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Suivez le guide ! Nous présentons ici l'atmosphère de dizaines de lieux de Dakar et du Sénégal. Pour vous promener et découvrir, manger, sortir ou dormir. Il vous suffit de cliquer sur la catégorie de votre choix ou de consulter la carte du Sénégal.

Cherchez un lieu, regardez nos visites virtuelles panoramiques, consultez les informations, commentez... Le Sénégal à 360 degrés.

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Suivez le guide ! Nous présentons ici l'atmosphère de dizaines de lieux de Dakar et du Sénégal. Pour vous promener et découvrir, manger, sortir ou dormir. Il vous suffit de cliquer sur la catégorie de votre choix ou de consulter la carte du Sénégal. Cherchez un lieu, regardez nos visites virtuelles panoramiques, consultez les informations, commentez...

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Kiyomizu-dera, 1 Chome-294 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Préfecture de Kyoto, Japon

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Kiyomizu-dera, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Préfecture de Kyoto, Japon

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Kiyomizu-dera, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Préfecture de Kyoto, Japon

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Ancient Kyoto: Kiyomizu-dera Temple - Google Arts & Culture

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, Californie, États-Unis

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Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, Californie, États-Unis

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Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, Californie, États-Unis

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Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, CA, United States - Google Arts & Culture

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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British Museum, Great Russell Street, Londres, Royaume-Uni

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British Museum, Great Russell Street, Londres, Royaume-Uni

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British Museum, Great Russell Street, Londres, Royaume-Uni

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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Step Outside and Discover the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens - Google Arts & Culture

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From native flora to Japanese Box-and-Hill, explore the gardens' highlights in Street View

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TCL Chinese Theatre - Google Arts & Culture

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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Editorial Feature

Journey through ancient archaeological ruins and explore age-old natural wonders

Lebanon's history stretches far back into ancient history, and traces of many great civilizations can be found throughout its cities. From ancient temples to natural wonders formed over thousands of years, take a tour of Lebanese heritage with Street View:

The Phoenician Wall

One of the most famous sites in the Lebanese city of Batroun is the Phoenician Wall, an ancient maritime wall built in the sea by the Phoenicians to protect them from incoming tidal waves. The Phoenicians were an ancient seafaring civilization who once made their home along the Lebanese coast, known for their extensive trade networks and for creating purple dye out of ink extracted from sea snails. The Wall originally existed as a natural structure made up of petrified sand dunes, but was then fortified by the Phoenicians over the years with added rocks. Although parts of it have crumbled, for the most part the wall still stands at 225 metres long and varies between 1 and 1.5 metres thick.

Temple of Jupiter (Roman Heliopolis)

Baalbek may take its name from Ba'al, an ancient Phoenician deity, but its impressive ruins of the Temple of Jupiter actually originate from the later Roman period, when the city was known as Heliopolis. The Temple of Jupiter was a colossal temple dedicated to the Roman god Zeus and it remains one of the biggest surviving Roman temples to date. Leading into the complex there is a large entranceway known as a propylaea followed by an unusual hexagonal forecourt. Within the main court remain the largest columns to be found anywhere in the world-6 of which are still standing. The temple itself is perched on top of 3,000 stone blocks, which you can see here on Street View, each weighing around a ton.

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Discover Lebanon's History With These 10 Virtual Tours - Google Arts & Culture

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Editorial Feature Journey through ancient archaeological ruins and explore age-old natural wonders Lebanon's history stretches far back into ancient history, and traces of many great civilizations can be found throughout its cities.

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Scott's Hut and the Explorers' Heritage of Antarctica - Google Arts & Culture

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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Prambanan, Kabupaten de Klaten, Java central, Indonésie

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Prambanan, Kabupaten de Klaten, Java central, Indonésie

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Prambanan, Kabupaten de Klaten, Java central, Indonésie

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Prambanan temple - The tallest Hindus temple in the world., Yogyakarta, Indonesia - Google Arts & Culture

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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The Valley of the Temples is an archaeological area of Sicily characterized by a series of important Doric temples of the Classical Greek age. It corresponds to the ancient Akragas, monumental original nucleus of the city of Agrigento. Since 1997 the entire area was included in the World Heritage List drawn up by the UNESCO.

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Valley of the Temples, Agrigento, Italy - Google Arts & Culture

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The Valley of the Temples is an archaeological area of Sicily characterized by a series of important Doric temples of the Classical Greek age. It corresponds to the ancient Akragas, monumental original nucleus of the city of Agrigento. Since 1997 the entire area was included in the World Heritage List drawn up by the UNESCO.

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Cattedrale di Palermo, Palermo, Italy - Google Arts & Culture

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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One of the most famous cities in the world - Chicago - got its name from the word "shikaakwa" which is Indian for "Wild Lily". Indeed, the city resembles a beautiful flower, though its present look has been forming for more than the last century.

Chicago has its own soul and individuality. In this city one can admire three different periods of the world's architecture simultaneously. Actually, that is very unusual for such a young country like the USA. We can 'thank' for that the famous 1871 fire, which almost wiped Chicago off the face of the Earth.

Now it is impossible to determine the cause of the fire. There were various versions of what had happened: from a cow that overthrew an oil-lamp to a comet. Whether or no, the fire was raging as many as three October days. Having devastated the southwest, the fire 'overstepped' the southern branch of the Chicago River and continued destroying the entire 38-year history of the city.

But after that Chicago was built practically from scratch, making it possible to turn into reality the boldest architectural experiments of that time. By the way, the first skyscrapers in the USA appeared in that very city: the land price was very high, so the city had no other choice but to grow up.

Nowadays, 3 of the 60 tallest buildings in the World are in Chicago; the 442-meter Willis (Sears) Tower is among them, it is the second highest building in the USA. Chicago also takes the second place by the number of skyscrapers in the USA: 114 buildings with height of more than 180 meters. New York City takes the first place with 216 skyscrapers.

Along with this, you shouldn't think that Chicago is just a city of strict skyscrapers with the tiny people-bugs. The main part of it consists of 2-3 storey buildings including those of a completely classic style with their propylaea, porticos and arcades. There are beaches and parks in Chicago including famous Grant Park and Millennium Park. The city sculptures are also represented in all the genres of art: from classics to high-tech.

And besides achievements in urban planning, Chicago has another thing to be proud of. Walt Disney, Michel Obama, Hillary Clinton, Ekaterina Yushenko, Ernest Hemmingway, Anastasia and many others are in the number of its famous natives. The classic American author Theodor Dreiser called Chicago 'Florence of the Western States' and 'Literary capital of America'; now Chicago is considered to be a theatre capital of the country.

While walking along the quay (or having a bird's eye view of the city), it can seem that Chicago is situated on the seashore. Water spreads out in every direction as far as the eye can reach. However, it is not a sea, but Michigan - one of the Great American Lakes; its name is Indian for 'Big Lake'. It is 500 km long and 190 km wide, its total area is 57 750 km² making Michigan one of the 5 biggest lakes in the World.

And there is one more interesting thing about Chicago. There is the only river in the world that flows in the reverse direction. It is the Chicago River. In 1990 its flow was completely reversed because of a very common domestic question. In the end of the 18th century, at the time of the urban growth, the city suffered a great problem because sewage was dumped into Lake Michigan, so it resulted in the lack of pure water. The problem was solved through complete reverse of river flow along with the construction of sewage treatment plants towards the Illinois River.

It would be endless to talk about Chicago but there are no words to describe the charm and splendour of it. The city that subdued nature and didn't contradict it; the city that said a new word (and not only one!) in architecture; the city of records and famous people - it is worth seeing, not simply talking about it.

Photo by Mike Reyfman

27 January 2015

Photogallery
Open Gallery
Beautiful.The heart of USA. Please shoot London.

Wish you all best

Oh I'm not that rich to think about visiting wonderful Chicago! so all of you guys when looking at those beautiful flowers and nice places, don't forget me please!
Thank God for giving us the great opportunity to live in this beautiful and majestic world.
with best wishes for you all, Darush.

I had been to Chicago, Illinois 15 years back. I stayed with my sister and her family at skokie. What I still remember is: Lake Michigan,fantastic O'Hare International Airport and friendly people with their great culture. It is a fantastic city!
Avinash Joshi
Pune, Maharashtra, India.

hai guys u did such a great job...
i am school principal and also very fond of photography....
i saw all your panoramic photos it is wonderful work u did for us.
we may see all the best images of d world at home.
thanks 2 u guys...

plz keep continue..

lOVED THE PHOTOGRAPhY. i USED TO LIVE IN THE

I used to live in the Gold Coast area near the Oak St. Beach. Jazz was my thing then and even tho I went to school and worked at Carson,Pirie,&Scott I was in and out of most of the jazz joints. Brings back wonderful memories. Thanks a bunch. The tallest building then was the Merchandise Mart. Now the skyline is replete with skyscrapers. Time for me to go back. Catherine
.

Magnificent photografic technique and skillness into handling such!
A honor to the great city Chicago to be showed off in this impressive way!
Makes Me wish to visit Chicago ;-)
Great work!
Thanks.

We are glad to have your opinion. It will give us pleasure to hear from you soon again.

Beautifuly concieved.You can try and expand
presentation with the use of pointers to highlight
the prominent landmarks and tag them. Well done.

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Nowadays, 3 out of 60 highest buildings in the World are in Chicago. Among them is the 442-meter Willis (Sears) Tower, the second highest building of USA.

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Bienvenue à la visite virtuelle 360° de BRUGES

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Bruges est une ville qui vous touche au cœur. C'est un lieu à dimension humaine, mais qui ne se livre jamais entièrement. La ville a grandi par son histoire et a été reconnue en tant que Patrimoine mondial par l'Unesco.

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Being the capital of Spain and its largest city, Madrid is also a popular tourist destination. Variety of monuments from different epochs, rich history, and unique culture attract tourists from around the world. Madrid's official symbol is a bear eating fruits from a strawberry tree. The statue reflects the scale of the city growth, and also serves as a reminder of the times when wild bears roamed where Madrid's landmarks are located now.

Madrid built on a plateau at an altitude of 650 meters. In 852 its steep location inspired the emir Muhammad I to build Alcazar, a Muslim fortress of great importance. Over the course of numerous wars, the citadel changed its owners several times. In 1083 Alfonso VI conquered Alcazar, and the city became a stronghold of the Christians in their struggle against the Moors.

Five centuries later the city of Madrid was proclaimed the capital of State and Empire. It caused a high level of migration: the population of Madrid has increased threefold (up to 60 thousand people) during few years, which promoted active growth of construction industry, especially in residential areas. Although the Kingdom of Spain lost most of its power during 17 th century, the city of Madrid continued enjoying its "golden" age for many more years. Lope de Vega, Cervantes, Calderon, Diego Velázquez, and Francisco de Zurbaran lived and worked in Madrid. A lot of efforts were put to developing arts and science: El Prado Museum, Royal Botanic Gardens, and Royal Academies were established here; and Royal glass, tapestry, and porcelain factories gave a significant boost to the industry development. As a result, by the end of 18 th century Madrid's population was 170 thousand people.

In 1808 Napoleon's army took Madrid; the Liberation war became Spanish Revolution. Next grand remodeling of Madrid happened at the end of 19 th - beginning of 20 th centuries, as if the city has decided to start its life from a clean slate: many old city walls and monasteries were demolished; wide boulevards took place of old city streets, and new Modern-style buildings appeared along the roads. There were electricity, telephone communication, city trams, and subway system in Madrid. And finally, Telefónica Company erected first sky-scrapper in the capital of Spain in 1929.

Some of the historical monuments were damaged during Civil War. However starting 1950s the city of Madrid entered its period of growth again. Saving landmarks of its legendary past, Madrid went on building new exciting architectural masterpieces.

Today's population of Spain's capital is over three and a half million people. The city of Madrid is located right in the middle of the country. Puerta del Sol, the central city square, features Zero Kilometer sign, which is the beginning of the radial network of all main Spanish roads.

Located 300 kilometers away from the sea, the city of Madrid doesn't have its own beaches. However, comparing to other European capitol cities, Madrid has a leading number of parks. The splendid beauty of Madrid's nature and cultural landmarks are available for you on our virtual panoramas. Enjoy!

Photos by Stanislav Sedov and Dmitry Moiseenko

23 January 2014

Photogallery
Open Gallery
Fabuloso!
Como educadora, ahora tengo una herramienta super valiosa, Gracias! Mis estudiantes sobre todo los de Bachillerato Internacional, ahora aprenderán sobre España con unos visuales extraordinarios.

"Hello,

You are doing a super job, the images are absolutely beautiful, you almost feel like you are actually there! Many thanks.

Gentleman
Your photography is truly amazing and beautiful.

Elie Al Nahas, the title of the song is "No Volveré" from "Gipsy Kings"

Admirable trabajo, es increíble ver mi ciudad desde estas panorámicas, mi enhorabuena.

please can i have the name of the song, it's wonderful

Spectacular Madrid. Its so vivid, live and beautiful presentation. I could see everything so clearly and felt like I am in Madrid. Music is so nice!! Full marks and salute to you droog!
Please make same like in Vladivostok with "Million Million Alyh Rose" from Ala Pugacheva.

Una hermosas vistas de Madrid, hermosa ciudad.

Cariños Maite

Well done ruskies!!! Only a little correction, in the text between 4th and 5th photographys there is a mistake. Spain didn`t fight in the WWII, damages that you speaks are from the Civil War (1936-1939). And at the next text between 5th an 6th photos you say Madrid has a population over a half billion!!! Its imposible!!! It has more than three millions, and the metropolitan area more than six millions. Thanks for your job, it?s amazing!

Dear Jon, we corrected the text. Thank you for your comment!

Another fantastic panorama, thank you!
However, Madrid is not the most elevated city in Europe - it is Andora la Vella, at over 1000m above sea level.

Thank you, Asta! We corrected the text.

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Being the capital of Spain and its largest city, Madrid is also a popular tourist destination. Variety of monuments from different epochs, rich history, and unique culture attract tourists from around the world. Saving landmarks of its legendary past, Madrid went on building new exciting architectural masterpieces...

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La Pedrera, Passeig de Gràcia, Barcelone, Espagne

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La Pedrera, Passeig de Gràcia, Barcelone, Espagne

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La Pedrera, Passeig de Gràcia, Barcelone, Espagne

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Valencia is one of the largest and most famous cities in Spain. The city has a perfect geographical location: it is situated on the banks of the Turia river, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea. So, for centuries Valencia had been a key point during knockdown battles between Romans, Visigoths, Christians and Moors to be owned by.

In the 13th century Valencia finally adopted Christianity and became a mighty kingdom, which was in the centre of spanish historic events. Battles for these lands continued, and during the Civil war of 1936-1939 Valencia even became a temporary capital of Spain. Now it is the third largest city by population in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona. The representatives of different cultures coexist here, so here one can find architectural heritage, reflecting both Moresque and Christian periods of its way.

In 1996 Valencia was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and it's not surprising: if we list all the sights of Valencia it will fill several pages. We will describe only some of them, which are the most unusual even for Spain, full of marvellous monuments of different epochs.

Ones of them, for example, are guard towers of the city gate Torres de Serranos, situated in the nothern part of the Old Town. Built in 1398 in the form of a regular pentagon, these towers are connected by a common gallery and decorated with gothic designs. For now The Torres de Serranos, having lost its defensive function, serves for peaceful purposes: that is where the start for Las Fallas (Spanish for 'The Falles') - the most famous festival in Valencia - is announced.

There are the other 'Twin-towers' in Valencia - The Torres de Quart. Since 1931 they have become the national patrimony of Spain and have been included in the list of the national cultural heritage. In the 15th century the towers were a part of a medieval defensive wall, which was surrounding the area of the Old Town. They were designed in Gothic style, imitating the triumphal towers of Castel Nuovo (Italian for 'New castle') in Naples. In the 17th century The Torres de Quart were the female prison, in the 19th century, during the war for Independence, and in the 20th century during the Civil war they protected the city.

There is also a rather unusual monument of both historical and architectural importance in Valencia: The Silk Exchange (Spanish: Lonja de la Seda). Silk production had been a key industry for Valencian economics for several centuries; and the 18th century was its golden age: at that time 25000 people worked in this field. The complex of the Silk Exhcange was being built between 1482 and 1533. It consists of four parts: the Room of Columns (also called the Trading Hall), the Sea Consulate Room, The Orange-tree Patio and the Prison Tower where silk thieves and bankrupted merchants were put. The exchange has a very obvious symbolism: it was designed as a temple of commerce, with the main hall decorated as a paradise garden.

The City of Arts and Sciences is absolutely unique: it is an architectural complex made up of five buildings and situated at the drained riverbed of the river Turia. It is the most outstanding and ambitious project of the recent decades not only in Valencia, but perhaps in the whole country. In 1989 the idea of its creation was accepted, in 1994 the construction was initiated, and in 2005 it was fulfilled. The complex includes the following objects: the Queen Sofía Palace of the Arts; L'Hemisfèric (an IMAX Cinema, planetarium and laserium); L'Umbracle - a greenhouse gallery; L'Àgora (The Agora) - a multifunctional covered space for exhibiotions and other events; the Prince Philip Science Museum; and the largest open-air oceanographic park in Europe. Being 'the city within a city' and combining educational and entertaining facilities, this complex is one of the most popular sights in Spain.

And, undoubtedly, one of the most important cultural, architectural and historical monuments is Valencia Cathedral, situated in the centre of the Old Town, near Plaza de la Reina. The foundation had been laid in 1262 over the site of the former Mosque, but during the following five centuries it was being constantly rebuilt. As a consequence there is a mixture of architectural styles, ranging from Baroque, Gothic, exquisite Renaissance and Neoclassicism. The Cathedral is covered by an octagonal lantern tower (Cimborio) with lancet windows, and the front is decorated with several sculptures dated 13th century.

Masterpieces of the greatest Italian and Spanish artists, such as Niccolo Fiorentino, Vincente Juan Masip, Francixco Goya, José de Ribera and others, are exhibited in the museum of the Cathedral. But the most interesting thing in Valencia Cathedral is a key item of Passion of Christ - The Holy Grail. According to legend that is the very vessel Christ used during the Last Supper. This sacred object is recognized by Vatican.

