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From Luxembourg to Swiss wine country: Lesser known UNESCO sites to visit in 2024

- Saskia O'Donoghue

If you’re a keen traveller, you’ll no doubt have global icons like the Taj Mahal, the Great Barrier Reef and the Great Wall of China on your ‘must visit’ list.

This World Heritage Day, though, UNESCO has released a roster of less-trodden destinatio­ns to add to your agenda - and, luckily, they’re closer to home.

UNESCO - otherwise known as the United Nations Educationa­l, Scienti c and Cultural Organisati­on - o ers protection to sites with cultural and natural heritage, recognisin­g places of outstandin­g universal value.

As you plan your next European adventure, why not skip Athens’ overcrowde­d Acropolis and Rome’s Vatican City for places less discovered? Read on for UNESCO’s favourite alternativ­e World Heritage spots for 2024.

Discover the perfect yearround destinatio­n in the Italian Dolomites

Set in the heart of the northern Italian alps, the Dolomites are a strikingly impressive mountain range comprising 18 peaks, rising to more than 3,000 metres.

Hundreds of millions of years ago, they were completely underwater but, today, the range features some of the most picturesqu­e mountain vistas in all of Europe - and the wider world.

Divided naturally into nine different areas, each o ers a unique landscape, ranging from impressive rock walls to glacial landforms.

In the winter, skiing and snow sports are particular­ly popular along with kilometres of crosscount­ry trails - and in the summer, active visitors can hike, play golf, ride bikes and climb rock faces.

For those less keen on getting sweaty on the mountains, there are plenty of forest bathing experience­s on o er, including in the picturesqu­e Paneveggio Pale di San Martino Natural Park, so you can relax and unwind in truly serene surroundin­gs.

Pay a visit to Luxembourg, one of Europe’s least explored countries

If you ask people to name ve European countries, it’s fairly unlikely that Luxembourg will appear in the ranking.

But the micronatio­n, situated between Germany, France and Belgium, has a lot to o er and Luxembourg City’s Old Town has actually been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994.

Dating back to the 10th century, the old parts of the city are packed with treasures, like the Corniche, a viewpoint often hailed as ‘Europe’s most beautiful balcony’.

The romantic Grund district is also worth strolling through, while the magni cent Grand Ducal Palace is not to be missed.

It’s a particular­ly special place to visit in the summer months, when the resident Grand Duke of Luxembourg opens the doors of the caramel-coloured facade and elegant towers, welcoming in visitors keen to explore the palace’s interior.

Step inside and you’ll nd gilded columns and sparkling chandelier­s alongside some of the best Renaissanc­e art in all of Europe.

Get into the heart of Viennese life at a co ee house

Vienna has been on UNESCO’s list since 2001 and is itself a very popular destinatio­n. However, relatively few visitors know that the Austrian Capital boasts a number of entries on the organisati­on’s intangible cultural heritage list, including its co ee house culture.

Seen by locals as an integral part of what it means to be Viennese, Vienna’s co ee houses have served as legendary meeting places throughout history for artists, intellectu­als and revolution­aries, from the likes of Beethoven to Freud.

Contributi­ng to the city's rich cultural tapestry, a quintessen­tial Viennese co ee house features cosy booths, elegant bentwood Thonet chairs, polished marble tables and, of course, a plethora of co ee options.

What makes a co ee house more than just a place to pick up a cup of ‘ Melange’ or ‘Einspänner’?

It’s the lack of pressure to order more food and drink or move on promptly and a slower pace, which allows patrons to linger for hours over a single co ee in a historic and elegant setting.

All of these venues provide newspapers for guests, which adds to the leisurely atmosphere, as well as fostering a sense of community.

In 2024, Vienna is encouragin­g visitors to head outside of the historic and deservedly popular city centre and into other neighbourh­oods, known as ‘Grätzel’.

The city is home to some 130 traditiona­l co ee houses but if that’s not your thing, there are thousands of other cafes available - from smart establishm­ents to hip, laidback spaces.

Explore the ‘Hamptons of Germany’ with a trip to the Wadden Sea

Germany’s Wadden Sea is the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud ats in the world - but you’d be forgiven for never having heard of it.

Despite it managing to stay very much under the radar for many tourists, the coastal wetland set in the southeaste­rn part of the North Sea is home to a multitude of tidal channels, sandy shoals, sea-grass meadows, mussel beds, mud ats and salt marshes, as well as beaches and dunes.

Pay a visit and you may spot unusual plant and animal species, including rarely seen marine mammals like the harbour seal, grey seal and harbour porpoise.

In the heart of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, you’ll come across the island of Sylt. Frequently referred to as the ‘Hamptons of Germany’, it’s the residence of some of Europe’s most astonishin­g ora and fauna.

The island has long been famed for its healing climate and restorativ­e sea air - which has been proven to provide signi - cant relief for su erers of allergies and respirator­y diseases.

It also o ers 40 kilometres of ne sandy beach and three shifting sand dunes - the only ones left in all of Germany.

Sylt was included in Lonely Planet’s list of best beaches to visit in 2024 and the unique island recently featured in The Reluctant Traveller TV show, with Eugene Levy.

Get to know Swiss wine at the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces

Lausanne, a mediaeval Swiss city, has earned its reputation for being one of only 12 Great Wine Capitals of the World.

In 2007, UNESCO bestowed that honour on Lavaux vineyard terraces, which date back to the 11th century when Benedictin­e and Cistercian monasterie­s controlled the area.

O ering breathtaki­ng views of the Alps and Lake Geneva, the terraced vineyards, stretching some 800 hectares, provide the perfect conditions for grape cultivatio­n.

However, despite making some of the best wines of earth - think St-Saphorin, Dézaley and Epesses - Switzerlan­d only exports around 1 per cent out of the country.

That means that a visit to Lausanne o ers a rare opportunit­y to sample the Swiss delicacy.

If wine isn’t your thing, then why not pay a visit to Lausanne’s Olympic Museum? The city is known as the Olympic Capital of the World and has been the headquarte­rs of the Internatio­nal Olympic Committee for more than 100 years.

With the 2024 Paris Olympic Games fast approachin­g, a trip to the museum is the perfect place to learn about the history of the iconic games.

Zurich is the most liveable city in Europe: Here’s why you should pay a visit Switzerlan­d on a budget? Yes, it is possible - here’s how

Go undergroun­d at the under the radar Škocjan Caves in Slovenia

Although the Škocjan Caves in western Slovenia have been on UNESCO’s list from 1986, they’re certainly not a victim of overtouris­m.

The largest subterrane­an canyon in all of Europe, they have an impressive depth of more than 200 metres and consist of more than six kilometres of undergroun­d passages.

Located in the Kras region, the site is one of the most famous worldwide for the study of karstic phenomena - or, in layman’s terms, the dissolving of rocks by water.

If you’re an outdoorsy person, this is a perfect trip - and one that many people simply haven’t heard of.

Take a hike along trails winding through the caves which o er glimpses of no less than 26 undergroun­d waterfalls as well as colossal stalactite­s and stalagmite­s which reach heights of 15 metres.

Karst formations sculpted by the subterrane­an river are surrounded by a well-maintained regional park, which preserves this natural phenomenon, also providing biking trails for endless exploratio­n.

 ?? ?? Why not add a visit to the many peaks of the Dolomites to your travel bucket list?
Why not add a visit to the many peaks of the Dolomites to your travel bucket list?

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