Printers / Mobile / Screenreaders
Admin Sign In 
 HowStuffWorks Home  »  HowStuffWorks LibGuides Home  »  HowStuffWorks Travel & Adventure Guide

HowStuffWorks Travel & Adventure Guide  Tags: united_states usa travel wilderness disaster scenic vacation landmark adventure biking hiking sports ski scuba-diving diving city park camping caves mountains trip  

From skydiving to rock climbing to exploring the world's most famous landmarks -- find your inner explorer. You'll also find adventure travel, city guides, family vacations, national parks, scenic drives, disaster and wilderness survival resources.
Last update: Nov 19th, 2008 URL: http://hsw.libguides.com/travel-guide  Print Guide  RSS Updates

Famous Landmarks             Print Page
  
 

Landmarks

Landmarks designate places of interest and peek the interest of many. Discover the massive stones used to erect Stonehenge and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. See Full List

  • Quiz Yourself: Famous Landmarks  
    What's a famous landmark? A destination that gets a lot of attention. Whether it's a natural world wonder or the site of a historic event, millions of people each year travel from all over the world to visit these interesting places.
  • 5 Modern Abandoned Cities  
    Imagine May Day decorations fluttering in the wind, empty freeway tunnels emblazoned with graffiti and hospital corridors littered with unattended medical equipment. What's wrong with this picture? There are no people.
  • How the London Eye Works  
    This futuristic Ferris wheel was only supposed to stay put for five years. But with millions of tourists boarding its capsules, the city decided to keep it around. How was it built?
  • What is a World Heritage Site?  
    The next time you're pondering a big trip around the world, you might want to think about visiting a World Heritage site. Hundreds of them exist, and they're in some pretty cool spots.
  • Roadside Landmarks  
    For all their uniqueness, man-made roadside landmarks like corn palaces and giant whales can be just as memorable as natural wonders like the Grand Canyon. Read about these quirky roadside landmarks.
  • Arc de Triomphe  
    The Arc de Triomphe, the world's largest triumphal arch, rises at the west end of the famous Champs-Élysées in Paris. No less a figure than Napoléon commissioned the monument in 1806 to honor his military victories. Read about the Arc de Triomphe.
  • China's Great Wall  
    Ancient Chinese emperors had the immense Great Wall built as a way to deter invaders. Originally snaking more than 4000 miles across the lush landscape of China this great structure still lures more than 10000 spectators a day to witness its grandeur.
  • Christ the Redeemer Statue  
    Standing 2310 feet atop a mountain the 100-foot-tall Christ the Redeemer Statue rises in splendor above Rio de Janeiro Brazil. Learn how this magnificent statue came to watch over the sprawling city of Rio.
  • Easter Island Statues  
    The stone figures gaze across Easter Island through eyes hooded in shadow. The place where they stand floats alone in the South Pacific, about 2,000 miles from the coast of Chile. Learn about Easter Island, the most remote inhabited island on Earth.
  • Edinburgh Castle  
    Edinburgh Castle is exactly what you would expect a Scottish castle to look like -- standing high on a peak and hard as a rock, with stone walls and ramparts rising out of a volcanic crag. Find out more about the historic landmark, Edingburgh Castle.
  • Eiffel Tower  
    Strong as iron and delicate as lace, the Eiffel Tower is the romantic symbol of Paris. Its design was disdained by the city's artists and writers, who protested the tower's construction for the Universal Exposition. Read about the Eiffel Tower.
  • Guggenheim Museum Bilbao  
    This Frank Gehry structure is almost as awe-provoking on the outside as the treasures it houses within, boasting works from artists such as Picasso, Pollack and De Kooning.
  • Hagia Sophia  
    The name "Hagia Sophia" means "Divine Wisdom". When it was consecrated in Constantinople in 537, no one in the history of architecture had the sophistication or daring to erect such a building. Read about the inspired Hagia Sophia.
  • Houses of Parliament  
    Big Ben, the River Thames, Westminster Hall: This is where the heart of London history lies. Fires and war bombs couldn't shake these structures that so grandly stand over the river.