To the north of the front of the Cathedral the tower of El Miguelete is situated. It is an octagonal Gothic-style towerabout 50 meters tall and is one of the symbols of Valencia. From above one can enjoy the picturesque view of the Mediterranean and the city. And the viewers of our 3D-panoramas can get a bird's-eye view of these sights as well.

Photo by Stas Sedov and Dmitry Moiseenko

20 January 2015

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Valencia is one of the largest and most famous cities in Spain. The city has a perfect geographical location: it is situated on the banks of the Turia river, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea. So, for centuries Valencia had been a key point during knockdown battles between Romans, Visigoths, Christians and Moors to be owned by...

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One of the most popular natural sites of Turkey is Pamukkale. The name means "cotton castle", but actually it has no reference to the agricultural industry at all. The reason for such a name is the white scenery of landscape that is actually associated with the mentioned plant.

The water flowing down from Pamukkale hill creates the system of limestone-walled pools. The dazzling white terraces, that are actually travertine formations, appeared due to the deposition of salt that comes from springs rich with calcium. The AirPano team has already created panoramas of travertine terraces in Huanglong, China, so that now you can compare them to similar terraces on the other side of the planet.

In Pamukkale, there are 17 hot water and mud springs that have the temperature ranging from 35 C° to 100 C° and contain different minerals, making it possible to heal micro wounds and prevent a lot of different diseases. The baths that now are open for tourists are named in honour of Cleopatra. But most probably the legend of Cleopatra who is said to have enjoyed the springs of Pamukkale is the fable created by local guides: there is no historical evidence proving the fact that the Egyptian ruler actually visited this place.

However, it is reliably known that people started inhabiting this hill back in the second millennium B.C. The city was called Hierapolis (Ancient Greek for "Holy City"). Unfortunately, the earthquake that occurred in the 1st century left the city almost in ruins; but eventually Hierapolis was restored and regained its fame. It was a health resort for well-off people who were looking for medical treatment. They used to come here from all corners of the Roman Empire, but some of them actually died here. They were buried according to the traditions of their native land. As a result the necropolis of Hierapolis with its diversity of tombs and grave monuments became the biggest ancient necropolis in Turkey.

The Christian apostle Philip, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, was crucified here by the Romans in AD 80. An octagonal temple was built on the spot where he is supposed to have been buried. Pamukkale can also be proud with one of the biggest antique theatres in Turkey - it has the capacity of 10-12 thousand people. You can also witness the ruins of temples dedicated to Apollo and Pluto (the ruler of the underworld).

No wonder that such a place with a great number of historical, religious and natural monuments was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Even though you can't take a bath virtually, you may at least enjoy the beauty of these places with the help of our panoramas.

Photos by Stas Sedov and Dmitry Moiseenko

11 February 2016

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One of the most popular natural sites of Turkey is Pamukkale. The name means "cotton castle", but actually it has no reference to the agricultural industry at all. The reason for such a name is the white scenery of landscape that is actually associated with the mentioned plant...

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Eight cities located northeast of Moscow are united into a sightseeing tour called "the Golden Ring of Russia". Sergiev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Rostov Veliky (the Great), Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Suzdal, Vladimir and Ivanovo - all these cities, each one having different history, managed to preserve many great monuments, which are precious not only to Russian, but to the world's culture as well.

The appearance of Sergiev Posad can describe several chapters of the Russian history. The Mongol invasion of Ancient Russia, Andrey Rublev and Dmitry Donskoy, the fight of Peresvet against Chelubei, Minin and Pozharsky, Peter the Great and Savva Mamontov - all these legendary names and events in some way are associated with Sergiev Posad. The main site - the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius - is one of the largest monasteries in Russia, the center of the religious enlightenment and one of the most worshiped places today, just as it was centuries ago.

Pereslavl-Zalessky was the actual capital of the Northeast Russia in the 13th century. The Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour in Pereslavl's Kremlin, built in between 1152 and 1157, is the most ancient and the only church among the first five white stone churches that has remained practically intact. The overall number of the monasteries is six with four of them still functioning, and there are nine churches in the city.

As for Rostov, there is a reason why it has received the status "the Great" ("Veliky"): for many centuries it had been the main religious center of Russia. The heart of the city - the famous Kremlin of Rostov - was built in the end of the 17th century with a design to create "the heaven in full accordance with the Biblical description". As a result, a marvelous architectural ensemble appeared in the city - "Paradise garden" surrounded by overarched towers and a fortified wall. In the western district of Rostov, on the bank of Lake Nero, there is the Monastery of St. Jacob Saviour which represents the combination of different styles: Classicism, Baroque and Pseudo Gothic style. The special pride of Rostov is its stone and wooden building constructions of the 18th-20th centuries.

Yaroslavl is one of the first Russian cities that had appeared on the banks of Volga River. The first mention is dated 1071. Now there are 140 architectural monuments on the territory of its historical center: not only the Kremlin, monasteries and churches draw visitors' attention, but some common apartment buildings are not of the less interest. The historical center of Yaroslavl was inscribed onto the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites for being "a unique example of urban development influenced by the Municipal Planning Reform in Russia of Empress Catherine the Great in 1763".

The most significant landmarks of Kostroma are the Holy Trinity Ipatyevsky Monastery and the Theophany Convent, founded in the 14th-15th centuries. The city itself, in the same way as Yaroslavl, was built according to the general site plan approved by Catherine the Great, and many historical buildings have remained till nowadays. The modern Kostroma is the unique monument of the Russian town-planning of the 16th-19th centuries.

The unique feature of Suzdal is the great amount of churches on the territory of the city. Thus, only on the Trade Square there are six temples; and the overall number of cathedrals in the city is more than several dozens. The Kremlin, five monasteries and other monuments of the traditional Russian wooden architecture of the 18th-19th centuries, such as churches, houses, windmills - all it makes Suzdal a kind of a museum in the open air. In order not to spoil the look of the architectural ensemble, it is forbidden to create high buildings here.

The main history chapters of Vladimir were "created" by the great Russian Knyazes Vladimir Monomakh (end of the 11th - beginning of the 12th centuries), Andrey Bogolyubsky (the 12th century), Vsevolod the Big Nest (end of the 12th - beginning of the 13th centuries). Back in that ancient time the famous Golden Gate of Vladimir, the Assumption Cathedral (Uspensky Cathedral) - the outstanding monument of the white-stone architectural art of the pre-Mongolian Ancient Russia, the Cathedral of Saint Demetrius, richly decorated with carvings, and many other great cathedrals were built here. In addition, there are 239 constructions dated the 18th-19th centuries, which now are protected by the government.

Ivanovo stands out among other ancient cities included in the Golden Ring of Russia. First of all it is famous for its revolutionary history, theatres, educational institutes and the industrial sector. Being the textile capital of Russia, Ivanovo is sometimes called the "Russian Manchester". In spite of the fact that the number of ancient churches and monasteries is not large, the reason for including this "Calico fabric land" in the Golden Ring of Russia was its urban architecture, which was formed at the time of the urban development and considered to be the genuine monument of culture and history.

We invite you to pay tribute to the unique Russian heritage and become better acquainted with these great historical cities.

Photos by Stas Sedov, Sergey Shandin

27 April 2016

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Golden Ring of Russia | 360 Aerial Panorama | VR Virtual Tours Around the World

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Eight cities located northeast of Moscow are united into a sightseeing tour called "the Golden Ring of Russia". Sergiev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Rostov Veliky (the Great), Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Suzdal, Vladimir and Ivanovo - all these cities, each one having different history, managed to preserve many great monuments, which are precious not only to Russian, but to the world's culture as well.

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Although Budapest has quite a rich historical heritage, "technically" it is a rather young city: the settlements of Pest, Buda and Óbuda lying on both banks of the Danube River have merged into one big city only in 1873. Nevertheless, people started inhabiting this area not later than the 1 st century BC. Hungarian tribes had first come to these lands in 895 and particularly Buda became the first political center of Hungary. By the beginning of the 13 th century the town had grown so wide that it was divided into Óbuda (Old Buda) and Buda (new quarters).

For a long time the Kingdom of Hungary had been under control of Czech, Bavarian, Austrian and Polish noble families in turn. In the middle of the 16 th century the Turks were in power here; later in 1686 the Austrians had assumed ownership over these lands and returned them to the Hesburgers Empire.

On March 15, 1867 an agreement was signed, giving independence to the Hungarian part of the Austrian State concerning its domestic affairs. One of the most important results of this historical decision was the confluence of Buda, Óbuda and Pest into one administrative unit - the capital of the autonomy. Since that moment the rapid development of the city had begun; by the beginning of the 20 th century its total population had been around 730,000 people. On November 16, 1918 Hungary declared itself an independent republic and Budapest continued to function as the capital of the state.

Military actions which occurred here during the centuries caused damage to the architectural heritage of the city, but still, many outstanding monuments managed to remain till nowadays. Buda Castle (also known as Buda Fortress) is among them. The first royal residence on the bank of the Danube River was built by King Béla IV of Hungary between 1247 and 1265. In the Middle Ages the castle was rebuilt, but at the time of the Great Turkish War in the 17th century a major part of the ancient walls was destroyed. Soon after the Hungarian Revolution, in between 1850 and 1856, the castle was restored and now is a major landmark of Budapest.

This ancient royal castle could not have been ignored by the experts of UNESCO: in 1987 it was declared a World Heritage Site. In addition to this, some other places of the Hungarian capital were inscribed into the list of Sites: the whole castle hill of Buda, the River Danube embankment, Andrássy Avenue, the Hungarian State Opera House, the Heroes' Square and even the Budapest Subway.

But the list of Budapest sights goes on and on! The Castle Quarter also houses the Hungarian National Gallery, the Budapest Historical Museum, Matthias Church, the Fisherman's Bastion, the Labyrinth, the Plague column, the House of Hungarian Wines, and the funicular leading to János hill. The building of the Hungarian Parliament constructed between the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries is among other significant places of Budapest. It was created under the impression of Westminster Abbey and the best examples of Paris Beaux-Arts architecture.

In addition to many significant architectural monuments, Budapest is also widely known for its parks and thermal springs. Actually, it is the only European capital and a resort at the same time. Numerous thermal springs were discovered here long back ago; archeologists managed to find the remnants of the Roman baths dated the 2nd century within the limits of the city. But the true bathing culture was brought here and promoted by the Turks in between the 16th and 17th centuries. And now the modern Budapest can offer more than 20 bathing complexes, including outdoor ones.

Even though our virtual journey will not be able to reveal the atmosphere of this city to the full, but it will help to create a general impression and, probably, will inspire you to visit Budapest personally.

Photos by Stas Sedov and Dmitry Moiseenko

26 September 2016

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Although Budapest has quite a rich historical heritage, "technically" it is a rather young city: the settlements of Pest, Buda and Óbuda lying on both banks of the Danube River have merged into one big city only in 1873. Nevertheless, people started inhabiting this area not later than the 1st century BC...

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A dozen kilometers of rocky coastline and half a dozen of settlements - either towns or hamlets. So why do tourists from all over the world come there? Let's clear it up.

Would you like to find yourself in a place where little multicoloured houses climb the steep rocks, slopes are covered with vineyards and underneath there are emerald-green sea waves? Where there are no cars, but many boats? Where you can ramble through narrow streets for a long time? So there is such a place as Natural Reserve of the Cinque Terre (Five Lands) that is situated on the Ligurian shore in Italy.

Five Lands refer to five tiny towns: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare. Each of them has its own recognisable appearance and doesn't look like each other.

The Cinque Terre has been under the protection of UNESCO since 1997. Here one can find piled up boats instead of parked cars we got used to. The sea that washes the Ligurian shore is considered to be one the purest in the Mediterranean. The natural reserve has been existing for more than ten years. During this time local marine life has regenerated, so the natural reserve has become attractive not only to common holiday makers, but also to divers.

You can get the Cinque Terre by water (using either boat or small ship) or by rail. In case you go there by train, which goes almost all the way through the tunnel, you will have a feeling you are on the subway. The train goes out only near the stations, so that not to spoil the beauties of the landscape.

Riomaggiore, the largest of the five towns, was founded in the beginning of the 13th century. Its population is about 1700 people. It is where the famous Love Walk (Via Dell'Amore) begins (or ends, depending on where are you going or coming from), but I shall tell about it a bit later. Riomaggiore is also famous for its wine. Well, actually, it can be said about all the five towns.

Several trekking routes are created to connect the towns. The distances are not long, but if you finally decide to follow these routes you should be prepared to hike mountain paths which require more time than simple smooth roads. To warm-up you can try Via Dell'Amore, the Love Walk which connects Riomaggiore and Manarola. This town has the population of 450 people and has preserved medieval fortifications which protected citizens from pirates.

Here is one of the legends that can be heard about this place. A long time ago young fellows from Manarola used to come to the river near Riomaggiore to get water. As in any common ancient legend, the residents of these towns were hostile to each other. One of the fellows met a beautiful young girl from Riomaggiore, so they, having fallen in love with each other, started to date secretly. Brothers of the girl found out about it and locked her in the house. She managed to get out and went to her beloved. But their rendezvous ended tragically: both of them slipped and fell into the sea. Since then residents of both towns have lived in peace, and the path has got its name - Via Dell'Amore. The 2011 flood significantly damaged the Cinque Terre, but by now everything has been completely restored. Unfortunately, landslides and rockfalls sometimes result in closing the road.

If you happen to visit Manarola, follow Via Dell'Amore and recall this ancient legend. And if the evening takes you by surprise, it is better to spend it on a hill. You will be able to enjoy the splendid view which is 'advertised' on post-cards. Furthermore, there is one more curious thing in Manarola - the elevator for boats. To carry a boat from a stony bay it should be hanged on a block and lifted upwards, then placed on the square.

Corniglia is the smallest of the five towns (only 245 residents) and the one which has no access to the sea as it is situated on a hill. To get there you have to climb a high staircase (probably it is the reason why there are fewer tourists). But if you finally conquer the steep slope you will be awarded with magnificent panoramic view; and the stroll along narrow streets will bring you pleasure even on a hot day. Corniglia is famous not only for its vineyards, but for the way the harvest is delivered. It is impossible to carry it by car as the slopes are too steep, so grapes are delivered by a single-rail device that resembles a bike riding on a roller coaster.

Vernazza is a pearl of the Cinque Terre, the most splendid of all five towns. The beautiful church of Margaret of Antioch dated the beginning of the 14th century is standing near the Belforte Tower and the ruins of the castle that was created in the 9th century. On the square facing the bay there are many Italian cuisine restaurants. The population of Vernazza is slightly more than 1000 people.

And finally, Monterosso al Mare. This town has the population of 1563 residents and differs from other fellow-towns by the sandy beach, which attracts a lot of tourists. If you change your way, in 600 meters you will find yourself in the old town. There are also a remote beach and a trekking route to Vernazza.

During one of my previous journeys I managed to pass it all the way through. For me it was a pleasure, but my companions refused flatly to come over there again. However, even unprepared tourists can climb up the Cristoforo Hill to reach the monastery of Capuchin and an old castle built in the 16th century to protect the town from the Saracens.

If you are fond of romantic landscapes, hiking the mountains, sound of the sea and Italian cuisine, you definitely should go to the Cinque Terre. But you should note that on high season the number of amateurs of local beauties rises dramatically, so you should book a hotel in advance.

The easiest way to travel between all the five towns is by train which leaves from the station La Spezia. But you should bear in mind that the Italian sun and the breath of idleness in the air make the timetable rather unreliable, so trains can leave earlier or be late. For amateurs of trekking there are many routes of different difficulty. The longest one (40 kilometers) will take an experienced traveller at least 12 hours to complete. The shortest way between all the five towns can take you about 5 hours. But to be honest, I have never met a person who would visit all of them at once. You can't help stopping to drop in any of these cosy Italian restaurants, haste is absolutely inappropriate here.

There are no luxurious hotels and huge restaurants. It is the place with its own rules and laws. But the hospitality of people who paint their houses in bright colours, the magnificent nature of Liguria, and the sense of time travelling are the precious treasures of the Cinque Terre.

See also: 360° video of Cinque Terre.

Photos and text by Sergey Shandin and Stas Sedov

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Would you like to find yourself in a place where little multicoloured houses climb the steep rocks, slopes are covered with vineyards and underneath there are emerald-green sea waves? Where there are no cars, but many boats? So there is such a place as Natural Reserve of the Cinque Terre that is situated on the Ligurian shore in Italy.

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Spain has the second largest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites, being left behind only by Italy. It has the internationally recognised masterpieces of Gaudi, but there are far more outstanding architectural monuments in this country. A new AirPano tour is dedicated to the wonderful city of Toledo.

Toledo, being the capital of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, is located in the very heart of Spain. The detailed history of this city can be described in several volumes: the first humans - the Celtiberians - had inhabited these lands many centuries BC. Then the area was something the Romans, the Alans, the Visigoths, the Moors and other folks fought for and left their trace here. In 1085, the city was seized by Alfonso VI the Brave that was the king of the Kingdom of Castile and León. During the following centuries, Toledo became a major economic and religious centre, and now it is one of the most interesting places in the country that has preserved its historical and cultural heritage.

The ruins of the amphitheatre and aqueduct can tell a few words about the Roman age. Toledo's Alcázar is dated the same period. It is the stone fortification that became the royal residence in the 16th century, soon after reconstruction. Now it houses the largest library in Castile-La Mancha and the Museum of the Army. The Synagogue of El Transito that was built in the 14th century is the bright symbol of the Moorish architecture, while the convent of Saint Ursula that was built at the same time was created in the Mudejar style. The Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo (the 13th-15th centuries) is the bright example of the Gothic style. The Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca (the 12th century) is the oldest synagogue building in Europe still standing and, at the same time, an architectural masterpiece combining different features of the eastern and western European styles. In truth, the entire centre of Toledo is a complete architectural complex in a form of the medieval old town including the maze of narrow paved streets and numerous buildings dated different centuries. In 1986, Toledo was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

One more accessible way to see these landmarks of Spain is to have a tour with AirPano.

