A look at unusual world heritage sites around the world, under the auspices of UNESCO, continues with a truly remarkable top ten.

10. Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun, Bahrain

Known as Qal’at al-Bahrain, this paramount excavation mound in the oil rich Persian Gulf nation displays traces of human settlement from as far back as 2300 BC. With not even half of the site uncovered, only time will tell how many inherent treasures rest under the ground of what was once a vital civilization. The most notable landmark is a Portuguese fort from the colonial era.

9. Tiwanaku, Bolivia

Though Bolivia is not always the safest and most stable destination to visit, the South American country has a wealth of wonders to explore. The ancient pre-colonial city of Tiwanaku is one of Bolivia’s veritable jewels and was a de facto base of power for an empire that virtually ran the Andes between the years 500 and 900.

8. The Four Lifts on the Canal du Centre and their Environs, La Louvi?re and Le Roeulx, Belgium

Industrial landmarks are not a favorite with UNESCO but every once in a while, the World Heritage team finds a diamond in the rough. Hydraulic boat-lifts are not everyone’s idea of a tourist attraction but the four you find near the town of La Louvi?re in Belgium are stellar examples of innovative 19th century engineering and industrial design.

7. Historic Centre of the Town of Goi?s, Brazil

Imagine what in essence is a town built to support a mine industry that at first glance, appears completely European in nature. But then upon closer inspection and with the greater landscape in mind, you realize that you are in fact, in South America. The spectacular old town of Goi?s is just that. On one hand an 18th century colonial outpost but on the other, with the use of endemic raw materials and craftsmanship, wholly Brazilian.

6. Rideau Canal, Ottawa, Canada

Canada’s capital city is replete with charm, which for many, is most emblematic in the iconic Rideau Canal. People who come to skate on and walk along the canal often forget or remain oblivious to the fact that Rideau is one of the most historic canals in North America. It spans over 200 km and contains many pristinely preserved fortress landmarks that hint at the engineering feat’s initial purpose. Rideau is also the only 19th century canal left on the continent still in commercial service.

5. Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works, Chile

Under threat because of human and natural interference, the Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works in Chile dates back to a time when laborers in the harsh Pampas environment processed the land to produce fertilizer sodium nitrate for South America, North America and Europe. The communal culture that evolved over the decades from 1880 to 1940, with migrant workers from all over the continent, makes this area significant, unusual and completely unique in the world.

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4. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam

With a phenomenal city like Saigon, beautiful countryside and sites like Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam has become a dominant player in Southeast Asia. The park is unusual for several reasons, but chiefly for macabre layers of limestone, fossil remains and a network of caves and subterranean rivers that span 65 km.

3. Cornwall and West Devon, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Back in the 19th century, the area of Cornwall and West Devon produced more than 66% of the world’s copper. The prolific industrial output of the region was the result of stupendous innovations in the mining and metallurgical manufacturing sectors. The foundries, mines, engine houses and ports that stand to this day were deemed by UNESCO to be incredibly rich in historical value and in need of preservation in what remains one of the predominant cradles of the Industrial Revolution.

2. Ancient Merv, Turkmenistan

Central Asia is a vast cultural panorama, awash with hidden treasure troves and ancient towns. The old city of Merv in underappreciated Turkmenistan, a country with a checkered past but phenomenal GDP growth in recent years, is perhaps the best-preserved Silk Road oasis in the region. With monuments and excavated traces from as far back as 4,000 years ago, Merv is certainly the oldest in all of Central Asia.

1. West Norwegian Fjords

With some of the most dramatic and awesome scenery in store for visitors, the Geirangerfjord and N?r?yfjord of west Norway are the archetypes of typical fjords. The twin natural wonders span over 500 km of pristine wilderness and feature classic fjord details like mammoth steep rock walls that plunge over half a kilometer below sea level and rich biodiversity. Land and marine mammals that depend on the fjords for sustenance abound and old farm settlements, no longer in use, add a subtext to the environment.

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