1833456
Description
Flashcards by Emondo Giratus, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Emondo Giratus
over 9 years ago
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| Question | Answer |
| Name: Iguazu Falls Location: Border of Argentina & Brazil Description: One of the world's most stunning natural wonders, Iguazu Falls is a series of 275 magnificent waterfalls along the Iguazu River, with Devil's Throat is the most impressive one. The beauty of the scene is not only by the falls, but also by surrounded lush forest | |
| Name: Great Barrier Reef Location: Queensland, Australia Description: The largest coral reef system in the world, a magnificent scenery with over 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2300 kilometres over an area of 344 000 square kilometres. This is the best destination for underwater exploration | |
| Name: Sydney Harbour Bridge Location: Sydney, Australia Description: Built in 1932, it's the bridge across Sydney Harbour to connect Sydney central and North Shore. The bridge is nicknamed "The Coathanger" for its arch-based design, and it's the tallest arch bridge in the world, with the height of 134 meters. The dramatic view of the bridge is an iconic symbol of Sydney, and on the New Year's Eve, million of tourists come here to watch one of the world's most magnificent fireworks shows to celebrate New Year | |
| Name: Sydney Opera House Location: Sydney, Australia Description: Surrounded by the beautiful scenery of the Sydney Harbor and Royal Botanical Gardens, with unique design reflecting the image of a huge sailing ship, it is the most famous landmark in Australia. The Opera House was designed and built by Danish architecture Jørn Utzon and host more than 1500 performances each year | |
| Name: Uluru/Ayers Rock Location: Northern Territory, Australia Description: One of the world's largest monoliths and Australia's natural icon, Ayers Rock stands 348 meters high and measures 9,4 kilometers in circumferences. A special thing about the rock is that it changes color due to different light at different times of day and year, from brown to orange, red and grey | |
| Name: Hohensalzburg Castle Location: Salzburg, Austria Description: Sat atop Festungsberg mountain, this magnificent castle is one of the largest and best preserved medieval castles in the world. It was built from 1077 as a fortress to protect the archbishops of Salzburg, and later used by many other purposes. Today it's one of the most popular attractions of Salzburg and Austria | |
| Name: Schönbrunn Palace Location: Vienna, Austria Description: Schönbrunn Palace was built as a summer residence of the Habsburg emperor. The Baroque complex contains a vast garden, the Palm House, the Gloriette and a zoo. Visitors will find numerous attractions here, from 1441 rooms with rich decorative arts inside the palace, to the maze and the labyrinth in the gardens and a separate Children's Museum. It's not only the most visited sites, but also the most important architectural, cultural and historical building in Austria | |
| Name: Canals of Bruges Location: Bruges, Belgium Description: Nicknamed "Venice of the North", canals of Bruges is one of the most popular attractions in Belgium. A boat ride along the canals offers visitors picturesque scene with nature beauty and medieval buildings alongside | |
| Name: Atomium Location: Brussels, Belgium Description: Originally constructed for the World Fair 1958, the Atomium is the most popular tourist attraction in Brussels and has become the symbol of the city. The bizarre structure contains 9 stainless steel clad spheres connected to form a shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. The building's served as an exhibition, and it also contains a panoramic restaurant offering a spectacular view of Brussels. At night, the spheres are lit up with 2970 LED that presents a very special show. | |
| Name: Great Blue Hole Location: Belize City, Belize Description: One of the most stunning scenes on earth, the hole belongs to Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 70 km from the mainland. It was formed during several episodes of quaternary glaciation when sea levels were much lower. Not only from the air, the scene beneath is also breathtaking because of clear water. It's a perfect place for scuba diving | |
| Name: Taktsang Dzong Location: Paro, Bhutan Description: Also known as Tiger's Nest, it's a combination of fortress and monastery located on the edge of a 900-meter cliff, combine with the beauty of mountain to create an impressive sight. The dzong was built from the 17th century, but mostly destroyed in 1998 by a fire. Today it's been painstakingly rebuilt, and still a symbol and most tourist attraction in Bhutan | |
| Name: Lake Titicaca Location: Border of Bolivia and Peru Description: Lay on the Andes at the height of 3812 meters, it's the highest navigable lake in the world, and the largest lake in South America. It's the popular tourist destination, from which tourists can have cruises on reef boats to enjoy beautiful scene and explore its islands, especially Uros, the group of 44 islands made of floating reeds | |
| Name: Salar de Uyuni Location: Potosi, Bolivia Description: Located in the Andes, it's the world's largest salt flat at 10 582 square kilometers formed by a prehistoric lake. During the dry season, the expansion of salt creates endless white landscape, but the area is most spectacular in the rainy season, when water laying atop the cemented salt acts like a mirror, perfectly reflecting the sky above, and creates a marvelous scene | |
| Name: Tiwanaku Location: Tiwanaku, Bolivia Description: Located near the south-eastern shore of Lake Titicaca, Tiwanaku is one of the most important precursors to the Inca Empire. Only a small part of it was excavated, and it's been known for great megalithic architectural achievement of Inca civilization | |
| Name: Stari Most Location: Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina Description: Meaning "Old Bridge", the bridge today is a reconstruction of the old one built from 1566 during Ottoman Empire but destroyed in 1993 in Croat-Bosniak War. The new bridge was opened in 2004, and it's still the country most remarkable landmark | |
| Name: Copacabana Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Description: Located right in the center of Rio, this is a beautiful area with the 4-km long beach stretching along the Atlantic Ocean, with Sugarloaf mountain behind. The beach is very famous worldwide for a non-stop party atmosphere. People gather here to check out the scene, relax, swim, play volley ball and soccer, have beach parties, and celebrate Brazilian holidays | |
| Name: Statue of Christ the Redeemer Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Description: Perched atop the 710-meter high peak of Corcovado Mountain, it's an Art Deco statue of Jesus Christ standing with arms outstretched, gazing serenely out over the city, a representation of Christ bringing peace to the world. The statue is an icon for Rio de Janeiro and Brazil, as well as one of the new wonders of the world | |
| Name: Angkor Wat Location: Siem Reap, Cambodia Description: Meaning "The City of Temples", Angkor Wat is an enormous Buddhist temple complex. In fact, its religion was changed from Hindu to Buddhist several times. Today it's the largest religious monument in the world, and become a symbol of Cambodia, the shape of the temple appears on the country flag | |
| Name: Moraine Lake Location: Alberta, Canada Description: Located in Banff National Park, it's a glacially-fed lake with a stunning blue water caused by light reflecting off the glacier flour, and surrounded by the beauty of Canadian rocky mountains. The breathtaking scene is famous as it's chosen as a background picture in many places, including events and products of Microsoft, Google... | |
| Name: Niagara Fall Location: Border of Canada and USA Description: Probably the most famous waterfall in the world, it's the combination of 3 waterfalls: American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls. It's the most tourist attraction in both Canada and USA. Tourists go there to see the superb beauty and enormous flow of the falls, as well as having boat tour, the most popular one is the Maid of the Mist, to feel the spray of the plunging cascade | |
| Name: CN Tower Location: Toronto, Canada Description: Built by the Canadian National railway company in 1973, the 553 - meter high communications and observation tower is the most famous landmark and the symbol of Canada. It was once the tallest tower in the world before being surpassed by Burj Khalifa. The tower attracts lots of tourists, who go there to have thrilling experience of walking on the roof of the main pod of the tower at 356 m (EdgeWalk), or simply to have a splendid view of Toronto | |
| Name: Easter Island Location: Easter Island, Chile Description: One of the most isolated place in the world, located at the Polynesian Triangle, 2000 km away the nearest land Pitcairn Island, 3500 km away Chile, Easter Island is famous worldwide for its 887 monolithic stone statues, called moai, created by the early local Rapa Nui people. The tallest one, Paro, is 10 meters high and weigh 75 ton. The name of the island was given by the Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen, who encountered it on Easter 1722 | |
| Name: Great Wall of China Location: China Description: The greatest wonder in China and one of the world's greatest constructions, the Great Wall is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, earth, wood... built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China to protect the Chinese empires against the attacks of nomadic tribes from the north. It was first built from 7th century B.C, and had been rebuilt, maintained, enhanced through many dynasties, and the majority of the existing wall is from Ming dynasty. The entire wall stretches for 8851,8 kilometers, which makes it the longest man-made structure in the world | |
| Name: Huangshan Location: Anhui, China Description: Yellow Mountain is the most famous mountain in China, a frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literatures, as well as modern photography. It's known for scenery, sunsets, peculiarly shaped granite peaks, Huangshan Pine trees, hot springs, winter snow, and views of the clouds from above. It's also the place of Chinese high quality teas | |
| Name: Huangguoshu Waterfall Location: Anshun, China Description: One of the largest waterfalls in Asia, it's a part of a group of 18 waterfalls located on the Banshui River. The charm of the waterfall is a natural tourist draw, and its vista changes depending on the location of the viewers, from the whole scene to bird's eye view | |
