Dublin - UNESCO City of Literature

Dublin was nominated UNESCO City of Literature on 20th of July, 2010 becoming the fourth member in the domain of literature.

Dublin is acknowledged for having a rich literary heritage, being home of world-recognized writers and at the same time a city where literature still plays an important role in society and people’s life. It boasts four Nobel Laureates - playwright George Bernard Shaw, poets W.B. Yeats and Seamus Heaney, and the multi-faceted Samuel Beckett. Many fine libraries and literary institutions can be found in the city, all supported by a strong publishing and bookselling industry.

The lively literary environment in the city is nurtured by a range of high quality education and promotion programmes with the support of public and private sectors. Besides, the multi-cultural aspect of Dublin’s cultural scene is a great opportunity to foster intercultural dialogue through literature.

Belgium - The Four Lifts on the Canal du Centre and their Environs, La Louvière and Le Roeulx (Hainaut)

The four hydraulic boat-lifts on this short stretch of the historic Canal du Centre are industrial monuments of the highest quality. Together with the canal itself and its associated structures, they constitute a remarkably well-preserved and complete example of a late-19th-century industrial landscape. Of the eight hydraulic boat-lifts built at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, the only ones in the world which still exist in their original working condition are these four lifts on the Canal du Centre.