UN VIENNA

Another cover from UNO Vienna, depicting 2 stamps of the same type celebrating the World Heritage Site Jongmyo Shrine. Jongmyo is a Confucian royal ancestral shrine in the Jongno District of Seoul, South Korea. It was originally built during the Joseon period (1392–1397) for memorial services for deceased kings and queens. According to UNESCO, the shrine is the oldest royal Confucian shrine preserved and the ritual ceremonies continue a tradition established in the 14th century. Such shrines existed during the Three Kingdoms of Korea period (57–668), but these have not survived. The Jongmyo Shrine was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995.

UN VIENNA

This cover from UNO Vienna depicts 2 stamps of the same type celebrating the World Heritage Site Hwaseong Fortress, a Korean fortress surrounding the centre of Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeonggi Province. It was built from 1794 to 1796 by King Jeongjo of the Joseon dynasty to house and honour the remains of his father, Prince Sado. Sado had been executed by being locked alive inside a rice chest by his own father King Yeongjo after failing to obey a command to commit suicide. Located 30 kilometres south of Seoul and enclosing much of central Suwon, the fortress includes King Jeongjo's palace Haenggung. The fortress and enclosed palace were designated as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1997. It comprises among many other features the palace, a perimeter wall, four main gates, and two sluicegates over the Suwoncheon, Suwon's main stream, which flows through the centre of the fortress.

AUSTRIA

This cover from Austria depicts 2 stamps, including the 0,95€ stamp (on the right corner), celebrating the Benedictine Abbey of Melk, a part of the World Heritage Site Wachau Cultural Landscape. The Wachau is an Austrian valley with a picturesque landscape formed by the Danube river. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations of Lower Austria, located midway between the towns of Melk and Krems that also attracts "connoisseurs and epicureans" for its high-quality wines. A well-known place and tourist attraction is Dürnstein, where King Richard I of England was held captive by Leopold V, Duke of Austria. The architectural elegance of its ancient monasteries (Melk Abbey and Göttweig Abbey), castles and ruins combined with the urban architecture of its towns and villages, and the cultivation of vines as an important agricultural produce are the dominant features of the valley. The Wachau was inscribed as Wachau Cultural Landscape in the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites in recognition of its architectural and agricultural history, in December 2000.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

This cover from Russian Federation depicts a miniature sheet issued in 2024 celebrating the Western Caucasus natural site. The Western Caucasus, extending over 275,000 ha of the extreme western end of the Caucasus mountains and located 50 km north-east of the Black Sea, is one of the few large mountain areas of Europe that has not experienced significant human impact. Its subalpine and alpine pastures have only been grazed by wild animals, and its extensive tracts of undisturbed mountain forests, extending from the lowlands to the subalpine zone, are unique in Europe. The site has a great diversity of ecosystems, with important endemic plants and wildlife, and is the place of origin and reintroduction of the mountain subspecies of the European bison. The site is inscribed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.

SRI LANKA

NEW ZEALAND

P. R. CHINA

GERMANY

Two special UNESCO covers from Germany, celebrating the ShUM Sites of Speyer, Worms and Mainz. The ShUM communities, named after the initial letters of Hebrew city names Speyer, Worms, and Mainz, were crucial in the development of the Ashkenazi culture in central Europe, especially between the 10th and 13th centuries. The sites, which comprise the Jewish Cemetery in Worms, Worms Synagogue, Jewish courtyard in Speyer (pictured), and the Old Jewish Cemetery in Mainz, were influential in the architecture of Jewish communities in Germany, northern France, and England. The site was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2021.

UNITED KINGDOM - SCOTLAND

This cover from United Kingdom was posted in Edinburgh, Scotland, and depicts 4 differente stamps. The stamp on the left top shows a drawing of the Old Town of Edinburgh, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. The Old Town of Edinburgh was founded in the Middle Ages, and the New Town was developed in 1767–1890. It contrasts the layout of settlements in the medieval and modern periods. The layout and architecture of the new town, whose designers include William Chambers and William Playfair, influenced European urban design in the 18th and 19th centuries.

SRI LANKA

P. R. CHINA

BELARUS