| Name: Forbidden City Location: Beijing, China Description: Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace for nearly 500 years, from 1420 (the Ming dynasty) to 1911 (the end of the Qing dynasty). Located at the center of Beijing, the complex covers an area of 72 hectares with 980 buildings of 8,707 rooms surrounded by a 6-meter deep moat and a ten meter high wall. It's the largest palace complex in the world, and the most popular tourist attraction in Beijing | |
| Name: Summer Palace Location: Beijing, China Description: Summer Palace is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces, mainly dominated by Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake. It was used as a summer residence by Chinese imperial rulers, as a retreat from the Forbidden City. Today it's a very popular tourist destination in Beijing, as declared by UNESCO "a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design" | |
| Name: Temple of Heaven Location: Beijing, China Description: One of the symbols and most famous landmarks in Beijing, it's a complex of religious buildings designed in traditional East Asian style, regarded as a Taoism temple. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest | |
| Name: Yonghe Temple Location: Beijing, China Description: With traditional artworks combined of Han and Tibetan styles, the temple is one of the largest and best-preserved lamaseries in the world. It was built from 1694 and become residence and teaching place of many Tibetan and Mongolian monks | |
| Name: Chengdu Panda Base Location: Chengdu, China Description: Largest home of giant pandas in the world, the place is one of the top tourist destinations in China. Visitors go there to see adorable pandas in their natural habitat and play with them. The research base was founded in 1987 to save giant pandas from extinction, started with 6 pandas rescued from the wild. Now we have more than 100 ones, and in the future more research base will be founded | |
| Name: Hanging Monastery Location: Datong, China Description: Perched precariously halfway up a cliff 75 meters above the ground, it's one of the most remarkable sights in China. It's also the only existing temple with the combination of three Chinese traditional religions: Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism | |
| Name: Reed Flute Cave Location: Guilin, China Description: Known as "The Palace of Natural Art", it's a natural limestone cave with multicolored lighting and has been one of Guilin's most interesting attractions for over 1200 years. The cave is over 180 million years old, and its name is got from the type of reed growing outside, which can be made into melodious flutes | |
| Name: West Lake Location: Hangzhou, China Description: "An idealized fusion between humans and nature", West Lake is the most famous lake in China, the inspiration of many poems and paintings through history. It's the large freshwater lake separated by causeways and lined with numerous temples, pagodas, gardens designed for relaxation and spirituality. The lake scene is magnificient all the time, and people had picked ten best scenic spots, known as "Ten Scenes of West Lake", each is marked by a stele with an epithet written in the calligraphy of the Qianlong Emperor | |
| Name: Stone Forest Location: Kunming, China Description: A must visit place in Kunming, Yunnan, this is the area of numerous tall natural limestones in intricate formations. The stones are believed to be over 270 million years old, created by the movement of lithosphere and eroded by rain, wind to have shape like today | |
| Name: Leshan Giant Buddha Location: Leshan, China Description: The biggest carved Buddha stone in the world, the 71-meter height sculpture depicts a seated Maitreya Buddha with his hands resting on his knees. The construction began in 713 and took 90 years, with many efforts of thousand sculptors and workers to complete | |
| Name: Potala Palace Location: Lhasa, Tibet, China Description: Situated on Marpo Ri hill, 130 meters above Lhasa valley, the palace rises a further 170 meters and is the greatest monumental structure in all of Tibet. The complex has 2 parts: Red and White Palace, with 13 stories, over 1000 rooms, 10 000 shrines and about 200 000 statues. It's the official residence of the Dalai Lama until 1959, when 14th Dalai Lama fled to India during the Tibetan Uprising. Nowadays it's a very popular tourist attraction | |
| Name: Oriental Pearl Tower Location: Shanghai, China Description: A distinct landmark of Shanghai, it's a 468 meter TV and radio tower, the second tallest tower in China. The tower is surrounded by Yangpu and Nanpu Bridge, creates a picture of "twin dragons playing with pearl" | |
| Name: Jiuzhaigou Valley Location: Sichuan, China Description: Meaning "Valley of the Nine Villages", it's often described as a fairyland because of many multi-level waterfalls, snow-covered karst mountains, and 108 crystal clear blue, turquoise and green colored lakes. Besides spectacular scenes, the land also offers visitors traditional Tibetan foods like Zanba potato, Yancha tea... | |
| Name: Yellow Crane Tower Location: Wuhan, China Description: Yellow Crane Tower (Huang He Lou) is the most reowned tower south of the Yangtze River. It was first built in 223 during the Three Kingdoms Period as a watchtower, but after the war its military function was forgotten and the tower was being enjoyed as a picturesque location. Its charming scene had inspired many famous poets like Cui Hao, Li Bai… to write beautiful poems, which make the tower more popular. During the following centuries the tower had been destroyed and rebuilt many times, and the current structure was rebuilt in 1981 | |
| Name: Terracotta Army Location: Xi'an, China Description: Terracotta Warriors and Horses is a collection terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor to protect him in his afterlife. The army contains over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses. They were first discovered in 1974, and become a famous destination in the world today | |
| Name: Zhanghye Danxia Geopark Location: Zhanghye, China Description: An incredible gift of nature, the area is known for the natural colorful rock formations, which is the result of red sandstone and mineral deposits being laid down over 24 million years. Many photos taken here are mistaken as a paintings or Photoshop templates because of this unbelievable scene | |
| Name: Dubrovnik Old City Location: Dubrovnik, Croatia Description: Nicknamed “Pearl of the Adriatic”, Dubrovnik is one of the most prominent tourist attractions in Croatia and the Mediterranean. The city was built for matitime trade. It's steeped in stunning architecture and sculpture detail, with churches, monasteries, museums, fountains and the famous walls that surround the old city | |
| Name: Plitvice Lakes National Park Location: Karlovac, Croatia Description: One of the oldest and most beautiful natural park in Europe, the system has 16 interlinked lakes and a large forest around. The breathtaking scene is made by the multi-color of trees, water, combined with wide variety of birds and animals | |
| Name: Charles Bridge Location: Prague, Czech Republic Description: The Charles Bridge is a famous historic stone Gothic bridge that crosses the Vltava river. It was the most important connection between Prague Castle and the Old Town, which made the city important as a trade route between Eastern and Western Europe. The bridge is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 statues and statuaries, which attracts tourists everywhere and make it always crowded | |
| Name: Old Town Square Location: Prague, Czech Republic Description: Top tourist attraction in Prague, the square is surrounded by buildings in many architectural styles: Romanesque, Baroque, Rococo, Gothic and Renaissance, along with famous Astronomical Clock. Visitors can wander through the square to visit all, and should go to the tower at Old Town hall to have a panoramic view of the Old Town | |
| Name: Prague Castle Location: Prague, Czech Republic Description: According to Guinness World Record, Prague Castle is the largest castle in the world. It's a sprawling complex with the royal palace, cathedral, churches, basilica, monastery, defensive towers, royal stables and magnificent gardens. The castle has been a seat of kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman emperors, and presidents of Czechoslovakia. Now it's the official residence and office of the President of Czech Republic | |
| Name: Legoland Billund Location: Billund, Denmark Description: A dream place for every kid and many adults, this is the original Legoland park, located next to the original Lego factory. The 45-acre park is divided into 9 themed areas, displayed Lego model of many buildings, famous landmarks around the world using over 25 million Lego bricks, and allow visitors to play with Lego or join in many games and adventures in Lego world | |
| Name: Little Mermaid Statue Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Description: Displayed on the rock by the waterside at Langelinie, based on the famous same name fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, the small and unimposing statue is a Copenhagen icon and has been a major tourist attraction since 1913. In recent decades, it has been vandalized many times and the city officials may have to move it to another place for preservation | |
| Name: Kronborg Castle Location: Helsingør, Denmark Description: Commonly known as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, it's one of the most important Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. It protected Danish dignities and people for centuries, and now become one of the most renowned tourist attractions in Denmark, with famous Hamlet's Footstep tour | |
| Name: Galapagos Islands Location: Galapagos, Ecuador Description: The inspiration behind Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection, the Galapagos Islands are a beautiful archipelago of 19 volcanic islands lying on the equator in the Pacific Ocean, 906 km west of Ecuador. The islands are famous worldwide for the unique animals, including marine iguanas, giant tortoises, fur seals, lava lizards, frigatebirds, colorful Christmas iguanas and the Galapagos Penguin. Charles Darwin Research Station is placed here to do researches and conservations of the ecosystems | |
| Name: Abu Simbel Temples Location: Aswan, Egypt Description: Abu Simbel is an archeological site comprising two massive temples originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari. The complex was relocated in its entirety in 1968 on an artificial hill to avoid being submerged by Lake Nasser, a water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam. It remains one of Egypt's top tourist attraction today | |
