INDIA

This cover from India depicts a complete set issued in 2020, celebrating 4 UNESCO natural sites in the country: Nanda Davi and Valley of Flowers, Western Ghats, Manas Wildlife Sanctuary and Great Himalayan Natural Park Conservation Area.

ROMANIA

This beautiful UNESCO cover from Romania depicts a minisheet/joint issue with Russian Federation issued in 2008. Both monuments featured in this minisheet are part of UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Church of St George / Churches of Moldavia and Cathedrtal of St. Demetrius / White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal. The eight Romanian Orthodox Churches of Moldavia (including the Church of St George) are located in Suceava County, northern Moldavia, and were built approximately between 1487 and 1583. The churches have their external walls covered in authentic and unique fresco paintings, representing complete cycles of religious themes. Since 1993, they have been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal (which includes the Cathedral of St Demetrius) in Russia have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. The patrimony embraces eight medieval limestone monuments of Zalesye from the late 12th and early 13th centuries. They include Russian Orthodox churches and a monastery, as well as a castle and gate:

UKRAINE

This cover from Ukraine depict a stamp issued in 2019 with a painting showing the city of L'viv. The city of L'viv was founded in the late Middle Ages and it still preserves its medieval topography. The city has been shaped by the interactions of different communities that have lived there through centuries, including various Christian groups, Muslims, and a Jewish community. The architecture of the city represents a fusion of styles form Eastern Europe with the influences coming from Italy and Germany. Several buildings from the Renaissance and Baroque periods have been preserved. Since 1998, UNESCO has listed Lviv's historic centre as part of "World Heritage". On 5 December 1998, during the 22nd Session of the World Heritage Committee in Kyoto, Lviv was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

GERMANY

RUSSIA

This beautiful cover from Russia depicts several stamps and a miniature sheet celebrating 3 different UNESCO World Heritage sites in Russia. From the left to the right: a 25p minisheet featuring the Pechorta-Ilych Nature Reserve at Virgin Komi Forests, a complete set of 4 stamps with several views of the Volcanoes of Kamchatka and one 22p stamps celebrating the Kremlim in Moscow.

UKRAINE

This cover from Ukraine depicts 3 different stamps celebrating the Historic Centre of L'viv. The city of L'viv was founded in the late Middle Ages and it still preserves its medieval topography. The city has been shaped by the interactions of different communities that have lived there through centuries, including various Christian groups, Muslims, and a Jewish community. The architecture of the city represents a fusion of styles form Eastern Europe with the influences coming from Italy and Germany. Several buildings from the Renaissance and Baroque periods have been preserved. Since 1998, UNESCO has listed Lviv's historic centre as part of "World Heritage". On 5 December 1998, during the 22nd Session of the World Heritage Committee in Kyoto, Lviv was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

GERMANY

THis cover from Germany depicts 2 se-tenant stamps celebrating the Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz. The Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm, (German: Dessau-Wörlitzer Gartenreich) is a World Heritage Site in Germany, that lies between city of Dessau and the town of Wörlitz in Central Germany. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000. It is one of the first and largest English parks in Germany and continental Europe. It was created in the late 18th century under the regency of Duke Leopold III of Anhalt-Dessau (1740-1817), returning from a Grand Tour to Italy, the Netherlands, England, France and Switzerland he had undertaken together with his friend architect Friedrich Wilhelm von Erdmannsdorff. Strongly influenced by the ideals of The Enlightenment, they aimed to move on from the formal garden concept of the Baroque era in favour of a naturalistic landscape as they had seen at Stourhead Gardens and Ermenonville. Today the cultural landscape of Dessau-Wörlitz encompasses an area of 142 km2 within the Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.

UNITED KINGDOM

This cover from United Kingdom depicts a miniature sheet celebrating the UNESCO World Heritage Site Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. An internationally important botanical research and education institution. The organisation manages botanic gardens at Kew in Richmond upon Thames in southwest London, and at Wakehurst, a National Trust property in Sussex which is home to the internationally important Millennium Seed Bank, whose scientists work with partner organisations in more than 95 countries. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. The collections at Kew and Wakehurst include over 27,000 taxa of living plants, 8.3 million plant and fungal herbarium specimens, and over 40,000 species in the seed bank.

UNITED NATIONS (GENEVA OFFICE)

A nice UNESCO cover from United Nations (Geneva Office), depicting a complete set issued in 2005 with 6 World Heritage Sites in Egypt: Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis, Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae, Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur, Historic Cairo, Saint Catherine Area and Abu Mena.

