My UNESCO World Heritage Postcards

Denmark - Germany - United Kingdom - USA - Moravian Church Settlements

"The Moravian Church Settlements is a transnational serial extension of Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement (Denmark), already inscribed on the World Heritage List. The extension includes three municipalities founded in the 18th century: Herrnhut (Germany), Bethlehem (United States of America), and Gracehill (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland). Each settlement has its own architectural character based on ideals of the Moravian Church but adapted to local conditions. Together, they represent the transnational scope and consistency of the international Moravian community as a global network. There is an active congregation present in each component part, where traditions are continued and constitute a living Moravian heritage."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1 - Denmark
Aerial view of Christianfeld. Thanks to Christa of Germany.

Postcard 2 - Germany

India - Santiniketan

"Established in rural West Bengal in 1901 by the renowned poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore, Santiniketan was a residential school and centre for art based on ancient Indian traditions and a vision of the unity of humanity transcending religious and cultural boundaries. A ‘world university’ was established at Santiniketan in 1921, recognizing the unity of humanity or “Visva Bharati”. Distinct from the prevailing British colonial architectural orientations of the early 20th century and of European modernism, Santiniketan represents approaches toward a pan-Asian modernity, drawing on ancient, medieval and folk traditions from across the region."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Santiniketan near Kolkata, West Bengal is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Thanks to KR Bhat of India.

Mauritania - Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata

"Founded in the 11th and 12th centuries to serve the caravans crossing the Sahara, these trading and religious centres became focal points of Islamic culture. They have managed to preserve an urban fabric that evolved between the 12th and 16th centuries. Typically, houses with patios crowd along narrow streets around a mosque with a square minaret. They illustrate a traditional way of life centred on the nomadic culture of the people of the western Sahara."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1
The Grand Mosque of Oualata, Mauritania. Oualata is one of the ancient ksours of Mauritania. Thanks to Sylwia of Poland.

Postcard 2
Chinguetti is a medieval trading center in the Sahara of Mauritania. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thanks to Patrick of Belgium.

Albania - Austria - Belgium - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Bulgaria - Croatia - Czechia - France - Germany - Italy - North Macedonia - Poland - Romania - Serbia - Slovakia - Slovenia - Spain - Switzerland - Ukraine Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe

"This transboundary property stretches over 12 countries. Since the end of the last Ice Age, European Beech spread from a few isolated refuge areas in the Alps, Carpathians, Dinarides, Mediterranean and Pyrenees over a short period of a few thousand years in a process that is still ongoing. The successful expansion across a whole continent is related to the tree’s adaptability and tolerance of different climatic, geographical and physical conditions.

The extension of the transnational World Heritage serial site of Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe by ten European countries adds to the outstanding universal value and integrity of the property, which now comprises 94 component parts across 18 countries. The extended property represents an outstanding example of relatively undisturbed, complex temperate forests and exhibit a wide spectrum of comprehensive ecological patterns and processes of pure and mixed stands of European beech across a variety of environmental conditions"

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Have collected - Albania, Austria, Germany, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine

Missing Countries:
- Belgium (Sonian Forests)

- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia

- Czechia

- France

- North Macedonia

- Serbia
- Slovenia

- Switzerland

Postcard 1 - Albania

Gashi River of Valbone, Albania. Thanks to Boris of Spain who visited Albania and mailed this postcard from Spain with additional Albania stamp.

Postcard 2 - AUSTRIA

Wildnisgebiet Durrenstein, untouched forest of endangered species in eastern Austria. Thanks to Patrik of Estonia.

Postcard 3A - GERMANY - Edersee National Park

Aerial view of the Edersee - old beech forests. Thanks to Marcel of Germany.

Postcard 3B - GERMANY - Jasmund National Park

Jasmund National Park, Rugen Island, Germany. Thanks to Corinna of Germanay.

