National Geographic Traveler Interactive - 10.11 2019

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PLACES WE LOVE

UNESCO SITES

1 

Enter a realm of

ice and fire

At VATNAJÖKULL

NATIONAL PARK, in

Iceland, the interac-

tions between ice and

fire formed singular

landscapes and

ecosystems, such as

geothermal bacterial

communities that

have persevered in the

extreme environment

for tens of thousands

of years. “The listing

underlines how unique

the nature in Iceland

is, and how important

it is to protect it,” says

park staffer Helga

Árnadóttir. The most

popular sites are

Jökulsárlón (the Glacier

Lagoon) and Skaftafell

nature reserve, in the

southeastern part of

the park, thanks to

their proximity to the

country’s Ring Road.

Travelers can go ice

climbing, roam black

sand beaches, marvel

at the blue interiors of

an ice cave, and kayak

along the craggy coast.

Vatnajökull is one of

four natural sites added

this year, including bird

sanctuaries on China’s

Bohai Gulf and the

French Austral lands

in the Indian Ocean.

From the underwater

glories of the Great

Barrier Reef to the

terrestrial mysteries of

Stonehenge, places

on the UNESCO World

Heritage list reveal

nature’s greatest gifts

and humankind’s

greatest achievements.

And they often make

dazzling destinations

for travelers.

This year the World

Heritage Committee

met in the walled city

of Baku, Azerbaijan,

and added 29 new

sites, bringing the total

list to 1,121. Noteworthy

newcomers include

Italy’s prosecco wine

region, Japan’s ancient

burial mounds, and

Iran’s Hyrcanian

Forests. Here’s how

to see a few of our

favorite additions.

World

Wonders

Three ways to

discover UNESCO’s

newest inductees

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