UKRAINE

A nice cover from Ukraine, depicting minisheet celebrating the National Park Synevyr and the Gorgany Nature Reserve, both part of the UNESCO site Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe. This site comprises undisturbed examples of temperate forests that demonstrate the postglacial expansion process of European beech from a few isolated refuge areas in the Alps, Carpathians, Dinarides, Mediterranean, and Pyrenees. The site was originally listed in 2007 as the Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians, shared by Slovakia and Ukraine, extended in 2011 to include the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany, and further extended in 2017 and 2021 to include forests in a total of 18 countries. In Ukraine, nine forest reserves are listed in the site.

NORWAY

This cover from Norway depicts 2 stamps and the 26 kr stamp (on the top), issued in 2019, celebrates the Røros Mining Town. Røros was a copper mining town from 1644 until 1977, when the mining company went bankrupt. The town is built entirely in wood. It was completely razed by the Swedish troops in 1679 during the Scanian War but later rebuilt. Together with the surrounding area, the Circumference (the area of privileges awarded by the Danish-Norwegian King to Røros Copper Works in 1646), it demonstrates the life and work in a mining town in harsh sub-arctic climate. The modern-day inhabitants of Røros still work and live in the characteristic 17th and 18th century buildings which led to its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. Røros has about 80 wooden houses, most of them standing around courtyards. Many retain their dark pitch-log facades, giving the town a medieval appearance.

INDIA

A nice UNESCO cover from India, depicting a complete set issued in 2018 on topic "Hill Forts of Rajasthan". The Hill Forts of Rajasthan, are a series of sites located on rocky outcrops of the Aravallis mountain range in Rajasthan. They represent a typo of Rajput military hill architecture, a style characterized by its mountain peak settings, utilizing the defensive properties of the terrain. These hill forts in Rajasthan represent Rajput military strongholds across a vast range of geographical and cultural zones. The number of hill forts is said to express the development of Rajput defensive architecture and are examples of Rajput military architecture. Rajput forts are well known for their defensive architecture. They enclose large territories and even complete villages in walled compounds. The property consists of Chittor Fort, Kumbhalgarh Fort, Ranthambore Fort, Gagron Fort, Amer Fort, Jaisalmer Fort. These fort complexes include palaces, Hindu and Jain temples, urban centers and trading centers. Thisnsite is inscribed aa UNESCO World Heritage Center since 2013.

UKRAINE

This beautiful cover from Ukraine depicts a miniature sheet issued in 2004 on mtopic "EUROPA - Visit... Ukraine". The 3.52 stamp celebrates the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv, a historic Eastern Orthodox Christian monastery which gave its name to one of the city districts where it is located in Kyiv. The monastery is part of the Unesco World Heritage Site Kyiv: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. This is a monastic ensemble which was developing from the 11th to the 19th centuries. It comprises churches, monasteries, and caves where saints were buried. It was an important centre of Eastern Orthodox Church. The site was recognized by the UNESCO World Heritage Program in 1990 as one complex. The Church of the Saviour at Berestove, adjacent to the Lavra, was added to the site in 2005.

AUSTRIA

This cover from Austria depict 2 stamps celebrating the Schönlaterngasse. Schönlaterngasse ("Street of the Beautiful Lantern") is a small winding alleyway in central Vienna. In the Middle Ages it was known as Straße der Herren von Heiligenkreuz ("street of the gentlemen of Heiligenkreuz"), as it passes the Heiligenkreuzer Hof ("Holy Cross courtyard"). Later on, it carried several names that still referred to the Heiligenkreuzer Hof before being named after the "beautiful lantern" in 1780. The buildings along the alley date back to Baroque times. The street is part of the Historic Centre of Vienna, In 2001, the city center was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

UKRAINE

This beautiful cover from Ukraine depict 2 stamps issued in 2011, celebrating the Millenium of Saint-Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, capital and main city in Ukraine. The Saint-Sophia Cathedral was constructed in the 11th century, soon after the Christianization of Kievan Rus'. Mosaics and frescos from that period have been preserved in the interior. Monastic buildings around the cathedral were constructed in the 17th and 18th centuries in the Ukrainian Baroque style. The Church is part of the Unesco World Heritage Site Kyiv: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. This is a monastic ensemble which was developing from the 11th to the 19th centuries. It comprises churches, monasteries, and caves where saints were buried. It was an important centre of Eastern Orthodox Church. The site was recognized by the UNESCO World Heritage Program in 1990 as one complex. The Church of the Saviour at Berestove, adjacent to the Lavra, was added to the site in 2005.

