“It’s a big hole in the ground.” I think “underwhelmed” is a good word for my first impression of the Falun Copper Mine in eastern Sweden. We were on our way south on a road trip from the northernmost part of Norway back home to the Netherlands after our Hurtigruten cruise up the Norwegian coast….
The Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland, Sweden
Some UNESCO sites aren’t famous works of architecture like Himeji Castle in Japan or the 16th century canal ring of Amsterdam, for example, or ancient historical monuments like Petra in Jordan or Baalbek in Lebanon. Some are more modest, less showy, and exemplify local culture and crafts. The Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland, Sweden, are a…
7 Things to do in Thingvellir National Park, Iceland
I’ve already written quite a bit about our 3-week road trip around Iceland last summer, but I only briefly mentioned Thingvellir (more properly spelled as Þingvellir) in my itinerary article. While it wasn’t a place I particularly prioritized in our planning, it turned out that there are plenty of things to do in Thingvellir National…
Kinderdijk or Zaanse Schans?
You’re visiting Holland, so of course, you want to see windmills. While windmills dot the countryside all over the Netherlands, Kinderdijk and Zaanse Schans are two popular places for viewing windmills and seeing inside them. I wrote about a visit to Zaanse Schans a couple of years ago. North of Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans has a…
UNESCO Sites in Switzerland
The following is a guest post written by Anna Timbrook. All around the world, UNESCO promotes peace through conserving and protecting monuments, museums, and places of interest in history, science, nature, and the arts. The culture and natural beauty of Switzerland are recognized at a variety of sites from old castles to vineyards, and of…
Visiting Cesky Krumlov Castle and UNESCO site
When we arrived at Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic, it was almost dark and we couldn’t see much. Following our GPS, we found our hotel, checked in, and ate dinner at a nearby restaurant. Nothing too exciting so far, but we’d come because the town is a listed UNESCO world heritage site, a designation…
The Baalbek Ruins in Lebanon: an extraordinary UNESCO site
On my recent trip to Lebanon, I was just blown away by the Baalbek ruins: a magnificent set of Roman temples in the Beq’aa Valley and a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. I saw Baalbek on a full-day small-group tour, which included other stops, but right now I just want to write about the Baalbek…
11 stunning UNESCO sites in the Czech Republic outside of Prague
Most people who visit Czechia focus on Prague. Prague is such a beautiful city that it makes a great city trip for a weekend or a week, and no wonder: the old city of Prague is the most important of the UNESCO sites in the Czech Republic. Prague’s Jewish Quarter is a part of the…
Kutna Hora UNESCO site and a macabre church
Kutna Hora, a small city east of Prague, contains an entire historical quarter that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, more correctly called “Kutná Hora: Historical Town Centre with the Church of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec.” The old town maintains its original medieval layout, established at a time when…