Bellinzona - Switzerland

3rd unesco, new unesco, of the week! A great swiss whs sent by Doris "theswissmiss".

"Bellinzona is the capital city of the canton Ticino in Switzerland. The city is famous for its three castles (Castelgrande, Montebello, Sasso Corbaro) that are UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2000.

The site of the Castelgrande has been fortified since at least the late 1th Century BC and until the 13th Century it was the only fortification in Bellinzona.
The Castelgrande hill includes a nearly vertical side on the north and a steep southern side, but is nearly flat and 150-200m in diameter. Much of the visible castle dates from 1250-1500 with extensive renovations and some expansion in the last two centuries. Most of the area inside the castle walls is now flat, open space.
The castle can be reached by taking an elevator from the foot of the rock to the castle grounds or by climbing steep, narrow streets from the city center through the city wall onto the castle grounds. - in: wikipedia