SPAIN

This UNESCO cover from Spain depicts a 0,24€ stamps celebrating the town of San Cristobal de la Laguna. San Cristóbal de La Laguna (commonly known as La Laguna) is a city and municipality in the northern part of the island of Tenerife in the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, on the Canary Islands (Spain). The city is the third-most populous city of the archipelago and the second-most populous city of the island. The city has an original and unplanned Upper Town, and "city-territory" Lower Town. It was Spain's first non-fortified colonial town and served as a model for development in America. Many religious-function buildings and other public and private buildings date to the 16th century. La Laguna's historical center was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999.

KAZAKHSTAN

GREECE

This cover from Greece depicts 3 stamps, including a 0,57€ stamp issued in 2009 (on the right) celebrating the Acropolis, in Athens. The Acropolis is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. Originally a fortification, it gradually developed into a religious sanctuary, associated with the cult of the goddess Athena. In the 5th century BCE, following their victory over the Persians, the Athenians under Pericles constructed a large number of monuments including the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Propylaia, and the Temple of Athena Nike. The monuments in the Acropolis have prominently inspired the Neoclassical architecture. This site of an outsanding value is inscribed as an UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987.

UKRAINE

This cover from Ukraine depicts 2 stamps, celebrating 2 monuments included on the World Heritage Site Kyiv: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Pechersk Lavra. The Saint-Sophia Cathedral stamps on the right) was constructed in the 11th century, soon after the Christianization of Kievan Rus'. Mosaics and frescos from that period have been preserved in the interior. Monastic buildings around the cathedral were constructed in the 17th and 18th centuries in the Ukrainian Baroque style. The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (stamp on the left) is a monastic ensemble which was developing from the 11th to the 19th centuries. It comprises churches, monasteries, and caves where saints were buried. It was an important centre of Eastern Orthodox Church. The site was recognized by the UNESCO World Heritage Program in 1990 as one complex. The Church of the Saviour at Berestove, adjacent to the Lavra, was added to the site in 2005.

RUSSIA

This beautiful cover from Russia depicts a miniature sheet issued celebrating the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Called The 'Venice of the North', St. Petersburg, with its numerous canals and more than 400 bridges, is the result of a vast urban project begun in 1703 under Peter the Great. Later known as Leningrad (in the former USSR), the city is closely associated with the October Revolution. Its architectural heritage reconciles the very different Baroque and pure neoclassical styles, as can be seen in the Admiralty, the Winter Palace, the Marble Palace and the Hermitage. Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments is the name used by UNESCO when it collectively designated the historic core of the Russian city of St. Petersburg, as well as buildings and ensembles located in the immediate vicinity as a World Heritage Site in 1991. The site was recognised for its architectural heritage, fusing Baroque, Neoclassical, and traditional Russian-Byzantine influences.

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

A nice cover from Bosnia & Herzegovina, depicting a miniature sheet issued in 2018 with several views of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge , in Visegrad. The Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge, which crosses the Drina river, was completed in 1577 by the Ottoman court architect Mimar Sinan on the orders of the Grand Vizier Mehmed Paša Sokolović. The bridge is 179.5 metres long and has 11 arches. The bridge also has a symbolic significance as the meeting place between Christianity and Islam. UNESCO included the bridge in its 2007 World Heritage List.

GERMANY

This cover from Germany depict a stamp issued in 2017 celebrating the Wartburg Castle. The Wartburg is a castle originally built in the Middle Ages. It is situated on a precipice of 410 meters to the southwest of and overlooking the town of Eisenach, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. In 1999, UNESCO added Wartburg Castle to the World Heritage List. It was the home of St. Elisabeth of Hungary, the place where Martin Luther translated the New Testament of the Bible into German, the site of the Wartburg festival of 1817 and the supposed setting for the possibly legendary Sängerkrieg. It was an important inspiration for Ludwig II when he decided to build Neuschwanstein Castle. Wartburg is the most-visited tourist attraction in Thuringia after Weimar. Although the castle today still contains substantial original structures from the 12th through 15th centuries, much of the interior dates back only to the 19th century.