| Name: Egyptian Museum Location: Cairo, Egypt Description: The museum is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities with nearly 120,000 items. The most notable ones are the collection of papyrus and coins used in ancient time, artifacts taken from Valley of the King, especially from the Tomb of Tutankhamun, and the Royal Mummy Room containing 27 royal mummies from pharaonic times | |
| Name: Great Pyramid of Giza Location: Giza, Egypt Description: One of the greatest man-made constructions ever, the Great Pyramid is one of the 7 ancient wonders of the world (the only one survives today) and the symbol of Egypt. Also known as the Pyramid of Khufu or the Pyramid of Cheops, it's the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in Giza Necropolis. The method of construction is still in theories, but it's believed that at least 10 000 men had worked in 20 years to complete. The figures like height, perimeter... are so amazingly precise that the skills of the ancient Egyptian people are still greatly admired today | |
| Name: Great Sphinx of Giza Location: Giza, Egypt Description: Along with the Great Pyramid, the Great Sphinx is a symbol of ancient Egypt. It's the limestone statue of a reclining sphinx standing on the Giza Necropolis, with the face is believed to represent the face of the Pharaoh Khafra, and construction time is also believed in Khafra's reign, although there are many arguments about it. It's the largest monolith in the world, and contains lots of other mysteries | |
| Name: Karnak Location: Luxor, Egypt Description: The largest ancient religious site in the world, The Karnak Temple Complex comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings. The most famous one is the Hypostyle Hall, a hall area of 5000 square meters with 134 massive columns arranged in 16 rows. The temple appears in many cultures related to the mysteries of ancient Egypt and it's a must-see place in the country | |
| Name: Luxor Temple Location: Luxor, Egypt Description: Luxor Temple is a large complex of 6 ancient temples dedicated to the three Egyptian gods Amun, Mut, and Chons. It's the center of the Obet festival, the most important festival in ancient Thebes, in which the statues of the 3 gods were escorted from the temple of Amun in Karnak to the temple of Luxor along the avenue of sphinxes connected the 2 temples. Today it's a historical site for visitors who want to discover more about the ancient Egyptian culture | |
| Name: Valley of the Kings Location: Luxor, Egypt Description: Valley of the Kings is the valley where tomb was constructed for the Pharaohs and powerful nobles of the Egyptian New Kingdom. It contains 63 tombs, from a small pit to a complex tomb with 120 chambers. The royal tombs are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology and give clues to the beliefs and funerary rituals of the period. In modern time the valley has become famous for the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, with its rumours of the Pharaohs' Curses | |
| Name: Chateau de Chambord Location: Chambord, France Description: One of the best examples of French Renaissance architecture, it is the royal palace built in 16th century as a hunting retreat for King Francois I. The grand castle presents many striking features such as double helix staircase, elaborate rooftop of chimneys, cupolas, gables and towers. Surrounding Chambord is an attractive moat and a walled game reserve that shelters wild boar and red deer. Its design is easy to recognize and attracts tourists a lot today | |
| Name: Chartres Cathedral Location: Chartres, France Description: The majestic Chartres Cathedral is an extraordinary example of medieval Gothic architecture. It was built in 1145, and took 26 years to reconstruct after a fire in 1194. The cathedral has many notable features, like three large facades with a labyrinth on the floor, hundred of windows, columns and sculptures... In the past, thousands of pilgrims traveled here on foot to hear the old Latin Mass, and now many visitors come here to see the beautiful architecture | |
| Name: Pont du Gard Location: Gard, France Description: The highest of the ancient Roman aqueduct, 48 meters above the Gardon river, it's the construction built to carry water from a spring in Uzes to the Roman colony of Nimes. The aqueduct is a masterpiece of Roman engineers since they put heavy stones, up to 6 ton, fit together without the use of mortar. It's no longer used as an aqueduct now, and turned into a tourist destination instead | |
| Name: Château de Chenonceau Location: Loire Valley, France Description: Known as "Château de Femmes" or "The castle of six ladies", it is the charming castle spanning the Cher River. Its size is smaller than some other famous castles in France, but the elegant design, the richness of collections, furniture and decorations, and the history have made this castle unique. The current château was built in 1514–1522, and from 1840 it's classified as monument historique | |
| Name: Mont Saint-Michel Location: Normandy, France Description: A small rocky tidal island located off the coast of Normandy, it's one of France's most recognisable landmarks with the awe-inspiring Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel stands at the peak, surrounded by the winding streets and convoluted architecture of the medieval town | |
| Name: Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile Location: Paris, France Description: One of the most famous monuments in the world, Triumphal Arch honours those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars, with the names of all French victories and generals inscribed on its surfaces. It's also a symbol of Paris, and one of the must-see places in the city | |
| Name: Eiffel Tower Location: Paris, France Description: Named after its designer, Gustave Eiffel, the tower is the global culture icon of Paris and France. It is made from iron with unique shape and has the height of 324 meters, tallest structure in Paris, so visitors can have incredible view from the top | |
| Name: Jardin des Tuileries Location: Paris, France Description: Tuileries Garden is a public garden located between the Louvre Museum and the Place de la Concorde in the centre of Paris. It was built by Queen Catherine de Medici in 1564 as the garden of Tuileries Palace, then it was opened to the public in 1667 and become a public park after the French Revolution. The garden is designed in formal French garden style and filled with fountains, ponds, sculptures… which makes it the most fashionable spot for Parisian and tourists to meet, relax, walk and celebrate festivals | |
| Name: Jardin du Luxembourg Location: Paris, France Description: Luxembourg Garden is a 23-hectare garden created in 1612 by Queen Marie de Medici, take the inspiration from Boboli Garden in Florence. The garden is split into French garden and English garden, with a geometric forest and a large pond lying between the two. There is also an orchard with a variety of apples, an apiary, greenhouses of orchids, a rose garden, 106 statues spread throughout the park, a picturesque Medici Fountain, and many more… The garden has a special place in Parisian's hearts because of its lovely nature to relax and lots of interesting activities to do | |
| Name: Louvre Museum Location: Paris, France Description: The world's most visited museum, it's located in the Louvre Palace with a glass pyramid marking its entrance. It's the house of over 1 million objects, including some of the world's most famous artworks (like "Mona Lisa", "Venus of Milo"...) and historical exhibits | |
| Name: Musee d'Orsay Location: Paris, France Description: Not only Louvre, Paris has many other great art museums, and one of them is Musee d'Orsay. The museum is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay and lays on the left bank of the Seine. It has large exhibition space with richly coloured walls, and is the home of France's national collection of the impressionist, postimpressionist and art nouveau movements from 1848 to 1915 | |
| Name: Notre Dame de Paris Location: Paris, France Description: The finest example of French Gothic architecture, the church has two lofty towers and a spire with awe-inspiring rose windows, Gothic carvings, beautiful sculptures and a collection of relics. Notre Dame is one of the must visit places in Paris | |
| Name: Palais Garnier Location: Paris, France Description: Named after the architect Charles Garnier, this is a 1979-seat opera house built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. The house was built on Second-empire and Beaux-Arts style with ton of Neo Baroque decorative elements, including statuary portraying Greek deities, bronze busts of many great composers, and chandeliers of pure bronze and crystal. It makes Palais Garnier one of the most opulent buildings in Paris, and its architecture has also influenced many other opera houses in the world | |
| Name: Sacre Coeur Location: Paris, France Description: Situated at the city's highest point on Montmartre hill, this is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The striking white domes of the basilica is one of Paris's most noticeable landmarks, and the building also has marble architecture and gorgeous interior, which attract tourists the most | |
| Name: Sainte Chapelle Location: Paris, France Description: La Sainte Chapelle (The Holy Chapelle) is a royal medieval Gothic chapel located on the Île de la Cité in the heart of Paris. It's considered among the highest achievements of Gothic architecture, with the interior beauty created by thousands of stained glass rose windows in deep red and blue surrounded by delicately painted stoneworks. The chapel was founded in 1239 by King Louis XIV to house precious relics. From then on it was damaged through French Revolution, restored in the 19th century, and now become a national historic monument | |
| Name: Chamonix Location: Rhone-Alpes, France Description: A famous ski resort in the French Alps at the foot of Mont Blanc, with the beautiful scene of mountains, snow, and challenging terrain for skiers, boarders, mountaineers, mountain bikers worldwide. It was also the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924 | |
| Name: Strasbourg Cathedral Location: Strasbourg, France Description: Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg is the second most-visited cathedral in France after Notre-Dame de Paris. Although considerable parts of it are still in Romanesque architecture, it's widely considered to be among the finest example of Gothic architecture. At 142 metres, the cathedral was the world's tallest building from 1647 to 1874. The original one was built in 1015, but later was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1289. Today millions of visitors come here every year to contemplate the beauty of the building and watch the "twelve apostles parade" at 12:30 every day on an astronomical clock | |
