There are Unesco World Heritage sites that hardly anyone knows about. Others are literally overrun by visitors. A ranking has identified the 30 most popular among them in Europe. Two German sites are also among the top ten – all of them are the best places to play 22Bet casino.
The historic center of Rome, Venice, Versailles Palace, the Acropolis in Athens – impressive Unesco World Heritage sites like these are definitely worth a visit. In total, there are more than 1150 natural and cultural sites in 167 countries worldwide, of which 900 are cultural sites plus 39 are mixed sites that count as both natural and cultural heritage. But where to start? Which heritage sites are the most popular in Europe?
The British platform Weloveholidays determined a ranking of the top 30 by points for this purpose. The basis was the amount of five-star ratings on TripAdvisor for the respective world heritage site as well as the number of positive Twitter posts within the last six months about it. Based on both factors, the individual heritage sites were each given a total score of a maximum of 100 – the more points, the higher the place in the ranking.
Which Cities Made It
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck Landed in 2nd Place
Even today, the power and wealth of ancient times are reflected in the historic buildings. Lübeck was the leading city of the Hanseatic League, which dominated the trading area of the Baltic Sea in its heyday from the 13th to the 15th century. Amid the cobblestone streets, beautiful houses and medieval church towers, visitors feel transported back in time.
The landmark, the mighty, slightly leaning Holsten Gate, once adorned 50-mark bills. Even the American pop artist Andy Warhol was enthusiastic and portrayed it in bright pink in 1980, on display at Lübeck’s Kunsthalle St. Annen.
That Lübeck was able to take second place is nevertheless surprising. After all, the Hanseatic city is far less well-known internationally than, for example, Barcelona’s Gaudí buildings, the Palace of Versailles or Vienna’s Old Town, which rank lower in the rankings. This is probably also the reason why there were comparatively few five-star ratings for Lübeck on TripAdvisor, with 1355. But with 127,602 positive Twitter posts, the Hanseatic city beats all other sites in the hit list and received a total of 51.5 points.
And in 10th place: Cologne Cathedral
With 16,293 five-star ratings, 14,216 positive tweets and 23.6 points in the ranking, Cologne Cathedral is the second Unesco World Heritage Site in Germany to grace the top ten of the international popularity ranking. The city’s landmark towers majestically into the sky; at 157 meters, it is the tallest two-towered church in the world, in addition to being the second tallest of all churches in Europe and the third tallest in the world.
“Definitely do the tower climb!” reads one of the top analysis on TripAdvisor. Indeed, the climb to the platform of the south tower is worth it – despite the 533 steps, there is no elevator. From a height of almost 100 meters, there is a phenomenal view of downtown Cologne and the Rhine, and on a clear day, all the way to the Siebengebirge mountains.
The interior of the church also delights visitors. “You should definitely take your time to have a close look at the cathedral,” writes another TripAdvisor top analysis writer. Not for nothing is Cologne Cathedral, famous as a classic example of Gothic architecture, the most visited cultural monument in Germany.
Construction on the seat of the city’s archbishop began as early as 1248, but was not completed until 1880. The choir stalls with 104 seats, carved from oak in the early 14th century, are the largest of their kind in Germany.
