Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany’s Bavaria region is famous for, among other things, serving as the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle.

Photo by Alex Vasey/Unsplash

A new crop of World Heritage Sites has been named for 2025, ranging from opulent Bavarian palaces in Germany to a wildlife-rich ecological area in Sierra Leone.

Each summer, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (better known as UNESCO) World Heritage Committee meets to evaluate nominations from countries around the world, designating sites that meet its criteria of “outstanding universal value,” whether through cultural, historical, or natural significance. The program began in 1972 as a way to identify and protect the world’s most irreplaceable places. Today it encompasses more than 1,200 sites globally, including notable destinations such as the Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu, the Taj Mahal, the Pyramids of Giza, and Angkor Wat.

Getting on the list isn’t easy. It requires rigorous evaluation and proof that the site is both unique and of lasting importance to humanity. But the rewards are great: recognition, preservation support, and an unofficial open invitation to the world’s travelers, for whom the list often serves as trip inspiration; UNESCO puts these notable landmarks on the global tourism map.

This year’s class of newly inscribed sites is a continent-spanning collection of 26 incredible landscapes, spiritual sanctuaries, and historical marvels. Whether you’re a culture buff, a nature lover, or a seeker of incredible views, here are eight of the 2025 inductees worth planning a trip around.

Birders will have plenty to look at among the 450 species in the Gola-Tiwai complex in Sierra Leone, including this white-necked rockfowl.

Photo by Ryan Wilkie/Courtesy of UNESCO