Switzerland's Watchmaking Centers Get World Heritage Status

Two towns in the Jura region of northwestern Switzerland received UNESCO World Heritage status this June. Known for their singular devotion to making the kinds of watches that ticked as long as you wound them, the towns of La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle offer some unique architecture and city planning, with houses arranged on long and mostly straight streets, looking like trains lined up at a station--as you can see in the picture on the La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle site, which offer lots of tips on what to visit. Watchmaking Heritage Days will be held on the 7th and 8th of November in 2009.

To learn more about UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe, see A Look at UNESCO World Heritage Sites on Italy Travel.