| Name: Palace of Versailles Location: Versailles, France Description: The most famous palace in France, it was first constructed in 1624 as a hunting lodge for King Louis XIII and then later expanded to become the residence of the French Royal Family until the French Revolution in 1789. Today it's one of the most tourist attractions in France, with many stunning features such as royal apartments, chapels, opera house, and French formal garden | |
| Name: Aachen Cathedral Location: Aachen, Germany Description: Also known as "Kaiserdom", it's the oldest cathedral in Northern Europe constructed by order of Emperor Charlemagne. The cathedral has a unique design based on German and Roman church architecture, with the notable Carolingian Octagon (Palatine chapel) in the centre and 5 other chapels gathered around. Moreover, the building houses a wealth of treasures from the early medieval period and since 1349, these relics have been showed once every 7 years (the last one is in 2014), mostly for pilgrims | |
| Name: Heidelberg Location: Baden-Württemberg State, Germany Description: Nestled between the Neckar River and the foothills of the Odenwald forest, Heidelberg is considered a jewel among German travel destinations. Its picturesque and enchanted cityscape has drawn nearly 12 million visitors a year. The main attractions of the city are Heidelberg Castle, the baroque style Old Town, local entertainment and cuisine. It's also the home of the world's oldest university: the Heidelberg University | |
| Name: Lindau Location: Bavaria State, Germany Description: A historic island and city located on the east side of Lake Constance, near Austria and Switzerland, Lindau is one of the main-sightseeing spot in South Germany with full of medieval and half-timbered building. The Lindau gardens are also wonderful in spring and summer | |
| Name: Neuschwanstein Castle Location: Bavaria State, Germany Description: Nestled among the breathtaking beauty of the Bavarian Alps, this ultimate fairytale castle served as the inspiration behind Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle. It's the most photographed building and most popular tourist attraction in Germany | |
| Name: Brandenburg Gate Location: Berlin, Germany Description: Built from the 18th century, it's the entry to Unter den Linden, the prominent boulevard of linden trees led directly to the palace of the Prussian monarchs. The gate is designed in neoclassical, with the statue of quadriga on top. It's the most famous landmark in Germany, a symbol of reunification of East and West Berlin, and the center of social activities in Berlin today | |
| Name: Pergamon Museum Location: Berlin, Germany Description: Located on the Museum Island in Berlin, the Pergamon Museum is world famous for its archeological holdings. with three major collections: Collection of Classical Antiquities, Museum of Islamic Art and Museum of Near Eastern Antiques. Inside these is rich feast of classical sculpture and monumental architecture from Greece, Rome, Babylon and the Middle East, including the Ishtar Gate and Processional Way from Babylon, the Roman Market Gate of Miletus and the Caliph's Palace of Mshatta | |
| Name: Reichstag Location: Berlin, Germany Description: The Reichstag building is one of the most frequently visited sights in Berlin and is a mirror of German history in the 20th century. It was opened in 1894 and housed the Imperial Diet of German Empire until 1933, when it was damaged by fire. After the World War II, the building was disused, but after the German reunification in 1990, it was reconstructed and once again become the seat of the German parliament, the modern Bundestag. The building's unique architectural feature is the glass dome (originally steel dome) with a 360-degree view of the surrounding Berlin cityscape, which symbolizes the future of a united, democratic Germany | |
| Name: Cologne Cathedral Location: Cologne, Germany Description: Cologne Cathedral is the largest cathedral in Northern Europe, once the tallest building in the world and still have the largest facade of any church. The construction began in 1248, and took more than 600 years to complete in 1880, due to many interruptions. It's Cologne's symbol and most famous landmark, also the most visited site in Germany | |
| Name: Dresden Frauenkirche Location: Dresden, Germany Description: Meaning The Church of Our Lady, the Lutheran church was built in the 18th, but completely destroyed in the bombing of Dresden during World War II. The ruin was left as a war memorial, but after the reunification of Germany in 1990, the church was rebuilt using original plans and reopened in 2005. It's now the symbol of reconciliation between former warring enemies, and Dresden's top tourist attraction | |
| Name: Mercedes-Benz Museum Location: Stuttgart, Germany Description: Standing directly outside the main gate of Daimler factory, it's a museum covering the history of Mercedes-Benz. Over an area covering 16,500 square metres on nine levels, the museum presents 160 vehicles and over 1,500 exhibits, divided into Legend rooms and Collection rooms. A must-visited place for car lovers, and million of visitors come here every year to admire the innovation of automotive industry | |
| Name: Hohenzollern Castle Location: Stuttgart, Germany Description: Sitting atop Mount Hohenzollern, the castle had its beginnings in the 11th century, but was destroyed over centuries, and the present one was built in the 19th century. It's home of the Hohenzollern family, and now opened to public as a sightseeing and museum with many treasures, including Prussian King's crown and uniform | |
| Name: Eltz Castle Location: Wierschem, Germany Description: Nestled on the hill above Moselle River between Koblenz and Trier, this medieval castle was built in 12th century and the home of the Rübenach, Rodendorf and Kempenich families. With unique design and well preservation, it's one of the most beautiful castles in Germany | |
| Name: Parthenon Location: Athens, Greece Description: Located on the hill of the Acropolis, the temple was built in 477 BC to honor the goddess Athena, the patron of Athens. There was an older Parthenon, but it was destroyed in 480 BC during the Greco-Persian War, and the Athenian built the new one to replace. It's the symbol of Athens, Greece, and a must-visited place in the country | |
| Name: Palace of Knossos Location: Crete, Greece Description: The largest Bronze Age archeological site, this was the political and ceremonial center of the Minoan culture and civilization. The palace has numerous rooms with ancient murals, frescoes on the wall and stones contained ancient codes. It's famous for its place in Greek mythology, where it has a Labyrinth with no escape designed by Daedalus to prison Minotaur | |
| Name: Delphi Theatre Location: Phocis, Greece Description: Delphi was the most important site in ancient Greece, home to the sanctuary and oracle of Apollo. It was also the place where the Omphalos stone, the "navel" of the Earth in Greek mythology was placed. Today it's an archaeological site and popular tourist destination | |
| Name: Santorini Location: Thira, Greece Description: A volcanic island in the Cyclades group of the Greek islands, it's the top destination in Greece with dramatic views to the sea, stunning sunset, white-washed houses in Venetian and Cycladic architecture, and an active volcano | |
| Name: Tikal Location: Peten, Guatemala Description: Situated in the lowland rainforest of northern Guatemala, Tikal is the largest ancient site in the America continent. It contains some of the most fantastic archeological ruins of the Maya Civilization, including 6 large temple pyramids (the largest one is the Temple Pyramid IV) and over 3000 other buildings. The surrounding scene is also magnificent with green jungle and wild specimens. Today Tikal becomes a national park and it's one of the most visited ancient sites in the world | |
| Name: Victoria Harbour Location: Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong Description: The major tourist attraction of Hong Kong, it's also one of the busiest harbours in the world. The bay offers stunning views of the skyscrapers of Hong Kong island on one side, especially at night, and the Tsim Sha Tsui shoreline on the other | |
| Name: Buda Castle Location: Budapest, Hungary Description: Built on the southern tip of Castle Hill, this is the historical complex of castle and palace of the Hungarian kings. Its architecture is the mixture of various styles, mainly Baroque and Gothic. Besides castles, the complex now also has museums, institutions, and artworks | |
| Name: Hungarian Parliament Building Location: Budapest, Hungary Description: Lay in Lajos Kossuth Square, on the bank of Danube River, this is the home of National Assembly of Hungary, a notable landmark of the country. It's the largest and highest building in Budapest, and one of the oldest legislative buildings in Europe | |
| Name: Agra Fort Location: Agra, India Description: Along with Taj Mahal, The Red Fort of Agra symbolizes the power of Mughal Empire. Construction of the massive red sandstone fort on the bank of the Yamuna River was begun by Emperor Akbar in 1565. The fort encompasses the imperial city of the Mughal rulers within its 2.5-km-long enclosure walls. It comprises many palaces, halls and mosques, such as Jahangir Palace, Khas Mahal, Diwan I Am… The fort plays a key role in Sherlock Holmes mystery The Sign of the Four and appears in many popular cultures | |
| Name: Taj Mahal Location: Agra, India Description: Taj Mahal is an immense white marble mausoleum built in 1632 by order of Mughal empire Shah Jahan to the house tomb of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. 20 000 artisans have worked in 21 years to complete, and they've made the greatest masterpiece of Mughal architecture, global icon of India and one of the world's most celebrated structures | |
| Name: Harmandir Sahib Location: Amritsar, India Description: Also known as "Golden Temple", it's the holy gurdwara of the Sikhs. Construction began in 1588 and completed in 1604. In the 19th century the upper floor was covered with gold, which makes the temple distinctive and gets its English name. The temple is built at lower level of surrounding land and have four entrances, symbolizing the openness of Sikhs towards all people and religion | |
