Raoul KiefferPhotography
Bayon (26)
Photo: Bayon

World Heritage Site (UNESCO)
7,855 Photos

Description

Photo gallery of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. …

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A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance.

The sites are judged to contain “cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity”. To be selected, a World Heritage Site must be a somehow unique landmark which is geographically and historically identifiable and has special cultural or physical significance. For example, World Heritage Sites might be ancient ruins or historical structures, buildings, cities, deserts, forests, islands, lakes, monuments, mountains, or wilderness areas. A World Heritage Site may signify a remarkable accomplishment of humanity, and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet, or it might be a place of great natural beauty. As of June 2020, a total of 1,121 World Heritage Sites (869 cultural, 213 natural, and 39 mixed properties) exist across 167 countries; the three countries with most sites are China, Italy (both 55) and Spain (48).

Map: World Heritage Site (UNESCO)

List of sights
7,855 Photos

Ajanta Caves (503) Cave 26
Photo: Ajanta Caves, Cave 26

Ajanta
140 Photos

The Ajanta Caves, in Maharashtra, are 31 rock-cut cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BC. The caves include paintings and sculptures …

Map: Ajanta
Alberobello (154)
Photo: Alberobello

Alberobello
88 Photos

Alberobello (literally “beautiful tree”) is a small town in the province of Bari, in Puglia. It is famous for its unique trulli constructions. The …

Map: Alberobello
Furore (16)
Photo: Furore

Amalfi Coast
192 Photos

The Amalfi Coast (Costiera Amalfitana), on the south of Naples, extends from Positano in the west to Vietri sul Mare in the east. The towns lying …

Map: Amalfi Coast
Amsterdam (137)
Photo: Amsterdam

Amsterdam
118 Photos

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. Its name is derived from …

Map: Amsterdam
Arequipa - Santa Catalina (126)
Photo: Arequipa - Santa Catalina

Arequipa
155 Photos

Located in the Andes Mountains at an altitude of 2,380 m above sea level and close to the volcano El Misti, Arequipa is the capital of the Arequipa

Map: Arequipa
Assisi (129)
Photo: Assisi

Assisi
31 Photos

Assisi is a town in the province of Perugia on the western flank of Monte Subasio. It was the birthplace of St Francis, who founded the Franciscan

Map: Assisi
Bruges (22) Rozenhoedkaai
Photo: Bruges, Rozenhoedkaai

Bruges
129 Photos

Bruges is the capital of the province of West Flanders. It has most of its medieval architecture intact. The historic centre of Bruges has been a …

Map: Bruges
Caserta (12)
Photo: Caserta

Caserta
210 Photos

Caserta is located north east of Naples on the edge of the Campanian Plain at the foot of the Subapennine mountain range.

Map: Caserta
Cerveteri (173)
Photo: Cerveteri

Cerveteri
82 Photos

The Necropolis della Banditaccia in Cerveteri, which has been declared by UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the necropolis in Tarquinia

Map: Cerveteri
Chittaurgarh (92)
Photo: Chittaurgarh

Chittaurgarh
69 Photos

Chittaurgarh (Chittorgarh), is a city and a municipality in Rajasthan state of western India. It lies on the Berach River, a tributary of the Banas

Map: Chittaurgarh
Manarola (499)
Photo: Manarola

Cinque Terre
77 Photos

The Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera, in the Liguria region of Italy. “The Five Lands” comprises five villages: …

Map: Cinque TerreList of sights: Manarola, Riomaggiore, Vernazza
Cusco (69)
Photo: Cusco

Cusco
166 Photos

Cusco is the historic capital of the Inca Empire located in the south-eastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley (Sacred Valley) of the Andes mountain …

Map: Cusco
Delos (100)
Photo: Delos

Delos
39 Photos

The Island of Delos (Δήλος), near Mykonos, is one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in Greece. The …

Map: Delos
Delphi (395) Tholos at Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia
Photo: Delphi, Tholos at Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia

Delphi
48 Photos

Delphi (Δελφοί) is an archaeological site on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis. In myths dating to the classical …

Map: Delphi
Ellora Caves (525) Cave 16 (Kailasa Temple)
Photo: Ellora Caves, Cave 16 (Kailasa Temple)

Ellora
118 Photos

Ellora is an archaeological site, 30 km from the city of Aurangabad in the Indian state of Maharashtra built by the Rashtrakuta rulers. Well-known …

