Places To Remember Before They Disappear

PLACES TO
REMEMBER BEFORE
THEY DISAPPEAR
Europe
Inspired by 100 places to remember
before they disappear
PRINCIPATO DI
LUCEDIO, ITALY
Lucedio Abbey—founded by Cistercian

monks in the Upper Po Valley region
of Piedmont in 1123—is the cradle of
Italian rice production. The estate is
now called Principato di Lucedio (the
Princely Estate of Lucedio). Because
rice production here is heavily
dependent on water, it’s threatened
by projected shrinkage of the Alpine
glaciers and declining rainfall.
DALARNA,SWEDEN
The oldest living tree in the world

was recently discovered in the
mountain tundra of Dalarna, in
south-central Sweden. Spruces
dominate Sweden’s forests and
serve as the basis for the country’s
paper and timber industry. But
higher temperatures and fewer
summer rains could lead to a
decline in spruce in southern
Sweden.
COUNTY MEATH,
IRELAND
With fertile land and a strong
farming tradition, County Meath is
Ireland’s leading producer of
potatoes. The spud has strong
historical associations with Ireland,
and is still consumed in large
quantities: the average Irish citizen
eats about 190 pounds of potatoes
each year. Projected increases in
average summer temperatures and
droughts over the next few decades
could put an end to the potato as a
commercially viable crop in this
area.
CAHORS, LOT
VALLEY, FRANCE
Winemaking near the town of
Cahors in the south of France dates
back to the Roman Empire. Today
the Cahors vineyards cover more
than 10,000 acres. The grapes are
extremely sensitive to climate
changes, and even a slight rise in
temperature could put an end to
traditional wine production in
Cahors and many other parts of the
country.
KITZBUHEL, ALPS,
AUSTRIA
Every winter tens of millions of
tourists make the pilgrimage to the
Alps, the largest mountain range in
Europe, to ski, snowboard, and
breathe clean mountain air. But the
Alpine glaciers, retreating for the
past century, have lost 20 percent
of their size since the 1980s. Less
snow is falling on low-lying slopes,
and higher up the permafrost is
melting.
PARIS
Paris’s grand avenues and iconic

monuments attract 45 million
tourists each year. Almost 12 million
people live in the metropolitan
area, making the city one of the
most heavily populated places in
Europe. France was hit particularly
hard in a 2003 heat wave, an event
that’s likely to become more
common in the coming decades.
ARCHIPELAGO
SEA, FINLAND
The Archipelago Sea off the coast of
Finland contains roughly 40,000
islands. The sea has been
undergoing a process called
eutrophication, in which pollution
stimulates the growth of algae. The
resulting lack of oxygen in the
water hurts wildlife. Climate change
may exacerbate eutrophication,
with damaging consequences for
biodiversity.
HALLIGEN ISLANDS,
GERMANY
Off the north coast of Germany, the
low-lying islands have been shaped
by the rising tides of the North Sea.
Occasional flooding has created a
distinctive ecosystem, with fertile
meadows where sea lavender
blossoms in summer, and plants and
animals depend on the occasional
influx of salt water. But this
delicate balance could tip if sea
levels rise.
LAKE BALATON,
HUNGARY
Popularly called “the Hungarian
Sea,” Balaton is the largest lake in
Central Europe. Stretching for 48
miles between the low volcanic hills
of western Hungary, it has become
a popular holiday resort. Yet
increases in temperature and
decreases in rainfall have caused it
to shrink in recent years. If the
trend continues, much of the lake
could eventually dry up.
VENICE, ITALY
Built on wooden poles hammered

deep into the muddy ground, “the
city on the water” has always been
vulnerable to flooding. Over the
centuries, Venice has been slowly
sinking—by nine inches in the last
century alone. A flood barrier now
under construction is designed to
withstand a 10-foot deluge, but new
measures may soon be necessary.
OLYMPIA, GREECE
On the Peloponnese Peninsula in
southern Greece lies the valley of
Olympia, the site of the original
Olympic Games. In recent years
extremely warm, dry summers have
led to an increase in wildfires. In
2007 the surrounding area was
severely damaged, but so far the
archeological site itself remains
intact.
COPENHAGEN,
DENMARK
Copenhagen’s prime waterside

location made the city a center of
commerce in the 12th century.
Today the rising waters threaten its
landmarks. Engineers and architects
have tried to compensate for the
increased risk of flooding in recent
projects, such as the new subway,
but further coastal protection may
be needed if historic areas of
Copenhagen are to be spared.
ROTTERDAM,
NETHERLANDS
With more than half the city lying
below sea level, Rotterdam has
relied for centuries on dikes and
dams to keep back the waters. In
the late 1990s a storm-surge
barrier, the Maeslantkering, was
constructed to protect the city from
rising sea levels. The barrier can
resist a 16-foot rise in sea level, but
in a changing climate its protection
may not last.
AEGEAN SEA,
GREECE
Beneath the surface of the Aegean
lives one of the rarest animals on
earth, the Mediterranean monk
seal. With a population of 400 or so,
it is on the verge of extinction. The
seals have fled from open beaches
to sea caves to escape human
activity. A sea-level rise could
submerge their caves and rob them
of their remaining habitat.
WADDEN SEA,
DENMARK
The Wadden Sea is a low-lying
coastal area formed at the end of
the last Ice Age. Tourists flock there
to “walk on water.” The dynamic
land, constantly built up and broken
down by the sea and wind, forms
new sediment deposits. But if the
sea level rises more rapidly than
expected, there may not be enough
sediment to rebuild the land.
ZAHARA DE LA
SIERRA, SPAIN
Surrounded by fertile green
pastures and olive orchards, Zahara
de la Sierra is one of Andalusia’s
famous pueblos blancos, or “white
towns.” Olives are the most
important crop in the region,
covering 4 million acres of the
mountainous landscape. Increasing
temperatures and decreasing
precipitation could put the area at
risk of desertification.
THAMES, LONDON
For centuries, the Thames has been
London’s main artery. But it is also
its biggest threat. Since the early
Middle Ages, the city has been
expanding into the river, narrowing
its course. The city has had
adequate defenses against flooding
only since the Thames Barrier was
built in 1983. But that might not be
enough to protect against rising
seas.
THANK YOU FOR
WATCHING!

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PLACES TO

Lucedio Abbey—founded by Cistercian

The oldest living tree in the world

Paris’s grand avenues and iconic

Built on wooden poles hammered

Copenhagen’s prime waterside

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