UNESCO World Heritage Site | Discovering Peru
“Wow! Do you see it?” My words of enthusiasm as I turned around inside the small dodgy plane to see my friends and cousin vomiting in bags. Well, the pilot did warn us about the possibility of getting air sick. I was the only one besides the pilots who did not get airsick, assumedly because…
Trixie Navarre 