Nazca Lines | Peru

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The Nazca Lines are a series of ancient geoglyphs located in the Nazca Desert in southern Peru. The hundreds of individual figures range in complexity from simple lines to stylized hummingbirds, spiders, monkeys, fish, sharks, orcas, and lizards. These ‘drawings’ date back 1,500 to 2,500 years.

Lines and Geoglyphs of Nazca and Pampas de Jumana is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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The label reads 'Serpost', the national Peruvian postal service. The sender dated the postcard 15 september 2015. So it took long to reach its destination. Maybe it has something to do with the strike in Peru that ended in December. But Im not sure as it only started in November. 

Baobab trees in Malawi

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The baobab tree is an integral part of the African landscape. It can grow up to 30 meters tall and can live for several thousand(!) years. 

The tree looks like it has been picked out of the ground and stuffed back in upside-down. 

Garamba National Park | DR Congo

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Garamba National Park is located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa.

The park is home to the four largest land mammals in the world, the elephant, the rhinoceros, the giraffe and the hippopotamus. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Jungfrau Railway | Switzerland

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With 4,158 metres Jungfrau is one of the highest mountain peaks in Switzerland. The Jungfrau Railway went into service in 1912. The railway travels to the highest railway station in Europe, located 3,454 meters above sea level.

The Jungfrau is part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch area, which was declared a World Heritage Site in 2001.

Komodo Dragons | Indonesia

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The Komodo dragon is a large species of lizard found in the Indonesian Komodo islands. The Komodo National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The park is home to about 5,700 of these giants. 

Bayreuth Festival Theatre | Germany

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The Margravial Opera House, built between 1745 and 1750 is an opera house in Bayreuth, Germany. As you can see A masterpiece of Baroque theatre architecture. The theatre is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Historic Village of Shirakawa-gō | Japan

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The Shirakawa-go region in Japan is famous for the traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. The design is exceptionally strong to withstand the weight of the region's heavy snowfalls in winter.

The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Sant Climent de Taull | Spain

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The Vall de Boí is a narrow and steep-sided valley in the province of Lleida, Spain. Sant Climent de Taüll is a Roman Catholic church, one of the nine Early Romanesque churches located in the vally.  

Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The old city of Dubrovnik | Croatia

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Dubrovnik is a Croatian city situated on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. The old city, once known as the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’ is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Historic Centre of Telč | Czech Republic

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Telč is a town in the Czech Republic. The historic centre of the town is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The origins of the town dates back to the 12th century.

 

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The text on the stamp reads “ Europa Cup 2011”. It appears to be the European Florists Championship held in Czech Republic. In April 2016, the European Florist Championship will take place in Genoa (Italy).  

Glarner Hauptüberschiebung | Switzerland

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Glarner Hauptüberschiebung is a major thrust fault in the Alps of eastern Switzerland. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site inscribed under the name ‘ Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona’.

Old Omani Villages | Oman

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The Sultanate of Oman is an Arab state in south west Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The head of state and of the government is sultan, Qaboos bin Said Al Said.

 

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The Khanjar is one of the traditional Omani symbols.

Traditional dancers of Papua New Guinea

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New Guinea is the world's second-largest island, after Greenland. Papua New Guinea (PNG) occupies the eastern part the island. The other half belongs to Indonesia. PNG is an archipelago of about 600 islands and 7 million inhabitants.

 

PNG has been an independent country since 1975 and is one of the 53 members of the Commonwealth. So the head of state is Queen Elizabeth II. She is represented by a Governor-General.

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2015 XV Pacific Games - Port Moresby PNG

Konedobu is a suburb of Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea.

thx SL!

Speyer Cathedral | Germany

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Officially known as the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Stephen, the cathedral in Speyer is the town's most prominent landmark. Almost 1000 years old, it is one of the most important Romanesque monuments from the time of the Holy Roman Empire. 

The cathedral was the burial place of the German emperors for almost 300 years.

Alcatraz Island | USA

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Alcatraz Island is located in the San Francisco Bay, 1.5 miles offshore from San Francisco. From 1934 until 1963, Alcatraz was America's premier maximum-security prison and housed some of the country’s most difficult and dangerous felons. 

No inmate ever successfully escaped The Rock, as the prison was nicknamed, although more than a dozen known attempts were made over the years.

Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaarde | Belgium

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Béguinages are architectural ensembles composed of houses, churches, ancillary buildings and green spaces. 

In these closed communities, founded in the 13th century, the béguines (women who lived a religious life, but without any formal vows) could live and worship in a quiet environment. 

Flemish Béguinages is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Coober Pedy | Australia

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Coober Pedy is an opal mining town in South Australia, located in an extremely inhospitable environment.

The town’s name is an anglicized version of Aboriginal words "kupa piti", meaning something like "white man in a hole". Half the population lives in underground dugouts to escape high temperatures in summer.

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A stamp to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II – the longest-reigning British monarch. Part of a set of five stamps.

Thx Steve!

Opal capital of the world: Coober Pedy | Australia

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Australia produces around 95% of the world's opal for use in the jewellery industry. There are lots of opal mining towns in Australia but only one is well known throughout the world: Coober Pedy.

The opal mining fields of Coober Pedy lie in the outback of South Australia, 750 km north of Adelaide. Many of the locals in Coober Pedy prefer to live underground in dugouts where it is cool in summer and warm in winter.

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In 1995 Australia issued two stamps with opal holograms. When the stamp is held up to the light the hologram comes to life just like an opal and the color rolls and changes when you move the stamp. 

Living underground in Coober Pedy | Australia

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Coober Pedy, an opal mining town in South Australia, is located in an extremely inhospitable environment. Desert temperatures in the summer but it can get quite chilly in the winter. So what to do? Go underground!

The sandstone in Coober Pedy is perfectly suited for underground homes. It is easy to dig through, like all sandstone, but it is very strong and stable.

Need another shelf? Dig a hole in the wall. Shelf not big enough for the new stereo? Dig a bit deeper. A walk in robe? Dig a big hole. Another bed room? Not a problem! And always the off chance of finding some opal...

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A stamp to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II – the longest-reigning British monarch. Princess Elizabeth, at the age of 25, acceded to the throne on 6 February 1952. The coronation of the new Queen took place more than a year later, on 2 June 1953, at which she was formally crowned Queen of the United Kingdom.

Mogao Grottoes (莫高窟) | China

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Mogao Grottoes (莫高窟) are located in the North-Western Province of Gansu, near the city of Dunhuang, China. This city was a major stop on the ancient Silk Road, a network of overland trade routes that linked China with the Mediterranean.

The site includes hundreds of grottoes excavated in the local soft rocks. The constructions started in the 4th century and for over 10 centuries more and more caves have been added by the Buddhist monks.

Xiyu Western Fort | Taiwan

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Xiyu or ‘Fisherman Island’ is one of the Pescadores Islands, an archipelago of 64 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait between China and Taiwan. The island is one of the main islands and has a population of about 8,500.

The cannons are part of the Xiyu Western Fort, located on this island. The fort is one of 10, built to protect Taiwan from the harassment and attacks of pirates and bandits.  

Fort Belgica | Indonesia

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Fort Belgica is one of the most impressive of the many forts built by the Dutch East India Company. The fort is located on Bandaneira Island, one of the Banda Islands. Construction of the fort started early 17th century.

The Banda Islands are a group of ten small volcanic islands in the Banda Sea, part of the Moluccas, also known as the Spice islands.

Cave 17, Ajanta | India

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The Ajanta Caves are about 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 or 650 CE. Cave 17 contains some of the best preserved and well known paintings of all the caves.

 

UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983.

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The stamp on the right is to commemorate the 150th anniversary of introduction of Sagol Kangjei to the world, the name of the game of polo played in Manipur. 

Sagol means pony or horse, kang means ball or round object, and jei is a stick used for hitting. 

The Queen’s Stepwell at Patan | India

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Rani ki Vav (the Queen's Stepwell) is located on the banks of the Saraswati River in Patan, India. The well was Initially built as a memorial in the 11th century. The site was only re-discovered in the 1950s as its many levels had been backfilled with silt over the centuries.

The well is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since June 2014.

Canaima National Park in Venezuela

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Canaima is a national park in south-eastern Venezuela along the border between Guyana and Brazil. The many cliffs and waterfalls, including the world's highest (1,000 m), form a spectacular landscape.

The park is a UNESCO World Heritage site.