Photos by Dmitry Moiseenko and Stanislav Sedov

11 April 2018

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Spain has the second largest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites, being left behind only by Italy. It has the internationally recognised masterpieces of Gaudi, but there are far more outstanding architectural monuments in this country. A new AirPano tour is dedicated to the wonderful city of Toledo.

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France is one of the most famous countries in Europe, and Paris is probably the most famous city in the world. Paris is rightfully called “the city of light”. It is because the capital of France has been a center of education, arts and philosophy for many centuries…

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The Gobi is one of the greatest deserts in the world. A stripe stretching for more than 1,500 kilometres from the Northern part of China to South-Eastern Mongolia occupies the territory bigger than UK, France, Spain and Portugal taken all together - 1,3 million square kilometres.

The Mongolian word "Govi" means "Waterless Place", but the Gobi is not only the desert - its terrain is rather diverse. High dunes of drifting sands cover only 3% of the Gobi territory. The main part of its lands is occupied by broad stony and clay valleys, huge prairies, picturesque rocky mountains, vast basins with rare oases, hillocky areas, salt marshes, canyons... The climate of the Gobi is sharply continental. Cross-seasonal temperature variations are extreme and can be compared to the ones of the "Pole of Cold" in Oymyakon, Yakutia. The winter is rather cold (up to -50℃) with strong gusts of wind and the summer is extremely hot (up to +55℃).

Local people are very friendly and curious, always ready to talk and help in any situation. At the same time, practically all of them - including those living in the capital, Ulan-Bator - do not speak any foreign language, neither English, nor Russian. That's why we had learnt some Mongolian words which made our life a little bit easier: "Sain baina uu" - "Hello", "Bayartai" - "Goodbye", "Bayarlalaa" - "Thank you", "Zügeer ee" - "You are welcome", "Sain" - "Good".

A couple of words about local food: such a notion as "fast food" (in its direct meaning) can be met only in big cities. As for smaller towns and villages, in zoogiin gazars (cafes) and cajny gazars (canteens) cooking takes some time: the meat will be cut, the soup will be boiled and manti will be created right at your presence. Everything is delicious and fresh, but be ready to spend an hour and a half to have a meal.

The way to the desert was a difficult and long one. It took us more than a week to leave Novosibirsk and get the first destination of our expedition - Khermen Tsav, via Chuya highway, climbing the passes and crossing the wades.

In deserts the roads are regarded as "directions". Indeed, if you have a navigator, why should you follow someone's path in case any other way is as hard as this one?

And one more "navigational" feature: there are no postal addresses in Mongolia, for delivering they use geographical coordinates - longitude and latitude.

In Mongolia travelling on one car is rather unsafe: in case of any smallest breakage or failure you are risking to be left without any help. As for the expedition to some remote and rough terrain regions it is recommended to have at least three well-equipped off-road vehicles.

At the beginning of the canyon you can't help noticing a huge branchy "Tugrik tree" where travellers leave small "donations" - 100, 200 or 500 Tugriks. Thick bushes of saxaul begin to appear in sight. You should be very careful with it: saxaul is rather sharp, and it can easily cut the tires of our cars.

It was not an easy thing to find a proper approach to the canyon - one time we rested on a wall, the other we found ourselves on the edge of a cliff. Once we even had to climb a high sand dune steering wheel in the most unimaginable way.

A 20-kilometers long canyon named Khernem Tsav (translates as "Sharp Rocks"), with steep red cliffs made of sandstone, stuns with its monumental beauty and resembles the famous Grand Canyon in Colorado, in some way. Like in Rorschach pictures, everyone can see their own figures in the "architecture" of the canyon: it can be either Buddha stupas, or Christian churches, and both monumental fortified walls and ancient eastern ensembles. One of the eroded "sculptures" has gotten the name "Sphinx".

While we were staying in a camp in the canyon, suddenly a sandstorm began and the wind began blowing away our tents. It felt like this red fine sand wanted to penetrate everything it could: cups, zipped tents, camera lenses. As soon as we saw this, we hid in the cars to wait till it was over. The realisation of this "sitting and waiting" was rather frustrating: at such a wind we failed not only to launch our drone, but even taking out the cameras was a big problem as well. Six hours later just before the nightfall, a miracle happened - the storm ceased and we finally managed to launch the drone to make several panoramas.

They show the abode of the ancient fossil animals. The point is that the Gobi is also famous for having numerous fossilized dinosaur finds. In 1925 the expedition of the American Museum of Natural History found in Bayan Zag sandstone area a lot of dinosaur remnants and even multiple dinosaur fossilized eggs. In 1946 the Soviet expedition of the Academy of Sciences under guidance of professor Yefremov found the crucial location of gigantic dinosaur fossils in Nemegt - the largest one in the Old World. Around 80 skeletons of 60 species were found in Mongolia - a quarter of the overall number of dinosaur finds in the world.

We were photographing at the estuary of Khermen Tsav. At the Cretaceous this place was inhabited by a huge number of triceratopses - four-legged herbivorous dinosaurs. Their fossils can still be found in these lands.

Just before our departure from Khermen Tsav I was "lucky" enough to have gotten lost. For more than an hour I was wandering in the labyrinths and passes of the canyon. My imagination started creating the visions of how I can become a fossil myself because this place is rarely visited even by the Mongols. I had to follow my own footprints to find the way out. Thanks to the absence of wind, I could easily find them.

Our next destination was one of the most picturesque sights of the Gobi - Khongoryn Els, also known as the "Singing Sands". A huge stripe of sand dunes stretching for over 180 kilometres and having the height up to 300 meters and the width between 3 and 15 kilometres.

At the look at Khongoryn Els you have a feeling that a huge machine brought a great amount of sand here and placed it carefully in the middle of the stony desert, so artificially it looks. A perfect place for those who did not spend enough time in a sandbox in their childhood. As for me, I wish I had a snowboard with me - the steep slopes of dunes are just perfect for sliding.

In the twilight the majestic waves of sand dunes look unusually prominent. This is the world where the lines are exact, they divide the dark and the bright side from each other. But if you want, you can walk on the ridge and break this line and the ridge will form another outline which will be as distinct, as the previous one.

Our final destination in our expedition was the sandy cliffs of Bayan Zag (literary "Rich in Saxaul"). They are also often referred as "Flaming Cliffs" due to the red and orange colour of the sandstone cliffs. Comparing to Khermen Tsav and Khongoryn Els, this place is rather easily accessible from the nearest settlement Dalanzadgad - "The capital of the Gobi"; it takes only several hours to get there from this city.

The wind erodes the layers of multi-coloured sandstone and pressed clay, and during the rains the water washes them out. Without occasional bushes and grass it would look like a truly Martian landscape.

As we have mentioned, in the 1940s a big paleontological expedition under the guidance of the great palaeontologist and science fiction author Ivan Yefremov was studying these lands. This is how he described this place: "But still, in the evening, at least ten minutes before sunset, the canyon revealed the best incomparable fantastic scene. The eroded cliffs of the ancient sandstone formations were blazing with the bright red colours. It felt like the whole basin was on fire. And this phenomenon can be easily explained: the rays of the setting sun were illuminating the red walls of the basin and sarsen sandstones, creating a rather realistic vision of the "burning cliffs". Probably, these "alien" landscapes inspired this science-fiction writer to create his novel "Andromeda Nebula", didn't it? And now you also have an opportunity to travel to these "extra-terrestrial", but still earthy lands, with the help of our panoramas.

Photos and text by Maxim Nasekin

7 July 2016

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The Gobi is one of the greatest deserts in the world. A stripe stretching for more than 1,500 kilometres from the Northern part of China to South-Eastern Mongolia occupies the territory bigger than UK, France, Spain and Portugal taken all together - 1,3 million square kilometres...

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We arrived at Cannes on the last day of the city's famous film festival, when the main passion and excitement had subsided. Nevertheless, everything from the long line of men in suits and women in evening gowns to the steps of the cinema implied that the festivities still continued. A couple of times familiar faces known from movies flickered in the crowd. In the bay yachts are tightly moored, in the streets a reasonable concentration of expensive cars exceed the number of yachts Life boils! However, we did not come to attend the Film Festival but photo shoot the city.

What else, besides the Film Festival, is Cannes famous for?

Cannes is not a large city, only 9 kilometers in length. How did it happen that this small coastal city became known worldwide? Until the 19th century it was nothing more than an ordinary fishing village. In the past there was a fortress on top of the hill surrounded by small houses, and at the foot there was the water front, where locals caught fish. It was an unremarkable village on the way to Nice, where wealthy citizens went to vacation. At that time people traveled to the sea in winter time and not in the summer, as it is done now.

In December 1834 a cholera epidemic broke out in Nice. The British Lord Chancellor Brougham, leaving for vacation, was forced to stay in Cannes because of the quarantine. He was so fascinated by Cannes that he decided to build his winter residence here - Villa Eléonore Louise. His example was followed by his friends, and soon Cannes became a fashionable resort on the Côte d'Azur, often known in English as the French Riviera. A dirt road along the coastline later has become the famous Promenade de la Croisette, a place where gorgeous palaces and villas line up beside one other. Although everything started with the British, soon it became a playground and vacation spot for Russians and French. Prosperity continued until the outbreak of World War I. Cannes returned to its former glory after the International Film Festival in 1946.

The Festival Palace, or Palais des Festivals, was built in 1982, and the locals sarcastically nicknamed this glass and concrete building the "bunker". In front of the palace lies the famous Avenue of Stars with the palm prints of artists and cinematography celebrities. Here is where the Promenade de la Croisette begins. It stretches along the shore for 2 kilometers. Many luxury hotels such as the Carlton, Majestic, Martinez, Grand Hotel, and Casino Palm Beach line up along the promenade. Almost all beaches are private and belong to hotels, with the exception of one free public beach near the Festival Palace. In the evening the Promenade is lit in red, as though continuing the 24-step carpeted stairs of the Festival Palace. It would be wrong to think that everything here is spinning around the film industry. Cannes takes second place in France after Paris in number of events held.

The city is also famous for its museums: Matisse, Fernand Léger, and Marc Chagall. It is unfortunate that we did not have time to visit them.

Preparing for the trip, we assumed that we would face difficulties during the aerial photo shoot, because usually events with lots of celebrities are accompanied by elevated security measures. Contrary to our expectations, we could quite easily fly our drone at the Festival Palace, and even in the harbor bloated with luxury yachts.

However, it was too early to relax. Soon people started approaching us, saying that we cannot fly our drone, that it is dangerous. We were well aware of the danger and tried not to fly the drone over people. Why exactly was it banned? It turns out that earlier Korean tourists had flown their drone. The drone crashed and fell on the beach, which caused a fire. Of course, the event caused a stir and created an unfavorable atmosphere for the flights. However, we successfully completed shooting without any further incidents.

If you find yourself in Cannes and you get tired of secular vanity, pompous palaces, and villas, I suggest you visit Le Suquet hill. Here you will find a well-preserved medieval city with a completely different atmosphere. You will see kids playing ball on the cobblestone streets and few tourists and cats roaming around. The observation deck of Castres Castle offers an excellent view of the city, but it does not gets its buzz. Somewhere below is the busy life, and everything here is laidback, like several centuries ago.

Obviously most come to the famous French Riviera city not to enjoy the silence! If you are interested in luxurious yachts, visit Saint Pierre Port, a harbor near the Festival Palace. You can indefinitely listen to the wind, gaze at the tackles of the yachts parked in the port, and watch the sea. That perfectly explains the existence of a special area with benches.

Conversation about Cannes can be long. Then again, as Prosper Mérimée, who moved here, wrote, "take the turquoise, emerald and lazurite - you will see the sky above Cannes; take diamonds, scatter them - and you will get the clouds over our mountains; and to imagine the sea, take ... No, don't take anything. Just get a train ticket to Cannes so you could see it for yourself!"

Take a look at our panoramic pictures and imagine the sea in Cannes!

Photo and text by Stas Sedov, Sergey Shandin

12 January 2015

Have a look at other parts of Côte d'Azur:

* Frejus and Saint-Raphael

* Villefranche-sur-Mer, Ile d'Or and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

* Saint-Tropez and Sainte-Maxime

* Antibes and Port Grimaud

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We arrived at Cannes on the last day of the city's famous film festival, when the main passion and excitement had subsided. Nevertheless, everything from the long line of men in suits and women in evening gowns to the steps of the cinema implied that the festivities still continued.

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Since the end of the 19th century, the southeast coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea has been called the French Riviera (Cote d'Azur). The breathtaking beauty in combination with the mild climate of this place attracts the amateurs of luxurious recreation. Nice, being the vacation and resort capital, is the biggest city of the coast and the fifth largest city of the country. As far as it is protected from winds by the Alps, Nice has around 300 sunny days a year, and rare rainfalls on hot days make the weather practically perfect.

Quite long ago this territory was the area that many armies were fighting for due to the advantageous geographical position. One of the episodes of the eventful history found its place among the sights of Nice. In 1543 the city was attacked by the Algerian pirate fleet headed by Barbarossa. The local garrison was not numerous, and the citizens had to cope with the adversaries by themselves. One of the most bravest locals was Catherine Ségurane, who courageously fought the attacking sailors and even killed one of them with a washing roller. Then the woman raised the flag and led the resistance. And thus, with the flag in her hands, Catherine Ségurane is represented on the bas-relief erected in the Old-town centre in 1923.

Though, some people consider this story to end in a different way. To be exact, having hit the pirate, Catherine turned her back upon the others and lifted the skirt showing her back part. Bewildered, the enemies could not fight any more, and the defenders could not help taking advantage of that. No matter whether this story is real or not, the end of the battle is a historical fact: invaders wavered and fled to their ships. Thus, one of the streets took the name of the local Jeanne d'Arc and the first monument in her honour was built in the 16th century.

Before the 18th century the coast of Nice had been occupied by huts of fishermen and dockers, meanwhile comfortable houses for well-off people were built on the highlands far from the shore. Nowadays, all the seaside of the city is occupied by the pompous eclectic buildings of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. The Promenade des Anglais (Promenade of the English) in Nice follows the curve of the bay, which bears the beautiful name of Baie des Anges (the Bay of the Angels). The famous Negresco hotel, which was listed as an Historical Monument of France in 2003, also stands here.

There are many cathedrals, churches and palaces of the 17th-18th centuries, created in the Italian Baroque style. In addition, Nice also has a lot of museums of all kinds: museums of archaeology, natural history and fine arts, naval museum, Musée Matisse and many others. In 1930 Nice hosted international car racing in the Formula Libre - predecessor to Formula One.

But, undoubtedly, in the first place Nice is famous for being the luxurious resort, and in many aspects it owes this to the members of the Russian Imperial Family. The Empress Alexandra Feodorovna arrived in Nice on 26 October 1852, and it was a key decision for the future of all the French Riviera.

In Villefranche Bay, situated several kilometers away from Nice, some lands were purchased and then a house for the Imperial Family was built. Later, around 400 Russian families purchased the property, and by 1913 the number of Russians had reached around 3,500 among 150,000 residents of the city. By this time the construction of the St Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral had been completed, which is presently one of the most famous landmarks of Nice and the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in Western Europe.

Some people say that rumors of the luxurious Nice are exaggerated: millionaires do not stand at every corner and, in fact, the inhabitants of the city lead quite a modest life. But, at the same time, the hotels of Nice are ones of the most expensive in the world, and some travel amateurs can not afford a walk in the streets of the French Riviera capital... Though, actually, can - by means of our panoramas.

Photos by Stas Sedov and Sergey Shandin

12 November 2015

Have a look at other parts of Côte d'Azur:

* Frejus and Saint-Raphael

* Villefranche-sur-Mer, Ile d'Or and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

* Saint-Tropez and Sainte-Maxime

* Antibes and Port Grimaud

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Since the end of the 19th century, the southeast coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea has been called the French Riviera (Cote d'Azur). The breathtaking beauty in combination with the mild climate of this place attracts the amateurs of luxurious recreation.

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Sydney Nouvelle-Galles du Sud, Australie

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Sydney Nouvelle-Galles du Sud, Australie

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Sydney Nouvelle-Galles du Sud, Australie

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Let us introduce an updated virtual tour of Sydney. In addition to the old photo panoramas shot in 2008, we added new high-resolution images that have never been published before.

Some time ago, I spent a night in Sydney on my way from New Zealand to Moscow. In the evening, despite the gloomy weather, I hired a helicopter pilot to fly over the city and pick a spot with the most interesting view of the harbor.

The following day at sunrise, I went to the same pilot again to fly and shoot the famous Sydney Harbor. However, a flight dispatcher told the pilot that we couldn't fly to the selected location. I was surprised: why not? We were there last night. The pilot explained that yesterday it had been okay; but the wind (or some other conditions) had changed, and so passenger aircrafts were now required to use an alternative corridor for landing - exactly where I was going to shoot today.

"So, what are we going to do?" the pilot asked. "Should we go home?"

I replied, "No, I spent 24 hours on the plane just to photograph that spot! Perhaps, they can think of something?"

"Wait", was the dispatcher's response.

We spent about half an hour hovering in the air above the other side of the Harbor Bridge where it was free of airplanes preparing for landing. Then, finally, my helicopter pilot received a message.

"There is a window. You have 3 minutes to shoot". And, a couple of seconds later, "Hey, guys, make sure you send us the picture!" And so we went for it. Suddenly, there was a boat sailing out of the port, and the sun was illuminating the clouds beautifully... Snap! The picture was ready. So, now you know the story about how this photo panorama was created.

What is common between Moulin Rouge, Finding Nemo, Mad Max, Superman Returns, Star Wars and Matrix? Don't hurry to find it in the list of directors or actors. One of the most beautiful cities of the planet, Sydney, unites these and more than 200 other works of modern cinematograph.