ROMANIA

A nice UNESCO cover from Romania, depicting a miniature sheet issued in 2011 celebrating the Village of Biertan, a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania. This site comprises seven villages with fortified churches that were built between the 13th and the 16th centuries by Transylvanian Saxons. The settlement pattern and the organization of the villages have been preserved since the Middle Ages. Six villages (Câlnic, Dârjiu, Prejmer, Saschiz, Valea Viilor, and Viscri) were listed in the original nomination in 1993 while the village of Biertan was added in 1999.

AUSTRALIA

This nice UNESCO cover from Australia depicts 2 stamps celebrating the Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Opera House is an opera house and iconic building on the shores of Sydney Harbour, in Sydney, Australia. It is shaped like the sails of a boat. Many concerts and events take place there, with 2000 performances a year presented by Opera Australia, Australia's national opera company. It is a famous tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007.

BRAZIL

This cover from Brazil depicts a complete set issued in 2000 with some Fauna from the Amazon region. The Central Amazon Conservation Area is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. As the largest protected area in the Amazon basin, the site is notable for its high biodiversity, range of habitats such as várzea and igapó forests and number of endangered species. It has been recognized by various conservation agencies as a high priority region.

HUNGARY

This cover from Hungary depict a 90 ft stamp (on the rigt)., celebrating the UNESCO World Heritage site Fertö / Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape. Shared with Austria, the Fertö/Neusiedler Lake area has been the meeting place of different cultures for eight millennia. This is graphically demonstrated by its varied landscape, the result of an evolutionary symbiosis between human activity and the physical environment. The remarkable rural architecture of the villages surrounding the lake and several 18th- and 19th-century palaces adds to the area’s considerable cultural interest. The site is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001.

AUSTRIA

This cover from Austria depict a single stamp issued in 2021, celebrating the Fischer Church in Rust, a part of the UNESCO site Fertö / Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape. The Fertö/Neusiedler Lake area has been the meeting place of different cultures for eight millennia. This is graphically demonstrated by its varied landscape, the result of an evolutionary symbiosis between human activity and the physical environment. The remarkable rural architecture of the villages surrounding the lake and several 18th- and 19th-century palaces adds to the area’s considerable cultural interest. The site is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001.

ICELAND

This UNESCO cover from Iceland depict a single stamp issued in 2020 celabrating the Thingvellir National Park. Þingvellir, anglicised as Thingvellir was the site of the Alþing, the annual parliament of Iceland from the year 930 until the last session held at Þingvellir in 1798. Since 1881, the parliament has been located within Alþingishúsið in Reykjavík. Þingvellir is now a national park in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, about 40 km northeast of Iceland's capital, Reykjavík. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological significance, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland. Þingvellir National Park was founded in 1930, marking the 1000th anniversary of the Althing. The park was later expanded to protect the diverse and natural phenomena in the surrounding area, and was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2004.

UKRAINE

This cover from Ukraine depicts a miniature sheet issued in 2020 celebrating the Stained Glass Windows of Lviv Churches. The city of L'viv was founded in the late Middle Ages and it still preserves its medieval topography. The city has been shaped by the interactions of different communities that have lived there through centuries, including various Christian groups, Muslims, and a Jewish community. The architecture of the city represents a fusion of styles form Eastern Europe with the influences coming from Italy and Germany. Several buildings from the Renaissance and Baroque periods have been preserved. Since 1998, UNESCO has listed Lviv's historic centre as part of "World Heritage". On 5 December 1998, during the 22nd Session of the World Heritage Committee in Kyoto, Lviv was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

INDIA

This UNESCO cover from India features 2 stamps issued in 2020 celebrating the Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers. he Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks are nestled high in West Himalaya. Valley of Flowers National Park is renowned for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and outstanding natural beauty. It is located in the Garhwal Himalaya of Chamoli District of Uttarakhand. This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, brown bear and blue sheep. The gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers National Park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi National Park. Together, they encompass a unique transition zone between the mountain ranges of the Zanskar and Great Himalaya. It was inscribed under the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988 with extension in 2005. Together, they comprise the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, which is on the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2004.

