The 15 most beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world

If you are going to start a collection of the world’s most extraordinary places, where better to start than the Galápagos Islands? The first site to be inscribed on the UNESCO Heritage list also happens to be one of the most incredible places on the planet. The islands are most famous for their unique wildlife, but it is easy to overlook how spectacular the landscapes are. The Galápagos are a world of cyan waters, lush greenery, and an atmosphere unlike anywhere else.

Venice continues to grapple with mass tourism, but the famous city’s beauty is undeniable. It is easy to be cynical about such a well-trodden path, but all cynicism usually gets swept away once you start walking. Venice’s waters are well worth the attention they receive, and there simply is no more romantic place in Europe. Arguably Europe’s most inspiring city, Venice might be the most magical UNESCO town on the continent.

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The name is a giveaway; it isn’t there for decoration alone. Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is every bit as dense as the name suggests, and that rich vegetation provides the perfect place for mountain gorillas to thrive. Not just a few, either; Bwindi is home to more than half of the world’s remaining population of these most magnificent mammals. That alone makes it worthy of a spot on any list of UNESCO-acknowledge brilliance. If you’re looking for over 120 square miles of impossibly beautiful greenery, and a very high chance of spotting a gorilla or two, look no further.

Is Mount Fuji the most instantly recognisable mountain on the planet? That is a debate for another day, but the iconic cone that rises above Fujinoyima is undeniably gorgeous. It took UNESCO until 2013 and the 37th session to add Mount Fuji (with its spiritual importance and artistic legacy) to the list, but few places are as breathtaking as Japan’s most famous image. Many of the world’s great mountains are imposing behemoths, yet the 12,388-foot Fuji retains a grace that belies its size.

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From lush green to vibrant pink and impenetrable forests to the chaos of the modern city. India’s Jaipur City is practically the opposite of Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, but its beauty is just as apparent. Known worldwide as the ‘Pink City,’ Jaipur took on its famous flamingo flourish in the late 19th century when Maharaja Ram Singh made the somewhat unusual decision to paint all the buildings pink. Why? Well, Queen Victoria was coming for a visit, and that’s all the reason required. Over 150 years later, a thrilling hodge-podge of faded salmon and neon pink structures remains.

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Continuing the colourful theme (and sticking with pink), Kenya’s Lake Nakuru attracts millions (well, between one and two million) flamingos annually, making it a flamboyant scene in more ways than one. The lake is located in the famous Rift Valley and is undeniably beautiful all year round (there is something special about vast lakes), but the arrival of the fuchsia-pink birds takes a beautiful scene and makes it flamboyantly, jaw-droppingly brilliant.

Banff and Jasper are often at the top of Canada-centric bucket lists, but the famous parks are the tip of this tremendous iceberg. Or the tip of the tremendous range of mountainous national parks, if you will. Seven parks were designed as one combined World Heritage Site in 1984, covering four national parks (Yoho, Kootenay, Banff, and Jasper) and three provincial parks in British Columbia (Mount Robson, Hamber, and Mount Assiniboine). Take your pick or visit them all; you can’t go wrong.

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It is said that when Alexander the Great arrived in Samarkand, he declared it more beautiful than he had ever imagined. We aren’t about to disagree with Alex, and Samarkand remains a city that exceeds expectations. Designated a UNESCO site in 2001, the city’s famous setting as a meeting point for cultures and civilisations sealed the deal, but the shimmering blues found at every turn should have been enough.

Many of UNESCO’s most beautiful sites look like fairytales, but few are as romantically dreamlike as Mont-Saint-Michael. A somewhat adrift tidal island on France’s north-western coast, Mont-Saint-Michel has long attracted pilgrims of all sorts, from the spiritual to the creative, and it remains one of France’s most visited sites today. Louis XI converted it into a prison in the 15th century, but every fairytale requires a villainous element, right?

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While Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is understandably more famous, there is plenty to love about the second-largest coral reef system found under the sea. The Belize Barrier Reef is actually a network of reefs off the coast of Belize (obviously), and it found its way onto the UNESCO list in 1996. The reef sparkles above and below water, with the birds seeing deep shades of blue and the underwater scene coming straight out of Disney.