Unique masterpieces: UNESCO World Heritage

There is hardly any other swath of land in the world that offers as many valuable cultural monuments, all of which are distinguished as world heritage sites by UNESCO, as the ATLANTIC ALLIANCE ports. They often offer impressive, listed historic churches, public squares, fortresses or castles and form an ideal
starting point for the highest quality of cultural discovery tours.

Germany
In the middle of Berlin, the Berlin Museum Island lures with a total of five large collection buildings: Alte and Neue Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Pergamon and Bode Museum. The entire ensemble has been a world heritage site since 1999 and a look at the outside and inside is well worth it.

The Netherlands
The old, 135 km long defence ring, the Stelling van Amsterdam, put high demands on dutch water engineers. Close to Rotterdam you find the only intact original ring of windmills left, called Kinderdijk.

Belgium
Since the 11th century, the Grote Market has been the central square of Belgium‘s capital city Brussels. With the Gothic town hall and its closed baroque facade, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful squares in Europe.

Great Britain
Stonehenge, City of Bath, Palace of Westminster, Tower of London in London or the Abby of St. Augustinus: The list of world culture monuments around the ports of Dover and Portland Port alone is very long.

France
A unique world heritage site is the unforgettable promenade along the banks of the Seine in Paris. The splendid baroque palace of the Sun King Louis the XIV and the Park of Versailles are just a few kilometres away. The famous Mont Saint Michel takes also millions of visitors from all over the world breathless each year. Le Havre town centre, which was rebuilt by Auguste Perret, is the first mid 20th century urban settlement in Europe to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Perret was a major 20th century architect and a "poet in concrete" who was both a traditionalist and innovative in his approach. He successfully rose to the challenge before him, seeking inspiration in architectural tradition and drawing on his own strong desire for modernisation to reinvent a unique, open city centre that is harmonious and resolutely innovative spanning an area of 133 hectares

Spain

There are many significant alluring sights around Madrid: the Real Sitio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial from 1548 for example, the largest Renaissance castle in the world. The Way of St. James, the old pilgrimage road across Europe to
Spain‘s Santiago de Compostela is also worth an excursion.

Portugal

There are two world cultural sites around Lisbon that invite you to visit: the historical Monastery of the Jerónimos and the old Tower of Belém. Both are magnificent Manueline monuments that witnessed the great adventure of the portuguese Discoveries.

FADO - Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity 

Fado, the Portuguese traditional music, was declared on 27th November Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity at the 6th meeting of the International Committee of UNESCO held in Bali, Indonesia!

Fado is a Portuguese musical style, usually sung by one singer and accompanied by classical guitar and Portuguese guitar. It expresses the portuguese soul and it is linked to the Portuguese word saudade which symbolizes the feeling of loss. Amália Rodrigues, Carlos do Carmo, Mariza, Mafalda Arnauth, and Cristina Branco are only some of the most famous individuals associated with the genre. Take a glimpse of the Portuguese soul in the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dKvcm2QV9tA