They are designated according to:
- cultural heritage
- natural heritage
- both
Þingvellir National Park in Iceland, for example is a naturally significant location with its dramatic scenery (see picture later in the post) but is also culturally significant as the site of the first Parliament or 'thing'. For Icelanders it is a special place for both reasons.
The UNESCO listing explains why it is deemed to be so important:
The Althing, an open-air assembly representing the whole of Iceland, was established in 930 and continued to meet until 1798. Over two weeks a year, the assembly set laws - seen as a covenant between free men - and settled disputes.
The Althing has deep historical and symbolic associations for the people of Iceland.
The property includes the National Park and the remains of the Althing itself: fragments of around 50 booths built from turf and stone. Remains from the 10th century are thought to be buried underground. The site also includes remains of agricultural use from the 18th and 19th centuries. The park shows evidence of the way the landscape was husbanded over 1,000 years.
Google Arts and Culture has a sample of the sites on a special page.
I have just bought some updated maps from the ones I bought a few years ago.
They are for the lists for 2024-25 so are up to date.
They are very reasonably priced at just €2.50 and can be purchased from here.
They take a few weeks to arrive, so be prepared for that.
Here's Þingvellir by the way - one of my favourite places in Iceland.
Image: Alan Parkinson, shared on Flickr under CC license
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