Postcard 4A - Italy

Foresta Umbra is the Italian site for this European transboundary UNESCO World Heritage of Primeval Beech Forests. Thanks to Irene of Genoa, Italy.

Postcard 4B - Italy

Another different view of Foresta Umbra. Thanks again to Irene of Genoa, Italy.

Postcard 5A - SLOVAKIA - UKRAINE

Primeval Beech Forests of Slovakia and Ukraine. Thanks to Inigo of Spain.

Postcard 5B - SLOVAKIA

'Karpatske Bukove Lesy - Primevel Beech Forests of Caparthians. Thanks to Lubo of Slovakia.

Postcard 6 - SPAIN - Posada De Valdeon Leon

Beech forests of Posada de Valdeon, Leon, Spain. Thanks to Javier of Spain.

Postcard 7 - UKRAINE - Primeval Beech Forest
The Carpathian mountain forests of Ukraine. Thanks to Galyna of Ukraine.

Postcard 8 - POLAND - Westlina Beech Forest

Wetlina, Poland has the ancient beech forest that is insribed as UNESCO World Heritage. Thanks to Bodexs of Poland. Arrived in Penang on October 28, 2021.

Postcard 9 - ROMANIA - Codrul Secular Slatioara
Multi-view of Codrul Secula Slatioara - one of the ancient and primeval beech forests of the Carpathians and other regions of Europe. A transnational UNESCO World Heritage site. Thanks to Elena of Romania.

Armenia - Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley

"The monastery of Geghard contains a number of churches and tombs, most of them cut into the rock, which illustrate the very peak of Armenian medieval architecture. The complex of medieval buildings is set into a landscape of great natural beauty, surrounded by towering cliffs at the entrance to the Azat Valley."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1
Geghard Monastery 12th-13th century. Thanks to Luca of Italy.

Postcard 2

Geghard Monastery - the cupola of the main church. Thanks to Julie of USA.

Postcard 3
Geghard Monastery in snowy winter, Armenia. Thanks to Lara of Belgium who visited Armenia.

India - Mountain Railways of India

"This site includes three railways. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was the first, and is still the most outstanding, example of a hill passenger railway. Opened in 1881, its design applies bold and ingenious engineering solutions to the problem of establishing an effective rail link across a mountainous terrain of great beauty. The construction of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a 46-km long metre-gauge single-track railway in Tamil Nadu State was first proposed in 1854, but due to the difficulty of the mountainous location the work only started in 1891 and was completed in 1908. This railway, scaling an elevation of 326 m to 2,203 m, represented the latest technology of the time. The Kalka Shimla Railway, a 96-km long, single track working rail link built in the mid-19th century to provide a service to the highland town of Shimla is emblematic of the technical and material efforts to disenclave mountain populations through the railway. All three railways are still fully operational."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1A - Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway - DHR, was bulit between 1880-86. Thanks to Siddhart of India.

Postcard 1B - Darjeeling Mountain Railway

Darjeeling Mountain Railway mailed supposedly by sea on Nov 27, 2019 but arrived in Penang island on December 16, 2019 - perhaps by airmail. Thanks to Biju of Kerala, India.

Postcard 2 - Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Nilgiri Mountain Railway of India at Ooty. Thanks to Claus.

Postcard 3 - Kalka Shimla Railway

Kalka Shimla Railway. Thanks to Bhat of India.

Postcard 1C - Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Received May 3, 2024. Thanks to Deepak of India.

India - Group of Monuments at Hampi

"The austere, grandiose site of Hampi was the last capital of the last great Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar. Its fabulously rich princes built Dravidian temples and palaces which won the admiration of travellers between the 14th and 16th centuries. Conquered by the Deccan Muslim confederacy in 1565, the city was pillaged over a period of six months before being abandoned."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1
Hampi Temple full view with Hemakuta. Nice stamps of Biodiversity Year used. Postmarked July 3, 2010 and arrived in Penang on July 19, 2010. Thanks to Malena of Sweden who was visiting Hampi, India.