Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and the Islands (Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto), Italy (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/826

The Ligurian coast between Cinque Terre and Portovenere is a cultural landscape of great scenic and cultural value. The layout and disposition of the small towns and the shaping of the surrounding landscape, overcoming the disadvantages of a steep, uneven terrain, encapsulate the continuous history of human settlement in this region over the past millennium.

Sender: juliafi80, Sent on: 22 Nov, 2013, Received on: 28 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 6 days

Upper Middle Rhine Valley, Germany (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1066

The 65km-stretch of the Middle Rhine Valley, with its castles, historic towns and vineyards, graphically illustrates the long history of human involvement with a dramatic and varied natural landscape. It is intimately associated with history and legend and for centuries has exercised a powerful influence on writers, artists and composers.

Sender: Schoolbag, Sent on: 19 Nov, 2013, Received on: 28 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 9 days

Cologne Cathedral, Germany (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/292

Begun in 1248, the construction of this Gothic masterpiece took place in several stages and was not completed until 1880. Over seven centuries, successive builders were inspired by the same faith and a spirit of absolute fidelity to the original plans. Apart from its exceptional intrinsic value and the artistic masterpieces it contains, Cologne Cathedral testifies to the enduring strength of European Christianity.

Sender: Schoolbag, Sent on: 19 Nov, 2013, Received on: 28 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 9 days

Pictorial Map of Belize

My first postcard from Belize :)

Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992 and the two countries are involved in an ongoing border dispute. Guatemala and Belize plan to hold a simultaneous referendum, set for 6 October 2013, to determine if this dispute will go before the International Court of Justice at The Hague. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include the country's heavy foreign debt burden, high unemployment, growing involvement in the Mexican and South American drug trade, high crime rates, and one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.

Sender: pjsubway, Received on: 22 Nov, 2013

Flag of Germany

Three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold; these colors have played an important role in German history and can be traced back to the medieval banner of the Holy Roman Emperor - a black eagle with red claws and beak on a gold field.

 

Postcard 1: Deutschland

 

 

Sender: Robber24, Sent on: 17 Nov, 2013, Received on: 26 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 9 days

 

Postcard 2 : Bundesflagge

 

 

Sender: Seenixe, Sent on: 12 Apr, 2014, Received on: 21 Apr, 2014, Travel time: 9 days

South Karelia (Etelä-Karjala), Finland

Sender: Dominique69, Sent on: 25 Sep, 2013, Received on: 26 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 62 days

Boat, Germany

Sender: Corny55, Sent on: 14 Nov, 2013, Received on: 21 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 7 days

Lorentz National Park, Indonesia (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/955

Lorentz National Park (2.35 million ha) is the largest protected area in South-East Asia. It is the only protected area in the world to incorporate a continuous, intact transect from snowcap to tropical marine environment, including extensive lowland wetlands. Located at the meeting-point of two colliding continental plates, the area has a complex geology with ongoing mountain formation as well as major sculpting by glaciation. The area also contains fossil sites which provide evidence of the evolution of life on New Guinea, a high level of endemism and the highest level of biodiversity in the region.

Sender: jennifermuliadi, Sent on: 31 Oct, 2013, Received on: 19 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 20 day

Gunung Mulu National Park, Malaysia (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1013

Important both for its high biodiversity and for its karst features, Gunung Mulu National Park, on the island of Borneo in the State of Sarawak, is the most studied tropical karst area in the world. The 52,864-ha park contains seventeen vegetation zones, exhibiting some 3,500 species of vascular plants. Its palm species are exceptionally rich, with 109 species in twenty genera noted. The park is dominated by Gunung Mulu, a 2,377 m-high sandstone pinnacle. At least 295 km of explored caves provide a spectacular sight and are home to millions of cave swiftlets and bats. The Sarawak Chamber, 600 m by 415 m and 80 m high, is the largest known cave chamber in the world.

Sender: SLLiew, Sent on: 13 Nov, 2013, Received on: 22 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 9 days

Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska, Poland (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1053

The wooden churches of southern Little Poland represent outstanding examples of the different aspects of medieval church-building traditions in Roman Catholic culture. Built using the horizontal log technique, common in eastern and northern Europe since the Middle Ages, these churches were sponsored by noble families and became status symbols. They offered an alternative to the stone structures erected in urban centres.