As many people think, Sydney is not the capital of Australia at all, though it is its oldest city. It couldn't become the capital because of its competitor, Melbourne, which is the second megalopolis of the country. In 1901, when they were choosing a capital, both Sydney and Melbourne had a claim on this title refusing to stand down. The foundation of a completely new city as a capital, Canberra, which is far away from the both competitors, could put an end to an uncompromising struggle.

However, precisely Sydney is a visit card of Australia. There are its most recognizable buildings: the fantastic Sydney Opera House and the grand Harbour Bridge.

Sydney is a relatively young city. During many thousand years only aborigines lived there. Even James Cook, who investigated the eastern seaboard of Australia, couldn't reach it. The city was founded by Capitan Arthur Phillip who sailed there in 1788 with a dozen of ships and hundreds of prisoners, who were devoted to found new colonies of Great Britain.

The city that was born as New Albion grew completely from nothing: houses and streets were built, roads and bridges were constructed, fertile soil for crops was searched for and harvests were grown. Some time ago New Albion was renamed in honour of Thomas Townshend who was a British Home Secretary Lord Sydney and who sent the exiles there.

The British flotillas went on to come in Sydney but the main purpose of these expeditions still was the transportation of prisoners from the British jails to the recent founded colony. In spite of the fact that in the beginning of XIX century such a phenomenon as free immigration was formed, by 1820 about 40% of Sydney's population still stayed convicts.

The crucial pint of the colony's history became May events of 1851, when one of its inhabitants found first 120 grams of gold and Sydney's criminal population mixed with gold diggers. Although the gold can't be found there now, for visitors Sydney is still nearly the most attractive cities of the world. People of almost all nationalities live there, but in spite of this fact Sydney is one of the most friendly and hospitable megalopolises of the world.

Australia is rarely in the centre of public interest because of its geographical remoteness, but after the Olympic Games of 2000 Sydney could attract it and in several years it became a different charts' TOP 10 member from "the Most Beautiful" till "the Most Stylish" cities of the planet.

This city is impossible to be seen for one day. It is the city of architectural contrasts, where modern skyscrapers of business centers are closed to ancient buildings of Mediterranean style. This city is full of gardens and parks, lively beaches and numerous places of interest. It was built chaotically, that is why its streets are of different length and width, and some of them are too close to each other, another have a visible sheer slope. Sydney's relief is similar to a big plane dish with river valleys in the North, in the Centre and in the South. In the times of Ice Age the ocean level rose by more than 100 meters and inundated the valleys with water. These river valleys can be perfectly seen from the height, for instance, on this panorama.

In the opinion of both locals and tourists, the most beautiful place in the city is a coastal harbour. The most visited and closed to the centre is a Rich Harbour. There is a whole complex of hotels, museums, souvenir shops, restaurants and entertainments. Sydney's symbols are the Sydney Harbour Bridge which joins the north and the south parts of the city and the wonderful Sydney Opera House which is seemed to be going under sails.

"I despair of being able to convey to any reader my own idea of the beauty of Sydney Harbour. I have seen nothing to equal it in the way of land-locked sea scenery", - the classical English writer Anthony Trollope wrote about Sydney. It is the truth: what's for to read about Sydney? It's worth to be seen.

Photo and text by Oleg Gaponyuk and Sergey Rumyantsev

15 August 2014

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One of the most beautiful cities of the planet, Sydney, unites more than 200 other works of modern cinematograph. Sydney is not the capital of Australia at all, though it is its oldest city. Sydney is a visit card of Australia, there are its most recognizable buildings: the fantastic Sydney Opera House and the grand Harbour Bridge...

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Opéra de Paris, Place de l'Opéra, Paris, France

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Opéra de Paris, Place de l'Opéra, Paris, France

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Opéra de Paris, Place de l'Opéra, Paris, France

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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Sydney Opera House, Cité de Sydney Nouvelle-Galles du Sud, Australie

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Sydney Opera House, Cité de Sydney Nouvelle-Galles du Sud, Australie

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Sydney Opera House, Cité de Sydney Nouvelle-Galles du Sud, Australie

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2 visites virtuelles (intérieur et extérieur) en bas de page

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"It stands by itself as one of the indisputable masterpieces of human creativity, not only in the 20th century but in the history of humankind." Expert evaluation report to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, 2007.

Fusing ancient and modernist influences, the sculptural elegance of the Sydney Opera House has made it one of the most recognisable buildings of the twentieth century, synonymous with inspiration and creativity. As Pritzker Prize judge, Frank Gehry, said when awarding architecture's highest award in 2003: "[Jørn] Utzon made a building well ahead of its time, far ahead of available technology... a building that changed the image of an entire country."

Built to "help mould a better and more enlightened community," in the words of then New South Wales Premier Joseph Cahill, Sydney Opera House has, since opening in 1973, been home to many of the world's greatest artists and performances and a meeting place for matters of local and international significance. Today it is one of the world's busiest performing arts centres and Australia's number one destination, presenting uniquely diverse experiences to more than 8.2 million visitors, 363 days a year.

Those experiences range from the work of seven flagship performing arts companies - Opera Australia, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Sydney Theatre Company, The Australian Ballet, Bell Shakespeare and Bangarra Dance Theatre - to burgeoning contemporary music, talks-and-ideas and children's programming, and award-winning restaurants and bars.

As the Opera House approaches its 45th Anniversary in 2018, a year that also marks the centenary of architect Jørn Utzon's birth, a suite of projects is underway to renew the building for future generations of artists, audiences and visitors. As part of this Renewal, the Opera House is committed to bringing the vision and ambition that inspired its creation to all that it does. Google Cultural Institute provides an unparalleled opportunity to share the many facets of the Opera House, past, present and future, with people wherever they are.

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Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia - Google Arts & Culture

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"It stands by itself as one of the indisputable masterpieces of human creativity, not only in the 20th century but in the history of humankind." Expert evaluation report to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, 2007.

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After we had taken the first and the third prizes in the contest Epson International Pano Awards, had shot the spherical panorama at a speed of 250 kilometers per hour, had made the aerial gig-panorama, had dived and had shot from inside the microwave oven, in a supermarket our photographer Dima Moiseenko bought the book "Ten Easy Ways to Improve the Quality of Your Photos".

The first advice on "Which camera is better?" we didn't appreciate because we had already got the camera. The second advice on an objective was not useful too due to the same reason. The third advice: "When making a portrait, focus on the eyes of a model" was useless as we don't make portraits.

In general, we understood that we had already got enough experience and had achieved much in shooting because none advice, we had read in that book, was useful for us yet.

But, suddenly, Dima, who was reading that book for us aloud, raise his forefinger up. It's an ordinary thing when Dima, using such gesture, says something wise and that is why we were all ears. Dima was reading slowly: "Buy a firm tripod. It allows you to fix safely your camera making night shooting". Well, we appreciated that information as we had never shot night aerial panoramas. Staying silent a couple of minutes Dima announced that nobody had ever shot it before, perhaps.

Frankly speaking, it was strange that we had not still realized it because the advice itself was so easy. So, without any delay we went to a shop and bought the firmest tripod we could find there. In order to check our new purchase Dima with his new tripod left directly for Las Vegas. There he with difficulty put the tripod into a helicopter and flew up to shoot a night city.

And, in general, he succeeded indeed.

28 November 2011

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After we had taken the first and the third prizes in the contest Epson International Pano Awards, had shot the spherical panorama at a speed of 250 kilometers per hour, had dived and had shot from inside the microwave oven, in a supermarket our photographer Dima Moiseenko bought the book Ten Easy Ways to Improve the Quality of Your Photos.

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Situated in the northwest of the country, Seattle is one of the biggest cities of the USA. Its first name, given just after the foundation in 1851, was the "Future New York", but it did not stick. Soon the city was renamed after an outstanding chief of the local Indians.

Apart from that Seattle has many unofficial vivid nicknames: one of them, the "Emerald City", refers to the fact that the city is surrounded by water and evergreen forests. Informally it is also called the "Gateway to Alaska" and the "Rain City"; the nickname "Jet City" appeared due to the influence of the Boeing company, which was founded here.

Seattle is situated between the Puget Sound, an arm of the Pacific Ocean, to the west and Lake Washington to the east. It is considered that Seattle, as well as Rome, lies on seven hills including Capitol Hill. By now the city has grown wide and the its territory includes more highlands which create the unique appearance of the landscape.

The most recognizable feature of Seattle and of the whole northwest Pacific Coast is the Space Needle Tower built in futuristic style. It is a part of the Seattle Center originally created for the purposes of the 1962 World's Fair. Being 184 meters high and having the weight of 9 550 tons, the tower is equipped with 25 lightning-rods, so that it can withstand storms up to 320 km/h and earthquakes of up to 9.1 magnitude. Tracery constructions support the "flying saucer" at the height of 159 meters. It is an observation deck which, as well as our panoramas, makes it possible to observe the whole Seattle, parks, lakes and mountains.

At the same time the Space Needle is not the highest building in the city. Since 1985 Columbia Center, a 76-storey and 284 meters high building, has received this status; the second tallest building is the "1201 Third Avenue" skyscraper previously called Washington Mutual. There are many other high-storey buildings in Seattle, but some low-storey buildings are not less interesting. One of them, for example, is Pike Place Market situated on the edge of a steep hill; it is one of the oldest continental markets in the United States. Here one can not only buy something, but also have a good time in a cozy cafe or enjoy performances of the local artists. People use elevators and stairs to move between the levels of the market. Average amount of people visiting Pike Place Market annually is around ten million people.

Just under the market there is the famous Seattle Waterfront overlooking the Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains. By the way, a ferry ride is a very popular activity in the Emerald City: water trips make it possible to admire all the natural and architectural sights of Seattle from the outside.

The same can be done with the help of our panoramas. The "Rain City", bearing this name not because of continuous precipitations but because of great number of cloudy days per year, gave us the possibility to take photos in sunny weather. So this is one more chance to be impressed by Seattle.

Photos by Dmitry Moiseenko

23 April 2015

Photogallery
Open Gallery
The Emerald City is one of the friendly scenic.
Incredible panoramas.

You never disappoint. Beautiful work. Proud to see my city included in your collection.

All of your panoramas are incredible. Thank you for showing me places that I will never get the opportunity to visit in person. Have you ever considered doing a panorama of Vancouver,B.C., Canada? Would love to show the world my city of birth.

Beautiful presentation, thank you

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Situated in the northwest of the country, Seattle is one of the biggest cities of the USA. Its first name, given just after the foundation in 1851, was the "Future New York", but it did not stick. Soon the city was renamed after an outstanding chief of the local Indians...

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Manhattan, New York, État de New York, États-Unis

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Manhattan, New York, État de New York, États-Unis

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Manhattan, New York, État de New York, États-Unis

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In 2006 I shot our very first spherical aerial panorama, from which the AirPano project started, in the beautiful place of the Colorado and the San Juan rivers confluence (USA):

The result was overwhelming - by looking at the large screen one had a total illusion of flying over the canyon. And so we decided to continue our experiments.

The next attempt was made in 2007 above the island of Manhattan. I remember this photo shoot by one funny detail: there were no headphones for passengers in the helicopter's cabin. I had to shout from the back seat (while trying to overcome the engine roar that was coming from the open door) to let the pilot know where to go. He didn't hear me anyway, so in order to change the shooting position I had to tap on his shoulder and then - after he looked at me - I had to point the direction with my finger where the thumb down meant moving lower. And guess how I showed him to go higher :) It was fun.

After that incident, when hiring a helicopter I always ask: Do you have passenger headphones in the cabin?
And pilots are always surprised: But of course! Is it possible not to have them?
Yes, it is possible,- I answer - In New York :)

Despite of all the difficulties, this photo shoot was accomplished, delivering world's first virtual photo tour above Manhattan.

There were many more flights after this one, and many like-minded people joined AirPano project in the process. As of today we shot around 100 spherical panoramas of the most interesting and beautiful places in all the continents of our planet. Except for Antarctica. We also made virtual photo tours over the world's most beautiful cities.

In 2011 we returned to New York to once again photograph Manhattan: this time making it much better technically and artistically. Enjoy the daytime aerial panoramas of Manhattan now. The evening flight over Manhattan and the large photographic virtual tour will be published in the nearest future.

New York is the most famous city of the USA, and Manhattan is the most famous part of New York. It all started 400 years ago when the most famous and profitable in human history real estate deal was made: the Native Americans sold this 'not so useful' piece of land to Europeans for 24 dollars.

Since that time the island has changed dramatically. For 24 dollars one can probably buy a ticket to the Empire State Building.

Present day Manhattan is the most populated island on Earth. The land itself costs about 40 billion US dollars, and the cost of the entire Manhattan, including its real estate, reaches over 3 trillion US dollars.

This remarkable part of New York City is best to be discovered on foot - not only because of the infamous New York traffic or cost of parking in New York. There is a joke in New York that only wasteful people can afford driving in New York, because the time one spends on finding a parking spot sometimes equals the time it takes to drive from one side of Manhattan to another.

New York is known to be a financial capital of the world, and the island of Manhattan is where all the banks, offices, largest insurance companies and corporations are located - literally one on top of another. Basically the rest of New York, and eventually, the rest of the United States, work for Manhattan, making sure that this gigantic "city inside of the city" continues its mission - processing the wealth of the whole world.

Besides a large number of museums, almost every building in Manhattan has a historical value. Old buildings harmoniously coexist with the best examples of the modern architecture. Most famous New York attractions are located in Manhattan, including Empire State Building mentioned above, Central Park and Times Square. There is also colorful China Town and bright Broadway - they are all located on this island. It is a shame not to bring a photo of Manhattan from your trip to New York!

We also made our modest Manhattan photo album. These panoramas were photographed in the summer of 2011.

Text by Oleg Gaponyuk, photography by Dmitry Moiseenko

17 April 2012

Photogallery
Open Gallery
Your website is just... AMAZING. Now I traveled all over the world :) because of you ! thank you so much for this wonderful website. I've never thought it could exist. I'm speechless... it's incredible ! You made my day!

Love from Switzerland

Parabens...
O trabalho esta incrivel...
nunca vi coisa igual...

I have the strong sensation that this panorama was made from many screenshots of google heart view stiched together. I personnaly see some 3D buildings and the lack of atmosphere is also something I noticed.

It's quite well done anyway.

Dear top megacool,
You can try to do something similar using Google. You'll meet some problems. So, fortunately we held copyright for all our panoramas.

I have lived in New York City, San Francisco, Hong Kong, and now Las Vegas. You have made each city clearer and more informative than even a "local" person an do.
Thank you.
Bill

I cried, this brought back so many wonderful memories... There's a small chance I'm actually in one of these panoramas with my girlfriend, somewhere...

What day were the individual panoramas taken, so I can perhaps find myself? Thank you :)

I AM REALY LAKY THAT I WHAS IN N/Y EVEN FOR 8 DAYS
AND WITH YOUR WANDERFUL WORK, I WILL ALWEYS HAVE MY MEMORIES FROM THAT DREAM SITY
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!
THEODOR KIZIRIDIS HELLAS -GREECE

Spectacular! Nice piano accompaniment, as well.
would like to have been able to zoom in further, especially on the Chrysler building and the Empire State building, so that you could see into some of the offices!
Please correct the title on your bridge picture..It is the Brooklyn Bridge!

Many thanks,
David

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I remember this photo shoot by one funny detail: there were no headphones for passengers in the helicopter's cabin. I had to shout from the back seat (while trying to overcome the engine roar that was coming from the open door) to let the pilot know where to go.

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There are 50 states in the USA. The newest state is Hawaii: these are remarkable islands located in the central part of Pacific Ocean, far away from the continent.

The Hawaiian archipelago consists of twenty four islands and atolls, as well as numerous small islands. These islands became inhabitant in VI century B.C., but for many centuries during the legendary round-the-world travel of the era of Great geographical discoveries, sailors passed either to the south or to the north of the islands. Therefore Hawaiian Islands didn't appear on the map for a long time and no one knew about them.

It is considered, that the first European who set foot on their land, was the famous sailor James Cook in 1778. He died a year later in the same place.

The main places of interest on Hawaii are beaches and the amazing nature: volcanoes, waterfalls and national parks. Besides, you can find a rich and extremely beautiful underwater world here. In general, Hawaii isn't called "paradise islands" in vain - it seems that both weather, and the magnificent nature and the beaches of Hawaii are specially created to awaken people's senses.

At present time the volcanic activity on Hawaiian Islands mainly happen in Kilauea: the attached crater located on a slope of Mauna Loa, the second highest mountain. The ongoing eruption of this volcano has been continuing since 1983.
This volcanic eruption is famous for its spectacular fountains of the lava throwing the heated red magma 90 meters up in the air. Such lava fountain can sometimes reach the height of 500 meters. Leaving the crater, lava flows downhill like the bright-red river of basalt with the speed of 30 and more kilometers an hour. It burns absolutely everything on its way, cuts roads, and having reached the sea, it cools down quickly, sending huge pillars of vapor to the sky. For the tourists visiting this tropical paradise these eruptions are an absolutely unforgettable show.

We have already attempted to photograph the volcano eruption, but it's been only partially successful. The day when we have arrived there by the helicopter, lava pipes blocked up, and for the first time in several years the lava stopped flowing into the ocean. Next day the lava has made a new path, and by the time we found the place where lava was flowing into the ocean, a hundred-meter pillar of vapor was already rising there. By that time our helicopter was gone, and we took pictures only from the ground.

This is the reason why our interest in Hawaiian Islands hasn't diminished for several years.

Last year we met with Dean Karamehmedovich, a wonderful photographer who lives on the islands. He has been shooting the islands for a long time. You can find an interesting virtual tour across Hawaii here.

And today we present to your attention his aerial photo tour of the Oahu Island.

Because it is a first Dean's tour on our website, we would like to tell couple of words about Dean.

Like many other graduates, he has changed careers over the years from Electrical Engineer into Web-Developer, from Restaurant Owner to Photographer. Become adventure junkie, marathoner, triathlete, coffee drinker, traveler, new media strategist, self-confessed geek and motorcyclist he moved to Hawaii in 2000, the land of hula skirts, big waves and scuba-diving which is another one of his passions. He soon established VTHawaii.com. He landed his first big project in 2004 for Hickam Air Force base on Oahu and then became a full time professional photographer and the leading provider of panoramas in Hawaii.

