Senior Travel: The Most Popular Tourist Sites in the World

James E Becker — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 08:00:20 +0000

I recently discovered a web site that focuses and elaborates on the most popular attractions, museums, squares, streets, palaces, bridges, towers, railway stations, theater and opera houses, parks and cites in the entire world. I will share a few that I have always found exciting and you can mine deeper as you wish. Each is elaborated with an attached URL that will lead you to many other major sites associated as well.

Once the tallest structure in the world, the Eiffel Tower is probably Europe’s best known landmark and Paris’s most famous symbol. The Colosseum is probably the most impressive building of the Roman empire. Originally known as the Flavian Amphitheater, it was the largest building of the era.

Times Square, the most bustling square of New York is known for its many Broadway theatres, cinemas and supersigns. It is one of those places that make New York a city that never sleeps. In the middle of the Place Charles de Gaulle, at the border of the 8th, 16th and 17thh arrondissementstands one of the greatest arches in history: the Arc de Triomphe (arch of triumph).

For the many immigrants that flocked from Europe to New York, the Statue of Liberty was the first image they saw of the USA. The statue was a gift from the French government for the 100th birthday of America’s Independence. The Louvre, originally a palace but now one of the largest and most visited museums in the world, is a must-visit for anyone with a slight interest in art. Some of the museum’s most famous works of art are the Mona Lisa and the Venus of Milo.

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world. The British Museum is the largest museum in Great Britain. Its vast collection of more than 7 million objects of art and antiquities that span the millennia are displayed in over 90 rooms.

With more than two million works of art spanning thousands of years, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the most expansive and prolific art museums in the world and it should be on everyone’s New York to-do list. Central Park is one of those places that make New York such a great place to live. The huge park, 843 acres large (341 ha), is located in the center of Manhattan. Its design is an example for city parks around the world.

The Magnificent Mile, the northern part of Michigan Avenue between the Chicago River and Lake Shore Drive, is Chicago’s version of the Champs-Elysées: a grand wide boulevard with exclusive shops, museums, restaurants and ritzy hotels.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge (Australia) is a large steel arch bridge connecting the city center with the residential areas in the north. Thanks to its sheer size and beautiful location the bridge has become one of Australia’s most famous landmarks.

St. Peter’s Basilica: This great building is the center of christianity’s origins. The opulence of the building’s interior bears testimony to the wealth of the catholic church in the 16th century.

The Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster, commonly known as the Big Ben, is one of London’s most famous landmarks. Buckingham Palace, one of several palaces owned by the British Royal family, is one of the major tourist attractions in London.

If you choose to explore these sites you will learn tons about not only the site, but the history and tourist attractions associated with the site. It is a great discovery and I hope that you find it helpful as well. jeb

Senior Citizen Journal » senior travel worldwide

Senior Travel: The Most Popular Tourist Sites in the World