GERMANY

This UNESCO cover from Germany features a single stamp issued in 2018, celebrating the Palace of Falkenlust at Brühl. The Falkenkust Palace, along with the Augustusburg Palace, form a historical building complex in Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia, which has been listed as a UNESCO cultural World Heritage Site since 1984. The buildings are connected by the spacious gardens and trees of the Schlosspark. Augustusburg Palace (German: Schloss Augustusburg) and its parks also serve as a venue for the Brühl Palace Concerts. The palaces were built at the beginning of the 18th century by the Archbishop-Elector of Cologne, Clemens August of Bavaria of the Wittelsbach family. The architects were Johann Conrad Schlaun and François de Cuvilliés. The main block of Augustusburg Palace is a U-shaped building with three main storeys and two levels of attics. The magnificent staircase was designed by Johann Balthasar Neumann. The gardens were designed by Dominique Girard. An elaborate flower garden for an area south of the palaces was also designed, but it was restructured by Peter Joseph Lenné in the 19th century and turned into a landscape garden. Attempts to renovate the area have proven difficult, due to poor source material availability. Falkenlust hunting lodge was designed by François de Cuvilliés and built from 1729 to 1740, in the style of the Amalienburg hunting lodge in the park of Nymphenburg Palace. From shortly after World War II until 1994, Augustusburg was used as a reception hall for guests of state by the German President, as it is not far from Bonn, which was the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany at that time.

NORWAY

This cover from Norway depicts 2 stamps of same type isued in 2020, celebrating Bryggen and the 950th anniversary of the town of Bergen. Bryggen (the dock), is a series of Hanseatic heritage commercial buildings lining up the eastern side of the Vågen harbour in the city of Bergen. Bryggen has been on the UNESCO list for World Cultural Heritage sites since 1979. The city of Bergen was founded around 1070 within the boundaries of Tyskebryggen. Around 1350 a Kontor of the Hanseatic League was established there, and Tyskebryggen became the centre of the Hanseatic commercial activities in Norway. Today, Bryggen houses museums, shops, restaurants and pubs.

BRAZIL

This cover from Brazil depicts 2 stamps celebrating the Historic Town of Ouro Preto. Ouro Preto, formerly Vila Rica, is a city in and former capital of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, a former colonial mining town located in the Serra do Espinhaço mountains and designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980 because of its outstanding Baroque Portuguese colonial architecture. Ouro Preto is located in one of the main areas of the Brazilian Gold Rush. Officially, 800 tons of gold were sent to Portugal in the eighteenth century, not to mention what was circulated in an illegal manner, nor what remained in the colony, such as gold used in the ornamentation of the churches. The municipality became the most populous city of Latin America, counting on about 40 thousand people in 1730 and, decades after, 80 thousand.

GERMANY

A nice UNESCO cover from Germany depicting 1 stamp issued in 2019 celebrating the "Bauhaus" buildings and its sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau. Founded in 1919 in Weimar, the Bauhaus was the most influential art school of the 20th century. The buildings designed by the masters of the Bauhaus are fundamental representatives of Classical Modernism. The joint heritage site includes the Bauhaus school buildings in Weimar and the Haus am Horn, Weimar; the Bauhaus Dessau building, the Meisterhäuser (where senior staff lived)and the Laubenganghäuser ('Houses with Balcony Access'); and the ADGB Trade Union School in Bernau bei Berlin. All this complex is inscribed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

ROMANIA

A beautiful UNESCO cover from Romania, depicting a miniature sheet issued in 2009 celebrating the Historic Town of Sighișoara. The Historic Centre of Sighișoara (Sighișoara Citadel) is the old historic center of the town of Sighișoara (German: Schäßburg, Hungarian: Segesvár), Romania, built in the 12th century by Saxon settlers. It is an inhabited medieval citadel that, in 1999, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its 850-year-old testament to the history and culture of the Transylvanian Saxons. Birthplace of Vlad III the Impaler (in Romanian Vlad Țepeș), the city marks the upper boundary of the Land of Sachsen. Like its bigger brothers, Sibiu (Hermannstadt) and Braşov (Kronstadt), Sighișoara exhibits Medieval German architectural and cultural heritage that was preserved even during the Communist period.

RUSSIA

This beautiful cover from Russia depicts a miniature sheet issued in 2010 celebrating the Grand Palace, Tsarskoye Selo, in St. Petersburg. The Tsarskoye Selo palace and park ensemble (the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Preserve) is a superb monument of world-ranking architecture and garden-and-park design dating from the eighteenth to early twentieth centuries. Called The 'Venice of the North', St. Petersburg, with its numerous canals and more than 400 bridges, is the result of a vast urban project begun in 1703 under Peter the Great. Later known as Leningrad (in the former USSR), the city is closely associated with the October Revolution. Its architectural heritage reconciles the very different Baroque and pure neoclassical styles, as can be seen in the Admiralty, the Winter Palace, the Marble Palace and the Hermitage. Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments is the name used by UNESCO when it collectively designated the historic core of the Russian city of St. Petersburg, as well as buildings and ensembles located in the immediate vicinity as a World Heritage Site in 1991. The site was recognised for its architectural heritage, fusing Baroque, Neoclassical, and traditional Russian-Byzantine influences.

