Because of their location or specific architecture, these man-made landmarks and monuments are so well known and are, of course, popular destinations that would be fun to visit with your family. Travellers can look no further than the landmark structures when it comes to learning about the history of a new destination. There are other ways of exploring the local culture, of course, which can be mirrored in the cuisine, the textiles, and the dialects, but it is the buildings that can most expose a city. In essence, local landmarks are mute witnesses to past times, kingdoms, and tastes, but they can also provide us with hints to what the future brings.
Kremlin
The Grand Kremlin Palace is part of the Kremlin complex and is located in Moscow, the capital of Russia, next to Red Square and St Basil’s Cathedral. Established near the Moskva River, the Kremlin is a castle with sealed walls. The word ‘Kremlin’ means ‘city castle’. The wall, with its 20 towers as well as four churches and five palaces within the walls, contains the more than 500-year-old Kremlin. The Kremlin was once the Tzars’ home. This is where the Russian President is living now. Thanks to its nine beautifully painted onion domes, the Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, commonly referred to as Saint Basil’s Cathedral is quickly identified.
Leaning Tower of Pisa
One of Italy’s main tourist sites is the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The Pisa Cathedral’s freestanding bell tower was designed over nearly two hundred years and was completed in 1399. The tower’s initial height was 60 meters/196 ft, but the lowest side is now less than 56 meters/184 ft when it leans. As the soil was soft, sandy, and fragile, the building has already created several problems. The architects were still attempting to offset the leaning side with more columns on the other side during renovation, but the tower was still leaning-like many other buildings in the city. The tower was reinforced in 2000 by placing deeper soil beneath the tower. You will walk up the 251 stairs at the top of the tower to the observation deck, which is also an incredible experience. And take a photo of yourself from the lawns next to the tower to ‘catch’ the tower, of course.
Sydney Opera House
Established in Australia’s largest city, the Sydney Opera House is renowned for its roof design that resembles shells or sails. Jørn Utzon of Denmark designed the opera house and it was constructed between 1959 and 1973. With more than 1 million roof tiles, the roof is insulated. These were made in Sweden. There are many concert halls in the opera house, including stage and exhibition rooms. Every week, over 40 shows are staged here. More than 8 million visitors visited this Australian landmark last year! The roof is lit up every evening in a colourful spectacle.
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is 92 meters/305 ft tall and is made of a copper-skin iron frame. Lady Liberty, as the monument is sometimes referred to, was designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, and Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, who also designed the Eiffel Tower, designed the lady’s huge iron skeleton. In 1884, the monument was designed and finished in France. After that, the memorial was broken into 350 pieces and placed into 214 crates and sent to New York. For the American Centennial in 1886, the Statue of Liberty was a donation from the people of France to the American people. The flame of the torch is coated with 24k of gold, and for the seven worlds, the crown has seven rays. The memorial sits on the Hudson River on Liberty Island, facing New York City. From the pedestal to the head of the monument, you can ascend the 154 steps where you can see the fantastic views over the ‘Big Apple’ as New York is also lovingly named.
Moai on Easter Island
The Moai are massive sculptures on Rapa Nui, a Polynesian island. The island is generally referred to as the Island of Easter and belongs to Chile. In the centre of the Pacific Ocean, Easter Island is more than 2,200 miles away from Chile. Between 1250 and 1500, the islanders made more than 900 carved stone figures. Most of the stone figures with the oversized heads were made of crushed volcanic ash and tuff stone. The estimates weigh about 14 tonnes on average, which is as large as two elephants! The size of the statues varies, though, and there are some smaller ones and some somewhat larger ones. Weighing 82 tonnes, the hardest stone figure is 10 metres / 33 ft long! They are roughly 4 meters/13 ft long. Many islanders claim that their ancestors are portrayed by giant stone statues. The Rapa Nui people have more than 900 colossal monuments and 300 ceremonial structures that are sacred to them.