The World Heritage site comprises eight wooden churches:

1- The Church of the Archangel Michael- Binarowa

2- The Church of All Saints - Blizne

3- The Church of the Archangel Michael - Debno

4- The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Archangel Michael - Haczow

5- The Church of St Peter and St Paul - Lachowice

6- The Church of St Leonard - Lipnica Murowana

7- The Church of St John the Baptist - Orawka

8- The Church of St Philip and St James the Apostles - Sekowa

Postcard 1 : The Church of the Archangel Michael (Debno)

The Church of the Archangel Michael (Debno) is first mentioned in 1335. The present building, the second on the site, dates from the late 15th century. This church has a unique example of medieval decorations. The ceiling and the interior walls are painted using stencils from the 15th and 16th centuries. The decoration contains more than 77 motifs: architectural recalling Gothic forms, animal, human and religious.

Sender: maryellie, Sent on: 9 Nov, 2013, Received on: 21 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 12 days

Monastery of the Hieronymites, Lisbon, Portugal (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/263

Standing at the entrance to Lisbon harbour, the Monastery of the Hieronymites – construction of which began in 1502 – exemplifies Portuguese art at its best. The nearby Tower of Belém, built to commemorate Vasco da Gama's expedition, is a reminder of the great maritime discoveries that laid the foundations of the modern world.

Sender: anaserodio, Received on: 22 Nov, 2013

Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde, Portugal (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/866

The two Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley (Portugal) and Siega Verde (Spain) are located on the banks of the rivers Agueda and Côa, tributaries of the river Douro, documenting continuous human occupation from the end of the Paleolithic Age. Hundreds of panels with thousands of animal figures (5,000 in Foz Côa and around 440 in Siega Verde) were carved over several millennia, representing the most remarkable open-air ensemble of Paleolithic art on the Iberian Peninsula.

Côa Valley and Siega Verde provide the best illustration of the iconographic themes and organization of Paleolithic rock art, using the same modes of expression in caves and in the open air, thus contributing to a greater understanding of this artistic phenomenon. Together they form a unique site of the prehistoric era, rich in material evidence of Upper Paleolithic occupation.

Sender: geminiscp, Sent on: 6 Nov, 2013, Received on: 26 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 20 days

Architectural Ensemble of the Trinity Sergius Lavra in Sergiev Posad, Russia (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/657

This is a fine example of a working Orthodox monastery, with military features that are typical of the 15th to the 18th century, the period during which it developed. The main church of the Lavra, the Cathedral of the Assumption (echoing the Kremlin Cathedral of the same name), contains the tomb of Boris Godunov. Among the treasures of the Lavra is the famous icon, The Trinity , by Andrei Rublev.

Sender: JuliaShalyapina, Sent on: 12 Nov, 2013, Received on: 26 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 14 day

Putorana Plateau, Russia (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1234

This site coincides with the area of the Putoransky State Nature Reserve, and is located in the central part of the Putorana Plateau in northern Central Siberia. It is situated about 100 km north of the Arctic Circle. The part of the plateau inscribed on the World Heritage List harbours a complete set of subarctic and arctic ecosystems in an isolated mountain range, including pristine taiga, forest tundra, tundra and arctic desert systems, as well as untouched cold-water lake and river systems. A major reindeer migration route crosses the property, which represents an exceptional, large-scale and increasingly rare natural phenomenon.

Sender: migalka, Sent on: 14 Nov, 2013, Received on: 26 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 12 days

Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/804

From a historiographical point of view, the Hospital de Sant Pau is of immense importance because it is the largest hospital complex in Modernist style. Historically, the Hospital de Sant Pau, at one and the same time original and daring, demonstrates how Doménech i Montaner had studied the problem of modern hospitals. Work began in 1901 and by 1911 eight blocks of the complex had been built and were in use. In 1913 the architect brought his son, Pere Doménech i Roura, into the project, and they worked together on the church and further hospital blocks until Lluis Domènech i Montaner's death in 1923. Pere Doménech i Roura was responsible for completion of the project, which continued until 1930.