In the year 2008 VTHawaii was awarded a contract from largest Real Estate company to photograph 1200 geo coded locations from the main Hawaiian islands, every community, every beach and every attraction and my ride begin..

In the year 2009 travel continue extensively to Canada and USA photographing hundreds of hotels in more that hundred cities beginning with CA, AZ, NM next to NY, MN, MI, NH, MA, then Canadian provinces like OT, BC, AB, MB, SK, QC, NB, NS and up to PEI and Newfoundland. He was also inspired to start doing underwater panoramas and even start his own marine life tribute website HawaiiMarineLife.com taking underwater images of endemic Hawaiian marine species.

Recently, AirPano.ru inspired him and after few trial runs from the airplane and helicopter the first demonstration aerial project was successful and VT Hawaii.com was airborne.

What's next?... There are many places to go!

Panoramas by Dean Karamehmedovich, programming by AirPano

2 December 2011

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The main places of interest on Hawaii are beaches and the amazing nature: volcanoes, waterfalls and national parks. In general, Hawaii isn't called "paradise islands" in vain - it seems that both weather, and the magnificent nature of Hawaii are specially created to awaken people's senses...

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Statue de la Liberté, New York, État de New York, États-Unis

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Statue de la Liberté, New York, État de New York, États-Unis

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Statue de la Liberté, New York, État de New York, États-Unis

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virtual tour by heritage documentation programs

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Statue of Liberty | Virtual tour by Heritage Documentation Programs

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Virtual tour by Heritage Documentation Programs

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Located 23 km away from Lisbon, there is a small town of Sintra that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its major attraction is the Pena National Palace. Among other great monuments of Sintra, there is the Castle of the Moors. Built in the 9th and 10th centuries, it was an important Moorish strategic point perched on top of the Sintra Mountains that controlled the main ways connecting Lisbon, Sintra, Mafra and Cascais.

During the following centuries, the castle had frequently changed hands between the Muslims and the Christian knights and back, until the Moors surrendered to Afonso I in 1147. His son, Sancho I, reconstructed the castle and built the parish of São Pedro (Igreja de São Pedro) within its walls. But in the 15th century, the majority of the inhabitants abandoned the castle for the old village of Sintra. The castle had lost its military importance and was progressively declining. The final blow was delivered by the natural forces: after the lightning strike that destroyed the tower, the castle was also damaged by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.

In 1840, Ferdinand II of Portugal took up the task of improving the condition of the castle, giving the walls and towers the air of the Medieval Romanticism. In the middle of the 20th century, the towers were newly strengthened and now this great architectural monument is available for tourists. This place offers a wonderful view of Sintra and the ocean.

The Sintra National Palace was built at the same time as the Castle of the Moors and in the same way, was conquered by Afonso I. But the architecture of that time had not survived: the present look, combining Moorish, Manueline, and Gothic styles, was given to the castle in the 15th - beginning of the 16th century.

The unusual landmark of Sintra is the Clock Tower (Torre do Relógio). Previously, it was a part of a prison, and its bell not only noticed the timing but also the alarm in case of a breakout. In 1911, the prison left these premises and now this building houses a post office. The initial look of the tower is unknown: it was one of the numerous objects destroyed by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. Now, Torre do Relógio is a bright example of the Pombaline architecture. This style was initiated by the first Marquês de Pombal who found the way to strengthen the buildings by using tiles.

Quinta da Regaleira, the complex of a palace and a park, is a bright and mysterious landmark of Sintra. The first reference to this place is dated 1697 when a man named José Leite purchased a property on the edge of the town. More recent records reflected the name Quinta da Torre ("Tower Estate") but which tower was referred to is unknown. In 1892, the estate was acquired by Carvalho Monteiro who initiated a major reconstruction. The result of this rebuilding that lasted for more than 100 years is a wonderful Neo-Gothic palace surrounded by a gorgeous garden and decorated by towers, eagles, gargoyles, and the symbols of Masonry, such as a 30-meters deep inverted tower. It can be compared to a well that was used for Masonry ceremonial purposes. The name of the estate refers to "regal", which is Latin for "royal".

Have a tour to the wonderful town of Sintra together with AirPano!

Photos by Stas Sedov, Sergey Shandin

26 February 2020

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Located 23 km away from Lisbon, there is a small town of Sintra that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its major attraction is the Pena National Palace. Among other great monuments of Sintra, there is the Castle of the Moors.

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Namibia is a country situated in the southern Africa. Its neighbour, the Republic of South Africa, has already been shown in our panoramas, but Namibia is not the less interesting and full of landmarks as well.

The main part of the country is occupied by highlands, its highest point (the Brandberg mountain or sometimes referred as Königstein) is 2606 meters high. The Central Plateau is situated between the Namib Desert, which looks towards the Atlantic Ocean and the Kalahari Desert; in the South it is bounded by the Orange River and the North of the country is covered with jungles.

The Namib-Naukluft National Park encompasses the bigger part of the Namib Desert and the Naukluft mountain range. The total area of the park is around 50,000 sq kilometers, making it the fourth largest park in the world.

The most famous place of the Namib-Naukluft is a clay pan of Sossusvlei. This place is a home to the largest sand dunes in the world - up to 325 meters high. Their colour can vary from apricot and orange to deep red and maroon, creating a dazzling contrast to the salt hollows lying at their bottom. Strong winds blowing from different directions create fantastic forms of the dunes. At the period of a short wet season, which usually occurs in February, the plateau fills with waters of the Tsauchab River.

Sossusvlei is the place where the famous Deadvlei is situated. Many centuries ago it was the area of abundant rains which allowed to create an oasis with trees and a water pool. But when the climate changed, the pool filled up with sand, then the sun not just dried the trees, but practically burnt them. And now Deadvlei is the valley of dead tree skeletons against the background of blue sky and bright colourful dunes.

The Namib Desert has one more interesting locality bearing a rather 'sinister' name - the Skeleton Coast. It is one of the most ancient layers of the surface that can be found on the Earth: it consists of a massif of solid rock estimated to be one and a half milliard years old. And there was a reason for this name to be given to this place: fog, huge boulders, storms and the cold Benguela Current that forms near the Cape of Good Hope create hazards for shipping. Lots of shipwreck remnants can still be found here.

Natural and cultural heritage of Namibia cannot help being admired and pleasant to look at. You can see it with your own eyes - just take a virtual trip with the help of our panoramas.

Photo by Oleg Gaponyuk, Dmity Moiseenko

1 September 2015

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Namibia is a country situated in the southern Africa. Its neighbour, the Republic of South Africa, has already been shown in our panoramas, but Namibia is not the less interesting and full of landmarks as well. The Namib-Naukluft National Park encompasses the bigger part of the Namib Desert and the Naukluft mountain range...

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"Victoria" - is one of the most spectacular attractions of Africa andone of the most unusual waterfalls in the world. It is created by the Zambezi River that suddenly plummets into a narrow, 100-meters deep chasm.At the same time, Victoria - is the only waterfall in the world that is over one kilometer wide and over one hundred meters deep.

Its roar can be heard from 40 kilometers away, while the spray and mist from the falling water rises up to 400 meters and is visible from the distance of 50 kilometers. Even the rainbows are incredible here - they are of the "moon" kind: produced by the light reflected off the surface of the Moon.

The falls were discovered in 1855 by David Livingstone, the British doctor and a missionary, who named them in honor of Queen Victoria. Locals called this Nature's wonder "Mosi-oa-Tunya" ("The Smoke Which Thunders") and were afraid to even get close to it. Brave Livingstone was the first European who could cross the entire Dark Continent from the South to the North. His expedition, aimed at bringing Christianity to Africa, was accompanied by 300 warriors from one of the tribes, but only two of them dared to get close to the waterfall.

However, the traveler was not too happy about his discovery. For Livingstone, this wall of water was just an obstacle that prevented the Christians from reaching the tribes in the depths of the continent.

For a long time the waterfall remained practically without any visitors, until the construction of the railroad in 1905. Nowadays, this place is named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Locals from both Zambia and Zimbabwe have lost their fears of the "Smoke That Thunders" and they have successfully developed tourist business on both sides of the river.

Curiously, during the dry season that lasts approximately from September to December, water level in Zambezi river falls, and one can walk through the most part of the waterfall, jumping between the streams that are running down. However, at all other times, Victoria is a roaring machine, the power of which leaves an unforgettable impression.

One of the peculiar ways of entertainment at Victoria, hardly known to the mainstream tourists - is a natural pool, about ten meters wide, located right next to the cliff, next to the Livingstone's island. Just a narrow strip separates it from the deep precipice. No wonder that his place was called "Devil's Pool".

After getting into this pool the swimmer can feel how tons and tons of swirling water plummet nearby. This pool is closed during the high-water season, as the swimmers can be dragged by the current into the precipice, so the tours to this pool only start in autumn.
Photos taken from http://exfun.ru
Victoria is not the tallest waterfall in the world (how could its 100-meter height compare with a 979-meter tall Angel in Venezuela). However, bungee jumping from "Victoria Falls" bridge is a very popular activity here. Anyone wishing to try bungee jumping is tied by the elastic cords, and then he or she plummets downwards, experiencing the thrill of the free-falling for just a few seconds. The cord stretches near the water, bounces back and about a dozen of times, and afterwards the jumper is brought up.

However, the safest way to admire the waterfall would be from the height of the bird's flight, which we offer you here.

Photography by Dmitriy Moiseenko

26 April 2010

Photogallery
Open Gallery
Thank you for sharing this incredible photography of God's wondrous earth! The accompanying music was also beautiful and so relaxing. What is that..artist and the piece that plays during the awesome tour of Victoria falls? Can't wait to view the rest! Thank you for sharing and merry Christmas!

Absolutely Awesome. I am a disabled Veteran and have seen some of these places in person but the 3-d tour is AWESOME, How do I download it for my I-pad?

Awesome views,what an incredible planet we have.
Lets keep it that way for our children to see.
Dale Amyotte
Canada

This will be the only way that I will view this MAGNIFICENT falls as I dont travel much anymore.

The same goes for Angel Falls.

The only way of viewing these falls, in person, & get the same 360 degree views, is by helicopter. No other way to observe the view even in person.
Thank you to the daring photographer for the great show!!!!!!!

Thanks to God ,fantastic.
it is a great job
5 from 5
Nagah Rashad Mahmoud

TROP BEAU
ATTENTION DE NE PAS GLISSER
Bravo airpano
Merci

just fantastic.beyond imagination!!! dr.aravind

Thank you very much for the opinion left.

We lived in Zambia from 1953 as Northern Rhodesia, and from 1964 till 1976 as Zambia.
Rhodesia became Zimbabwe after Independence.
Visited the Falls on numerous occasions.
Before Zambia's Independence we used to cross the bridge that linked Zambia with Zimbabwe.
Very happy to see this beautiful presentation, and recall the memories.
Thanks,
S.B.Naik

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Victoria Falls, Zambia and Zimbabwe border - 360 Degree Aerial Panorama

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"Victoria" - is one of the most unusual waterfalls in the world. It is created by the Zambezi River that suddenly plummets into a narrow, 100-meters deep chasm. At the same time, Victoria - is the only waterfall in the world that is over one kilometer wide and over one hundred meters deep...

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The origins of Dubai trace back to the VII century, however few people associate the largest city of the United Arab Emirates with ancient times. Dubai is best described as "the City of the Future": nowhere else on the planet you will find so many incredible architectural constructions that are ultra-modern and even ahead of our times.

Here is just a short list of Dubai's attractions: Burj Khalifa skyscraper that looks like stalagmite or a desert flower with thin petals; Seven-star Burj Al Arab hotel, shaped like a sail, rises on a special artificial island (hotel room prices at Burj Al Arab start from one thousand dollars per night!); 150-meter musical fountain that lifts 83 thousand liters of water up in the air while performing Arabic and international musical hits. Breathtaking group of artificial islands: Palm islands (a gigantic tree built off the coast of the Persian Gulf) and World Islands, shaped as the Earth's continents.

All this is just a beginning! Besides its attractions, Dubai is known as a shopper's heaven. The largest shopping and entertainment center in the Middle East - "Dubai Mall" - also features one of the world's largest aquariums. "Dubai Marina" is the largest and the most exclusive yacht harbor in the world.

Note: all interesting things in Dubai either hold a world-record title in size or are pioneers in its areas. Sometimes, both things are true. For example, Ski Dubai, the indoors ski resort is not only the largest in the region, but the first one in the entire Middle East where one could enjoy skiing. One can enjoy skiing in the midst of 30 degree heat in the center of the desert - isn't it impressive? This is exactly what Dubai intends to do: to surprise, impress and bewilder with its novel ideas.

Even the weather in Dubai participates in this race for the "best of the best" title. Due to its average temperature of 35,5ºC, Dubai is one of the hottest cities in the world. Finally, beaches of Dubai have made this emirate one of the most popular resorts in the world.

Turning back to its history, a long time ago Dubai started out as exporter of pearls, but at the end of XX century it couldn't afford to act on such a small scale. Nowadays the Emirate holds a leading position in gold jewelry manufacturing, and gold prices in Dubai are such that very few can resist the temptation of bringing home half of a suitcase filled with jewelry made of this precious metal...

The United Arab Emirates is one of the most amazing countries in the world. Millions of tourists come there to see its places if interest, however, almost all of them are man-made.

The Emirates can't boast of either impressive mountain relief like the Alps do, or of water zest which is fiords located in Norway or of great forests with the richest flora and fauna of Amazonia...The desert, sea coast and oil, perhaps, are the only wealth of the UAE. That kind of wealth is quite enough in the neighbor country of the region. But exactly the Emirates are famous for their landscapes. Why so?

The answer is evident: the landscapes have been created artificially in order to overtake and surpass as well as to eclipse and impress as much as ever possible. The aim has been achieved. And the most outstanding project in that sphere is the artificial islands of the Emirates.

The construction of the biggest in the world archipelago named Palm Islands began in Dubai Emirate in 2001. Millions of tons of both sand and stones were being put by the workers imitating a palm which is the most honored and popular tree of the East. As a result, close to the Emirate's coast "three palm trees" grew: the , the Deira and the Jumeira.

The Jumeira is surrounded by a crescent which is both Islamic symbol and simultaneously a breakwater. The island's size is 5 by 5 meters; the total size is comparable with eight hundred football fields. The island joins the mainland with the 300-meters bridge and the crescent and a palm top are connected with an underwater tunnel. And there is a monorail on the bridge - the first one in the Middle East.

On the Palm Islands there is a super luxurious hotel Atlantis as well as other chic hotels; most mansions and apartments have already been acquired by the richest people of the planet or are still waiting for their turn to be bought. And the rest world population can admire this beauty for free, for example, from the bird's-eye view that allows understand its size and forms.

Not far from it there is another largest artificial archipelago - the World. The idea of its creation appeared two years later. By that time Dubai had become very popular among the tourists all over the world and there was an extremely beach shortage. At the same time, in the UAE they can't just put sand into water; sand should be of any unusual form.

As Arabian sheikhs have the habit to implement grandiose plans and, therefore, they decided to create... all the Earth continents at the coasts of Dubai. But right in the process of this idea's realization it became clear that it would be hard to sell such huge territories. That is why the continents were divided into number of islands in order anyone could buy the Island of France or any state of America which is also surrounded from all sides by water. Besides, the World includes not only continents or countries but also cities or such sphere like fashion: there is the Island of St. Petersburg or the Fashion Island (Isla Moda).

Finally, now the island sizes vary from 14 to 83 thousand square meters, the width of the straits may be from 50 to 100 meters and their depth - from 8 to 16 meters.

It wasn't also easy to find a place for the future project of artificial islands. By that time the coast line had already been occupied by the Palm Islands. They had to put sand and make islands 4 km far from the coast. And they are really islands, not like the Palms: the World doesn't join the continent with a bridge. All 300 islands are available only by sea or air transports, regular ferries and private yachts or boats. The getting time will not be more than twenty minutes.

Nowadays, more than half of the World's ready objects have already been sold. The construction works still have been going on. The highest price for an island reaches 38 billion dollars. It can vary depending on location, size and distance to other islands.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are among the most famous buyers: they chosen Ethiopia. And one of the islands in Antarctica estimated at 7 million dollars became a gift of a sheikh to Michael Schumacher...

In short, Dubai is a paradise city, a page from a science fiction book, a true picture of how even the most bizarre and ambitious ideas may be implemented into reality. We hope that the panoramas and photos of Dubai will transmit the incredible greatness of the unique and the most famous city of the United Arab Emirates.

Photo by Dmitry Moiseenko

19 December 2011

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In short, Dubai is a paradise city, a page from a science fiction book, a true picture of how even the most bizarre and ambitious ideas may be implemented into reality. We hope that the panoramas and photos of Dubai will transmit the incredible greatness of the unique and the most famous city of the United Arab Emirates.

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No one knows exactly what Nazca lines are. The only indisputable fact is that they are located in South America, at the Nazca Desert plateau in the southern part of Peru. However this is where the indisputable facts end, leaving the scientists with numerous unsolved mysteries.

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I was amazed by Easter Island the minute I walked across the field of the local airport. Rich, vibrant colors made me feel like a Disney cartoon character. Later that evening I went sightseeing with my friend Dima and wound up on the shore of the Pacific Ocean. It was the second time I lost my breath: the local color palette was beyond my imagination.

Of course we couldn't help but try to shoot something the same evening. But vigilant rangers saw our equipment and asked to get the official photo permit first. Locals are very concerned about the safety of Moai, the famous giant statues of Easter Island. You can easily get in jail if you harm the statues in any way.

The next morning we went to the National Park's administration office. The director was absent so his colleagues suggested we fill out the photo permit application, which was 5 pages long and in Spanish :) We didn't know Spanish very well. Only "hi", "good bye", and "check, please". Mister Hutu, the director, arrived about 30 minutes later riding his little motorcycle. Having learned about our situation, Mr. Hutu explained us how one can get the permit: you need to fill out this very form in Spanish, scan it, mail it and wait for 10 to 15 days. And we had only 1 day... So Dima had to use his power of persuasion to the maximum. He told Mr. Hutu about our non-profit project and showed examples of panoramic photos on his laptop.

