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(from the UNESCO site).Called “Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun” on the UNESCO site, the UNESCO designation isn’t just for the “Great Pit. It includes the planned town of Falun that dates to the 17th century, as well as remains of the copper industry across much of the region. At the Falun Copper Mine, a small craft company still produces Falun Red pigment from the tailings found around the mine. That town, also called Falun, was planned and built in the 17th century and is today a charming collection of wooden houses, painted red, of course.

Before heading to the beaches, check out the island’s vibrant capital and get a glimpse of its rich history and culture. Added by Rachel: If you’re interested in history, as I am, you can tour Fort St. Louis, the 17th century fort that guards the port of Fort-de-France. Located in the downtown area of Fort-de-France, the Cathedral of St Louis is one of Martinique’s best attractions. Spend a few hours exploring the ruins and discover a part of the island’s history that makes it among the best attractions in Martinique.

Some UNESCO sites aren’t famous works of architecture like Himeji Castle in Japan or the 16th century canal ring of Amsterdam, for example, or ancient historical monuments like Petra in Jordan or Baalbek in Lebanon. Prosperous farmers in this fertile region decorated whole rooms – as many as 15 rooms and sometimes whole separate houses – just for special festivities like weddings. If you look into the square of buildings, the festivities building is on the right while the central building of this farmstead is the residential building. Several of the rooms inside the residential building were solely for festivities, and only two of the rooms the family actually lived in have decorations.

7 Things to do in Thingvellir National Park, IcelandI’ve already written quite a bit about our 3-week road trip around Iceland last summer, but I only briefly mentioned Thingvellir (more properly spelled as Þingvellir) in my itinerary article. While it wasn’t a place I particularly prioritized in our planning, it turned out that there are plenty of things to do in Thingvellir National Park. While little remains of the AlÞingi’s meeting site at Thingvellir National Park, the Hakið visitor center has a remarkably good exhibition called “Heart of Iceland,” telling the history of the parliament and Iceland’s entire history, as well as covering Icelandic laws and the geology of the area. Use the button below to shop for tours to Thingvellir from Reykjavik:Are there more things to do in Thingvellir National Park that I’ve left out of this list?