NETHERLANDS

This cover from Netherlands depict 2 stamps celebrating the Wadden Sea. The Wadden Sea (Dutch: Waddenzee); (German: Wattenmeer); (Danish: Vadehavet) is an intertidal zone in the southeastern part of the North Sea. It lies between the coast of northwestern continental Europe and the range of low-lying Frisian Islands, forming a shallow body of water with tidal flats and wetlands. It has a high biological diversity and is an important area for both breeding and migrating birds. In 2009, the Dutch and German parts of the Wadden Sea were inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List and the Danish part was added in June 2014.

PORTUGAL

This cover from Portugal depicts a miniature sheet issued in 2012, celebrating the Historic City of Guimarães. Guimarães is a city and municipality located in northern Portugal, in the district of Braga. Its historic town centre is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, in recognition for being an "exceptionally well-preserved and authentic example of the evolution of a medieval settlement into a modern town" in Europe. The city was settled in the 9th century, at which time it was called Vimaranes. This denomination might have had its origin in the warrior Vímara Peres, who chose this area as the main government seat for the County of Portugal which he conquered for the Kingdom of Galicia. Guimarães has a significant historical importance due to the role it played in the foundation of Portugal. The city is often referred to as the "birthplace of Portugal" or "the cradle city" (Cidade Berço in Portuguese) because it is widely believed that Portugal's first King, Afonso Henriques, was born there, and also due to the fact that the Battle of São Mamede – which is considered the seminal event for the foundation of the Kingdom of Portugal – was fought in the vicinity of the city.

UNITED NATIONS - Geneva Office

A nice UNESCO cover from United Nations (Geneva Office), depicting a complete set issued in 2007 with 6 World Heritage Sites in South America: Rapa Nui National Park in Easter Island (Chile), Tiwanaku: Spiritual and Political Centre of the Tiwanaku Culture (Bolivia), Iguaçu National Park (Brazil), Historic Sanctuary of Macchu Picchu (Peru), Cueva de Las Manos, Río Pinturas (Argentina) and Galápagos Islands (Ecuador).

SPAIN

This UNESCO cover from Spain depicts a 0,24€ stamp celebrating La Foncalada, a hydraulic engineering structure that is part of the World Heritage Site Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of Asturias. The Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias are six pre-Romanesque constructions all dating from the 9th century. At that time, Asturias was a stronghold of Christianity. A distinctive and innovative pre-Romanesque architectural style developed in this isolated region north of the Cantabrian mountains. The 6 included locations are: Church of Santa María del Naranco (a former palace), Church of San Miguel de Lillo, Church of Santa Cristina de Lena, The Cámara Santa, Basilica of San Julián de los Prados and La Foncalada.

AUSTRIA

This cover from Austria depict a miniature sheet issued in 2010 celebrating Sissi, teh Empress of Austria, and showing the Palace of Schönbrunn in Vienna. Schönbrunn Palace park in Vienna, which has been open to the public since 1779, is home to the Desert House, the Orangery, the Privy Garden, and the Palm House built in 1882. It is featured on the commemorative stamp and used to be the world’s largest glass structure. Schönbrunn Palace was the residence of the Habsburg emperors from the 18th century to 1918. It was built in the Rococo style as a single, unified project. It was designed by the architects Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Nicolaus Pacassi and is the site of the world's oldest continuously operating Zoo. The Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn are inscribed as an UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996.

UNITED KINGDOM

This cover from United Kingdom depicts a stamp celebrating the City of Bath, one of The Great Spa Towns of Europe. The Great Spa Towns of Europe is a transnational UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of a selection of 11 spa towns across seven European countries. They were developed around natural mineral water springs. From the early 18th century to the 1930s, Western Europe experienced an increase in spa and bathing culture, leading to the construction of elaborate bath houses. These would often include gardens, casinos, theatres, and villas surrounding the springs and the bath houses. The city of Bath was originally inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1987. The efforts to get the Great Spas of Europe onto the World Heritage List began in 2012, and the nomination was submitted in 2019. On 24 July 2021, the Great Spas of Europe were officially inscribed on the World Heritage List.

