Among the many cultural and historical sights of the country, there are even entire islands included in the World Heritage Site. So, the Spanish Ibiza is almost entirely included in this list. All thanks amazing nature and unique architectural monuments. Rare marine organisms live off the coast of the island. They feed on posidonium. This is a species of algae that is considered endemic, that is, very rare. But not only this fact makes him famous all over the world. Posidonia is the most long view algae, reaching up to 8 m. In addition, Mediterranean pine grows on our island. Like the olive bushes, these trees have been part of the landscape of Ibiza for seven thousand years.
As for the architectural sights that make up the UNESCO heritage in Spain, among them it is worth noting Cathedral in the city of Burgos. This is one of the oldest Catholic sanctuaries in the country, built in the Gothic style. Its history spans over eight hundred years. Not only the external, but also the interior of the cathedral is an object of admiration. Inside you can see a gilded staircase, sculptures and altars, as well as relief images of gospel stories. In addition, the cathedral is decorated with beautiful stained glass windows.
A real miracle of engineering, protected by UNESCO in Spain, is the Biscay Transporter Bridge. It was built at the end of the 19th century. The bridge was the first such structure in the world. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it allows you to transport goods across the river, which does not become an obstacle to ships passing through it.
Speaking of natural heritage Spain, it is worth mentioning the Garajonay National Park on the island of Gomer. Virgin forests with laurel trees grow there. In addition to them, you can find over five hundred different species of plants and trees here. There are many water sources in the park, which causes rough vegetation. This ecosystem is truly unique, which determined the inclusion of this reserve in the World Heritage.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites are a great tip when planning your itinerary. Getting ready for the journey northern Spain, we took a list of UNESCO cultural heritage sites and chose such places to see nature and cultural objects look. (List at the end of the article).
Once we puzzled: how to build a route around the country, if there is so much of everything and everything is so tasty, and we want not to miss the important, and at the same time not to walk along the trodden tourist trails.
In the end, we concluded:
If you want to see the country - choose UNESCO World Heritage Sites - you won't go wrong. UNESCO's goal is to make known and protect objects that are unique in their kind. We decided not to look for a street or a nice cafe - there are many of them in any city, but there are unique objects of culture or nature that are already listed and known. These are the things you should spend time preparing for.
Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Sagrada Familia
In addition, such objects protected by UNESCO can be viewed in Google maps "street view". “Walking” through the objects without leaving your home, you can immediately decide: do you want to go there, see with your own eyes a cathedral, a square, a palace, a monastery, a cave, or find something more interesting.
Park Guella in Barcelona
Of course, the objects included in the UNESCO list are crowded places. There are many tourists. But, in our opinion, it's worth it!
Cathedral in Burgos
In addition to cultural monuments, natural objects are also under the protection of UNESCO. Here tourists disperse (along the river valley, canyon or national park you don’t look like a crowd) and you can safely enjoy the beauty, silence, outlandish wonders of nature.
Palace of Alfaheria. Representative of Mudéjar architecture
In ours, we have included UNESCO natural sites and World Cultural Heritage sites so that you can walk around the cities and relax in nature.
Spain ranks third in Europe - there are 44 sites under the protection of UNESCO. Holds first place. There are 48 such sites in Italy. UNESCO is constantly expanding the list and introducing new unique places.
Despite the fact that we were on a trip for 26 days and traveled only 1800 km by car, we were able to see only 7 (?) UNESCO World Heritage Sites for Spain.
We have chosen to travel northern part Spain, but could not stop by Madrid and Toledo. So the photos are not only the northern part of Spain.
List of cultural and natural World Heritage sites under the protection of UNESCO. Spain:
The original list on Spanish can be found on the UNESCO website: http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/es
In Spain there is a huge number of objects recognized as world heritage. A total of 42 monuments located on the territory of Spain - as natural phenomena, as well as entire cities - were listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Alhambra (la Alhambra) and the Burgos Cathedral (la catedral de Burgos) were the first to appear on the list in 1984, and since then it has only been replenished. Such recognition provides these objects with international protection. In addition, such monuments are a favorite place of pilgrimage for tourists, many of whom go on a trip with their children. In order for the kids not to get bored on the way, you should take some toys with you: a Bratz doll for a girl and a designer for a boy.
According to UNESCO, unique natural objects Spain include: Garajonay National Park (el Parque Nacional de Garajonay) on the island of La Gomera (la Gomera) (1986); (Parque Nacional de Doñana) (1994); Mount Monte Perdido (el Monte Perdido) in Huesca (1997); coastal and marine ecosystems of Ibiza (1999); (el Palmeral de Elche) (2000); and National Park Teide (el Parque Nacional de Teide) (2007).