Map: Ellora
Ercolano (12)
Photo: Ercolano

Ercolano
103 Photos

Ercolano (Herculaneum) is an ancient Roman town, located in the province of Naples which has been destroyed, along with Pompeii, in the eruption of …

Map: Ercolano
Fatehpur Sikri (2) Diwan-i-Khas
Photo: Fatehpur Sikri, Diwan-i-Khas

Fatehpur Sikri
106 Photos

Fatehpur Sikri, a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh, was constructed by Mughal Emperor Akbar beginning in 1570 and served as the empire’s capital …

Map: Fatehpur Sikri
Ferrara (66)
Photo: Ferrara

Ferrara
100 Photos

Ferrara is situated 50 km north-north-east of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km …

Map: Ferrara
Florence (235) Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower
Photo: Florence, Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower

Florence
130 Photos

Florence (Firenze) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. Florence is famous for its history. A centre of medieval European trade …

Map: Florence
Hạ Long Bay (12)
Photo: Hạ Long Bay

Ha Long Bay
22 Photos

Hạ Long Bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various shapes and sizes. Hạ Long Bay is a center of a larger zone which includes …

Map: Hạ Long Bay
Hanoi (34) Market
Photo: Hanoi, Market

Hanoi
30 Photos

Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Nội) is the capital of Vietnam and the country’s second largest city by population. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most …

Map: Hanoi
Hội An (21) Market
Photo: Hội An, Market

Hoi An
32 Photos

Hội An, formerly known as Fai-Fo or Faifoo, is a city in Vietnam’s Quảng Nam Province and noted since 1999 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Old …

Map: Hội An
Hosios Loukas (246)
Photo: Hosios Loukas

Hosios Loukas
58 Photos

Hosios Loukas (Ὅσιος Λουκᾶς) is a historic walled monastery situated near the town of Distomo. It is one of the most important monuments of Middle …

Map: Hosios Loukas
Huế (21) Imperial City - Gate to Pavilion of Splendour (Hiển Lâm các)
Photo: Huế, Imperial City - Gate to Pavilion of Splendour (Hiển Lâm các)

Hue
21 Photos

The Imperial City is a walled palace within the citadel of the city of Huế, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. The building was built in 1362, …

Map: Huế
Humayun’s Tomb (187)
Photo: Humayun’s Tomb

Humayun’s Tomb
39 Photos

Humayun’s tomb is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun in Delhi, India. The tomb was commissioned by Humayun’s first wife and chief consort, …

Map: Humayun’s Tomb
Jaipur (592) Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds)
Photo: Jaipur, Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds)

Jaipur
190 Photos

Jaipur, also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. During the British rule in India, …

Map: Jaipur
Jaisalmer (904) Jaisalmer Fort
Photo: Jaisalmer, Jaisalmer Fort

Jaisalmer
212 Photos

Jaisalmer, nicknamed “The Golden City”, is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located 575 km west from the state capital Jaipur. The …

Map: Jaisalmer
Jökulsárlón (211)
Photo: Jökulsárlón

Jökulsárlón
28 Photos

Jökulsárlón, literally “glacial river lagoon”, is a large glacial lake in southeast Iceland, on the edge of Vatnajökull National Park. Situated at …

Map: Jökulsárlón
Kathmandu Valley (12) Bhaktapur
Photo: Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur

Kathmandu Valley
185 Photos

The Kathmandu Valley, located in Nepal, lies at the crossroads of ancient civilisations of Asia, and has at least 130 important monuments, …

Map: Kathmandu ValleyList of sights: Bhaktapur, Boudhanath, Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu, Kirtipur, Pashupatinath, Patan, Swayambhunath
Khumbu (66) Everest (8,848 m) - Nuptse (7,861 m)
Photo: Khumbu, Everest (8,848 m) - Nuptse (7,861 m)

Khumbu 1991
111 Photos

Khumbu, the Everest Region, is one of three subregions of the main Sherpa settlement of the Himalaya with elevation ranging from 3,300 m to the …

Map: Khumbu 1991
Khumbu (315) Changtse (7,543 m)
Photo: Khumbu, Changtse (7,543 m)

Khumbu 1997
168 Photos

(Khumbu 1991) … Khumbu (also known as the Everest Region) is a region of northeastern Nepal on the Nepalese side of Mount Everest. It is part of …

Map: Khumbu 1997
Kinderdijk (60) Windmills
Photo: Kinderdijk, Windmills

Kinderdijk
70 Photos

Kinderdijk, in the province South Holland, is located about 15 km east of Rotterdam and situated in a polder at the confluence of the Lek and Noord