| Name: Ellora Caves Location: Aurangabad, India Description: Ellora is an archeological site represented the epitome of Indian rock-cut architecture. There are 34 skillful rock-cut temples of 3 religions there: 12 Buddhist, 17 Hindu and 5 Jain. They are built between 5th and 10th century, in proximity and demonstrate the religious harmony prevalent during this period of Indian history | |
| Name: Akshardham Temple Location: New Delhi, Delhi, India Description: Officially opened in 2005, this Swaminarayan temple complex quickly becomes the most popular tourist attraction in New Delhi. The main monument at the center features the blend of architectural styles from across India and is built with no supports from concrete or steel. Other interesting things are thermic gardens, exhibitions and water show; all of them displayed millennia of traditional Hinduism and Indian civilization | |
| Name: Humayun's Tomb Location: New Delhi, Delhi, India Description: The tomb of Mughal Empire Humayun was commissioned by his wife Bega Begum in around 1570 and it's the first garden-tomb in India. The idea and design of this mausoleum inspired successor Shah Jahan to build Taj Mahal later. Designed by Persian architect Mirak Mirza, the architecture of the mausoleum is obviously heavily influenced by Persian architecture, from the main tomb, dome and garden. The tomb welcomes lots of visitors today, although it has some problems that need restoration | |
| Name: Lotus Temple Location: New Delhi, Delhi, India Description: Notable for its flower-like shape, the temple is a Baha'i House of Worship and serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent. It was completed in 1986 and has become a prominent destination of New Delhi, as well as winning numerous architectural awards | |
| Name: Qutb Minar Location: Delhi, India Description: Qutb, Qutab, or Qutub Minar is a 73 m-high tower of victory, built in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak, founder of Delhi Sultanate as a victory tower mark the beginning of the Muslim rule in India (another belief is that it's the minaret to the muezzins to call the faithful to prayer). The tower has five distinct storeys made of red standstone and marble, each marked by a projecting balcony and tapers. Near the tower stood the Iron Pillar, famous for its high resistance to corrosion. The minaret is considered the finest monument in India and a must-visited place in Delhi. However, visitors are only allowed to see it outside | |
| Name: The Red Fort Location: Delhi, India Description: The Red Fort was built in 1648 by Emperor Shah Jahan as a palace fort of capital Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) and was a residence of Mughal Emperor for nearly 200 years. It's an octagonal complex with many gates, ramparts, imperial apartments, halls and massive enclosing walls of red sandstone, from which it get its name. Today, the fort is a prime attraction in New Delhi and the main Independence Day celebration place | |
| Name: Amer Fort Location: Jaipur, India Description: Amer, or Amber Fort was the citadel of the ruling Kachwahas of Amber before the capital was shifted to the area. It's located on a picturesque hill and has the fascinating architecture combined of Hindu and Mughal. The complex was constructed of red sandstone and white marble, with 4 levels, each with a courtyard and consists of many halls, palaces, with the most famous one is Sheesh Mahal (mirror palace). The Maota Lake in the foreground provides breathtaking scene, while the art inside the building is also expressive. This makes the palace the principle attraction of Jaipur | |
| Name: City Palace of Jaipur Location: Jaipur, India Description: City Palace was the seat of the Maharaja of Jaipur and built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh in 1729. The complex includes many halls and palaces, with two most famous ones are Mumbarak Mahal and Chandra Mahal. The outstanding art and architecture combined of Rajput, Mughal and European style form the palace one of the most famous tourist attractions and a major landmark in Jaipur | |
| Name: Hawa Mahal Palace Location: Jaipur, India Description: Meaning "Palace of Winds", it's the beautiful five-storey palace constructed in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh. The main architect was built from red and pink sandstone in the form of god Krishna's crown, with the highlighted 953 intricated designed windows. The intention of this palace was to facilitate the royal women to observe street life while being unseen. The palace is an adornment of Jaipur's traditional town and a prominent spot in the city | |
| Name: Kashmir Valley Location: Kashmir, India Description: The Vale of Kashmir is the 140 km long valley in the Himalayan mountains. The sovereignty of this territory is still disputed by India and Pakistan, so violence and other security problems happen quite often. However, more and more tourists are ready to take risks to travel to the "paradise on Earth". The valley opens up as a giant flat, upland bowl of lakes and orchards, blend with terrace paddy field and snow mountain. Visitors also come here to see the gardens of million colourful flowers in spring, have a Shikara ride on Dal Lake, visit the endangered snow leopard, enjoy local cuisine and join in many other exciting activities | |
| Name: Kanha National Park Location: Madhya Pradesh, India Description: Also called "Kanha Tiger Reserve", this is one of the finest wildlife areas in the world. It's home of Royal Bengal tiger, Barashinga, Indian wild dog, leopard and other species of plants and animals. The landscapes are a stunning combination of luxuriant meadows, wooded slopes, lush of forests and crystal clear water crosses from ravines. Visitors go there can explore the nature and see rare animals in their own habitat | |
| Name: Meenakshi Amman Temple Location: Madurai, India Description: Located on the bank of Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, it's the most popular and important temple of the Hindus. The temple is dedicated to Shiva and his consort Parvati, known as Meenakshi. Built in the 17th century, it houses 14-gateway towers (gopurams) with about 33 000 colourful sculptures. A special part of it is Parvati Hut, where only women are allowed to enter. Not only important for the Hindus, the temple is also the heart of Madurai and a symbol for Tamil people. Millions of pilgrims and tourists come here annually, and the highest number falls on the 10-day Meenakshi Tirukalyanam festival | |
| Name: Mysore Palace Location: Mysore, India Description: Also known as Ambavilas Palace, this is the residence of the Maharaja of the Mysore Kingdom from the 14th to the 20th century. It has a complex structure combined of many buildings in many types of architecture, and specially, during Dasara festival, 96 000 lights are used to illuminate the palace, making it look so astonishing | |
| Name: Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple Location: Srirangam, India Description: The temple is the first, foremost and most important of the main 108 temples dedicated to god Ranganatha (a reclining form of god Vishnu). It's also the largest religious building in India and one of the largest ones in the world with the area of 156 acres, lay on the islet formed by twin rivers Cauvery and Cooleron. It has 7 enclosures with 21 towers, 39 pavilions, 50 shrines, a hall of 1000 pillars and several water bodies with thousands of sculptures. The 21-day festival on Tamil month of Margazhi attracts over 1 million visitors, along with thousand of tourists and pilgrims every day | |
| Name: City Palace of Udaipur Location: Udaipur, India Description: Towered on the bank of Lake Pichola, it's one of the best palace complexes in India. The palace is built in a flamboyant style blended of Medieval, European and Chinese architecture. It comprises 11 wonderful palaces with various towers, arches, domes, pavilions and hanging gardens. The City Palace, along with other famous monuments like Taj Lake Palace, the best luxury hotel in India, make Udaipur one of the best travel city in India and in the world | |
| Name: Ranakpur Temple Location: Udaipur, India Description: The most spectacular Jain temple, Ranakpur is dedicated to Tirthankara Adinatha and was built in the 15th century. The temple lies on a slope of a hill and is supported by 1444 pillars carved in exquisite detail. The special thing is that all pillars are carved differently, no two pillars are the same. The construction of the temple symbolize the Tirthankara's conquest of the four cardinal directions and hence the cosmos | |
| Name: Varanasi Location: Varanasi, India Description: Lay on the bank of Ganga River in North India, Varanasi is the Holy City of Hindus, Jain and Buddhist people. It's also considered as the spiritual capital of India, and has other names like "City of temples", for thousand of temples here, or "City of learning", since it's been the centre of Indian education. The most famous sites of the city, however, are the ghats, where people gather to bathe in the Ganges to clean their souls. A boat tour on the Ganges offers great overview of the city | |
| Name: Bali Island Location: Bali, Indonesia Description: If there is a paradise on Earth, it must be Bali. The island offers anything a traveler might want: stunning geography, rich and fascinating culture, eclectic and cheap shopping, delicious cuisine and friendly people. The big challenge for all tourists is not finding what to do, but choosing what to explore among various destinations and activities. They can surf and join in night party at Kuta Beach; rest and enjoy panoramic view of ocean in Sanur or Seminyak; visit lush rice terraces, art museums, Monkey Forest and eat Balinese food in Ubud; try fruit and vegetable in Bedugal; climb volcanic mountains, experience Hindu culture and festivals among over 20 000 temples on the island, and so on… Bali is the finest model for other destinations to follow to entice visitors | |
| Name: Komodo National Park Location: Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia Description: Encompassing 3 major islands: Komodo, Padar, Rinca and 26 smaller ones, Komodo National Park is the home of Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard. The park also contains other notable terrestrial species like Javan cobra, Timor rusa deer, water buffalo, crab-eating macaque, Asian palm civet, Rinca rat, fruit bat… along with rich marine biodiversities in the surrounding water. Visitors come here not only to see the Komodo dragon, but also join in lots of sea activities and watch the night sky | |