In all these cases, they were evaluated as unique natural characteristics objects and their connection with history. In Garajonay, even today you can find vegetation that has survived the ice age. In addition to biological diversity, in Doñana you can find traces of the presence of Tartes, and in Ibiza - Phoenicians and Carthaginians. The palm forest in Elche appeared thanks to the irrigation system created by the Romans, Phoenicians and Arabs.
Testament of prehistory
Among other things, among the objects world heritage Spain can be noted the treasures of the prehistoric era, preserved on the Iberian Peninsula, and also received international recognition. First on the list was the cave of Altamira (la cueva de Altamira) in Cantabria (Cantabria) and the rock art of the Paleolithic era preserved here (1985). Particularly noteworthy are the vaults of the cave, with bison painted on them. After that, in 1998, the list was replenished with rock paintings of the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Traces of cave painting can be found in Andalusia (Andalucía), Aragon (Aragón), Castilla-La Mancha (Castilla-La Mancha), Catalonia (Cataluña), Murcia (Murcia) and Valencia (Valenciana). In 2000, the Atapuerca Caves in Burgos were added to World Heritage Sites. The latest to be included in the UNESCO list, in 2010, was the rock art at Siega Verde in Salamanca.
Memories of the Romans and Visigoths
400 years of Roman domination left in the territory where modern Spain is located, a huge number of architectural and artistic monuments. Six of them were included in the UNESCO list: the archaeological site of Tarraco (Tarraco) in Tarragona (Tarragona) (2000); Emerita Augusta in present-day Mérida (1993); the Las Médulas gold mines in León (1997); aqueduct in Segovia (1995); the fortress wall at Lugo (2000) and the Tower of Hercules (Torre de Hércules) (2009).
The construction of the monastery of San Millán de Suso in La Rioja dates back to the Visigothic period, where the first texts in Castilian were written. A thousand years later, the monastery of San Millán de Yuso (San Millán de Yuso) was added to this building of the 5th century. Both monasteries were declared World Heritage Sites in 1997. The city of Toledo, which was the capital of Spain at the time of the Goths, was also included in the UNESCO list in 1986. In the history of Toledo, the era of joint residence of Jews, Christians and Muslims is especially distinguished.
Another outstanding era in the history of Spain, relating to the discovery and conquest of America, is also reflected in the list of World Heritage Sites, thanks to the buildings of the archive of the Indies, the fortress, the Gothic cathedral (1987) and the monastery of Guadeloupe in Extremadura (Extremadura) (in 1993). Renaissance monuments in the cities of Úbeda and Baeza in Jaén and the city of San Cristobal de la Laguna on canary islands(las Islas Canarias) also received well-deserved recognition from UNESCO in 2003 and 1999 respectively. They are samples architectural styles characteristic of the colonies of the New World.
Burgos Cathedral (Burgos) (which received status in 1984) and the Lonja de la Seda building complex in Valencia (1996) are listed as the best samples French Gothic style in Spain. Alcalá de Henares University Campus, Escorial Convent and Royal Palace in Aranjuez (el Real Sitio de Aranjuez), located in the province of Madrid, were listed in 1998, 1984 and 2001 respectively.
Treasures of the Ages of Enlightenment and Modernism
The city of Salamanca has been a World Heritage Site since 1988 thanks to richest history which dates back to the time of the Carthaginians. The buildings of the Main Square (la Plaza Mayor) of the city are made in the Baroque style according to the designs of the architects Churriguera.
The architectural avant-garde of Catalonia late XIX and the beginning of the 20th century also takes its place in the list of UNESCO sites for its influence on the trends of the future. In 1984, the list was replenished with the works of Güell (el Parque Güell), the Güell Palace (el Palacio Güell), the House of Mila (o la Casa Milà). In 2005, others were added to these works: the Sagrada Familia (la Sagrada Familia), the crypt of the Guell Colonia (la Colonia Güell), the Batlló and Vicens house (las casas Batlló y Vicens). In 1997, the list also included works by Lluís Domènech y Montaner: The Palace of Catalan Music (el Palau de la Música Catalana) and the San Pau Hospital (el Hospital de Sant Pau).
The 20th century gave the world many magnificent buildings. The Biscay Bridge (el Puente de Vizcaya) belongs to this era, a building in the style of civil and industrial architecture, designed by Alberto Palacios, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2006.