To cut a long story short, we got our official photo permit in 10 minutes. Mr. Hutu didn't hesitate to take responsibility and issued us the permit, and in that regard he surprised us very much (we hadn't met such an easy going official before). He didn't even take our money. But there were conditions: we had to be accompanied by a local ranger, the young man named Kawa. Furthermore, Mr. Hutu asked us to send him a copy of our photographs. He said they would be used as educational materials in local schools.

As soon as we were finished, we rushed to take pictures. At first, Kawa was very suspicious of our radio-controlled helicopter, but after few launches he got excited just like we were and helped us in any way he could. From that moment on, we didn't have to look at the map - we just followed Kawa's directions. Every time local rangers (usually very strict looking) noticed Kawa, they gave us big smiles and showed best spots for shooting.

To our big surprise, there weren't that many standing statues on the famous Easter Island. Instead, most of them were lying in different poses. Most of the time they were "with their face in the salad", as one famous blogger said. Some Moai were restored and cemented on ceremonial grounds of Tongariki, Anakena, Tahai, Ahu Akivi. And only on the slopes of Rano Raraku volcano the statues the give you the most authentic impression. Giant figures are in different stages of completeness: they are shoulder deep in the ground or even merged with the walls of the dead volcano.

Most of the tourists don't see these sights because only standard paths are open for public in the park. We had to go beyond our piloting skills to photograph places that are not available to ordinary tourists. Only the view from above can show us the scale of this "factory of idols" made of volcanic rock of these very crater's walls. So one could say that we were able to lift the veil of mystery covering Easter Island.

But first we had to endure a very bad weather. The first two days of the shooting were rainy and gloomy. The next morning, right before our departure, we had to work hard to retake photos of main locations of the ancient statues. Of course, two days were not enough to carefully explore this little piece of land forsaken in the middle of the Pacific ocean. But our three-week trip to Peru and Chili was coming to an end and we had to pack our bags and leave the island.

Here is Dima Moiseenko's comment:

The legendary Moai statues were not the only thing that fascinated me on Easter Island. There is a little local restaurant on the bay that serves fresh fish, which name I couldn't possibly pronounce. I would return to the island any time just to taste that fish again.

And now we'll share some information about the island:

The AirPano team has photographed a great number of amazing places on the planet for the last several years. However nothing can compare with Easter Island, the most remote inhabitant piece of land in the world. This small island (164 sq km) holds the greatest number of unsolved mysteries.

Pick any fact from the long list and it would send your mind spinning with different mystery theories. However if you see those mysteries as a unified system, as links of one chain, suddenly, the veil of the great mystery is lifted. There is much more to this island than meets the eye. There are phenomena, which are absolutely untypical not only to this region but also to the natives.

Beside its name, which was given to Easter Island by Jacob Roggeveen, the God-loving Dutch explorer, the island has at least eight other names. Among them are Te Pito O Te Henua, which means "the Navel of the World", and Mata Ki Te Rangi, which can be translated as "Eyes looking to the sky". Rapa Nui, Easter Island's native population of 4 thousand people, has the richest and absolutely unique mythology. Furthermore, this is the only island in the entire Polynesian region that developed a written language. And of course, we have to mention the main tourist attraction of Easter Island - famous moai statues. These monoliths are made of solidified volcanic ash. They are up to 20 meters tall, and each of them weights over 20 tons. There are total of 997 moai statues on Easter Island.

The only question scientists were able to answer so far (thanks to the experiment of Thor Heyerdahl, famous Norwegian traveler) is how the statues were moved from stone quarries and set around the island with limited technologies available at that time. The explanation turned out to be quite simple: Rapa Nui people showed moving devices that they made of wood and rocks.

But it didn't explain the purpose of moai statues and whom they portrayed. The elongated heads don't look exactly human. Erich von Daniken, a Swiss novelist, had his own theory. He suggested that long time ago an alien space ship broke down and ET were forced to land on the island. While repairing the space ship, they had fun casting each other in stone. This is why moai statues have such non-human elongated faces. This also explains one of the island's names - "Eyes looking to the sky" As soon as the space ship was fixed, extra terrestrial visitors departed leaving the statues behind, many of them unfinished.

Helena Blavatsky, a philosopher and occultist, believed that Easter Island was a part of mythical country Lemuria. Along with Lemurians, survivors of lost Atlantis, also populated this country. Both races were 7 to 18 meters tall. This is why it was not so hard for the giants to make and install these monoliths.

There is one more mysterious (and still unsolved) question: why did one of the emperors of the ancient Inca visit such a remote island? And he was not just a common emperor, he was the one who ruled during Golden Age of the Inca Empire, and whose father built Machu Picchu, the famous Peru landmark.

Throw in a unique - still undeciphered by scientists - ancient written language, along with a cult of a mystical Bird Man, and all pieces of the puzzle will fall together.

Yes, there was a non-human civilization on this island. It could be aliens, people of Atlantis, or ancestors of the ancient Inca (whose mysteries are also unsolved by modern science). Yes, that civilization vanished (or returned to their home planet). And yes, along with a number of mysteries, it also left us a proof of its existence: the written language, the mythology and the giant monuments, which common aboriginals of this "middle-of-nowhere" island would not care for. There are thousands of similar islands in the world, but none of them has such a unique and mysterious culture as Easter Island.

Who knows, perhaps by looking at our photographs from Easter Island or traveling with our aerial panoramas you will be able to find the answers?
Compare the size of statues and the height of man
Photography and text by Stanislav Sedov and Dmitry Moiseenko

11 May 2012

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I was amazed by Easter Island the minute I walked across the field of the local airport. Rich, vibrant colors made me feel like a Disney cartoon character. Later that evening I went sightseeing with my friend Dima and wound up on the shore of the Pacific Ocean.

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The name Tikal, which in means “the place of spirit voices” Mayan language, appeared in the 1840s when Europeans discovered this area. Perhaps this monumental abandoned complex made explorers tremble in awe, and native Indians, descendants of the ancient Maya, decided to strengthen this impression b…

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Niagara Falls, État de New York, États-Unis

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Niagara Falls, État de New York, États-Unis

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Niagara Falls, État de New York, États-Unis

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By now we have photographed the majority of famous waterfalls of the world: Angel Falls in Venezuela, Victoria Falls, located on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, as well as Iguazu Falls in Brazil and Argentina. Today we'll bring you our virtual tour over Niagara Falls.

We have already made an attempt to shoot Niagara Falls from a regular helicopter but we failed. Unfortunately, our pilot refused to fly to the waterfall closer than a few kilometers despite of our approved flight plan. And now, thanks to our colleague Nick Ivanov from Canada, we have a chance to show you Niagara Falls from a close range.

Here are a few facts about Niagara Falls.

At the place where North American Niagara River separates two of the Great Lakes, Erie and Ontario, nature created a magnificent cascade of waterfalls. Each waterfall has its own name: the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls, and the Bridal Veil Falls. However all of them are known under one name - Niagara Falls. This is the most important landmark of the USA and Canada at the same time, as it separates one country from another.

Great Lakes of North America, Niagara River, and its waterfalls are results of shifting of an ice shield that moved down from the Eastern Canada territory over ten thousand years ago. The glacier crashed everything on its way, deepening and widening riverbeds, and creating or eliminating lakes.

Interestingly enough, the geological characteristics of the area are such that the layers of soil are still moving, even if their movement is not as dramatic any more. During past centuries Niagara Falls have moved eleven kilometers south. According to scientists, the waterfall has been moving with the average speed of one, one and a half meters per year during last 560 years. Today special engineering efforts managed to slow the shifting a little bit.

On the international scale Niagara Falls is not that high - just 53 meters. Here are few numbers for comparison: Angel Falls in Venezuela drops its water from 807 meters, and Victoria Falls in Zambia and Zimbabwe is 108 meters high. However the width of Niagara Falls is 792 meters. This fact places it together with the widest waterfalls in the world (comparing with Angel and Victoria - 107 and 1800 meters respectively).

These numbers demonstrate how different a waterfall can be. Every one of them is unique. It is also true for the waterfalls that form the Niagara Falls complex.

A small island called Luna separates the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls (that truly looks like a bridal wear). Their combined width is about 335 meters. At the same time, there is a giant pile of large sharp rocks at the foot of the American Falls, which makes a visible part of the waterfall 21 meter high.

Being separated by Goat Island, which was formed relatively late (the Niagara River was split into two channels about five hundred years ago), the Horseshoe Falls stands apart from the two. The speed and power of the American Falls are considerably less than those of the Horseshoe Falls, because Goat Island slows down masses of water; and in case of Horseshoe Falls, nothing stands on its way.

Named after deceased herd of artiodactyls, Goat Island is a popular tourist destination as it offers an opportunity to enjoy a spectacular view and also to take pictures of Niagara Falls. Little bridges connect the island with the US mainland and neighboring Luna Island. The Cavern of The Winds, another Niagara attraction, is also located here. From inside the cavern, one can admire the waterfall up close and also feel the power and presence of the big water. And when we say "power" we really mean it - drops of water shower you from head to toe! This is why each tourist receives a raincoat and waterproof footwear at the entrance to the cavern.

Niagara Falls attracts not only millions of tourists, but also those who want to experience extreme sensations. In 1829 Sam Patch became famous as a first man, who jumped from the Horseshoe Falls and survived. Another so-called record was set in 1901 by a 63-year-old Annie Taylor, who went over the waterfall in a barrel. The event of 1960 is rightfully called "The Miracle of Niagara", as a 7-year-old boy accidentally fell down the Horseshoe Falls and survived. Unfortunately, raging waters of Niagara Falls also took many human lives...

Location and position of Niagara Falls doesn't allow a group view of all the waterfalls from one spot. Some people believe that the most spectacular view opens from the Canadian shore; those who travel to Niagara Falls on American side are also satisfied with the picture. And now you have an opportunity to enjoy the magnificent panorama of all waterfalls from the widest possible angle - a bird's eye view - without a risk of getting wet or falling down the stream.

15 November 2013

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At the North American Niagara River nature created a magnificent cascade of waterfalls. Each waterfall has its own name: the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls, and the Bridal Veil Falls. However all of them are known under one name - Niagara Falls.

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The biggest city of Morocco is not the capital city of Rabat, as one may think. It is the ancient legendary city of Casablanca. Casablanca also is the largest Atlantic port of the country, one of the most influential trade centers in North Africa, and an important industrial and financial center.

In the 7 th and 8 th centuries, the area of modern Casablanca was occupied by a small Berber settlement called Anfa, which later became a prosperous trade city. Later on, pirates used Anfa as their base to attack European trade ships. In the middle of the 15 th century, the piracy near the coast of Morocco reached such a scale that the Portuguese, who suffered the most from the marine assaults, decided to stop it for good. In 1468 they sent their troops to Anfa; the city was stormed and burned to the ground.

The new settlement built in place of the former Anfa was called Casablanca, which means "white house" in Spanish. In 1755, the city was completely destroyed again, but this time it was because of an earthquake. Since then, Casablanca was in decay for a long period of time, until the French restored it, turning it into a beautiful city with wide avenues, public parks, and buildings created in Moorish style.

The most famous landmark of Casablanca and the entire Morocco is undoubtedly the Hassan II Mosque (or Grande Mosquée Hassan II). This is the second largest mosque in the world after the Sacred Mosque in the city of Mecca. The Hassan II Mosque was built on the Atlantic shore with a spectacular ocean view that can be seen from the giant glass prayer hall that can host up to twenty-five thousand worshipers. Another eighty thousand people can use the outside grounds of the mosque. The total area of the Hassan II Mosque is 9 hectares; the height of the minaret is 210 meters, which makes it the tallest religious structure in the world.

The Hassan II Mosque was built during the rule of Hassan II, the King of Marocco, from 1986 till 1989. However, the building was not officially opened until 1993. The construction was funded exclusively by donations with the total budget reaching 800 billion dollars. Twenty-five hundred construction workers and ten thousand artists and other experts on architecture and decor participated in the project. All construction materials (except for white granite used for columns and 50-tonn glass chandeliers that came from Italy) were sourced from different regions of Morocco. An interesting fact: the French architect Michel Pinseau, who designed the mosque, was not even a Muslim.

There are 78 columns made of pink granite in the prayer hall; the floors are adorned with golden marble and green onyx, and the roof is covered with bright emerald shingles. Advanced technology was used to protect the building from various weather conditions. For example, there are heated floors and a retractable roof, and the building itself is earthquake-proof. On top of the minaret, there is also a 30-meter-long green lazer beam, the light from which is directed towards the Sacred Mosque in the city of Mecca.

Half of the Hassan II Mosque territory is located above the water of the Atlantic Ocean. According to the architect, he was inspired by the verse from the Koran; "Allah's throne is on the water." Based on this idea, he created the mosque in such a way that during high tide, praying people have an illusion of floating on top of the water, as if they are on board of a ship: the higher the waves, the stronger the illusion.

You can experience the grandeur of the Hassan II Mosque and other landmarks of Casablanca, such as the Neo-Gothic Casablanca Cathedral (Cathédrale Sacré-Coeur), Mohammed V Square, Temple Beth-El, bazars, parks, and picturesque eastern city streets by viewing our photo panoramas.
Our sincere thanks go to Dinyar A lyautdinov - attache of General Consulate of the Russian Federation in Casablanca, Morocco, who helped us to obtain permits and provided invaluable moral support during our photo expedition to Morocco. AirPano team is also recommend a service of the professional tour guide Mark Willenbrock.
Photo by Stas Sedov

7 April 2014

Photogallery
Open Gallery
Very great shots!

I plan to travel to morocco with my drone, but listen its not allowed to shoot without permission. Can you tell me how you get the permission to drone and shoot?

Kind regards,
Markus

This is visually fantastic. Very enjoyable.

Won't you pleeeeeese tell us about the music playing over the tour of Casablanca. If this is an album I've got to find it.

Congratulate you... Wonderful...

From &#304;stanbul

IO WANT YOU KNOW AND THE LECTEURS THAT DAR EL BEIDA
IN morocan means white house, and the portugueses,
the first europeens nammed CASA BRANCA MEANS IN PORTUGUESE , WHITE HOUSE,. BUT THE SPANISDH ALWAYS CHANGE THE NAMES AND TOLD 'CASA BLANCA Means also
WHITE HOUSE AND THE FRENCH OPT FOR CASABLANCA.
THE PORTUGUESES DISCOVERS BUILD MANY CASTLES IN CASABLANCA in the port area, MAZAGAN now EL JEDIDA, SAFI, MOGADOURO then MOGADOR NOW ESSAOUIRA. the PORTUGUESES PLANT THE GRAPPES FROM PORTUGAL TO DO GOOD WINE IN MORROCO.AND TEACH THE MOROCANS HOW FISHING WITH FISHING BOATS WITH NETS.

Great photos, beautiful city, you did an incredible job. I've never seen such beautiful views of Casablanca.

Thank you very much, Ziad! We're pleased to read it.

Simply superb,the panoramic view of Marocco ist really awesome.Thanks so much for the brilliant photos. Best regards.

Dear Iwona, thank you for your comment. We're always glad to see you on our website!

KEEP CALM AND LOOK A CASABLANCA
NO COM'S BRO ,
VISITED MARRAKECH AND TANGER AND AGADIR

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The biggest city of Morocco is not the capital city of Rabat, as one may think. It is the ancient legendary city of Casablanca. Casablanca also is the largest Atlantic port of the country, one of the most influential trade centers in North Africa, and an important industrial and financial center...

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We are so delighted with the victory of German national team over Brazilians — the hosts team of 2014 FIFA World Cup. That’s why we decided to publish unscheduled virtual tour over Berlin, and thereby to congratulate the German fans and all football fans on a historic victory…

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Yuanyang, Préfecture autonome hani et yi de Honghe, Yunnan, Chine

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Yuanyang, Préfecture autonome hani et yi de Honghe, Yunnan, Chine

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Yuanyang, Préfecture autonome hani et yi de Honghe, Yunnan, Chine

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In the southwest part of China, sharing a border with Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam, there lies Yunnan province. Mountains make up most of its territory (the maximum height is 6,740 meters). However, moving south, the mountain terrain gradually transforms into picturesque hills and valleys with fertile soil.

The weather in this part of China is warm and humid; the climate is similar to a tropical one, which makes agriculture the main occupation of the local people. And, they are very successful at it! High quality Chinese red tea, sugar cane, tobacco, and rice are cultivated here.

The tea is so uniquely delicious that it is named after the province where it's being grown - "Yunnan". However, the rice is what makes this place special and brings unparalleled world fame to the province. In addition to their practical agricultural use, rice terraces (fields that follow the shape of a hill) turned out to be a great attraction for everyone who can appreciate natural beauty. There are no words to describe this stunning picture, and we don't need to - you will see it for yourself though our panoramas. However, we would like to tell you how the cascading rice terraces were invented.

It is believed that in Asia, and in China in particular, people started to cultivate rice almost 8,000 years ago. Unlike flat marshlands, where it was very simple to plant seeds and harvest crops - peasants in the mountainous areas had to be inventive and modify the landscape to suit the agricultural needs. This is how the rice terraces were created in China as well as several other countries.

The terraces in Yunnan are located at an altitude of 200 - 2,000 meters above the sea level. They occupy a territory of over 20,000 square kilometers, tracing the contours of mountain slopes everywhere. The cascading steps were cut in the hill slopes one generation after another. This work required not only a lot of physical labor, but also precision: a slightest mistake could damage the fragile walls of the terrace and compromise an entire irrigation system, as well as cause leaching of precious red topsoil.

The rice planting starts in February and continues through March. By this time, spring mountain water fills up the terraced paddy fields. Rice ripens by September and so the harvesting begins. The landscape of rice terraces changes throughout the year, in accordance with the agricultural cycle.