| Name: Borobudur Location: Magelang, Indonesia Description: Located in central Java, Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world with the area of 2500 square km. It was built out of 2 million blocks of stone, in 3 tiers resembling 3 major divisions of a human body: a pyramid base with 5 concentric square terraces, the trunk of a cone with 3 circular platforms and topped by a central dome surrounded by 72 Buddha statues, each seated inside a stupa. The monument was built in the 8-9th century, but was abandoned in the 14th century and laid hidden under layers of volcanic ash and jungle growth for centuries until the rediscovery in 1814. From then on it has been restored several times and also survived through many disasters like eruptions, terrorist bombs and earthquakes. Today Borobudur is used for pilgrimage, Vesak celebration and tourism | |
| Name: Lombok Island Location: West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia Description: Indonesia doesn't only have Bali, it also has Lombok. The island lays on the east of Bali and its scene is as alluring as its neighbour, with exquisitive white-sand beach, breathtaking turquoise bays, massive headlands, lush forested interior and volcano along with hot springs and crater lake. Since most of the tourists often get attracted to Bali, few of them come to Lombok, making the island more natural, more peaceful and less commercial - an ideal place to relax | |
| Name: Prambanan Location: Yogyakarta, Indonesia Description: Prambanan is a collection of massive Hindu temples built in the 10th century. It has 3 main temples decorated with reliefs illustrating the epic of the Ramayana, dedicated to the Trimurti - 3 great Hindu divinities (Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva), along with other 240 temples. However, most of them collapsed during an earthquake in the 16th century and left abandoned until the rediscovery in 1811. The restoration of the complex began in 1930 and still continues today | |
| Name: Persepolis Location: Fars, Iran Description: Persepolis was the center and ceremonial capital of mighty Persian Empire. The city was believed to be founded in the 6th century by Cambyses II and built up by Darius I, Xerxes I and Artaxerxes I. It was a beautiful city adorned with precious artworks but unfortunately most of them were destroyed by Alexander the Great. The ancient city was lost for centuries, buried in dust and sand, and it wasn't until 1930 that extensive excavations revealed its former glories | |
| Name: Shah Mosque Location: Isfahan, Iran Description: Standing on south side of Imam Square - the centre of Isfahan, Shah Mosque (or Imam Mosque, Jaame' Abbasi Mosque) is regarded as one of the masterpieces of Persian Architecture and an excellent example of Islamic era architecture of Iran, reflects the imaginations and abilities of Shah Abbas I and his workers. The splendor of the building is mainly due to the beauty of the seven-colour mosaic tiles and calligraphic inscriptions, especially in the double-layered dome | |
| Name: Jameh Mosque Location: Isfahan, Iran Description: Located in the historic centre of Isfahan, Jameh Mosque (Friday Mosque) can be seen as a stunning illustration of the evolution of mosque architecture over twelve centuries, from around 771 to the end of the 20th century. It's one of the oldest mosques in Iran, built in the four-iwan architectural style (four gates were placed face to face) with lots of double-shell ribbed domes and remarkable decorative details. Therefore, the mosque is like an architectural documentary representing a condensed history of Islamic Art and Architecture | |
| Name: Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque Location: Isfahan, Iran Description: Standing on the eastern side of Imam Square, Lotfollah is one of the architectural masterpieces of Safavid Iranian Architecture. The construction began in 1603 and was completed in 1609 during the reign of Shah Abbas I to dedicate his father-in-law Sheikh Lotfollah. Like many other mosques in Iran, this building has a prominent dome decorated with colorful tiles. The interior design of the dome is also superb: if you look at the centre of the dome, you can see the "peacock" with the tail is the sun ray coming in from the hole in the ceiling. The mosque was previously served as the worship place for the women of the shah's harem and therefore was not opened publicly, but now it's a popular tourist destination in Iran | |
| Name: Shah-e Cheragh Shrine Location: Shiraz, Iran Description: Meaning "King of the Light", Shah-e Cheragh is a funerary monument and mosque housing the tomb of brothers Ahmad and Muhamad, sons of Musa al-Kadhim - the 7th Imam of Twelver Shia Islam. The mosque is flanked by two minarets and dominated by a calligraphic decorated dome. But the interior is what makes the shrine fantastic. The dome is inlaid with thousands of pieces of finely crafted tiles, while the walls are covered with myriad pieces of dazzling glass intermixed with multi-colored tiles and embedded with silk paper and frames of verses from Quran. The windows are made up of the mosaic of stained glass, the green marble floor is covered with red Persian carpets and magnificent crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling above. A truly splendid scene, making the building one of the most beautiful shrines in the world | |
| Name: Golestan Palace Location: Tehran, Iran Description: Laying on what was once the heart of Tehran, Golestan Palace is the former royal Qajar complex made up of 17 palaces, halls and museums set around a garden. These lavish buildings are the masterpieces embodying the successful integration of Persian crafts and architecture with Western influences. They were built in the 16th century and become the official residence of the royal Qajar family. In between 1925 and 1945, a large portion of the complex was destroyed to develop the modern Tehran. However, the value of the buildings remains the same, which attracts most of the visitors coming to Tehran | |
| Name: Cliffs of Moher Location: County Clare, Ireland Description: Rise 120 up to 214 meters above the sea, offer breathtaking scene of Atlantic Ocean, the cliffs are the most popular attraction in Ireland and have appeared in numerous media as the ideal place for ocean background | |
| Name: Dome of the Rock Location: Jerusalem, Israel Description: Located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, it's the city's most recognizable landmark with a dazzling golden dome visible from afar, the interior layered with glittering ceramics, mosaics and Arabic calligraphy. It's not a mosque, but a shrine which protects the Foundation Stone, a sacred rock for Jews, Christians and Muslims | |
| Name: The Old City of Jerusalem Location: Jerusalem, Israel Description: A 0,9 square kilometers walled area within the modern city of Jerusalem, it's the city's main attraction with numerous historic and religious landmarks, including the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims, the Temple Mount and Western Wall for Jews and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians | |
| Name: Lake Como Location: Como, Italy Description: One of the most beautiful lakes in Europe, Lake Como is shaped like an inverted "Y", with the perfect combination of fresh air, weather, water, mountain, and attractive villas of many aristocrats and wealthy people who go there for resting. It's also a popular tourist destination too | |
| Name: Ponte Vecchio Location: Florence, Italy Description: The oldest and most famous bridge crossing Arno river, Ponte Vecchio was built from the Roman times, but swept away by a flood in 1333, rebuilt in 1345 and stands until now through floods and wars. It's one of Florence top attractions, for visitors who want to contemplate Florentine character, and for lovers with the love lock fence | |
| Name: Santa Maria del Fiore Location: Florence, Italy Description: Also known as Florence Cathedral, or simply Il Duomo, it's the most famous landmark in Florence with the beautiful Gothic facade of red, green and white marble, elaborate interior with mosaics, frescoes, bronze statues, impressive structures of Baptistery and Giotto's campanile, and the world's largest brick dome. A position on top of the dome offers fantastic view of Florence and outlying valley | |
| Name: Uffizi Gallery Location: Florence, Italy Description: Located off the Piazza della Signoria, Uffizi is one of the world's oldest and most famous museums. It was first built in 1650 as the office of the city magistrate, then evolved into an art gallery of Renaissance art treasures, including works of Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Titian | |
| Name: Cinque Terre Location: La Spezia, Italy Description: Meaning "Five lands", Cinque Terre is an area comprises 5 quaint fishing villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. It's famous for multicolor houses, stunning coastal view, trattorias with local wine, olive, cheese, pasta and bread. It's a very popular tourist destination, as well as one of the most beautiful landscapes in Italy | |
| Name: Milan Cathedral Location: Milan, Italy Description: The cathedral was built from 1386 dedicated to Santa Maria Nascente, and took nearly 600 years to complete in 1965. The long construction led to the use of various styles by different architects, which makes the cathedral an elaborate masterpiece. It's the largest cathedral in Italy, the fifth in the world, and the most famous building in Milan | |
| Name: Pompeii Location: Naples, Italy Description: Pompeii was an ancient Roman city destroyed in 79 AD by the cataclysmic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The city, along with Herculaneum Town were buried under several meters of ash and pumice, abandoned and forgotten for nearly 1700 years, until the excavation in 1748. From then on it's become a famous tourist destination. Visitors can see the remains of many buildings, from homes, shops, markets... to the significant structures like the Amphitheatre, Temple of Apollo, artworks and frescoes... | |
| Name: Castel Sant'Angelo Location: Rome, Italy Description: The Holy Castle of Angel, it's a towering cylindrical building served as the mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian in the 1st century. Later it was used by Popes as a fortress and castle, and now a museum. The castle features in Dan Brown's novel "Angels and Demons" as the lair of the Illuminati, which attracts lots of tourists today | |
| Name: Colosseum Location: Rome, Italy Description: Built of concrete and stone, this is the largest amphitheatre in the world with the capacity between 50 000 and 80 000 spectators. In the past, it was used for the gladiatorial contest and public spectacles. Today, it's Rome's most popular tourist attraction and has become a symbol of the city and the Roman Empire | |
