International Day for Monuments and Sites Apr. 18, 2024

International Day for Monuments and Sites

Today is a monumental occasion: International Day for Monuments and Sites. Also called World Heritage Day, the event aims to highlight how important the task of conserving our cultural heritage is. A monument can be anything from an architectural work to a sculpture—something that has outstanding value from a historical, artistic or scientific point of view. Some of the amazing heritage sites around the world include Machu Picchu in Peru and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. The stone structure in today"s image is part of the medieval city walls of Ávila in Spain. Built between the 11th and 14th centuries, these fortifications have a perimeter of over 2,438 metres. When they were first built, they served to defend the city against attacks from outsiders; nowadays, visitors can walk around nearly half of the circumference of the walls, enjoying views of the city and the surrounding countryside.

© Alberto Loyo/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

A mountaintop cultural wonder
Apr. 18, 2025International Day for Monuments and Sites

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Get ready for the blood moon
Sep. 21, 2023International Day of Peace
Nov. 15, 2023Rapa Valley in Sarek National Park, Sweden
Jun. 6, 202581st anniversary of D-Day
Mar. 20, 2026Spring equinox
Aug. 30, 2024International Whale Shark Day
Jan. 9, 2025Sossusvlei sand dunes, Namib desert, Namibia
Jun. 15, 2024International Surfing Day
Sep. 4, 2024Dusky eagle-owls, Pakistan
Where is this scenic view?
The healing powers of wastewater
Dec. 1, 2024Antarctica Day
Jul. 31, 2025Kalalau Beach on the Nā Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, United States
Jan. 19, 2026Abraham Lake, Alberta
Jul. 31, 2024Hoodoos, Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
For Mother’s Day, we salute these marsupial moms
Jan. 6, 2024Vermilion Lakes, Banff
Nov. 5, 2023Playa del Silencio, Spain
Stars in daylight
Jun. 5, 2024World Environment Day
Do pandas enjoy winter?
Jul. 26, 2025International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem
Feb. 27, 2025International Polar Bear Day
Oct. 26, 2023Schönbrunn Palace Park, Vienna, Austria
High above the Aegean Sea
Oct. 28, 2025The Gothic Gate in the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks, Czechia
Teddy bears of the sea
Jan. 9, 2026Muir Woods National Monument, California, United States
Mar. 26, 2026Logan Creek Suspension Bridge, West Coast Trail, British Columbia
Remembering D-Day