Every year since 1978, UNESCO has added new natural and cultural places to its World Heritage sites list and the organization is expected to announced its newest additions for 2022 soon. In order to preserve locations’ “outstanding universal value”, the accolade provides enhanced protection against climate change and human development, as well as educating people about why these places are so special. From Korean tidal flats to a scenic Iranian railway, here are last year’s stunning additions.

This remote chain of uninhabited islands, situated southwest of Japan, has been selected by UNESCO for its high level of biodiversity. Comprising 42,698 hectares of subtropical rainforest, the region is spread across four isles: Amami-Oshima, Tokunoshima, Iriomote and the northern section of Okinawa. Amid mangrove forests, mountains and rock pools you’ll find species that exist nowhere else on Earth, from the endangered amami rabbit to the ryukyu long-haired rat. 

It’s thought that this 98-foot (30m) tall mound was inhabited from 6th millennium BE – some 8,000 years ago. Located in the Malatya plain in eastern Turkey, the site contains intriguing evidence of its former civilizations: adobe houses from the Early Uruk period (4th millennium BC), a palace complex from the Late Chalcolithic period (4th and 3rd millennium BC) and a Royal Tomb complex from the Bronze Age period.

Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Georgia is a country filled with stunning natural landscapes. The Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands, encompassing a 50-mile (80km) stretch of the Black Sea Coast, are no exception. This densely-forested area contains an incredible 1,100 plant species, as well as 500 vertebrate species and 19 threatened animal species.

After a failed attempt to add the Colonies of Benevolence to the UNESCO list in 2018, the site was listed for 2021. The World Heritage Site encompasses seven “colonies” across Belgium and the Netherlands, which were set up at the beginning of the 19th century, with the idea of reducing poverty through creating jobs in farming. They include settlements in Frederiksoord (pictured), Wilhelminaoord and Veenhuizen, and a Belgian colony in Wortel. 

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Dubbed the “king of lighthouses”, the Cordouan Lighthouse was built at the end of the 16th century and at the time was seen as a “masterpiece of maritime signaling”, according to the UNESCO committee. The beacon, which is found on a shallow, rocky plinth at the mouth of the Gironde estuary, is covered in detailed gargoyles and engravings. 

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Looking stunningly vibrant in this photograph, the tidal flats of the Getbol in southwestern South Korea were chosen for their rich biodiversity. Spanning five regions – Seocheon Getbol, Gochang Getbol, Sinan Getbol and Boseong-Suncheon Getbol – the natural landscapes provide an essential habitat for migratory birds, including many threatened species.

For hundreds of years, travelers have left their mark on the rock walls of Saudi Arabia’s Ḥimā Cultural Area. The region, which consists of 34 smaller sites, is home to a wealth of stunning art dating back to the Narjan community, who lived here as early as 7,000 years ago. The well-preserved drawings depict plants, animals, people, and other aspects of ancient lifestyles.

Thailand gained its sixth UNESCO World Heritage Site when the Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex was added to the list. The biologically rich forest covers 1,125 square miles (2,915sq km) of the Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces and supports an abundance of wildlife and plants. To name a few, there’s the critically endangered Siamese crocodile, the endangered tiger cat and the vulnerable clouded leopard.

A feat of engineering dating to the 13th century, Telangana’s Kakatiya Rudreshwara Temple (also known as Ramappa Temple) is a beautifully preserved example of Kakatiya Dynasty craftsmanship. The temple complex, which stands on a six-foot (1.8m) tall platform, was designed by an architect called Ramappa. Allegedly, it was made from bricks so light they could float on water. 

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Known as the Darmstadt Artists’ Colony in English, the Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt was founded in 1899. Located near Frankfurt in southwest Germany, the colony was started to showcase local artworks and 23 artists belonged to it during its heyday. Today, the buildings that survive include the Ernst Ludwig House, designed as a central building to house its first exhibition and the Sculptor’s Studios which provided a workspace for creatives.

It would be easy to spend hours gazing up at the intricate frescoes housed in eight of Padua’s beautiful buildings. Created in the 13th century, these artworks include a ceiling painted by Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel (pictured), and frescoes created by Guariento di Arpo and Giusto de’ Menabuoi. 