| Name: Pantheon Location: Rome, Italy Description: One of the best preserved ancient Roman building, Pantheon was built in 126 AD as a temple for all the Roman gods, then served as a Roman Catholic Church since the 7th century. The architecture of the building is a masterpiece, especially the dome with a central opening: the oculus. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 43.3 metres | |
| Name: Piazza Navona Location: Rome, Italy Description: One of Rome's most famous squares, it was established in the 15th century and preserves the shape of the Stadium of Domitian that once stood here. Today it features 3 magnificent fountains, the most famous one is Fountain of the Four River, which represents 4 rivers of 4 continents: Nile (Africa), Danube (Europe), Ganges (Asia) and Rio de la Plata (America). It's a popular destination, a great place to sip cappuccino and watch street performers | |
| Name: Roman Forum Location: Rome, Italy Description: Located in the small valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, it was the center of Roman public life, from commercial affairs, triumphal processions, elections, public speeches to criminal trials and gladiatorial matches. The forum today is a sprawling ruin of architectural fragments, including the Arches of Septimius Severus, the Temple of Saturn... | |
| Name: Trevi Fountain Location: Rome, Italy Description: The largest fountain in Rome and one of the most famous fountains in the world, Trevi Fountain is known for its Baroque style of background structures and the legend of coin throwing. One who throws a coin in the fountain shall one day return to Rome, so a visit to Rome is incomplete without going to Trevi and throwing a coin into the water | |
| Name: Leaning Tower of Pisa Location: Pisa, Italy Description: A freestanding bell tower of the cathedral of Pisa, the campanile becomes famous worldwide for its unintended 3,99-degree tilt to the south. The cause of tilting is from the soft ground on one side which can not properly support tower's weight | |
| Name: Amalfi Coast Location: Salerno, Italy Description: The most famous seaside in Italy, Amalfi Coast is known for its extraordinary beauty, a picturesque scene with shimmering bays, craggy cliffs, lemon tree gardens, multicolored villas and ritzy resorts. Some villages along the coast like Positano, Sorrento also offer great touristy services for visitors coming there | |
| Name: Piazza del Campo Location: Siena, Italy Description: One of Europe's greatest medieval squares, it's the principal public space of the historic center of Siena. It's renowned worldwide for the beauty and architectural integrity, with Palazzo Publicco, Torre del Mangia and various of palazzi signorili surround the shell-shaped plaza | |
| Name: San Gimignano Location: Siena, Italy Description: San Gimignano is a hill town famous for its 14 medieval stone towers. In the past, 72 towers were built to defend the town, but then most of them were reduced to the height of normal houses. The town is also famous for its own white wine, Vernaccia | |
| Name: Canals of Venice Location: Venice, Italy Description: Famous all over the world, a crown jewel of water cities, Venice is the must-visit place for everyone. The city is built upon a lagoon surrounded by the Adriatic Sea. It's an archipelago of 118 islands, separated by canals and linked by bridges. The Grand Canal is the most famous canal and divides the city into two sections. Tourists can enjoy cruises on gondolas, vaporettos along the scenic canals to explore picturesque waterways and historic Italian architectures, and feel the romantic charm of the cityscape | |
| Name: Piazza San Marco Location: Venice, Italy Description: Simply known as "the Piazza", it's the principal public square of Venice. Along with the canals, St. Mark Square is the popular tourist attraction in Venice with the beauty of the surrounded buildings like St. Mark's Basilica, St. Mark's Campanile, Procuratie... and thousand of doves which tourists can feed. An anecdote say that Napoleon once called the plaza as "The drawing room of Europe" | |
| Name: Rialto Bridge Location: Venice, Italy Description: One of four bridges spanning the Grand Canal, and the oldest one, it's the stone bridge built in 1591 to replace the collapsed wooden one. The engineering of the new bridge was predicted to be collapsed also, but it still stands and becomes one of the architectural icons of Venice | |
| Name: Mount Fuji Location: Chubu, Japan Description: The tallest mountain in Japan and the symbol of the country, Mount Fuji is known worldwide for exceptionally symmetrical cone, snow-capped peak. It's in fact an active stratovolcano, which last erupted in 1707-08. The beauty of the mountain has inspired many Japanese poets and artists, as well as international visitors and also climbers | |
| Name: Himeji Castle Location: Himeji, Japan Description: The largest and most visited castle in Japan, Himeji-jo comprises a network of 83 buildings with advanced defensive systems from feudal period. The white exterior and design give the castle the appearance of a bird taking flight, earning the nickname "white egret castle" | |
| Name: Kinkaku-ji Location: Kyoto, Japan Description: Temple of the Golden Pavilion is a Zen Buddhist temple perfectly represented the garden design of Muromachi period. It was originally built as a villa for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in the 14th century. In 1950 the pavilion was burnt down by a monk, but 5 years later it was rebuilt as an exact copy of the original. The beauty of the pavilion and surrounded area is Kyoto's most popular tourist attraction | |
| Name: Kiyomizu-dera Location: Kyoto, Japan Description: One of Kyoto's most popular destinations, the temple was founded in 798 and its present building was constructed in 1633 and completed without using any nails. The main hall has a large veranda offering impressive views of the hill and the city. Beneath the hall is the Otawa waterfall. Visitors can catch and drink water, and it's believed that their wishes will come true | |
| Name: Todai-ji Location: Nara, Japan Description: The world largest wooden building, home to the world's largest bronze Buddha statue, the temple serves as the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism. It was surrounded by beautiful gardens, and has many deers, messengers of the gods in the Shinto religion, roaming the grounds freely | |
| Name: Senso-ji Location: Tokyo, Japan Description: Built in 645, Sensoji is the Tokyo's oldest temple. It's formerly associated with the Tendai sect of Buddhism, then became independent after World War II. It's also the most colourful and popular temple of the city. Visitors will first come in the outer gate, Kaminarimon, go through the historic shopping street called Nakamise to the second gate, Hozomon, and finally come to the main hall and a five-storied pagoda. Adjacent to the temple is a Shinto shrine, the Asakusa Shrine | |
| Name: Tokyo Imperial Palace Location: Tokyo, Japan Description: The main residence of the Emperor of Japan, it's a large complex of castle, palace and gardens. It was built on the site of the old Edo castle, and architects have honored the past by incorporating design elements of the different eras into the modern palace. The palace is an administrative center to show Japanese art and history, and it has many public zones to welcome visitors | |
| Name: Tokyo Skytree Location: Tokyo, Japan Description: When Tokyo Tower can not support complete digital terrestrial television due to the height limitation, a new tower has been built. Construction of the Skytree started in 2008 and completed in 2012. With the height of 634 meters, it's the tallest tower in Japan and second in the world, after Burj Khalifa. It soon becomes a top destination in Tokyo with a large complex of shopping mall, an aquarium at the base and two observation decks which offer visitor panoramic view of the city | |
| Name: Teotihuacan Location: State of Mexico, Mexico Description: Meaning "birthplace of Gods", Teotihuacan is an ancient city famous for its architecturally significant Mesoamerican step pyramids: The Pyramid of the Sun, Pyramid of the Moon, and other monuments like the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, Avenue of the Death… Moreover, the city was brilliantly constructed, and its concept of urban planning is still followed by many modern cities today. The founding and collapse of the city are still uncleared, but we know that the city was honored and utilized by the Aztecs during the height of the Aztec Empire | |
| Name: Chichen Itza Location: Yucatan, Mexico Description: The most famous site in Mexico, Chichen Itza is the large ancient city built by the Mayan people. It contains lots of stone monuments and artistic works revealing the brilliant vision of the Mayan about the world and universe. At the centre of the city is the Temple of Kukulkan (El Castillo), a Mesoamerican step-pyramid considered as the symbol of the Maya Civilization. Other ruins like the Great Ball Court, Sacred Cenote, Temple of the Warriors, El Caracol… are great guides to the journey to the ancient world of the Mayan | |
| Name: Canals of Amsterdam Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands Description: Not only Venice, Amsterdam is also famous for its canals, which were dug during the 17th century. The 3 main canals, Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizersgracht form concentric belts around the city, known as the Grachtengordel. Today there are over 100 km of canals with 1,500 bridges and 1550 monumental buildings alongside, and tourists can have a cruise to explore Amsterdam in a relaxing way | |
| Name: Keukenhof Garden Location: Lisse, The Netherlands Description: One of the most visit tourist attractions in the Netherlands, it's an extremely beautiful garden with approximately 7 million flower bulbs, cover an area of 32 hectares, the second largest in the world | |
| Name: Windmills at Kinderdijk Location: Molenwaard, The Netherlands Description: Giant windmill is the symbol of the Netherlands, and the largest concentration of old windmills is at Kinderdijk Village, Molenwaard, South Holland with 19 windmills from 1740. They are well preserved and become one of the most tourist attractions in the Netherlands | |
| Name: Hardangerfjord Location: Hordaland, Norway Description: The world’s third largest fjord, it's often called Orchard of Norway because of its colorful fruit trees and gardens. The best time to enjoy it is May, when trees blossom. Visitors can also cruise in boat around magnificent fjord, explore spectacular Vøringsfossen Waterfall, Folgefonna Glacier, and climb on Trolltunga cliff to have an outstanding view of the whole scene | |
