8 World Heritage Sites You’ve Never Heard Of

25 Aug 8 World Heritage Sites You’ve Never Heard Of

Few travelers know what UNESCO stands for (it’s the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), but whenever they hear that a UNESCO World Heritage Site is nearby, they head straight to it. These World Heritage Sites include such heavy hitters has the Great Wall of China, the Great Barrier Reef and the Great Pyramid of Giza. But not all World Heritage Sites are greatly known, including these eight gems that you should definitely visit if you’re in the area.

Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo Jump – Canada

For more than 6,000 years, Blackfoot Indians chased buffalo herds off a cliff here and then carved their bodies in the valley below.

Semmering Railway – Austria

The spectacular mountain views will make you forget that you’re riding on one of the greatest feats of civil engineering, built between 1848 and 1854 and still running today.

Tsodilo -Botswana

Known as the “Louvre of the Desert,” this historic section of the Kalahari Desert is home to the highest concentration of rock art in the world thanks to more than 4,500 paintings.

Longmen Grottoes – China

Here you will find the largest and most impressive collection of Chinese art of the late Northern Wei and Tang Dynasties (316-907), representing the high point of Chinese stone carving.

Paphos – Cyprus

Inhabited since the Neolithic period, Paphos still holds the remains of villas, palaces, theatres, fortresses and tombs.

Old Rauma – Finland

Situated on one of the oldest harbors in Finland, Old Rauma is an outstanding example of an old Nordic city constructed in wood.

Surtsey – Iceland

A volcanic island that formed nearly 50 years ago, Surtsey has been protected since its birth, providing the world with a pristine natural laboratory.

Aldabra Atoll – Seychelles

Comprised of four large coral islands and protected by a coral reef, isolated Aldabra is home to more than 152,000 giant tortoises, the world’s largest population of this reptile.