10 Best UNESCO World Heritage Sites

India's Taj Mahal -- perhaps the ultimate testament to love -- was built in the 1600s by Shah Jahan in memory of his late wife. The white marble mausoleum sits on the banks of the Yamuna River and is considered by many to be the greatest architectural feat in the Indo-Islamic tradition.

The waterfalls of Iguazu National Park, some of the most spectacular in the world, plummet 260 feet and span more than 8,000 feet. That makes them significantly taller than Niagara Falls and twice as wide -- truly one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world.

The film In Bruges staring Colin Farrell helped put this historic Belgian city on the tourist map, and it certainly deserves to be there. The charming medieval settlement boasts excellent examples of Gothic architecture along its waterways and cobbled streets. If you're looking for the postcard-perfect European town, this is it.

The red sandstone ruins of Petra, carved and built into the mountains of the Nabataean kingdom, fuse Hellenistic and Eastern architectural traditions seamlessly in what has become one of the world's most recognizable architectural sites. Since you can't take vehicles into Petra, you're stuck using a more traditional form of transport: the camel.

The 24 monasteries perched atop the cliffs of Meteora, Greece seem almost impossible to access, especially given they were built in the fifteenth century. Intrepid travelers can ascend the steep and often slippery steps to visit a few of the monasteries still inhabited by monks and open to visitors.

For wildlife enthusiasts, it doesn't get much better than the vast plains of the Serengeti savannah. Each year, hundreds of thousands of animals -- zebra, gazelle and wildebeest -- migrate to the Serengeti watering holes with their predators in hot pursuit. The impressive biodiversity of the park, including the presence of four globally endangered species, makes the park both vitally important and exciting for safaris.

Mont-Saint-Michel, a Gothic Benedictine abbey dedicated to Saint Michel, sits on a rocky islet at the border of Normandy and Brittany. The walls measure more than a half-mile around, making it one of Europe's most impressive architectural achievements. No wonder it's the most visited site in France after the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.

The Bavarian town of Bamberg earned a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage list with its well-preserved heritage and medieval architecture. Come for the sights and stay for the beer; Bamberg is home to 10 breweries with another 80 in the vicinity.