UNESCO World Heritage Cities

From the mountains of Peru to the markets of Morocco, visit these UNESCO World Heritage Cities. (Photo: Getty Images)

Culture + Style

8 UNESCO World Heritage Cities to Add to Your Bucket List

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Egypt’s Great Pyramids, the Galapagos Islands, Greece’s Acropolis—the running list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites reads like a glossary of our planet’s most incredible natural and historically significant wonders. In special cases, entire cities earn a designation.

Here, nine spots that have withstood the test of time—and deserve a spot on that bucket list. As always, check for travel restrictions or closures before planning your trip.

Cusco, Peru

Those preparing for a trek to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley of the Incas must adjust to the altitude in Cusco—and there couldn’t be a better base to spend an extra few days, in our opinion.

This ancient city in the Peruvian Andes is filled with so many colorful local markets, colonial architecture, Baroque churches, and Inca ruins of its own that you could spend a whole week here and constantly discover something new.

Hang around the arcades of the central Plaza de Armas to find souvenirs, enjoy a hearty breakfast or lunch at Mercado San Blas (a much less crowded version than the more popular Mercado San Pedro), and cap off a day with drinks and live music at Ukukus Bar.

Jerusalem

No city in the world is like Jerusalem. As one of the oldest cities in the world, Jerusalem is ground zero to some of the most important religious sites in Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

UNESCO World Heritage Cities
See the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. (Photo: Getty Images)

People from around the world flock to its souqs, memorials and monuments, from the Temple Mount and the Western Wall to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Salzburg, Austria

Picturesque Salzburg is perhaps most famous as the birthplace of Mozart—and little has changed in the 250 years since. Its Old Town is a preserved vision of Baroque architecture, monuments, palaces, and gardens that continue to entrance visitors and film scouts (the Sound of Music was filmed in these streets).

Take a tour of the Von Trapp homes, explore the 11th-century Hohensalzburg fortress at the top of the hill, and enjoy a Mozart Dinner Concert by candlelight in an old concert hall.

Bruges, Belgium

Belgian fairytales were surely written with Bruges in mind; you won’t find a more beautifully preserved, lost-in-time city as this one. Its tranquil waterways, medieval market square, and 14th-century town hall escaped WWI relatively unscathed, and, thanks to a UNESCO designation in 2000, this “Venice of the North” remains just as it was.

UNESCO World Heritage Cities
Explore Bruge’s canals. (Photo: Getty Images)

A favorite pastime is biking along the narrow cobblestone streets, which are lined with independent galleries, breweries, and many a famous chocolate shop like Spegelaere.

Luang Prabang, Laos

At the meeting point between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, in the mountains of northern Laos, is a glimpse of Southeast Asia at its most romantic and spiritual.

Robed Buddhist monks filter in and out of gilded temples, fading French colonial villas line streets roamed by rickshaws, locals in lampshade hats ply the waters with their fishing nets, and artisans and farmers peddle their handicrafts and produce in markets both day and night.

Fez, Morocco

Because Marrakech attracts most of Morocco’s crowds, Fez gets away with far fewer tourists around its maze-like souks and elegant hammams—all the better for soaking up the unique atmosphere of Morocco’s culture capital.

UNESCO World Heritage Cities
Witness the famed tanneries of Morocco. (Photo: Getty Images)

Begin your tour at Bab Bou Jeloud, a beautiful Moorish gate just outside the city, then make your way back through its labyrinthine streets perfumed with spices to the city’s storied tanneries—a huge source of income to Morocco, which specializes in leather goods such as babouche slippers and poufs.

Quito, Ecuador

Quito—one of the world’s first designated UNESCO heritage sites, built on a site of Incan ruins high in the Andes—deserves a spot on the bucket list.

Here, you’ll find the biggest and most well-preserved colonial city in Latin America, where Spanish, Moorish, Italian, and indigenous cultures mix harmoniously and hundreds of Baroque churches and monasteries intermingle with generations-old restaurants and contemporary art museums. 

Take in a bird’s-eye view of the city during a cable car ride to the top of Pichincha Volcano, then head down for a closer look at the golf-leaf interior of La Compañía de Jesús and the bars and live music lining the pedestrians-only street La Ronda.

Bath, United Kingdom

It was the Romans who first enjoyed the thermal healing powers of the springs in Bath, 2,000 years ago. Today, hundreds of sightseers take the journey from London to explore this gorgeous city, rife with honey-colored abbeys and 18th-century Georgian heritage buildings.

For a historic look at the city’s past, visit the Roman Baths, whose ancient pool chamber is lined with dramatic limestone columns.

This article was published through a partnership with Jetsetter magazine. Read the original story: 9 UNESCO World Heritage Cities to Add to Your Bucket List by Lindsey Olander, a regular contributor to Jetsetter.

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