culture tour

Paris

While the Eiffel Tower and Louvre may be the top of most tourists itineraries, it's the banks of the Seine that have caught the UNESCO's attention. As it says:

'The ensemble, regarded as a geographical and historical entity, forms an exceptional and unique example of urban riverside architecture, where the different layers of the history of Paris, the capital city of one of the first great nation states of Europe, are harmoniously superposed.'

We can see them for ourselves by taking a wander from Gare de Lyon or Gare d'Austerlitz.

More info: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/600

Lyon

Foodies my make a beeline for the gastronomic capital of world, but UNESCO would like us to appreciate how this old city has changed over time without losing it's soul - or as they put it:

'Lyon bears exceptional testimony to the continuity of urban settlement over more than two millennia on a site of great commercial and strategic significance, where cultural traditions from many parts of Europe have come together to create a coherent and vigorous continuing community.'

More info: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/872

Orange

The Arc de Triomphe in Paris may be more popular, but it's the one here in Orange that get's UNESCO excited. The theatre is also marked out with its dramatic façade.

'From the Augustan Age, the ancient Theatre of Orange is an exceptional example in the typology of Roman theatres. The events referred to in the low reliefs carved on the north face of the Triumphal Arch of Orange (war against the Barbarians and establishment of the Pax Romana) are of universal significance.'

More info: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/163

Avignon

Avignon was the centre of the Catholic world in the 1300s and that left it's mark with imposing buildings and an unforgettable atmosphere when the Cathedral bells are in full toll.

'Avignon is known as the City of the Popes. Its historic centre, comprising the the Papal Palace, the Episcopal ensemble and the Avignon Bridge, is an outstanding example of medieval architecture.  Resulting from an exceptional episode in history, which involved the seat of the Church leaving Rome for a century, it played a major role in the development and diffusion of a particular form of culture throughout a vast region of Europe, during a time of primordial importance in the establishment of sustainable relations between the papacy and the civil authorities.'

More info: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/228

Arles

While many modern cities used to be Roman, UNESCO have marked Arles out as one where a particularly good job was done of accommodating and reusing what the Romans left behind.

'Arles is a good example of the adaptation of an ancient city to medieval European civilization. It has some impressive Roman monuments, of which the earliest – the arena, the Roman theatre and the cryptoporticus (subterranean galleries) – date back to the 1st century B.C. During the 4th century Arles experienced a second golden age, as attested by the baths of Constantine and the necropolis of Alyscamps.'

The Roman heritage also made something of an impression on Vincent van Gogh when he came here in 1888, although for him, it was always a backdrop for the people of Arles and the surrounding natural beauty.

More info: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/164

Pont du Gard

The Romans liked their baths and they were pretty good at engineering which meant providing a regular supply of water to Nimes. 

'The Pont du Gard is a masterpiece of Roman technique and an outstanding artistic achievement which, by its presence, transfigures the landscape.

An exceptional building in the series of Roman aqueduct works, the Pont du Gard bears unique witness to the technique of Roman engineers and builders in the service of urban and territorial development, which is one of the characteristics of this civilization.'

More info: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/344

Carcassonne

Carcassonne has come to epitomise what medieval towns should look like and that is in large part down to the 19th Century restoration works carried out - something appreciated by UNESCO and you can come here and appreciate it for yourself.

'The Committee decided to inscribe this property on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iv), considering that the historic town of Carcassonne is an excellent example of a medieval fortified town whose massive defences were constructed on walls dating from Late Antiquity. It is of exceptional importance by virtue of the restoration work carried out in the second half of the 19th century by Viollet-le-Duc, which had a profound influence on subsequent developments in conservation principles and practice.'

More info: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/345

Barcelona

Antoni Gaudí's works like Sagrada Familia were controversial 100 years ago. Now they are a global treasure and UNESCO have grouped seven which can be appreciated as a set of great work.

The Park Güell, the Palau Güell, the Casa Milà-La Pedrera, the Casa Vicens, the Nativity Façade and the Crypt of the Sagrada Família, the Casa Batlló, and the Crypt of the Colònia Güell 

'The Works of Antoni Gaudí is an exceptional and outstanding creative contribution to the architectural heritage of modern times. His work is rooted in the particular character of the period, drawing on the one hand from traditional Catalan patriotic sources and on the other from the technical and scientific progress of modern industry. Gaudí’s work is a remarkable reflection of all these different facets of society and has a unique and singular character. In fact, his works are particularly associated with Modernisme, and in this sense, Gaudí can be regarded as the most representative and outstanding of the Modernista architects.'

More info: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/320

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