Sender: sandrapostcards, Sent on: 8 Nov, 2013, Received on: 21 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 13 days

Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona, Spain (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/804

The Palau de la Música Catalana is one of the most emblematic buildings of Art Nouveau (Modernism), exceptional both for its qualities and its setting in the historic centre of Barcelona. It was outstanding from the moment of its conception because of two factors that were to be of great future importance: a special concept of space and a very intelligent use of new technologies developed during the Rationalist revolution. The Palau was the most important source of an architectural concept of great future relevance: the reticulated metallic structure, free floor space, and non-load-bearing outer walls like continuous curtains of glass. The entire building was designed as an intelligent interplay of spaces stemming from the abrupt separation between the exterior and the interior and making maximum use of natural light.

Sender: sandrapostcards, Sent on: 8 Nov, 2013, Received on: 21 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 13 days

Poblet Monastery, Spain (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/518

This Cistercian abbey in Catalonia is one of the largest in Spain. At its centre is a 12th-century church. The austere, majestic monastery, which has a fortified royal residence and contains the pantheon of the kings of Catalonia and Aragon, is an impressive sight.

Sender: sandrapostcards, Sent on: 8 Nov, 2013, Received on: 21 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 13 days

Bila Tserkva, Landscape Park 'Alexandria', Ukraine

Sender: Vladyslav1998, Sent on: 10 Nov, 2013, Received on: 21 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 11 days

Tipasa, Algeria (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/193

On the shores of the Mediterranean, Tipasa was an ancient Punic trading-post conquered by Rome and turned into a strategic base for the conquest of the kingdoms of Mauritania. It comprises a unique group of Phoenician, Roman, palaeochristian and Byzantine ruins alongside indigenous monuments such as the Kbor er Roumia, the great royal mausoleum of Mauretania.

Sender: nihad, Sent on: 4 Nov, 2013, Received on: 19 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 15 days

Sangiran Early Man Site, Indonesia (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/593

Excavations here from 1936 to 1941 led to the discovery of the first hominid fossil at this site. Later, 50 fossils of Meganthropus palaeo and Pithecanthropus erectus/Homo erectus were found – half of all the world's known hominid fossils. Inhabited for the past one and a half million years, Sangiran is one of the key sites for the understanding of human evolution.

Sender: jennifermuliadi, Sent on: 31 Oct, 2013, Received on: 21 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 22 days

Historic Centre of Riga, Latvia (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/852

The Three Brothers are situated in Riga, Latvia, and is the oldest complex of dwelling houses in Riga. The houses are situated at the addresses 17, 19 and 21 Maza Pils Street, and each represents various periods of development of dwelling house construction in the Middle Ages.

Sender: Ziecha71, Sent on: 3 Nov, 2013, Received on: 19 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 16 days

Rietveld Schröderhuis (Rietveld Schröder House), Netherlands (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/965

The Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht was commissioned by Ms Truus Schröder-Schräder, designed by the architect Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, and built in 1924. This small family house, with its interior, the flexible spatial arrangement, and the visual and formal qualities, was a manifesto of the ideals of the De Stijl group of artists and architects in the Netherlands in the 1920s, and has since been considered one of the icons of the Modern Movement in architecture.

Sender: mdkrouwel, Sent on: 9 Nov, 2013, Received on: 19 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 10 days

Flag of Dordrecht City, Netherlands

According to Sierksma's Nederlands Vlaggenboek, 1962 the flag consists of three equally wide horizontal stripes red-white-red. This flag was offered in March 1857 to the Minister of Interior Affairs by the mayor of Dordrecht as the municipal flag. The colors are derived from the municipal arms. These colors had already been in use for a long time: the accounts of the city of 1284-1287 include receipts for white and red linen for the banners. Furthermore the "Dordtse vlag" appears in several old flag resources 1836-1875.

Sender: Gretha, Sent on: 5 Nov, 2013, Received on: 19 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 14 days

Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, Philippines (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/722

For 2,000 years, the high rice fields of the Ifugao have followed the contours of the mountains. The fruit of knowledge handed down from one generation to the next, and the expression of sacred traditions and a delicate social balance, they have helped to create a landscape of great beauty that expresses the harmony between humankind and the environment.

Sender: emaniuz, Sent on: 24 oct, 2013, Received on: 19 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 26 days