© Shutterstock 

Qinghai Hoh Xil, China - Qinghai Hoh Xil marks the highest plateau in the world. The landscape is home to a unique ecosystem of incredible flora and fauna, with many rare and unusual species.

© Shutterstock 

Qinghai Hoh Xil, China - Here, temperatures remain below freezing year round, and the area is completely uninhabited. The plateau also encompasses the migratory route of the endangered Tibetan antelope.

© Shutterstock 

Los Alerces National Park, Argentina - This remote park is home to a huge variety of endemic and threatened flora and fauna.

© Shutterstock 

Los Alerces National Park, Argentina - The protected park includes vestiges of pristine Patagonian Forest, and the entire region is deserving of its UNESCO World Heritage status.

© Shutterstock 

Venetian Works of Defence, Croatia, Italy, Montenegro - This property altogether consists of 15 components of defense works from three countries stretching more than 1,000 km between northern Italy and the eastern Adriatic coast.

© Shutterstock 

Venetian Works of Defence, Croatia, Italy, Montenegro - The protected areas encompass forts, fortified cities, and defensive walls that typify the region's remarkable military heritage.

© Shutterstock 

Valongo Wharf, Brazil - The vestiges of the city's old dock in the port area of ​​Rio de Janeiro is now a recognized historic landmark. The wharf is the only surviving site of landing and trading of African slaves.

© Shutterstock 

Valongo Wharf, Brazil - The locale remains a testament to one of the most brutal episodes in history, and was afforded World Heritage Site status six years after the location was unearthed.

© Shutterstock 

Lake District, UK - Set withing this area of outstanding natural beauty is England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike, which summits at an impressive 3,208 ft (978 m).

© Shutterstock 

Lake District, UK - Besides its lofty peak, the region is known for its pristine lakes, manicured gardens, and breathtaking landscape.

© Shutterstock 

Sambor Prei Kuk, Cambodia - This archaeological site located in Kampong Thom province includes a temple which has been identified as the capital of the Chenla Empire, which flourished in the late 6th and early 7th centuries AD.

© Shutterstock 

Sambor Prei Kuk, Cambodia - The site today is a reminder of ancient Khmer art and architecture, dating back to the Angkor period. In 2017, the ruined complex was inscribed on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.

© Shutterstock 

Tarnowskie Góry silver mine, Poland - The city, located in the south of Poland, conceals a real treasure.

© Shutterstock 

Tarnowskie Góry silver mine, Poland - Tarnowskie Góry is the location of an historic silver mine that once contributed to a sizable proportion of the global output of lead, zinc, and silver. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

© Shutterstock 

Taputapuātea, French Polynesia - On the volcanic island of Ra'iatea, in the center of the 'Polynesian Triangle' lies the Taputapuātea, a vast portion of the Pacific Ocean dotted with dozens of islands, and the last region of the planet to be colonized by humans.

© Shutterstock 

Sacred island of Okinoshima, Japan - The island is one of the most sacred sites in Japan. According to legend, ancient Shinto gods placed three empresses there to care for and protect the nation. Visitors can marvel at a number of archaeological landmarks, and ancient temples scattered around the island.

© Shutterstock 

M'Banza-Kongo, Angola - For centuries this was the political and spiritual capital of the Kingdom of Kongo. The town of M'Banza-Kongo developed around the royal residence, courthouse, and the burial places of royalty. The Portuguese arrived in the late 15th century and made their own mark on the area, implementing their own culture, establishing religion, and constructing a number of impressive monuments.

© Shutterstock 

Kulangsu, China - Located in an estuary facing the Chinese city of Xiamen is the island of Kulangsu, an historic settlement known for its melding of Chinese, South East Asian, and European culture and architecture. Cars, and even bicycles, are not allowed on the island.

© Shutterstock 

Yazd, Iran - This beguiling desert city boasts impressive architecture dating back to the 5th century AD.

© Shutterstock 

Yazd, Iran - Its many beautiful mosques, temples, and synagogues made it an obvious choice for inclusion on UNESCO's World Heritage Sites list.

© Shutterstock 

Hebron Old City, Palestine - Hebron nestles in the hills of Judea, south of Jerusalem, and enjoys a long history and fascinating culture.

© Shutterstock 

Hebron Old City, Palestine - Besides a series of impressive mosques, Hebron is the location for the tombs of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Reason enough for UNESCO to declare the destination a World Heritage Site.

© Shutterstock 

Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura, Germany - Hidden deep withing these six caves carved out of cliffs in southern Germany are remnants of human activity dating back more than 40,000 years ago.

© Shutterstock 

Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura, Germany - Evidence includes examples of the oldest figurative art in the world, which is why these artifacts are now protected for posterity by UNESCO.

© Shutterstock 

Assumption Cathedral and Monastery of the town-island of Sviyazhsk, Russia - At the intersection where the Silk Road crosses the Volga trade route, Tsar Ivan the Terrible founded the Sviyazhsk Fortress, in 1551. Ten years later a cathedral built in stone appeared.

© Shutterstock 

Asmara, Eritrea - Asmara, capital city of Eritrea, still features modernist buildings that were built between 1889 and 1941 by Italian colonialists, structures now under the auspices of UNESCO.

© Shutterstock 

Aphrodisias, Turkey - This ancient city reveals outstanding traces of Greek and Roman civilizations and was named for Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.

© Shutterstock 

Aphrodisias, Turkey - Aphrodisias is famed for developing the traditional art of carving in marble, thus becoming a regional center for art and culture of the region. Those who appreciate ancient history will fall in love with this destination.

© Shutterstock 

Ahmedabad, India - India's second oldest city is a destination known for its significant collection of historic monuments. It's the country's first UNESCO World Heritage City.

© Shutterstock 

Landscapes of Dauria, Russia- Mongolia. - The Landscapes of Dauria site is shared by Mongolia and Russia. The region is an outstanding example of steppe ecosystem and boasts a wide variety of flora and fauna—natural characteristics favored by UNESCO.

© Shutterstock 

ǂKhomani Cultural Landscape, South Africa - The desert landscape on the border between Botswana and Namibia, is traditionally inhabited by the previously nomadic ǂKhomani people. UNESCO now protects their land, culture, and lifestyle.

© Shutterstock 

Kujataa, Greenland - In southern Greenland, the verdant Kujataa region of Kujataa represents the most recent introduction of agriculture in to the Arctic. But clues remain of earlier Eskimo culture, and vestiges of this ancient people include thatched abodes and burial chambers. (Photo: CC BY 2.0)

© All rights reserved / Creative Commons