Explore your city this coming World Heritage Day - it's a UNESCO World Heritage site!
Did you know that the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh are a UNESCO World Heritage site?
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World Heritage Day takes place on 18 April and Edinburgh will have its own programme encouraging everyone to explore their city.
Edinburgh was added to the World Heritage list in 1995, joining attractions such as the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids of Giza as one of the world’s most important cultural locations.
The centre of Edinburgh is a World Heritage site because of the striking contrast between the medieval Old Town and the Georgian New Town, and the survival of many historic buildings in each area.
About 75 per cent of all the buildings within the site are listed for their architectural or historical importance.
The distinctive pattern of narrow closes and wynds leading off the Royal Mile dates back hundreds of years, and the grand streets and squares around George Street are still laid out according to a plan drawn up in 1767 by the architect James Craig.
- Visit the Edinburgh World Heritage website at: www.ewht.org.uk for more details about the World Heritage Day programme.