World Heritage Sites at Destinations Covered by The World's Greatest Honeymoons

• Good Orgs •

• UNESCO •

World Heritage Sites

Covered in WGH Destinations

• Bermuda • Canada • Curaçao • Czech Republic • France • Great Britain • Greece •

• Ireland • Italy • Mexico • St. Lucia • Turkey • United States •

Administered by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization), World Heritage works to protect and preserve sites of outstanding value to humanity. As of July 2008 there are 878 sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. The following sites are in destinations covered by The World's Greatest Honeymoons.

BERMUDA

Historic St. George Town & Fortifications: Founded in 1612, Bermuda's St. George Town is an outstanding example of an early English urban settlement in the New World. Its associated fortifications illustrate the manner in which English military engineering developed between the 17th-20th centuries.

CANADA

Historic District of Old Quebec: Québec was founded by the French explorer Champlain in the early 17th century. It is the only North American city to have preserved its ramparts, together with the numerous bastions, gates and defensive works that still surround Old Québec. The Upper Town, built on the cliff, has remained the religious and administrative centre, with its churches, convents and other monuments like the Dauphine Redoubt, the Citadel and Château Frontenac. Together with the Lower Town and its ancient districts, it forms an urban ensemble which is one of the best examples of a fortified colonial city.

CURAÇAO (Netherlands Antilles)

Historic Area of Willemstad, Inner City and Harbor: The Netherlands established a trading settlement in on Curacao in 1634. The town developed continuously over the following centuries. The modern town consists of several distinct historic districts whose architecture reflects not only European urban-planning concepts but also styles from the Netherlands and from the Spanish and Portuguese colonial towns with which Willemstad engaged in trade.

CZECH REPUBLIC

Prague: Built between the 11th and 18th centuries, the Old Town, the Lesser Town, and the New Town speak of the great architectural and cultural influence enjoyed by Prague since the Middle Ages. The many magnificent monuments, such as Hradcani Castle, St Vitus Cathedral, Charles Bridge and numerous churches and palaces, were built mostly in the 14th century under the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV.

Ceský Krumlov: Situated on the banks of the Vltava river, Ceský Krumlov was built around a 13th-century castle with Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque elements. It is an outstanding example of a small central European medieval town whose architectural heritage has remained intact thanks to its peaceful evolution over more than five centuries. >>Take a day trip from Prague

FRANCE

France/Roman Theater and Arch at Orange: The Rhone Valley's ancient Orange theater is one of the best preserved of all great Roman theaters. Built between 10-25 A.D., the Roman arch is one of the most beautiful and interesting surviving examples of a provincial triumphal arch from the reign of Augustus. Its reliefs commemorate establishment of the Pax Romana. >>Attend a concert at Orange's Roman Theatre

France/Banks of the Seine in Paris: From the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, from the Place de la Concorde to the Grand and Petit Palais, the evolution of Paris and its history can be seen from the River Seine. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame and Sainte Chapelle are architectural masterpieces, while Haussmann's wide squares and boulevards influenced late 19th- and 20th-century town planning the world over.

GREAT BRITAIN

Liverpool–Maritime Mercantile City: London's Liverpool was one of the world’s major trading centers in the 18th-19th centuries. It played an important role in the growth of the British Empire and became the major port for the mass movement of people (e.g., slaves and emigrants from northern Europe to America). Liverpool was a pioneer in the development of modern dock technology, transport systems, and port management. The six listed areas within Liverpool feature significant commercial, civic, and public buildings, including St George’s Plateau.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: This historic landscape garden in London features elements that illustrate significant periods of gardening art from the 18th-20th centuries. The gardens house botanic collections that have been considerably enriched through the centuries. Since their creation in 1759, the gardens have made a significant and uninterrupted contribution to the study of plant diversity and economic botany.

Tower of London: The massive White Tower is a typical example of Norman military architecture, whose influence was felt throughout the kingdom. It was built on the Thames by William the Conqueror to protect London and assert his power. The Tower, an imposing fortress with many layers of history, has become a symbol of royalty.

Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey, and Saint Margaret's Church: London's Westminster Palace, rebuilt from the year 1840 on the site of important medieval remains, is a fine example of neo-Gothic architecture. The site, which also comprises the small medieval Church of Saint Margaret and Westminster Abbey, where all the sovereigns since the 11th century have been crowned, is of great historic and symbolic significance.

GREECE

Medieval City of Rhodes: The Order of St John of Jerusalem occupied Rhodes, one of the Greek Islands, from 1309 to 1523 and set about transforming the city into a stronghold. It subsequently came under Turkish and Italian rule. With the Palace of the Grand Masters, the Great Hospital, and the Street of the Knights, the Upper Town is one of the most beautiful urban ensembles of the Gothic period. In the Lower Town, Gothic architecture coexists with mosques, public baths and other buildings dating from the Ottoman period.

Island of Delos: According to Greek mythology, Apollo was born on this tiny island in the Cyclades archipelago. Apollo's sanctuary attracted pilgrims from all over Greece and Delos was a prosperous trading port. The island bears traces of the succeeding civilizations in the Aegean world, from the 3rd millennium B.C. to the palaeo-christian era. The archaeological site is exceptionally extensive and rich and conveys the image of a great cosmopolitan Mediterranean port. »»More about the Greek Islands

Historic Center/Monastery of St. John/Cave of the Apocalypse on the Island of Patmos: This small island in the Dodecanese is reputed to be where St John the Theologian wrote both his Gospel and the Apocalypse. A monastery dedicated to the "beloved disciple" was founded there in the late 10th century and it has been a place of pilgrimage and Greek Orthodox learning ever since. The fine monastic complex dominates the island. The old settlement of Chorá, associated with it, contains many religious and secular buildings. »»More about the Greek Islands

Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus: Probably during the 6th century BC, in a small Peloponnesus valley, the shrine of Asklepios, the god of medicine, developed out of a much earlier cult of Apollo (Maleatas), becoming the official cult of the Epidaurus city/state. The principal monuments, particularly the temple of Asklepios, the Tholos and the Theatre—considered one of the purest masterpieces of Greek architecture—date from the 4th century. The vast site, with its temples and hospital buildings devoted to its healing gods, provides valuable insight into the healing cults of Greek and Roman times. »»Attend the Epidaurus Festival

The Old Town of Corfu: This old town on Corfu, one of the Greek Islands, is located in a strategic position at the entrance of the Adriatic Sea, with roots in 8th century BC. The town's three forts, designed by renowned Venetian engineers, were used for four centuries to defend maritime trading interests of the Republic of Venice against the Ottoman Empire. The forts were repaired and partly rebuilt several times, most recently under 19th century British rule. The mainly neoclassical housing of the Old Town is partly from the Venetian period, partly of later construction, notably the 19th century. As a fortified Mediterranean port, Corfu’s urban and port ensemble is notable for its high level of integrity and authenticity.

Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos: Many civilizations have inhabited this small Aegean island, near Asia Minor, since the 3rd millennium B.C. The remains of Pythagoreion, an ancient fortified port with Greek and Roman monuments and a spectacular tunnel-aqueduct, as well as the Heraion, temple of the Samian Hera, can still be seen. »»More about the Greek Islands

IRELAND

Skellig Michael (Diocese of Kerry): This monastic complex, perched since the 7th century on the steep sides of the rocky island of Skellig Michael, about 8 miles off the southwest coast of Ireland, illustrates the spartan existence of the first Irish Christians. Since the island's extreme remoteness has until recently discouraged visitors, the site is exceptionally well preserved.

ITALY

Amalfi Coast: This coastline of great physical beauty and natural diversity has been intensively settled by human communities since the early Middle Ages. A number of towns on the Amalfi Coast, such as Amalfi and Ravello, possess architectural and artistic works of great significance. The rural areas show the versatility of the inhabitants in adapting land use to the diverse nature of the terrain, which ranges from terraced vineyards and orchards on the lower slopes to wide upland pastures.

Rome - Historic Center/Holy See: Founded in 753 BC, and at one time ruler of the world, Rome contains some of the major monuments of antiquity, including the Forum, the Pantheon, the Coliseum, and the buildings of Papal Rome.