Map: Kinderdijk
Tibet (87) Lhasa - Potala
Photo: Tibet, Lhasa - Potala

Lhasa
36 Photos

Lhasa is a city and administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Lhasa is the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau after …

Map: Lhasa
Wat Xieng Thong (319)
Photo: Wat Xieng Thong

Luang Prabang
380 Photos

Luang Prabang, formerly the capital of the Kingdom of Laos, is a city located in north central Laos, on the Mekong River. The capital was moved in …

Map: Luang Prabang
Machu Picchu (77)
Photo: Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu
94 Photos

Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,430 m above sea level and situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, 80 km …

Map: Machu Picchu
Matera (52)
Photo: Matera

Matera
346 Photos

Matera, a town in the region of Basilicata, is perched on the edge of a small canyon eroded by the Gravina. The lower Sassi (caves) district is …

Map: Matera
Meteora (1451)
Photo: Meteora

Meteora
108 Photos

The Metéora (Μετέωρα), lit. “middle of the sky”, “suspended in the air” or “in the heavens above”, is one of the largest and most important …

Map: Meteora
Modena (38) Duomo
Photo: Modena, Duomo

Modena
66 Photos

Modena, a city on the south side of the Po valley in the Emilia-Romagna, is the seat of an archbishop, but is now best known as the “capital of …

Map: Modena
Moscow (2) Saint Basil’s Cathedral
Photo: Moscow, Saint Basil’s Cathedral

Moscow
10 Photos

Moscow is the capital and the most populous city of Russia. It is located by the Moskva River in the Central Federal District, in the European part …

Map: Moscow
Duomo di San Gennaro (15)
Photo: Duomo di San Gennaro

Naples
56 Photos

Naples is the capital of the region of Campania. The city is known for its rich history which began more than 2,800 years ago. Naples is located …

Map: Naples
Nazca - Necropolis of Chauchilla (52)
Photo: Nazca - Necropolis of Chauchilla

Nazca
82 Photos

The Nazca lines are a series of geoglyphs located in the Nazca Desert that stretches over more than 80 km and have been created by the Nazca

Map: Nazca
Norchia (62)
Photo: Norchia

Norchia
32 Photos

Norchia is an ancient Etruscan city with an adjacent necropolis which reached its high point between the 4th and 2nd centuries BC. The tombs are …

Map: Norchia
Padua (40) Palazzo della Ragione
Photo: Padua, Palazzo della Ragione

Padua
149 Photos

Padua (Padova) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy. Padua stands on the Bacchiglione River, 40 km west of Venice and 29 km south-east of Vicenza

Map: Padua
Patmos (309) Monastery of Saint John the Theologian
Photo: Patmos, Monastery of Saint John the Theologian

Patmos
210 Photos

Patmos (Πάτμος) is a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea, one of the northernmost islands of the Dodecanese complex. The highest point is Profitis

Map: Patmos
Petra (19) Al Deir
Photo: Petra, Al Deir

Petra
113 Photos

Petra, originally known to the Nabataeans as Raqmu, is a historical and archaeological city in southern Jordan. The city is famous for its rock-cut …

Map: Petra
Porto Venere (145)
Photo: Porto Venere

Porto Venere
32 Photos

Porto Venere is a town located on the Ligurian coast of Italy in the province of La Spezia. It comprises the three villages of Fezzano, Le Grazie

Map: Porto Venere
Qutb Minar (233)
Photo: Qutb Minar

Qutb-Minar
68 Photos

The Qutb Minar, also spelled as Qutub Minar and Qutab Minar, is a minaret and “victory tower” that forms part of the Qutb complex, a UNESCO World

Map: Qutb-Minar
Ravenna (36) San Vitale
Photo: Ravenna, San Vitale

Ravenna
110 Photos

Ravenna, a city in the Emilia-Romagna, is inland, but connected to the Adriatic Sea by a canal. Ravenna was the capital city of the Western Roman

Map: Ravenna
Red Fort of Agra (19)
Photo: Red Fort of Agra

Red Fort of Agra
30 Photos

Agra Fort is a historical fort in the city of Agra in India. It was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638, when the …

Map: Red Fort of Agra
Regensburg (294)
Photo: Regensburg

Regensburg
10 Photos

Regensburg historically also Ratisbon, from Celtic Ratisbona, is a city in Bavaria, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at …