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Spain has more than 40 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, but up until last year none were in its capital. With the addition of Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro in 2021, that’s all changed. Paseo del Prado is a tree-lined street with six museums, including the Prado Museum (pictured) as well as historic fountains and squares. Meanwhile Buen Retiro is a 118-hectare park that includes Puerta de Alcalá, an ornate Neoclassical gate. 

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The ancient city of Quanzhou in eastern China was once one of the world’s busiest ports. Serving as a vital hub for exchange in the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties, the coastal city is home to 22 historic sites and monuments which have been recognized within this UNESCO World Heritage Site. They include temples, statues, former mosques, pagodas and port ruins.

Considered the pioneers of modern spa breaks, 11 “spa towns” across Europe have been recognized by UNESCO in 2021. They include: Karlovy Vary in Czech Republic (pictured), Bath in the UK, Montecatini Terme in Italy, and others in Belgium, Austria, Germany and France. Becoming popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, these towns pioneered a new type of vacation based on health, leisure and luxury. 

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Traveling through gorgeous landscapes which include the mountainous Khuzestan region, the Trans-Iranian Railway was considered a masterpiece of engineering when it was completed in 1938. Some 190 tunnels had to be excavated and passes of more than 6,562 feet (2,000m) had to be overcome during the creation of the 865-mile (1,392-km) railroad. 

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The ancient city of As-Salt in west-central Jordan has preserved many of its stunning limestone buildings from the Ottoman period. They are renowned for their unique mix of architectural styles: think European Neocolonial and Art Nouveau buildings alongside houses built using traditional, local techniques. The city is also notable for its non-segregated design, showing the culture of tolerance between Muslims and Christians that has developed here.

While they might not look like much to the untrained eye, the 13 towers at Chankillo in Peru are actually part of a 2,300-year-old solar observatory. Built between 250 and 200 BC, the prehistoric site in the Casma Valley was used as a kind of early calendar, as the rising and setting arcs of the sun were measured using the towers. This allowed for the exact day of the year to be calculated within one to two days’ accuracy.

In the ancient hilltop settlement of Hawraman (also known as Uramanat), every part of life is adapted to the mountainous environment. This is owing to its inhabitants, the Hawrami people, who have lived in the region since around 3,000 BC. Using tiered building techniques, terraced farming methods and seasonal vertical migration in livestock breeding, their traditions have adapted and flourished here over the centuries.

Discovered in 1968 by the archaeologist Jagat Pati Joshi, the ancient city of Dholavira is a window into the ancient Harappan Civilization. It was inhabited between 3,000 and 1,500 BC, during which time a fortified city and cemetery were built, as well as streets and houses which were stratified to reflect the social order. Excavated between 1990 and 2005, the site has been recognized as one of the best-preserved cities from the period in Southeast Asia.

Between the first and fifth centuries AD, this military site marked the border between Germany and the Netherlands. Extending for around 249 miles (400km) along the left bank of the Lower Rhine River, the site has 102 components remaining from the former frontiers, including military bases, forts, canals, harbors and towns. Almost all of these remains are buried underground – pictured is a recreation of the known remains of a stone fort.

A collection of 17 sites in northern Japan dating back to the Jomon period (13,000-300 BC), these settlements show how the pre-agricultural Jomon culture developed. Sannai Maruyama, pictured, is the largest and best-preserved. Discovered by accident, the village contained more than 700 buildings which were excavated and studied, before it was reburied and its traditional huts were reconstructed. 

The decision to recognize the ancient gold mining site of Roșia Montană as a World Heritage Site is an especially monumental one. It effectively stalls a project planned by Canadian company Gabriel Resources, which would have leveled out the site’s four peaks in order to mine for gold. The unique landscape of the area, located in western Romania, shows evidence of Roman-era mining, when around 500 tonnes of gold were extracted.

There are three aspects to this UNESCO site. There’s the Faldeo Norte del Morro de Arica and Colón 10, which are both in the city of Arica on the northern coast. Then there’s Desembocadura de Camarones, located in a rural area some 62 miles (100km) south. They have been recognized for preserving the hunter-gatherer lifestyles of people living in the area between 5450 and 890 BC. The archaeological sites show evidence of the earliest known mummification techniques.

