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
Havana was founded in 1519 by the Spanish, so next year sees Cuba’s capital celebrating its 500th. However, years don’t pass in a regular way in this time-warp city, beloved for its dishevelled mansions, leafy plazas, salsaswaying streets, vintage cars and general state of appealing disrepair. Listed by UNESCO in 1982, Habana Vieja (Old Havana) is undergoing a long restoration to ensure it remains the most impressive historic city centre in the Caribbean. Explore on foot, weaving between the five large plazas, the cathedral and out to the fortifications that protected this once-key port, including one of the largest colonial fortresses in the Americas. GET THERE: Havana is around a ten-hour flight from the UK.
2. CHURCHES OF CHILOÉ, CHILE
WHY?For a resplendent religious circuit
The Chiloé Archipelago, south of the Chilean Lake District, was once the preserve of the native Chono and Huilliche peoples; then came the Spanish conquistadores and, from the 17th century, Jesuits and then Franciscans, eager to convert the locals. To that end, a ring of churches was constructed across the islands; today, 70 mission churches remain, 16 of them recognised by UNESCO for their wooden architecture and neat fusion of European and local traditions. Plan a church-hop: highlights include the tri-towered sky-blue Tenaún and 53m-long Quinchao. GET THERE: Chiloé Island is around two hours from Puerto Montt airport; buses run via the Chacao Channel ferry.
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
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