Map: Regensburg
Rhodes (1) Mandraki harbour
Photo: Rhodes, Mandraki harbour

Rhodes
254 Photos

Rhodes (Ρόδος) is an island located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and …

Map: Rhodes
Roman Forum (162)
Photo: Roman Forum

Roman Forum
80 Photos

The Roman Forum (Forum Romanum, Foro Romano) is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government …

Map: Roman Forum
San Gimignano (100)
Photo: San Gimignano

San Gimignano
70 Photos

San Gimignano is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany. It is mainly famous for its medieval architecture, especially …

Map: San Gimignano
Necropolis di San Guiliano (3)
Photo: Necropolis di San Guiliano

San Guiliano
10 Photos

San Guiliano is an Etruscan centre 2 km north-east of Barbarano Romano. The most important tombs found in the necropolis of Cuccumella del Caiolo

Map: San Guiliano
Yemen (14) Sana’a
Photo: Yemen, Sana’a

Sana’a
26 Photos

Sana’a is the largest city in Yemen and the centre of Sana’a Governorate. The city is not part of the Governorate, but forms the separate …

Map: Sana’a
Yemen (71) Shibam
Photo: Yemen, Shibam

Shibam
10 Photos

Shibam (often referred to as Shibam Hadhramaut) is a town in Yemen. It is the seat of the Shibam District in the Hadhramaut Governorate. It is …

Map: Shibam
Angkor Wat (5)
Photo: Angkor Wat

Siem Reap
109 Photos

Siem Reap is the capital city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia. Angkor was the capital city of the Khmer Empire, which flourished …

Map: Siem Reap
Siena (153)
Photo: Siena

Siena
89 Photos

Siena, in English also spelled Sienna, is a city in Tuscany. The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO World Heritage Site. Siena, …

Map: Siena
Pakse (11) Wat Luang
Photo: Pakse, Wat Luang

South Laos
240 Photos

South Laos is divided into 4 provinces (Attapeu, Champasak, Salavan, Sekong). Champasak (Champassak or Champasack) is a province in southwestern …

Map: South Laos
Sutri (20)
Photo: Sutri

Sutri
44 Photos

Sutri (ancient Sutrium) occupied an important position on road into Etruria, the later Via Cassia. It came into the hands of Rome after the fall of …

Map: Sutri
Taj Mahal (299)
Photo: Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal
84 Photos

The Taj MahalCrown of the Palace”, is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the southern bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was …

Map: Taj Mahal
Tarquinia (83)
Photo: Tarquinia

Tarquinia
36 Photos

Tarquinia was the chief of the twelve cities of Etruria, and appears in the earliest history of Rome as the home of two of its kings, Tarquinius

Map: Tarquinia
Villa Adriana (99)
Photo: Villa Adriana

Tivoli
146 Photos

Tivoli, the classical Tibur, is an ancient town in Lazio, about 30 km from Rome, at the falls of the Aniene River, where it issues from the Sabine

Map: Tivoli
Castiglione d’Orcia (25)
Photo: Castiglione d’Orcia

Val d’Orcia
23 Photos

The Val d’Orcia, or Valdorcia, is a region of Tuscany, which extends from the hills south of Siena to Monte Amiata. It is characterised by gentle, …

Map: Val d’Orcia
San Pietro (1)
Photo: San Pietro

Vatican City
136 Photos

Vatican City, or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory …

Map: Vatican City
Ice caves (26) Vatnajökull
Photo: Ice caves, Vatnajökull

Vatnajökull ice caves
9 Photos

Glacier caves are caves formed within the ice of a glacier and are often called ice caves. The glacier caves are started by water running through …

Map: Vatnajökull ice caves
Venice 2007 (185)
Photo: Venice 2007

Venetian Lagoon
974 Photos

The Venetian Lagoon (Laguna di Venezia) is an enclosed bay of the Adriatic Sea, in northern Italy, in which the city of Venice is situated. Its …

Map: Venetian LagoonList of sights: Carneval of Venice 2007, Carneval of Venice 2011, Venice
Verona (95) Basilica di San Zeno
Photo: Verona, Basilica di San Zeno

Verona
270 Photos

Verona is a city in Veneto, northern Italy. The city has been awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO because of its urban structure and …

Map: Verona
Wieskirche (19)
Photo: Wieskirche

Wieskirche
46 Photos

The Wies Church (Wieskirche) is a magnificently decorated Sanctuary belonging to the district of Wies in the municipality Steingaden. The full name …

Map: Wieskirche