Summer is the time of young green sprouts. Autumn brings wonderful gold and red colors to the hills. But the most beautiful time for the terraces is from November through April: cascading fields filled with spring water reflect the sunrays. One can see the sunrise, the sunset, and the clear blue sky reflected in thousands of little "mirrors". The variety of colors in combination with the glare of the sun creates a unique picture.

Despite its stunning beauty, Yunnan province does not suffer from mass tourism. The lack of a nearby airport, bad roads, and remote mountain ridges prevent a great number of people from coming here. However, this is exactly what helps preserve the pristine beauty of this landscape.

Photo and text by Stas Sedov and Dmitry Moiseenko

20.08.2014

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Yuanyang rice terraces (fields that follow the shape of a hill) turned out to be a great attraction for everyone who can appreciate natural beauty. There are no words to describe this stunning picture, and we don't need to - you will see it for yourself though our panoramas...

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Throughout the long history of Morocco, the status of the capital belonged to four different cities, in their own turn. Having lost this status twice in the past, now Rabat is the actual capital of the country. The other imperial cities of Morocco are Marrakech, Meknes and Fes. Each of them, having survived the periods of rises and falls, has preserved its architectural and cultural remainders of the glorious past. Now we are inviting you to take a virtual trip over Fes, the most ancient capital of Morocco.

Fes was founded by the offspring of Mohammed - Idris ibn Abdullah. Having escaped to the northern Africa in 784, he decided to create his own state. Thus, on the eastern bank of the river Fes a city appeared and later turned into the heart of the mighty state of Idrisid. The empire had been existing till the end of the 10th century, and now in the modern Morocco Idris I is considered to be the founder of the national statehood.

But unfortunately, he could not fully estimate the scale of the changes he initiated as he was poisoned and died at the age of 46 years. The famous Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid (which ironically had the nickname "Fair") is said to be guilty for the murder. Idris also was not lucky enough to feel the joy of fatherhood, his only son was born two month later after his death. But Idris II turned out to be a dignified successor and, having reached the age of 20 years, founded one more city on the opposite bank of the river. This was the city that got the name Fes and became the capital of the state bearing the same name. Both parts of the city were merged in the 11th century and by the end of 12th century it had become one of the most populous cities of the Islamic world.

Landmarks of Fes will let you get into the history and feel the atmosphere of these legendary places. One of them is Fes El Bali, the medina quarter which is surrounded by a medieval wall and inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. There are around 9400 streets and side-streets, this is one of the biggest car-free area in the world. Fronts and doors of many buildings have excellent decorations. The medina is subdivided into different districts, belonging to different social groups: weavers, shoemakers, potters, carpetmakers...

Fes El Bali also includes the religious University of al-Karaouine - the oldest existing, continually operating educational institution in the world. Its mosque has a capacity of 20 thousand people and was the biggest mosque in the Northern Africa at the period of the Middle Age. The al-Karaouine also possesses one of the most sacred objects of the country - the tomb of Idris II.

The other ('new') medina quarter, called Fes Jdid, was founded in the 13th century by the Berber dynasty of Marinid. It is surrounded by fortified walls, which inclose Jewish quarter Mellah with the Ibn Danan synagogue, the former defensive fortress of Qasba Sherarda and the royal palace of Dar El Makhzen occupying at least 100 hectares. This palace is something we should describe in detail because it is said to be one of the most outstanding monument of the whole country.

Being surrounded by high walls, this palace complex has luxurious bronze engraved gates with hammers. Marble fountains can be found in two courtyards. The chambers of Sultan are decorated with exquisite mosaic and artistic sculptures. The palace was built in the 17th century and for quite a long time had the status of the main residence of the rulers. And even now the access to the palace is only possible for the high-ranking officials, not for ordinary people. But you can have a good look at this palace as well as many other monuments of Morocco during our virtual tour. Have a nice trip!

Photo by Stas Sedov and Sergey Shandin

5 August 2015

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Fes was founded by the offspring of Mohammed - Idris ibn Abdullah. Having escaped to the northern Africa in 784, he decided to create his own state.

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From Cairo, where I was photographing the pyramids and the citadel, I headed southwards in the direction of Luxor. My flight was delayed and I arrived in the city in the late night. Soon, after quick bargaining with a taxi-driver I cut the price twice and got into the creaking car. It felt like this taxi was last serviced back in the days of pharaohs: the rear view mirror was attached with a wire, the bumper was about to fall, the engine failed every now and then, but still, our car moved on! Finally, I entered my hotel room and being totally exhausted fell on a bed.

In the morning I went out to buy some water and have a look around. Just in case of something interesting might come up I took my camera with me.

And I did see something interesting. A crowd of people was running towards me, all of them had long sticks which they used to ride herds of camels. I stepped aside to give way. And it was when the show began! A camel caravan appeared from around the corner. All of them were "dressed" in scarves and ribbons; all this festive procession was passing me by, accompanied by clamour and songs. Boys were pulling the rope to fence the crowd from the procession. I didn't hesitate to put on a bold face on and dived under the rope to join the parade. There were platforms with decorations, carts, cars and painted boats (they were carried on shoulders); all this was accompanied by songs and drums. It turned out that it was "Dora" - a festive march, veneration of Sheikh Abu Al Haggag, a rather respected Muslim saint and patron of Luxor. The mosque dedicated to him is also here. It was built atop the ruins of the ancient Amun-Re temple, which were covered with sand at that time. The stones appearing on the surface served as the foundation for the mosque.

The festive procession was moving along the bank of the Nile, gradually deepening into the streets of the city. But suddenly someone took me by the elbow. "Sir, I'm a police officer. It is quite dangerous for you, a foreigner, to be here. If you want, you can stand with us near our car and watch it". Well, I had seen enough, and it was getting too hot in the sunlight anyway. So, I would rather buy some water and return to the hotel.

In the market where I went to buy water, I got acquainted with Ismail - a textile seller. He was the one to explain the things I had just seen. I thanked him and promised to drop in later to have some tea.

Later in the evening I went to Luxor Temple. The tremendous sculptures and columns looked absolutely impressive. I chose several good points, took some photos and then waited till it grew dark and illumination turned on to take some photos again. Twilight was descending, azan started to call for a prayer. It was a rather good day.

In the morning I headed for Karnak Temple - the main sanctuary of the New Kingdom. It is situated 2.5 kilometres from Luxor. Previously, the temples were connected by a large sphinx walkway. Now this way is being restored.

Karnak Temple is really huge: it has the total length of 1.5 kilometres. In fact, it is a whole city consisting of 33 separate temples and halls. The construction began in around 2,000 BC and lasted for 13 centuries. Despite the ancient age, many fragments, sculptures and pylons are still well-preserved.

The sun in the sky was getting higher making the stones extremely hot. By noon everyone had escaped the temple, except me. The cameras were continuously turning off due to the heat, and even in the shade it took them a lot of time to cool down. That was enough for the day. I bought a bottle of cold water and went back to Luxor.

On the embankment I met Captain Ben and we agreed on a boat-trip down the Nile river in the evening. At the scheduled time he was waiting for me. We descended on a pier. Our sailing felucca, being slowly pushed forward by the wind deliberately approached the middle of the river. Captain Ben was smoking, squinting at the setting sun. We listened to squeaking tackles. By sunset we had returned to the quay and from there I hurried to the Abu Al Haggag mosque.

I was introduced to the imam of the mosque. He was very kind to let me take pictures of Luxor Temple from the balcony and show the premises of the mosque where old stones with ancient Egyptian writings could be seen. Later I was taken to the tomb of Abu Al Haggag, surrounded by numerous pilgrims. This was how my second day ended.

As I had promised in the evening I paid a visit to Ismail. We drank tea, discussed some news, and I made some purchases in his shop. Generally, Egyptians are very open and friendly people: you can easily meet someone in the street, and half an hour later have some tea together.

The following day there would be three flights to make - it's time to go home. But a small part of Egypt will still be with me in my memories and photos.

Photos and text by Sergey Shandin

25 August 2016

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Karnak Temple - the main sanctuary of the New Kingdom. It is situated 2.5 kilometres from Luxor. Previously, the temples were connected by a large sphinx walkway. In fact, it is a whole city consisting of 33 separate temples and halls. The construction began in around 2,000 BC and lasted for 13 centuries...

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Long time ago, in December 2012 we applied for the Russian Geographical Society (RGS) grant to develop AirPano.ru project. Quite surprisingly, we were invited to attend a meeting of the expert committee, and the project was approved after we had given our presentation. The ceremonial presentation of the RGS grants was held in April 2013 at the meeting of the RGS Board of Trustees under the chairmanship of President Vladimir Putin.

During his presentation at the meeting our colleague Sergey Semyonov asked V. Putin for his assistance in granting the permit to shoot Moscow Kremlin from the air. The President supported his idea and now we've completed several photo shootings over the territory of Kremlin.

Today AirPano project has decided to show all spherical photo panoramas we managed to do over the Kremlin.

And now we want to tell you a few historical facts about this unique architectural monument.

The name "Kremlin" was given to a fortified complex found in various historic Russian cities. There are numerous kremlins in Russia that managed to survive up to this day: the Novgorod Kremlin, the Kazan Kremlin, the Pskov Kremlin, the Kolomna Kremlin. But only one Kremlin speaks for itself - the world-famous Moscow Kremlin in the capital of the Russian Federation. It's the largest fortress in Europe preserved and functioning up to this day. The Kremlin is a major tourist attraction, a Russian president's residence, and Russia's most famous landmark.

The first settlements on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin were established during the Bronze Age in 2000 BC, but the first fortifications appeared here much later in 1156. A 850-meter long wooden fortification with a total area of about 3 hectares was surrounded by a 16-18-meter long and 5-meter deep moat.

During the Mongol-Tatar invasion, the Kremlin was destroyed and then rebuilt. But only in the middle of the 14th century, during the rule of the Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy, the Kremlin's wooden walls and towers were replaced by structures from local white stone. It was from that moment on that Moscow was referred to as "Moscow made of white stone" ("Moskva belokamennaya").

However, in the 15th century, during the rule of Ivan the Great, they had to rebuild it because its walls were falling apart. Italian architects were invited for the Kremlin's restoration, and because of this reason it is combined the best features of both Russian and Italian architecture. Thus, the impregnable fortress followed the example of the famous Sforza Castle in Milan, while its temples' architectural style strictly followed the Russian tradition.

Brick was chosen as a base material for the construction. The central part of the Kremlin is occupied by Cathedral Square with the Cathedral of the Annunciation, the Cathedral of the Dormition, the Hall of Facets, and the Cathedral of the Archangel, the burial place of Russian princes and kings, and the Ivan the Great Bell Tower.

Another major reconstruction of the Kremlin took place at the turn of the 16th century, and since then its appearance remained almost unchanged, except for the color.

According to historical records and pictures, the walls of the fortress remained white for many centuries. To preserve the brickwork, as well as the memory of the "white Kremlin of Dmitry Donskoy," burnt bricks were carefully whitewashed. It is believed that the permission to paint the Kremlin in red color was given by Stalin in 1947 to celebrate the 800th anniversary of Moscow. And before that, during World War II, the Kremlin had a unique disguise. A breakthrough project (for that time) was developed by a group under the leadership of academician Boris Iofan: the Kremlin's white walls were painted with house walls and black windows, fake streets were built on Red Square, and they even put a dome with a picture of a house above Lenin's Mausoleum. It was that disguise that protected the greatest Russian monument from being bombed and helped its survival to this day.

It is worth mentioning that there were some buildings on the Kremlin's territory that didn't stand the test of time. For example, the Palace of Queen Natalia was taken apart by the decision of the famous architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli, and they made a parade area where Athanasius monastery used to be.

However, since the 15th century the Kremlin's towers and walls with their characteristic design have been and continue to be a symbol of Moscow and Russia.

Photo and text by Sergey Semenov, Stas Sedov

Virtual tour has been created with support of Russian Geographical Society

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Today we would like to show all spherical photo panoramas we managed to create over the Moscow Kremlin in the past several years. The Kremlin is a major tourist attraction, a Russian president's residence, and Russia's most famous landmark. Enjoy this virtual tour

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Many fantastic movies feature the idea of the global post-apocalypse: the majority of people are gone, megalopolises that once were noisy and full of life become empty and lifeless, the winds blow through deserted buildings and wild animals occupy former human dwellings. In fact, even now you can find many ghost towns on our Earth. One of them is Kolmanskop in Namibia.

The story of this place is related to the period of the Namibian diamond rush that hit the country in the beginning of the 20th century. In 1904 the first diamond was found in Namibia and then lots of people rushed here in the hope of getting incredibly rich. One of them was a German August Stauch: he became a railway inspector in the area of the port town of Lüderitz lying on the coast of the Atlantic ocean; he was strongly interested in mineralogy and even obtained a permit for the exploitation of diamond fields.

He asked his workers to look out for "unusually shiny stones". And one of them got the job done: in 1908, Zacharias Lewala picked up several small diamonds right on the surface of the desert. Stauch purchased the surrounding area and founded a settlement here.

He invited fellow Germans for the exploration of the area and eventually, the town featured the architectural style of a German town with neat houses and institutions including a town hall, school, hospital, theatre, casino, and stadium. Moreover, the first x-ray station in the southern hemisphere was built, as well as the first tram in Africa started operating here.

For around two decades the things were getting on well: even though the amount of the produced diamonds was not large, they were purely clear as all the Namibian diamonds. The nature of these diamonds is easily explained: the minerals were washed out from the ground by subterranean streams into the ocean; then the tide brought them ashore and the wind carried them away with the sand.

But the diamond field slowly started to deplete and there was no reason for people to stay here any longer. Little by little inhabitants started leaving their homes, and the discovery of the richest diamond-bearing deposits in Namibia in 1928 hastened this mass migration. A new diamond field was 270 km south of Kolmanskop and many of the town's inhabitants joined the rush to the south leaving their homes and possessions behind.

In the 1950s Kolmanskop was ultimately abandoned, but it can hardly be called totally deserted: this ghost town became a popular tourist destination. Now it is located within the restricted area of the Namib desert occupying around 26,000 sq. km along the Atlantic shore. These lands belong to a diamond-mining company. Although diamonds are mined on only 5% of its territory, the other area is a "buffer" and people need special permits to enter the town.

In the case of Kolmanskop, the solution is an easy one: the absence of diamonds is practically proved and permits can be bought right at the entrance of the town. The walk among abandoned houses with dead windows can provoke philosophical reflection, and you can make sure that it is true with the help of AirPano panoramas!

Photos by Dmitry Moiseenko

16 October 2017

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Many fantastic movies feature the idea of the global post-apocalypse: the majority of people are gone, megalopolises that once were noisy and full of life become empty and lifeless, the winds blow through deserted buildings and wild animals occupy former human dwellings...

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Spain has the second largest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites, being left behind only by Italy. It has the internationally recognised masterpieces of Gaudi, but there are far more outstanding architectural monuments in this country.

The Benedictine abbey of Montserrat founded back in the 10th century, is located 50 kilometres north-west of Barcelona at 1,236 metres above the nearest valley. This point is called Montserrat meaning "serrated mountain".

This place has been of religious significance since the times of the Romans, and later an unusual sculpture, representing the dark-skinned Madonna and Child, was found in one of the mountain caves. The legend says that monks could not move the statue of the Virgin of Montserrat (also called "Our Lady of Montserrat" and "Black Virgin"), so they decided to construct their cells and the monastery around it.

When building the complex among peculiar rocks of this valley, the creators managed to harmoniously inscribe the monastery in the surrounding landscape. So now it is not only an important religious centre for pilgrims from all over the world, but it is also an outstanding architectural, cultural and historical monument. It is worth noting that Christopher Columbus discovered an island in the Caribbean Sea and named it after the Virgin of Montserrat. Thousands of women in Catalonia bear the name Montserrat, including Montserrat Caballé, the famous Spanish opera singer.

The architectural complex as it stands had been formed by the 12th century, although the constructions combining different styles were significantly damaged by the forces of Napoleon. The restoration works began in 1844 and lasted for almost a hundred years.

Nowadays it is a functioning monastery and a popular tourist destination. One can reach here by two exotic ways: the Montserrat Rack Railway and funicular railways.

And now there is one more opportunity to observe the sights of Spain - the AirPano virtual trip.

Photos by Dmitry Moiseenko and Stanislav Sedov

13 March 2018

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Spain has the second largest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites, being left behind only by Italy. It has the internationally recognised masterpieces of Gaudi, but there are far more outstanding architectural monuments in this country. The Benedictine abbey of Montserrat founded back in the 10th century, is located 50 kilometres north-west of Barcelona at 1,236 metres above the nearest valley.

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In Jordan, 35 kilometres away from the well-known town of Petra there is another impressive monument - Shoubak Castle. Its history is strongly connected to the Crusades.

Soon after capturing Jerusalem in 1099, the Crusaders continued expanding their possessions in the sacred areas. The first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem was Baudouin I who set off for conquering the territory of Transjordan (at that time, the vast area to the east of Jordan) in 1115. To strengthen his position, he founded a castle on the top of a mountain. According to legends, the king personally participated in the process of building, so the first fortifications that were created within 18 days were named Montreal (Mont-Royal) - the King's mountain. The other name, Shoubak, was given later referring to the nearby town.

Its unique high elevation on a 1,330 meters high mountain provided the castle with a very strategically advantageous position and made it possible to tax traders and pilgrims going from Syria to the Arabian Peninsula. The owners were changing, but the tax had been charged till the moment when the Crusaders fell to the troops of the Arabian military commander Salah al-Din who fought against them. In 1187, he captured Jerusalem and later he took possession of Shoubak.

It was a truly legendary event: despite the imbalance of forces and use of siege engines, Salah al-Din was unable to even approach the castle on a hill. But after almost two years of siege, the fortress finally capitulated in May 1189. The defenders of the castle were in a such dramatic situation that they were said to have sold their wives and children for food, and to have gone blind from "lack of salt".

