When we talk about heritage cities around the world, we refer to cities and towns with a significant amount of historical architecture. All travelers know that most European cities are rich in heritage. However, some of that heritage is the result of specific historical conditions.
On the other hand, many cities and towns on other continents are also packed with historical architecture. Oftentimes, these are places in former European colonies, but not always. In this text, we focus on some of the most interesting groups of towns across all continents.
Heritage Cities of Southeast Asia
Before going to Southeast Asia, I always wondered if its urban areas still had any heritage. I knew about the archeological sites of Angkor Wat and Borobudur, but I didn’t know what to expect from its cities. I happily discovered that most of the region’s big cities have fantastic historical architecture. Even more, there are some incredible well preserved historical towns too.
With the exception of Thailand, every country was at one point a colony of one or several European countries (sad but true). Therefore, you can see French heritage in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, British in Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore, Dutch in Indonesia and Spanish in the Philippines. On top of that, Chinese and Japanese heritage is everywhere.
Cities of the Hanseatic League
On my extensive travels around Central and Northern Europe I noticed that many places looked similar. I saw plenty of multi-story buildings with steep roofs and crow-stepped gables made of red and brown brick across Germany, The Netherlands, Poland, Belgium and the Baltic States.
It was obvious to my eyes that something linked these beauties: they had all belonged to the so-called Hanseatic League. During the late Middle Ages and early modern times, this association of trade cities stretched all along the Baltic Sea coast. Though most were port towns on the Baltic coast, their influence reached Norway and Russia.
Golden Ring of Russia
A group of historical cities and towns close to Moscow called the Golden Ring of Russia is my biggest Russian discovery. The Ring refers to over a dozen cities located along a circular route through different districts. They all have in common a vast medieval heritage that includes churches, monasteries, Kremlins and citadels.
Nevertheless, these cities and towns have different sizes and structures. While some are more like villages, others are relatively large cities. Since different lists mentioned different places, Soviet Authorities decided to create an official list with only eight cities. Our favorites are the smallest ones: fairy tale towns where time seems to have stopped.
Ancient Chinese Cities and Towns
China is famous around the world for its stunning scenery and historic cities like Beijing and Shanghai. However, the country is also filled with ancient cities and towns, many of which have been remarkably well preserved. Built during the Ming and Qing dynasties, they tell the story of traditional China.
The largest concentration of ancient towns can be found in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, close to Shanghai. Several towns in nearby Anhui Province, together with Lijiang, Pingyao, and the Fujian Tulou, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. I loved each one of them.
Heritage Cities and Towns in the Balkans
As mentioned in the introduction, most European cities are packed with historic architecture. Although there were many wars across the Old Continent, after each of them the authorities would rebuild their cities brick by brick. The situation in the Balkan Peninsula is quite different. As part of the Ottoman Empire for almost 500 years, heritage here was not always fully appreciated.
Another difference is that cities in the Balkans were generally quite modest. The Ottoman Empire was highly centralized, and much of the wealth flowed to Istanbul. That said, Ottoman architecture was beautiful and unique in its own way. Luckily for us, various places in the Balkans have successfully preserved their Ottoman heritage.