BRAZIL

A nice cover from Brazil, depicting a miniature sheet issued in 2012 celebrating the 100th. anniversary of Bondinho. This cable car, which was inaugurated on October 27, 1912, was created in order to make life easier for tourists who climbed Sugar Loaf to admire the view of the Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro. We can consider this as a part of the UNESCO site Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes Between the Mountaion and the Sea.

KAZAKHSTAN

This cover from Kazakhstan depicts a 750 stamp celebrating the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmad Yasawi. The Mausoleum of Khawaja Ahmed Yasawi is a mausoleum in the city of Turkestan, in southern Kazakhstan. The structure was commissioned in 1389 by Timur, who ruled the area as part of the expansive Timurid Empire, to replace a smaller 12th-century mausoleum of the famous Turkic poet and Sufi mystic, Khoja Ahmed Yasawi (1093–1166). However, construction was halted with the death of Timur in 1405. The religious structure continues to draw pilgrims from across Central Asia and has come to epitomize the Kazakh national identity. It has been protected as a national monument, while UNESCO recognized it as the country's first site of patrimony, declaring it a World Heritage Site in 2003.

AUSTRALIA

This UNESCO cover from Australia depicts a single stamp celebrating Lord Howe Island Group. Lord Howe Island is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. UNESCO records the Lord Howe Island Group as a World Heritage Site of global natural significance since 1982. Most of the island is virtually untouched forest, with many of the plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. Other natural attractions include the diversity of the landscapes, the variety of upper mantle and oceanic basalts, the world's southernmost barrier coral reef, nesting seabirds, and the rich historical and cultural heritage.

BRAZIL

This FAUNA stamp from Brazil depict a stamps with a Luminous mound (cupinzeiro in portuguese). These termite mounds can grow quite large with diameters up to 30 meters, and towers reaching heights of 7 meters or more. Not only do they provide a home for up to several million termites, they’re also used as nesting sites for the Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher and as home to hundreds of glowing Pyrophorus beetle larvae. At night, the termite mounds look like they’re wrapped in Christmas lights. These luminous mounds can be find at Emas National Park, a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site called Cerrado Protected Areas.

BOSNIA (REP. SRPSKA)

A nice cover from Bosnia (Rep. Srpska), depicting 4 stamps celebrating the Primeval forest Janj, which is part of UNESCO site Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe. This site comprises undisturbed examples of temperate forests that demonstrate the postglacial expansion process of European beech from a few isolated refuge areas in the Alps, Carpathians, Dinarides, Mediterranean, and Pyrenees. The site was originally listed in 2007 as the Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians, shared by Slovakia and Ukraine, extended in 2011 to include the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany, and further extended in 2017 and 2021 to include forests in a total of 18 countries. The Janj forest in Bosnia and Herzegovina was listed in 2021.

AUSTRIA

This cover from Austria depict a joint stamps with Ukraine, celebrating the Historic Centre of L'viv. The city of L'viv was founded in the late Middle Ages and it still preserves its medieval topography. The city has been shaped by the interactions of different communities that have lived there through centuries, including various Christian groups, Muslims, and a Jewish community. The architecture of the city represents a fusion of styles form Eastern Europe with the influences coming from Italy and Germany. Several buildings from the Renaissance and Baroque periods have been preserved. Since 1998, UNESCO has listed Lviv's historic centre as part of "World Heritage". On 5 December 1998, during the 22nd Session of the World Heritage Committee in Kyoto, Lviv was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

SWITZERLAND

This cover from Switzerland depict 2 stamps celebrating the UNESCO site Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes . The Albula and Bernina lines of the Rhaetian Railway are two historic railway lines that cross the Swiss Alps. They were built in the early 20th century, providing a rapid and easy route into many formerly isolated alpine settlements. Building the railroads required overcoming technical challenges with bridges, galleries, and tunnels. The site is shared with Italy and is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2008.

SPAIN

This UNESCO cover depict a 0,24€ stamp celebrating the Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí. The small valley at the edge of the Pyrenees contains churches in Romanesque style decorated with Romanesque murals, statues, and altars. The churches are unique for their tall, square bell towers. UNESCO declared World Heritage Sites in 2000 to nine of these churches.