In 2023, more than 20 new properties were inscribed on the prestigious UNESCO list during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee. Discover the 5 you can see in Europe on an incredible walking or cycling holiday with UTracks.

 

UNESCO says: “These traditional villages, typically organized around a central square containing a plane tree and surrounded by sacred forests maintained by local communities, showcase a traditional architecture adapted to the mountain topography. A network of stone-arched bridges, stone cobbled paths, and stone staircases linking the villages formed a system that served as a political and social unit.”

 

How to see it: Take in the villages’ outstanding architecture and immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the surrounding landscapes on the 8-day Zagoi Villages & Vikos Gorge Hiking Tour.
 

UNESCO says: “Located between the north of Belgium and the east of France, the component parts of the property vary in scale from large necropolises, holding the remains of tens of thousands of soldiers of several nationalities, to tiny and simpler cemeteries, and single memorials. The sites include different military cemeteries, battlefield burial grounds, and hospital cemeteries.”

 

How to see it: Cycle the Western Front on a reflective journey that will allow you to gain a deeper understanding of the war history of the region.
 

 

 

UNESCO says: “This property testifies to the rapid urbanization that transformed the provincial town of Kaunas into […] Lithuania’s provisional capital between the First and Second World Wars […] manifested through the spatial organization of the Naujamiestis (New Town) and Žaliakalnis (Green Hill) areas, and in public buildings, urban spaces and residences constructed during the interwar period that demonstrate a variety of styles in which the Modern Movement found architectural expression.”             
 

 

How to see it: Kaunas is the second stop on the scenic, 11-day Lithuania to Estonia Cycle with UTracks that lets you discover the contrasting characters of the three Baltic States
 

UNESCO says: “Erected in the 1st century CE in the Roman colony of Nemausus – today’s Nîmes in France – the Maison Carrée is an early example of a Roman temple associated with imperial worship in the provinces of Rome. The architecture and elaborate decoration symbolically communicated the ideological programme of Augustus, who transitioned Ancient Rome from republic to empire, opening a new golden age known as Pax Romana.”

 

 

How to see it: The city of Nîmes with its numerous, well-preserved Roman buildings such as the Maison Carrée is one of the most interesting stops on the 8-day Highlights of Provence by Bike with UTracks
 

 

 

UNESCO says: “The town of Kuldīga is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional urban settlement, which developed from a small medieval hamlet into an important administrative centre of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia. The town structure of Kuldīga has largely retained the street layout of that period, and includes traditional log architecture as well as foreign-influenced styles that illustrate the rich exchange between local and travelling craftspeople from around the Baltic Sea.”

 

 

How to see it: Travel in the Baltics by bike and soak up the atmosphere of Kuldiga’s Old Town on the 8-day Latvia and Lithuania Cycle Explorer with UTracks.

 

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