Florence - Historic Center: Built on the site of an Etruscan settlement, Florence, the symbol of the Renaissance, rose to economic and cultural pre-eminence under the Medici in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its 600 years of extraordinary artistic activity can be seen above all in the 13th-century cathedral (Santa Maria del Fiore), the Church of Santa Croce, the Uffizi and the Pitti Palace, and in the work of great masters such as Giotto, Brunelleschi, Botticelli, and Michelangelo.

Venice & its Lagoon: Founded in the 5th century and spread over 118 small islands, Venice became a major maritime power in the 10th century. The whole city is an extraordinary architectural masterpiece in which even the smallest building contains works by some of the world's greatest artists such as Giorgione, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese and many others.

Siena - Historic Center: Siena is the embodiment of a medieval city. Its inhabitants pursued their rivalry with Florence right into the area of urban planning. Through the years they preserved the city's Gothic appearance, acquired between the 12th-15th centuries. During this period the work of Duccio, the Lorenzetti brothers, and Simone Martini influenced Italian and, more broadly, European art. Siena itself, built around the Piazza del Campo, was devised as a work of art that blends into the surrounding landscape.

Cinque Terre, Portovenere, and the Islands (Palmaria, Tino, Tinetto): The Ligurian coast between Cinque Terre and Portovenere is a cultural landscape of great scenic and cultural value. The layout and disposition of the small towns and the shaping of the surrounding landscape, overcoming the disadvantages of a steep, uneven terrain, encapsulate the continuous history of human settlement in this region over the past millennium.

Genoa - Portions of the Historic Center: The Strade Nuove and the Palazzi dei Rolli system in Genoa’s historic center (late 16th-early 17th centuries) represent Europe's first example of an urban development project with a unitary framework in which plans were parceled out by a public authority based on legislation. The site includes an ensemble of Renaissance and Baroque palaces along the so-called "new streets" (Strade Nuove).

MEXICO

Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California: The site comprises 244 islands, islets and coastal areas located in the Gulf of California in north-eastern Mexico. The Sea of Cortez and its islands have been called a natural laboratory for species investigation. Moreover, almost all major oceanographic processes occurring in the planet’s oceans are present here, offering extraordinary importance for study. The site is one of striking natural beauty in a dramatic setting formed by rugged islands with high cliffs and sandy beaches that contrast with the brilliant reflection from the desert and the surrounding turquoise waters. It is home to 695 vascular plant species, more than in any marine and insular property on the World Heritage list. Equally exceptional is the number of fish species: 891, 90 of them endemic. The site, moreover, contains 39% of the world’s total number of species of marine mammals and a third of the world’s marine cetacean species. Among the areas listed in this citation: The Cabo San Lucas flora/fauna protected area.

Prehispanic City of Chichen-Itza: Chichen-Itza is one of the largest and most impressive archaeological sites in Mexico, located two hours by bus from Cancun. It's really two cities: one was ruled by the Mayans from the 6th to the10th century A.D. and the other was a Toltec-Mayan city that emerged in 1000 A.D. The site combines Toltec and Mayan influences and is ripe with cosmological symbolism. Its four sides contain 365 steps, 52 panels and 18 terraces (for the 18 months of the religious year), a cenote (limestone sacred well or sinkhole), and an observatory.

Rock Paintings of the Sierra de San Francisco: From about 100 B.C. to 1300 A.D., the Sierra de San Francisco (on the Baja California Sur Peninsula) was home to people who left one of the world's most outstanding collections of rock paintings. Thanks to the dry climate and the site's inaccessibility, the paintings are remarkably well-preserved. Showing human figures and many animal species and illustrating the relationship between humans and their environment, the paintings reveal a highly sophisticated culture. Their composition and size, as well as the precision of the outlines and the variety of colors, but especially the number of sites, make this an impressive testimony to a unique artistic tradition.

Sian Ka’an, Riviera Maya: This 1.3-million acre ecological park of forests, lagoons, exotic marine habitats and wetlands is located on the east coast of the Yucatan peninsula. The biosphere reserve contains tropical forests, mangroves and marshes, as well as a large marine section intersected by a barrier reef. Located just south of Tulum, Sian Ka’an’s complex hydrological system also provides a habitat for an impressive variety of flora and fauna.

