Natural Landmarks

On this day: Cartier Visited Hochelaga (Montreal)

On October 2, 1535, Jacques Cartier became the first European to sight Mont Royal and the large village of Hochelaga, where he was greeted by a sizeable crowd. Over time it became the rather larger community of Montreal. Cartier was…

Posted by
Thursday, 2nd October 2014

On this day: Devils Tower Declared a National Monument

On this day in 1906, Devils Tower in Wyoming was declared a National Monument by President Theodore Roosevelt. Seventy years later the iconic landmark achieved world-wide fame when it was used as a key location in the film Close Encounters…

Posted by
Wednesday, 24th September 2014

Europe’s Five Highest Paved Roads

Europe plays host to some of the planet's most breathtaking mountain vistas. Much of this wonderful scenery is accessible relatively easily by vehicle – and therefore by Street View! In this entry, we count down the five highest paved roads on the continent.

Posted by
Thursday, 31st July 2014

Natural Arches

Natural arches - also known as natural bridges - are formed when relatively soft rock is worn away by the action of tides, rivers or weather erosion, leaving behind a bridge-like structure of harder rock. Although there are thousands around…

Posted by
Wednesday, 16th July 2014

On this day: Blondin Crossed Niagara Gorge on a Tightrope

On June 30, 1859, The Great Charles Blondin became the first person to cross the Niagara Gorge on a tightrope. While it is often assumed that he crossed over the falls themselves, he in fact crossed near the site of…

Posted by
Monday, 30th June 2014

On this day: Canada’s First National Park

On June 23, 1887, Canada created it's first national park in Banff, Alberta. While a small reserve had been created a couple of years earlier, a new act of Parliament established what was then called the Rocky Mountains Park, intended…

Posted by
Monday, 23rd June 2014

Welcome to Google Sightseeing!

Google Sightseeing takes you on a tour of the world as seen from satellite or street views using Google Maps. Our team of authors present weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.

Like this site? We published a photo book of the best entries, you should buy a copy.