Three former Jewish areas in the German towns of Speyer, Worms and Mainz have also been added to the list. Situated in the Upper Rhine Valley, these cities were once known as “Jerusalem on the Rhine” and were the epicenter of the Jewish faith and culture in Europe in medieval times. Sites under UNESCO recognition include the old synagogue (pictured), mikvah and Jewish courtyard in Speyer, as well as the Old Jewish Cemeteries in Worms and Mainz.

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Serving as the outdoor laboratory for 20th-century landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, the Sítio in Rio de Janeiro’s Barra de Guaratiba neighborhood is home to a spectacular array of plants. In fact, there are more than 3,500 species of tropical and subtropical plants within a 4.4 million square foot (405,000sq m) area, to be precise. The grounds, which include gardens, lakes, several art collections and the former home of Burle Marx, are essential to future education on the influential landscape gardener. 

Eight small mosques in Côte d’Ivoire have been recognized by UNESCO for their unique architectural style. Spread across Tengréla, Kouto, Sorobango, Samatiguila, M’Bengué, Kong (pictured) and Kaouara, they were created in a uniquely Sudanese style between the 17th and 19th centuries. They feature protruding timbers and vertical buttresses, which were often topped by pottery or tapered minarets.

Uruguay’s Church of Atlántida is totally mesmerizing. Created by renowned architect Eladio Dieste between 1958 and 1960, the church’s nave is formed by undulating brick walls and a curved roof, showcasing the artful brickwork Dieste was known for. Situated in Estación Atlántida in southern Uruguay, the church complex is seen as a testament to the achievements of Latin American architecture in the latter part of the 20th century.

The gorgeous coastal city of Nice in southern France has long lured in visitors seeking sun, sand and sea. But now it’s added another feather to its cap, with UNESCO recognizing Nice for its role as a historic winter resort. Starting in the mid-18th century, a mix of aristocrats and royals began to flock to the town for winter sun, during which time it gained many of its notable features, including the Promenade des Anglais and the Place Masséna (pictured).

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Carved into the rocks six to seven thousand years ago, the petroglyphs around Lake Onega and the White Sea in Russia (some 186 miles/300km away from each other) give us a fascinating insight into the Neolithic period. Among the rock drawings at Lake Onega are etchings of animals, humans, suns, moons and geometric shapes, while petroglyphs of the White Sea show hunting and sailing scenes.

In the historic northern Italian town of Bologna, an ensemble of porticoes dating back as far as the 12th century have been recently designated a cultural site. These column-supported sections of buildings were described as “an expression and element of Bologna’s urban identity” by UNESCO, and stretch throughout the city. In fact, the Portico di San Luca is the longest in the world at a whopping 2.4 miles (3.8km).

A region encompassing the valleys of Snowdonia in the county of Gwynedd, northwest Wales, has become the UK’s 33rd UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the Industrial Revolution (1780–1914), it became a hub for slate mining and was even said to have “roofed the world” during the 19th century, given just how many buildings were decked out with slate from here. It also acted as a blueprint for many slate quarries all over the world.

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Leaving one of the biggest impressions on Ljubljana, architect Jože Plečnik designed many of the Slovenian capital’s most recognizable buildings between the 1920s and his death in 1957. Among the incredible sites being recognized by UNESCO are the Triple Bridge, an impressive pedestrian bridge which cleverly regulates foot traffic, and the grand Žale Cemetery, whose majestic arched gateway was supposed to represent the gates between the living and the dead.

Named after the network of blackwater rivers which traverses it, the 300,000-hectare Ivindo National Park is one of the most beautiful and biodiverse landscapes in Gabon. It’s home to a vast range of endangered and threatened species, including the critically-endangered slender-snouted crocodile and forest elephant. The Chutes de Kongou, a set of stunning waterfalls with a total drop of more than 164 feet (50m), are one of its highlights.

Created between 1815 and 1940, the Dutch Water Defence Lines were developed to protect the country from flooding. This 124-mile (200km) long network of dikes, forts, pumping stations, canals and sluices allowed for controlled, temporary flooding and served as a crucial element of the Dutch defense system. Today, it’s also a very scenic spot, popular for hiking, cycling and boating.

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