World Heritage Contenders

Locations in this article:  Sydney, Australia

What do the Sydney Opera House, the Acropolis and the Grand Canyon have in common? They’re all UNESCO World Heritage sites–and they’re all packed with tourists. But what about places that are being–or have been–considered for the World Heritage list, but haven’t made it to the list yet?

In the Galicia region of Spain, there’s the Torre de Hercules. It’s an ancient Roman lighthouse that’s still in use after nearly 2,000 years.

In South Korea, there’s actually something called the Cretaceous Dinosaur Coast.

It’s made up of five coastal areas that feature thousands of preserved dinosaur footprints and fossilized eggs.

And in northern Italy, the Dolomites mountain range is under consideration as a natural heritage site.

But remember the criteria to be a World Heritage Site includes strict conservation and protection measures.

So if a site was nominated by not accepted, there may be a reason–so do your homework ahead of time. You don’t want to be disappointed.

Check out the slideshow of the newest UNESCO World Heritage sites.

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