My brush with UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites (updated 2024)

Written by the Warrior

According to its website, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site is a place of outstanding universal value.

During the preparation for my trip to Iceland back in 2016, I came across “the list“. Not that I go out of my way to visit World Heritage Sites around the world, but just out of curiosity, I wanted to see how many I have been to.

It appears to be about 65 to date. Hard proof that I was once, an exciting, albeit utterly unfashionable and totally ill-equipped person.

People’s Exhibit A – Me marching towards an erupting volcano in 2007.

And yes, I was planning on climbing that volcano. No, I am not crazy. Though, I shutter to think that on the same trip, I ended up summiting Mount Kenya’s Point Lenana in a fleece. At -10 C, that was insane.

So, long story short, here is my brush with UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites…

Australia (2003): Kakadu National Park, Tasmanian Wilderness*, Shark Bay (Western Australia), Greater Blue Mountains Area, Purnululu National Park, Sydney Opera House, Australian Convict Sites, and Ningaloo Coast.

Belgium (2000): La Grand-Place, Brussels

Canada: Kluane*/Wrangell-St. Elias/Glacier Bay/Tatshenshini-Alsek (2018), Historic District of Old Québec (2004), Old Town Lunenburg* (2017 & 2019), Rideau Canal* (2000), Joggins Fossil Cliffs (2019), Landscape of Grand Pré (2019), Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks (2021), Dinosaur Provincial Park (2021), Gros Morne National Park (2022), L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site (2022)

China: Historic Centre of Macao (2003), Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing (2006), Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (2006), Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (2018), Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing (2018), Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing (2018), The Great Wall* (2006), Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area (2018)

France (2000): Paris, Banks of the Seine

Greece (2023): Acropolis of Athens, Archaeological Site of Olympia, Medieval City of Rhodes*

Iceland (2016): Þingvellir National Park*

Italy (2000): Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying, Historic Centre of Florence, Piazza del Duomo, Pisa, and Venice and its Lagoon

Kenya (2007): Mount Kenya National Park*/Natural Forest

New Zealand (2002): Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand*, Tongariro National Park

Norway (2001): West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord

Panama (2018): La Amistad National Park, Coiba National Park and Its Special Zone of Marine Protection, Archaeological Site of Panama Viejo, and Historic Distict of Panama

Peru: City of Cuzco (2005), Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu* (2005), Huascarán National Park* (2005), Historic Centre of Lima (2005), Historical Centre of the City of Arequipa (2005, 2019), Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System (2005)

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2000): Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites, City of Bath, Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret’s Church, and Tower of London

United Republic of Tanzania (2007): Ngorongoro Conservation Area*, Serengeti National Park, and Stone Town of Zanzibar

USA: Statue of Liberty (1990), Yosemite National Park* (2009), Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (2009), Waterton Glacier International Peace Park (2022), Yellowstone National Park (2022), Olympic National Park (2022), Grand Canyon (2024)

* Location of the photos.