Heritage

Kazan and its surrounding region hold three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Kremlin’s unique Orthodox-Islamic ensemble, the medieval Islamic centre of Bolgar, and the fortified island-town of Sviyazhsk.

The Golden Mountains of Altai, UNESCO-inscribed in 1998, lie 350–700 km southeast of Novosibirsk via the legendary Chuysky Trakt highway — snow leopard habitat, glaciated peaks, and the frozen burial site of the 2,500-year-old Ice Maiden.

Mandalay is the gateway to Myanmar’s two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the 3,500-temple plain of Bagan and the ancient Pyu walled cities, the oldest urban culture in the region.

Laos has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites — and all are reachable from Luang Prabang: the historic town itself, Vat Phou’s Khmer temple, and the enigmatic Plain of Jars.

Two UNESCO World Heritage Sites lie within reach of Chiang Mai: the 13th-century royal capital of Sukhothai (298 km south) and the Dong Phayayen–Khao Yai Forest Complex.

Lake Baikal — the world’s deepest, oldest, and most biodiverse freshwater lake — lies 70 km from Irkutsk. One UNESCO site, endlessly different across seasons.

Five UNESCO World Heritage Sites lie within a day’s drive of Kandy — from the sacred tooth relic at its centre to Dambulla, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and Galle Fort.

Three UNESCO World Heritage Sites — Sambor Prei Kuk, Koh Ker and Preah Vihear — lie within a day’s drive of Phnom Penh, tracing a millennium of Khmer civilisation.

From the Tian-Shan peaks above Almaty to Bronze Age rock art at Tamgaly and Silk Road caravanserai ruins, Kazakhstan’s UNESCO sites reward those who venture beyond the city.