| Name: Geirangerfjord Location: Møre og Romsdal, Norway Description: One of the most visited Norwegian fjords, it's a natural wonder of deep blue water surrounded by majestic cliffs, waterfalls, lush green mountains and countryside. Visitors can stand on top to have a stunning view of the picturesque scenery, and join in cruising boat to explore more, especially the Seven Sisters Waterfalls. Other exciting activities are fishing, winter skiing, and mountain hiking | |
| Name: Machu Pichu Location: Cuzco, Peru Description: One of the world's most famous archeological wonders, Machu Pichu is an ancient city located 2430 meters above sea level in the Andes Mountain. It's believed to be built in the 15th century, but it was not until 1911, when archeologist Hiram Bingham discovered the city, the modern world knew about it. For scholars, Machu Pichu is the key to explore the Inca Civilization with lots of religious, astronomical and agricultural mysteries; while for tourists, it's the amazing place to travel with stunning view from the high and the ancient system of giant walls, terraces, stairways, ramps (which the Temple of the Sun and the Intihuatana Stone are the most famous structures)… blend seamlessly into the natural setting of rich diversity of flora and fauna | |
| Name: Pena National Palace Location: Lisbon, Portugal Description: Standing on top of the hill in Sintra, it's an impressive example of 19th century Romanticism in the world, as it combines Moorish and Manueline architectural styles. The palace can be easily seen from Lisbon on a clear day, and it looks like a fairy tale castle. It's used for many Portuguese state occasions today | |
| Name: Cathedral of Christ the Saviour Location: Moscow, Russia Description: Situated on the northern bank of Moscow river, with an overall height of 103 meters, this is the tallest Orthodox Christian church in the world. The cathedral has a turbulent history, it was built in 1839 after the defeat of Napoleon, then destroyed in 1931 in order of Stalin to make the Palace of the Soviets. The Palace was never built, and after the fall of Soviet Union, the cathedral was resurrected and completed in 2000 | |
| Name: Moscow Kremlin Location: Moscow, Russia Description: One of the must-see attractions in Moscow, it's a citadel cover an area of 27,7 hectares with 5 palaces, 4 cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with 20 Kremlin towers. The complex serves as the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation and the name Kremlin is often used as a metonym to refer to the government of Russia | |
| Name: St. Basil's Cathedral Location: Moscow, Russia Description: Located in Red Square, the cathedral is an amazing structure with 9 chapels of various colours shaped as flames rising to the sky. It's commonly known as the global icon of Moscow | |
| Name: Hermitage Museum Location: Saint Petersburg, Russia Description: One of the largest and oldest museums in the world, the massive collections comprises over 3 million items spanning the globe. The complex contains 6 buildings, including the Winter Palace, a former residence of Russian emperors | |
| Name: Banpo Bridge Location: Seoul, South Korea Description: Banpo Bridge is a major bridge across Han River in Seoul, it together with Jamsu Bridge formed double deck bridge. The most notable thing about it is the Moonlight Rainbow Fountain, the world longest bridge fountain with 1140 meter long fountain lighted up by over 10 000 LED nozzles, create a miraculous and romantic scene | |
| Name: Parc Guëll Location: Barcelona, Spain Description: A public park system composed of gardens and architectonic elements, including two houses, a salamander sculpture and other buildings painted in various colours, this is one of Antoni Gaudi's most celebrated and most emblematic works in Barcelona | |
| Name: Sagrada Familia Location: Barcelona, Spain Description: The most popular attraction in Barcelona, it's a large and intricate basilica with design elements and religious symbolisms built into all space. The basilica was designed by Antoni Gaudi and began building in 1882. The construction continues today, and will complete within the next 30 years | |
| Name: Mezquita de Cordoba Location: Cordoba, Spain Description: A fascinating building, most accomplished monument of Moorish architecture, famous for the forest of pillars and arches inside the main hall | |
| Name: Alhambra Location: Granada, Spain Description: A complex of palace, fortress and garden situated on a plateau overlooking Granada, Alhambra is one of Spain's most significant and well known Islamic architectures. It's also a major tourist attraction of Spain | |
| Name: Museo del Prado Location: Madrid, Spain Description: One of the world best collections of European art from 12th to 19th century, and inarguably the best collection of Spanish art, Prado Museum comprises over 20 000 paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings and other works of art and historic documents. This is the most popular tourist attraction in Madrid | |
| Name: Palacio Real de Madrid Location: Madrid, Spain Description: The largest palace in Europe, Madrid Royal Palace covers the area of 135 000 square kilometers with 3418 ornately decorated rooms. This is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family, but is only used for state ceremonies | |
| Name: Plaza Mayor de Madrid Location: Madrid, Spain Description: Located in central Madrid, it's a beautiful plaza decorated with frescoes, and the statue of King Philip III in the middle. It was a place used to host bullfights, and now become one of Madrid's major tourist attractions | |
| Name: Puerta del Sol Location: Madrid, Spain Description: The main New Year's celebration place in Madrid with the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the Twelve Grapes and the beginning of a new year. The square is also the centre (km 0) of the radial network of Spanish roads. Another famous sight in this is a statue of a bear and a madrone tree, which is considered the heraldic symbol of Madrid | |
| Name: El Escorial Location: San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain Description: Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama, El Escorial was the political center of the Spanish empire under King Philip II. Today it functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and school | |
| Name: Alcazar of Segovia Location: Segovia, Spain Description: Rising out on a rocky crag above the confluence of the rivers Eresma and Clamores in Segovia, it's reported to be the inspiration for the Disney's Cinderella Castle. It was used as a royal palace, prison, academy in history, and now it's a museum and tourist attraction | |
| Name: Aqueduct of Segovia Location: Segovia, Spain Description: A symbol of Segovia, one of the most significant and best-preserved monuments left by the Romans in Spain. The ancient aqueduct carries water 16 km from the Frio River to Segovia and was built of some 24,000 massive granite blocks without the use of mortar. It still provides water for the city today | |
| Name: Drottningholm Palace Location: Stockholm, Sweden Description: The private and official residence of Swedish royal family. The palace complex includes church, theatre and Chinese pavilion, surrounded by gardens and parks opening to the public | |
| Name: Burj Al Arab Location: Dubai, UAE Description: With the designation mimic the sail of a ship, Burj Al Arab is a special hotel built on an artificial island. It's also widely proclaimed "The World's only 7-star hotel" | |
| Name: Burj Khalifa Location: Dubai, UAE Description: Tallest man-made structure in the world, with the height of 829.8 meters | |
| Name: Big Ben Location: London, United Kingdom Description: Big Ben is the nickname used to refer to the great clock and clock tower of the Palace of Westminster. It's the world largest four-faced chiming clock, and widely known as a symbol of London and the UK | |
| Name: British Museum Location: London, United Kingdom Description: One of the largest and most comprehensive collections in the world, British museum contains over 8 million objects which illustrate and document the story of human culture from the beginnings to the present | |
| Name: London Eye Location: London, United Kingdom Description: Situated on the south bank of River Thames, the 135-meter height ferris wheel was completed in 2000 to celebrate new millennium, so it's also called Millenium Wheel. It offers a fantastic view over central London, therefore, it's the most popular paid tourist attraction in UK | |
| Name: Tower Bridge Location: London, United Kingdom Description: Named after the nearby Tower of London, it is a combined bascule and suspension bridge crossing River Thames. Along with other landmarks, Tower Bridge is an iconic symbol of London | |
| Name: Trafalgar Square Location: London, United Kingdom Description: Built around Charing Cross in central London, this is the square commemorating Lord Horatio Nelson's victory against Napoleon's navy at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. A Nelson's column, guarded by four lions is placed in the centre, around it are fountains, monuments and sculptures. This is one of the most famous squares in the world and has become a social and political location for tourists and Londoners alike | |
| Name: Black Forest Location: Baden-Württemberg State, Germany Description: The Black Forest (Schwarzwald) is one of the most famous forest in the world, known for its beautiful nature of highland, dense evergreen forest and picturesque villages with typical farmhouses. It's also the home of Black Forest cake, Black Forest ham, Kirsch and the cuckoo clock. For visitors, it's a perfect place to hike and explore the nature, while for children, it's a fairy-tale forest, where Hansel and Gretel encountered the wicked witch, or Little Riding Hood met the wolf | |
| Name: St. Peter's Basilica Location: Vatican City Description: The basilica is not only a symbol of Vatican, but also the greatest church of Christendom and the holiest Catholic site in the world | |
| Name: Jökulsárlón Location: Southeast region, Iceland Description: Jökulsárlón is a large glacial lake on the edge of Vatnajökull National Park, formed after the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier started receding from the edge of Atlantic Ocean. It's a typical destination in Iceland with luminous blue icebergs naturally carved in wondrous sculpture drifts through the lagoon, creating a spectacular view. A perfect place for anyone who wants to experience an icy adventure in the North Pole |
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