Over the past 33 years, UNESCO has designated 890 world heritage sites based on cultural or natural heritage and having outstanding universal value, including 16 new sites just added last month. Italy, with 44 designated world heritage sites, has more than any other country. Here's a look at UNESCO World Heritage Sites around the world, covered by our about.com travel guides.

Photo of Valcamonica, Italy's first UNESCO site © James Martin

Europe:

• Austria has 7000 years of salt mining in Hallstatt.
• Belgium sites include Brussels' Grand Place, historic center of Bruges, and Flemish Béguinages.
• France's first sites were Chartres Cathedral, the isolated island of Mont Saint Michel, and the Palace of Versailles.
• Germany's sites include the Cathedral of Cologne, Wartburg Castle, Berlin Museums Island, and Wieskirche pilgrimage church and Wuerzburg Residence Palace on the Romantic Road.
• Italy has 18 sites in Northern Italy including Italy's first and most recent inscriptions, 12 sites in Central Italy including those in Rome and Tuscany, and 14 sites in Southern Italy including those on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia.
• Ireland has three sites - Brú na Boinne, Passage Tombs of Newgrange and Knowth includes the massive tumuli of Newgrange and Knowth, both open to visitors on guided tours. A natural heritage site lies at the tip of Northern Ireland, the Giant's Causeway.
• The historic centers of Evora and Porto are two of Portugal's sites.
• Scandanavia has world heritage sites in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland.
• Switzerland has the castles of Bellinzona and the old city of Berne with its impressive medieval architecture.
• United Kingdom has 27 world heritage sites, from castles and factories to prehistoric landscapes and islands in the South Pacific. Our UK guide covers 15 of them.

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On July 24 the Vatican Museums will be open to visitors in the evening. Visitors will be admitted from 7 pm until 9:30 pm with the museums closing at 11 pm and booking is required, according to Cultural Italy (tickets can be reserved through their site for a fee).

The Vatican Museums Complex is the largest museum complex in the world with over 1400 rooms and an amazing number of art works, spanning 3000 years. According to the Vatican Museums web site, the current entrance fee for the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel, is 14 euro except on the last Sunday of the month when admission is free.

Visitor Information: Vatican City Travel Guide
Photos: Vatican Museum Pictures

It's Travellers Calabria week on Bleeding Espresso in honor of the publication of the first guide book totally about the region of Calabria. Also featured is a new Calabrian music CD. If you go to kicking off traveller's calabria week with mimmo's music and post a comment by Friday you'll be eligible to win a CD or a copy of the guide book.

So just where is Calabria? The Calabria region is the part of southern Italy called the toe of the boot - take a look at this Calabria Map. Calabria is a fascinating region that's not heavily touristed. It has four national parks, mountains, and lots of coast. Lamezia Terme airport has flights to other parts of Italy and Europe and ferries cross to Sicily from the west coast.

Pictures: Northern Calabria Pictures

Soave Castle - an expected attraction in northern Italy's Veneto Region
More Italy Castles

Picture of Soave Castle © Martha Bakerjian, licensed to about.com