  • Machu Picchu  
    Mysterious and enchanting this mountain city remained hidden from outsiders for centuries after the Incas abandoned it. Intricately devised buildings and ceremonial centers make it a world-renowned tourist attraction.
  • The Palace of Versailles  
    The Palace of Versailles: The world's most opulent playground for royalty! A chateau large enough to house 6,000 courtiers! A palace fit for a king! And not just any king, but Louis XIV. Read more about the extravagant Palace of Versailles.
  • Pompeii  
    Like an insect frozen in amber, Pompeii was sealed like a time capsule when the eruption of mighty Mount Vesuvius buried it under ash and volcanic pumice in A.D. 79. Learn more about the ill-fated city of Pompeii.
  • Roman and Georgian Bath  
    For 2,000 years, the reputation of Bath has come from its hot mineral springs, a bathing complex and a temple devoted to Sulis Minerva, the Romano-Celtic goddess of healing.
  • St. Paul's Cathedral  
    This is the church for true Londoners and the ceremonial heart of the city -- this is St. Paul's. During World War II the Anglican cathedral stood during the bombs and blazes of the Blitz giving courage to all England.
  • St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel  
    The worldwide center of the Roman Catholic faith was erected on what is thought to be the tomb of Saint Peter. Work on the new building began in 1506 and continued for well over a century. Read about St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel.
  • Stonehenge  
    No one knows who erected the massive Stonehenge or why but the romance and mystery of it continue to fascinate. Even today during the summer solstice you can stand at the central Altar Stone and witness the sun rising precisely over the Heel Stone located
  • Sydney Opera House  
    Like a flotilla of grand ships under sail, gliding across one of the world's great natural harbors, the Sydney Opera House has arrested every visitor's attention since it opened in 1973. Read more about Sydney Opera House.
  • The Colosseum  
    When the Colosseum falls Rome also ends and when Rome falls the world will end an old proverb warns. But neither hurricanes nor gladiators have taken it down yet; likewise many around the world are trying to preserve this monument.
  • The Dome of the Rock  
    Sheltered beneath the dazzling golden crown of the Dome of the Rock -- which was built according to perfect mathematical calculations -- is the Holy Rock, whose associations touch three religions. Learn more about the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
  • The Forbidden City  
    This maze of 800 buildings in Beijing was off limits to ordinary mortals, being the exclusive precinct of China's emperors and their courts for 500 years. Read about the Forbidden City.
  • The Kremlin and Red Square  
    In Russian the word 'kreml' means "citadel" and many Russian cities have kremlins of their own. But to the rest of the world there’s only one Kremlin – the 800-year-old Moscow palace that has played such a huge role in world history and politics.
  • The Leaning Tower of Pisa  
    One of the world's most recognizable buildings is surely the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Check it out, if you're so inclined....
  • The Pantheon  
    With its remarkable dome, the Pantheon ranks as one of the great marvels of ancient Rome. The building's beauty comes from its geometrical purity: the dome's diameter is precisely the same as its height from the floor. Read more about the Pantheon.
  • The Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx  
    Of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, only one still exists -- the pyramids of Giza. he Great Pyramid, Egypt's largest, is an astonishing structure completed more than 4,500 years ago. Check out the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx.
  • The Taj Mahal  
    Arguably the most perfect building on Earth the Taj Mahal is an Indian ruler's timeless memorial to his lost lamented love. This white marble pearl of architecture was once described by poet Rabindranath Tagore as "a teardrop on the cheek of eternity."
 

My Profile

Profile ImageKristiana Burk


Contact Info:
Atlanta, GA
Channel Director, HowStuffWorks
I am a former librarian and teacher.
Send Email

 
Description

  Loading content... please wait