ST. LUCIA

Pitons Management Area: Near the town of Soufriere on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, this site includes the Pitons (two volcanic spires rising side by side from the sea). The volcanic complex includes a geothermal field with sulphurous fumaroles and hot springs. Coral reefs cover almost 60% of site’s marine area. Hawksbill turtles are seen inshore, whale sharks and pilot whales offshore. The dominant terrestrial vegetation is tropical moist forest grading to subtropical wet forest. At least 148 plant species have been recorded on Gros Piton and 97 on Petit Piton, including eight rare tree species. The Pitons are home to some 27 bird species (five of them endemic), three indigenous rodents, one opossum, three bats, eight reptiles and three amphibians.

TURKEY

Hierapolis-Pamukkale: Derived from springs in a 200-meters-high cliff above the plain, calcite-laden waters have created at Pamukkale an unreal landscape, made up of mineral forests, petrified waterfalls, and a series of terraced basins. At the end of the 2nd century B.C. the dynasty of the Attalids, the kings of Pergamon, established the thermal spa of Hierapolis. The ruins of the baths, temples and other Greek monuments can be seen at the site.

UNITED STATES

Everglades National Park: This site at Florida's southern tip has been called "a river of grass flowing imperceptibly from the hinterland into the sea." The variety of its water habitats has made it a sanctuary for more than 300 species of birds, many reptiles, and threatened species such as the manatee. Created in 1947, Everglades NP now covers more than 1.5 million acres—so huge that it can be easily accessed from a wide number of destinations, including The Paradise Coast, Palm Beach, the Space Coast, Lee County Coast, & Sarasota.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: This site, on the Big Island of Hawaii, contains two of the most active volcanoes in the world, Mauna Loa (4,170 m high) and Kilauea (1,250 m high), both of which tower over the Pacific Ocean. Volcanic eruptions have created a constantly changing landscape, and the lava flows reveal surprising geological formations. Rare birds and endemic species can be found there, as well as forests of giant ferns.

La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site: Between the 15th and 19th centuries, a series of defensive structures was built at this strategic point in the Caribbean Sea to protect the city and the Bay of San Juan. They represent a fine display of European military architecture adapted to harbor sites on the American continent. The NHS includes forts San Cristobal, San Felipe del Morro, and San Juan de la Cruz, plus bastions, powder houses, and 3/4 of the city wall. All surround the old, colonial portion of San Juan.

Mesa Verde National Park: A great concentration of ancestral Pueblo Indian dwellings, built from the 6th - 12th centuries, can be found on southwest Colorado's Mesa Verde plateau. More than 4400 sites have been official recorded, including villages built atop the Mesa. There are also imposing cliff dwellings, built of stone and comprising more than 100 rooms.

Redwood National Park: Redwood National Park comprises a region of coastal mountains bordering the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. It is covered with a magnificent forest of sequoia redwood trees, the tallest and most impressive trees in the world. The marine and land life are equally remarkable, in particular the sea lions, the bald eagle and the endangered California brown pelican.

Statue of Liberty: Made in Paris by the French sculptor Bartholdi, in collaboration with Gustave Eiffel (who was responsible for the steel framework), this towering monument to liberty was a gift from France on the centenary of American independence in 1886. Standing at the harbor entrance to New York City, Lady Liberty has welcomed millions of immigrants to the United States ever since.

Yellowstone National Park: The vast natural forest of Yellowstone National Park lies 96% in Wyoming, 3% in Montana, and 1% in Idaho. Yellowstone contains half of all the world's known geothermal features, with more than 10,000 examples. It also has the world's largest concentration of geysers (more than 300, or 2/3 of all those on the planet). Established in 1872, Yellowstone is equally known for its wildlife, such as grizzly bears, wolves, bison and wapitis.

Yosemite National Park: Yosemite NP lies in the heart of California. With its "hanging" valleys, numerous waterfalls, cirque lakes, polished domes, moraines, and U-shaped valleys, the Park provides an excellent overview of various forms of granite relief fashioned by glaciation. A wide variety of flora and fauna also resides here.

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All written material ©WGH ~ Photos: Thanks to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre