5 Unesco Cultural Greats Part 3

From rock-hewn cities to Welsh castles; mountaintop temples to island prisons, we celebrate the UNESCO-listed wonders that make the world a more cultured place WORDS SARAH BAXTER 5 Unesco Cultural Greats Part 3.

1. OLD HAVANA, CUBA

WHY?To gear up for its big birthday

3. PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC

WHY?See a spruced-up capital in a historic year

It’s a big year for Prague: 2018 marks both 100 years since Czechoslovakia’s formation and the 25th anniversary of the Velvet Divorce, when it split peacefully into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Of course, this fairytale, riverside city, with its perfectly preserved, UNESCO-listed centre of medieval streets and Gothic houses, is good to visit at any time. But this year sees it at its finest and there will also be special exhibitions at the castle in 2018, while the Old Town Square’s astronomical clock will finally emerge from under scafolding in August, restored to its fully working, 15th-century glory. GET THERE: Prague is connected to many UK airports; flight time is from around two hours.

4. GWYNEDD CASTLES,WALES

WHY? Celebrate the coastal strongholds of Wales during the Year of the Sea

After his invasion of NorthWales was completed in 1283, Edward I embarked on the era’s most ambitious building project: a network of new castles, to secure the territory for the English crown. With 2018 designated theWelsh Year of the Sea, it’s a good time to visit the four coastal bastions encompassed in UNESCO’s ‘Castles and TownWalls of King Edward in Gwynedd’. This includes beautifully symmetrical Beaumaris, rock-top Harlech, the beefily fortified town of Caernarfon (pictured) and the well-preserved ramparts and turrets of Conwy. GET THERE: Harlech and Conwy have mainline train stations. You can link all four by walking the Wales Coast Path (a stately 1,400km).

5. RAVENNA, ITALY

WHY?Gomadfor mosaics

Italy has more UNESCO sites than any other country, and the Emilia Romagna city of Ravenna, one-time capital of theWestern Roman Empire, has eight of them, known as the ‘Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna’. All date from the fifth and sixth centuries, and chief among them is the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, built for the sister of Emperor Honorius who made Ravenna the capital in 402 AD. Austere outside, its interior is a kaleidoscope of rich, elegant mosaics, including a cupola sparkling with stars. Combine the sites with dips in the Adriatic and indulging in the fine regional cuisine and a glass of Sangiovese wine. GET THERE: Ravenna is 70km from Bologna; trains and buses connect the two.

sources: Wanderlust UK , July 2018