European Quartet One Melody

Today, 754 of the world’s most precious monuments are listed by the World Heritage Foundation. And since 1987 eight of those are located in Hungary. These include: Budapest, the banks of the Danube and the Castle District in Buda, Andrássy street and the surrounding historical area, the village of Hollókő, Benedictine Monastery of Pannonhalma and its natural environment, Early Christian Cemetary of Pécs (Sopianae), Lake Fertő-Neusiedler See Cultural Landscape, Historic Wine Region of Tokaj, Caves of the Aggtelek and Slovak Karst and the Hortobágy National Park.

Poland is a country with a 1000-year-old history, rich traditions and abundant cultural heritage. The legacy of bygone centuries include monuments of architecture, historical mementos and masterpieces of art, all perfectly combined with the wealth of Polish nature and its original landscapes. Millions of tourists visit Poland every year. All those who wish to deepen their knowledge of history and see outstanding pieces of art are invited to experience this for themselves and admire Poland’s UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List sites. The list created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) distinguishes buildings and sites that constitute the most valuable examples of peoples’ material culture, products of human genius or unique nature reserves. The states that possess those special sites on their territory are bound to protect them from destruction. Currently, the UNESCO register of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites includes 788 items of which 611 represent such outstanding monuments of culture as the Egyptian pyramids, the Acropolis in Athens, Venice in Italy, and the American Statue of Liberty. The list of the most valuable monuments of nature protects 154 unique sites including, among others, the Yellowstone National Park in the USA. All of these sites are of international importance, and the regions where they are located attract great numbers of tourists. Thanks to its diversity and wealth, Polish culture enjoys a great deal of interest from the international community and travellers alike.

• Historic Center of Kraków
• Wieliczka Salt Mine
• Historic Center of Warsaw
• Old City of Zamość
• Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork
• Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica
• Białowieża Forest
• The Centenary Hall (Hala Ludowa) in Wrocław
• Auschwitz-Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945)
• Kalwaria Zebrzydowska: the Mannerist Architectural and Park Landscape Complex and Pilgrimage Park
• Wooden Churches of Southern Lesser Poland Muskauer Park / Park Mużakowski
• Medieval Town of Toruń

There are many beautiful and interesting things in the world. Slovakia might be a small country but the same cannot be said about the importance and the number of interesting sights to be found here. Three localities from Slovakia were added to the UNESCO List of Cultural Monuments as far back as 1993. These were Castle of Spis, Levoca and the Associated Cultural Monuments, the historic town of Banska Stiavnica and the Technical Monuments in its Vicinity and Vlkolinec. In 2000, the historic town Bardejov was added and in 2008, the wooden churches of the Slovak part of Carpathian Mountain Area. Slovakia’s unique natural phenomena are also represented in the UNESCO List by Dobsinska ladova jaskyna cave, Ochtinska aragonitova jaskyna cave and Caves of Slovak Karst and Aggtelek Karst. In 2007 the Primeval beech forests of the Carpathians in the east of Slovakia was added to this list.