Later the castle was seized by the Mamluks and completely rebuilt. Not so much of the initial construction had been left after these renovations: now you can witness an ancient church and a chapel. Just behind the fortifying wall, there are 375 steps leading inside the hill to the spring of fresh water, and the walls here are decorated with the still remained Arabic scripts.

Photos by Sergey Shandin and Stas Sedov

20 June 2018

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In Jordan, 35 kilometres away from the well-known town of Petra there is another impressive monument - Shoubak Castle. According to legends, the king personally participated in the process of building, so the first fortifications that were created within 18 days were named Montreal - the King\'s mountain.

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Greece possesses a very famous archipelago - the Ionian Islands, and each of them had influenced the history and the cultural heritage of the country. Ithaki is considered to be the homeland of Odysseus; Lefkada is the place where the Greek female poet Sappho went to her death; Kythira was one of the main abodes of celestial goddess Aphrodite; Kefalonia, according to legends, was given to the mythological figure of Cephalus as a reward; the island of Kerkyra was named in honour of the beautiful nymph Korkyra who was stolen by Poseidon and brought here; Paxi was created by Poseidon by striking with his trident.

The seventh island of the group is Zakynthos. According to mythology, it was named after Zakynthos, the grandson of Zeus, who was believed to be the first inhabitant of the island. During its history, the island was under the rule of Athens, Sparta, the Venetians, the Kingdom of Naples, the French, the Russians, the Germans, the British and the Italians. The major part of the historical monuments could not survive till nowadays - not only because of the turbulent history but due to several destructive earthquakes, as well.

But still, Zakynthos is the genuine treasure of the archipelago and entire Greece, too. Back in the epoch of Homer, he mentioned this place as "the island sinking in emerald forests", and this feature has not changed. Mighty pines, bright southern vegetation, golden dunes, peculiar mountain ranges, vineyards, orange groves and small cosy villages with narrow streets make up a unique local charm of the legendary island.

Zakynthos has a lot of grottoes and the most famous of them are the Blue caves - three stone arches created by the sea waves. They are inaccessible by land so one can watch them only by the side of the sea. The other cave system is called the Keri Caves and is a part of the National Sea Reserve because of the loggerhead sea turtle ( Caretta caretta) coming here. This species is considered vulnerable and there are only a few places on the planet where they can come for breeding.

The genuine proud of the island is its clean picturesque beaches. One of them is particularly known and is named Shipwreck Beach, or Navagio Bay. A smugglers' ship found its final resting place here after it had been washed ashore by a strong storm.

There are some man-made landmarks on Zakynthos, as well. It is, for example, Askos Stone Park - the only park of this kind in Greece gathering unique animal and plant species from all over the world. In addition, one can see the remnants of the ancient Venetian fortress and charming temples surrounded by bright vegetation against the blue sky.

Visit this tranquil and relaxing place together with AirPano!

With great pleasure we thank Ádám Plézer, our old friend and a great photographer for his very beautiful and high quality panoramas of Zakynthos. This is the fifth virtual tour, which Ádám captured for our website. We highly recommend you to check another 360° photos by Ádám: Aldabra, Seychelles and French Polynesia ( Part I, Part II).

Photos by Ádám Plézer

12 June 2019

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Zakynthos is the genuine treasure of the archipelago and entire Greece, too. Back in the epoch of Homer, he mentioned this place as "the island sinking in emerald forests", and this feature has not changed. Mighty pines, bright southern vegetation, golden dunes, peculiar mountain ranges, vineyards, orange groves and small cosy villages with narrow streets make up a unique local charm of the legendary island...

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When speaking about deserts, we usually tend to imagine the area of endless sand under the blazing sun. That's not entirely true: the world's largest desert is a very cold place covered by snow. We talk about the Antarctic Desert covering the area of 14 million sq km. While the second largest desert of the world is just the hot one, the Sahara Desert in Africa.

Occupying the area of 9 million sq km, it covers 30% of the total territory of Africa and is divided between many countries. AirPano team has created several panoramas of its northern part, on the territory of Algeria. It is an astonishing beauty: the area seems to be monotonous only at first sight, when in fact, the landscape is picturesque and anything but dull.

The name "Sahara", according to a certain version, is derived from an ancient Arabic word "sahra" meaning "red-brown". The landscape of the desert consists of plateaus, highlands, valleys, dunes having the shades of these colours. The sand massifs are so extensive that they have a special word for it in the Arabic language, "erg" (or "dune sea").

The largest ergs, the Erg Chech and the Erg Iguidi in the west, the Grand Erg Occidental and the Grand Erg Oriental, are located in northern Algeria. The sandy ridges of round, star-like, transverse, crescent and pyramidal shapes can be met here. Their average height is 150 meters, but there are dunes of 300 meters high, as well. They are fastened together by rare cereal or shrub vegetation and divided by clay passages.

Oases can be found between them, while in the ancient times there was a larger number of them. Thus, scientists have found the ruins of the Roman military camps, sections of caravan routes, remnants of olive pressing buildings and ancient irrigation systems on the territory of the Grand Erg Oriental.

There are rivers in Sahara, too! One of them runs through the Algerian Desert, known as the Wadi Igargar which is a dry riverbed that contains water only when heavy rain occurs. This kind of riverbeds helps to form barchan and star-like dunes: when overcoming these landforms, the wind puts the sand in a special way.

Taking into account migrating birds, the overall number of living species in Sahara is 300, including hyenas, baboons, cheetahs, donkeys, mongooses, monitor lizards. Just have a look at the strict beauty of the African desert - the place where extreme weather conditions created a fantastic and far from lifeless landscape.

Our experience suggested that a trip to the Sahara Desert is not so expensive and not that complicated to organise as it may seem. For example, in Djanet, a city in southern Algeria, there are several travel agencies that are ready to take any tourist to the desert in an equipped car with a guide, driver and chief cook at the cost of $140 per day. But this kind of recreation is close to an outdoor activity as you will have to stay overnight in a tent.

The majority of Tuareg* guides (*a Berber ethnic group) are cheerful and helpful people ready to be photographed in their national clothes, treat tourists with the traditional Tuareg tea and bake a traditional bread on fire. Depending on a season, you can notice a riverbed with small pools and several water sources big enough to bathe in. Visiting different sights is also included in the tour. The plateaus, arches, unusual rock and volcanic formations that resemble statues, a huge number of ancient petroglyphs (dated 6,000 years BC) and a great number of various dunes of different colours ranging from light-yellow and red-brown to black are among these sights.

On your way, you can meet rare animals and birds: herons, camels, lizards, mouses, jerboas, fennec foxes and other inhabitants of the desert. There are also a lot of different snakes and insects. Before travelling you should carefully check the weather forecast: summer in Sahara can be extremely hot, while in February the temperature can drop to 0℃. The most comfortable season for travelling here is the end of autumn or the middle of spring when the temperature is around +25...+30℃ in a daytime and +20℃ at night. Have a fun adventure!

Photos and text by Sergey Semenov, Stanislav Sedov

3 July 2019

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Occupying the area of 9 million sq km, it covers 30% of the total territory of Africa and is divided between many countries. AirPano team has created several panoramas of its northern part, on the territory of Algeria.

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Fenghuang, Préfecture autonome tujia et miao de Xiangxi, Hunan, Chine

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Fenghuang, Préfecture autonome tujia et miao de Xiangxi, Hunan, Chine

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Fenghuang, Préfecture autonome tujia et miao de Xiangxi, Hunan, Chine

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China is one of the most ancient countries with its unique culture. It is the place where architecture and history are intertwined with legends, and the best example is the ancient town of Fenghuang standing on the Tuojiang River. Its name is written with the hieroglyphs designating "phoenix". No one knows the origin of this name, but eventually, it became symbolic: the settlement had the periods of both decay and rebirth.

The precise date of the foundation is unknown. It is believed that people lived here as early as in the 7th century, but it was just a border post. In 1554, tired of constant attacks of the Miao people from the south, the Ming dynasty built a wall. 150 years later, the Qing, a young dynasty at that time, officially founded Fenghuang.

It was an important strategic point on a 190-kilometres-long defensive line. Even though the Southern Great Wall is less known than the Great Wall of China, it is still the major heritage of the country.

Fenghuang was added to UNESCO's World Heritage Provisional List, not only for its beauty but for saving the unique atmosphere, as well. When you happen to come here, you will immerse in the 18th century and will be able to get acquainted with daily routines and traditions of that time. Unique wooden houses stand on pillars and rise above the water; right at the doorsteps, women wash vegetables and their clothes in the river. Despite the great number of bridges (some of them are the architectural masterpieces), people still cross the river by hopping from stones to stones that stand out of the water.

Fenghuang has become such a significant living historical monument that local authorities now protect it from the modernisation and the impact of the modern world. But it wasn't always like this, though. With the fall of dynasties and during the cultural revolution, many unique objects were reconstructed or destroyed. For example, at the site of the major part of the Southern Great Wall residential properties were built. Wanming Pagoda was destroyed in the 1960s and recreated 20 years later. The famous Rainbow Bridge was significantly rebuilt if comparing to the original version. Besides, Fenghuang suffers from constant floodings.

However, even the restored buildings look nice: you will be able to see it with your own eyes through AirPano panoramas. You will never guess that these houses have returned to life like a phoenix. And all this does not matter so much: by admitting the mistakes of the past, the modern Chinese authorities have invested significant efforts to show the traditional way of life and the magnificence of the Qing architecture, the last imperial dynasty of China.

Photos by Sergey Semenov

30 October 2019

Photogallery
Open Gallery
Excelente presentación, placentero viaje en medio de esta pandemia

Beautiful presentation, perfect video, thank you

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China is one of the most ancient countries with its unique culture. It is the place where architecture and history are intertwined with legends, and the best example is the ancient town of Fenghuang standing on the Tuojiang River. Its name is written with the hieroglyphs designating "phoenix".

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The northern part of the island of Ireland politically belongs to the United Kingdom, and Belfast is the capital of this region. It is located at the western edge of Belfast Bay and is protected by the range of hills from the north-west. The name of the city (Irish: Béal Feirste) means "mouth of the Farset" which is a late tributary of the River Lagan. All these conditions are perfect for the needs of the shipbuilding. And this is the very thing a greater part of Belfast's history is strongly related to.

It was granted city status in 1888. By that time it had become a major industrial centre providing linen production and earning the nickname Linenopolis for this. Trade, especially seaborne trade, flourished due to its geographical location. In the middle of the 19th century, the harbour was dredged to provide deeper berths for larger ships. Soon Belfast became a significant port and remains so today.

However, the industrial period caused damage to the environment by polluting air and water. But eventually, the city took this problem seriously and the situation has improved. Creation of parks contributed greatly to make the environment better: now there are over forty of them in the city. Despite its cool and rainy climate (with an average precipitation of 938 mm and an average temperature of +9℃), the surrounding mountains create a microclimate conducive to plants.

One of the most popular and known gardens is Botanic Gardens Palm House occupying 110,000 m ². It was opened in 1828 as the private Royal Belfast Botanical Gardens and by the end of the century had become a public park. The glasshouse was designed by Charles Lanyon and became a genuine masterpiece. To make the growing of high exotic plants possible, Lanyon changed his initial project and increased the height of the building. And thanks to that, the unique flower of Doryanthes Excelsa rising at 11 meters was grown here! It is still alive, but it blooms only a few times per century. Xanthorrhoea that was planted at first days of the functioning of the Gardens lives here, too.

Another great landmark of Belfast, the Linen Hall Library, has quite an interesting story. Being founded in 1788 by the Belfast Society for Promoting Knowledge, it is the oldest library in the city. In 1802, the Library moved into premises in White Linen Hall located in Donegall Square, and from that building it took its name. But it lost its premises to make way for the construction of the new City Hall, so it moved into a renovated warehouse on the other side of the same square.

Belfast City Hall that occupied the site of the library was under construction between 1898 and 1906 under the supervision of architect Alfred Brumwell Thomas. It is a magnificent example of the Baroque Revival style. The building is very beautiful and features towers, lanterns and a 53-meters-high copper dome.

The shipbuilding history of Belfast is reflected in the port, docks with right yellow cranes and a quarter that is named after Titanic. It was the very place where the legendary liner was built between 1909 and 1912. The site of the Harland and Wolff shipyard where the ship was created is now occupied by the world's largest Titanic-themed attraction. In this museum, you can not only get acquainted with the tragical fate of the ship but also know more about other Olympic-class ocean liners, such as Olympic and Britannic.

On the other side of the river, there is one of the most famous landmarks of Belfast, a 10-meter-long monument dedicated to a fish. It was created in 1999 by the famous Irish artist John Kindness. The monument bears two names: the Big Fish and the Salmon of the Knowledge. It symbolizes the legend that once a salmon was caught here, even though this species had never inhabited the River Lagan.

The outer skin of the fish is a cladding of ceramic tiles decorated with texts and images relating to the history of Belfast. It also contains a time capsule storing information about the city.

You can witness all these and other unusual landmarks of the capital of Northern Ireland through AirPano panoramas.

Photos by Sergey Semenov

13 May 2020

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The northern part of the island of Ireland politically belongs to the United Kingdom, and Belfast is the capital of this region. It is located at the western edge of Belfast Bay and is protected by the range of hills from the north-west.

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Musée national de Tokyo, 13-9 Uenokoen, Taitō, Tokyo, Japon

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Musée national de Tokyo, 13-9 Uenokoen, Taitō, Tokyo, Japon

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Musée national de Tokyo, 13-9 Uenokoen, Taitō, Tokyo, Japon

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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Musée national d'anthropologie, Avenida Paseo de la Reforma, Polanco, Bosque de Chapultepec I Sección, Mexico, District fédéral, Mexique

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Musée national d'anthropologie, Avenida Paseo de la Reforma, Polanco, Bosque de Chapultepec I Sección, Mexico, District fédéral, Mexique

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Musée national d'anthropologie, Avenida Paseo de la Reforma, Polanco, Bosque de Chapultepec I Sección, Mexico, District fédéral, Mexique

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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Musée Solomon R. Guggenheim, 5th Avenue, New York, État de New York, États-Unis

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Musée Solomon R. Guggenheim, 5th Avenue, New York, État de New York, États-Unis

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Musée Solomon R. Guggenheim, 5th Avenue, New York, État de New York, États-Unis

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Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum - Interior Streetview, New York, United States - Google Arts & Culture

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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In the South Pacific Ocean, there are exotic islands of French Polynesia. There was a time when the way to this place was long and tiresome, and even with the development of the aviation industry the journey from Europe still can take up to 24 hours or even more (via a connection in the USA, New Zealand or Japan). But no complications can stop those who truly want to dive into the magical atmosphere of the Polynesian islands.

The history of French Polynesia is associated with a lot of outstanding names: the artist Paul Gauguin, the writer Robert Louis Stevenson, some of our contemporaries - the singer Joe Dassin, the actors Jacques Brel and Marlon Brando. We hope that you too will feel the charm of these magical lands.

The largest and the most famous island of French Polynesia is Tahiti with the total area of more than 1,000 square kilometres. Still, this overseas collectivity of the French Republic is composed of many other islands and atolls. Bora Bora, the atoll located 280 kilometres north-west of Tahiti, is another very popular destination in French Polynesia. Its total land area is rather small - only 29 square kilometres, but it has the lagoon of 83 square kilometres and considered one of the most beautiful in the world.

The main island of the atoll has a peculiar form and rises in the middle of its water area, surrounded by coral islets called motu. The highest point of Bora Bora is mount Mount Otemanu, rising at 727 meters, which is the cone of the extinguished volcano dated 4 million years old. A lot of top-level hotels work on the territory of Bora Bora, but all them are located on the coast; there are practically no roads leading into the depths of the island covered by thick vegetation.

More than 300 kilometres away from Tahiti there is Rangiroa - the largest atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago, and the second largest atoll in the world after Kwajalein atoll in Micronesia. It has the lagoon of 1,640 square kilometres - enough space for enclosing the whole Tahiti island! Though the land area of Rangiroa is rather small: the total surface territory of 415 small motu islands is only 79 square kilometres. Only a few are inhabited and they are connected to each other by lovely bridges.

The population of Rangiroa does not exceed 3,000 people, and thousands come here from all over the world to enjoy the beautiful natural sites. The transparency of water can be up to 25 meters and provides huge opportunities for diving and snorkelling. For the most well-off people there is Kia Ora Resort in the southern part of the atoll, and it is accessible only by water.

The islands of French Polynesia are also interesting for being quite different from each other. The most exotic place is the easternmost island of the Leeward Islands group - Huahine. It is nicknamed by locals as "Wild" and in fact, it is made up of two main islands (Huahine Nui, "Big Huahine", and Huahine Iti, "Little Huahine") formed by the invasion the Maroe bay deep into the land.

Huahine attracts amateurs of history and mysteries: it is the largest archaeological centre that has preserved the evidence of the ancient Polynesian cultures. One of the attractions of Huahine is the bridge over a small stream where eels reaching up to two meters live. Local legends claim them to be sacred fish. But in the first place Huahine is famous for the phenomenon of a "green ray": before hiding behind the horizon, the solar rays are refracted in a special way in the atmosphere and a green flash can be visible. This phenomenon can be witnessed only in a few places in the world, and Huahine is the most picturesque one.

Today we introduce the panoramas of the new author - Ádam Plézer. We hope that you will enjoy his vision of the heavenly beautiful landscapes of French Polynesia and these panoramas will be able to take you to that remote and indigenous corner of the Earth.

Photos by Ádám Plézer

24 May 2017

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In the South Pacific Ocean, there are exotic islands of French Polynesia. There was a time when the way to this place was long and tiresome, and even with the development of the aviation industry the journey from Europe still can take up to 24 hours or even more.

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Komodo Island, Komodo, Kabupaten de Manggarai occidental, Nusa Tenggara oriental, Indonésie

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Komodo Island, Komodo, Kabupaten de Manggarai occidental, Nusa Tenggara oriental, Indonésie

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Komodo Island, Komodo, Kabupaten de Manggarai occidental, Nusa Tenggara oriental, Indonésie

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Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world measuring 5,120 x 1,760 km. According to various accounts, it consists of around 13,000 - 17,000 islands with only 9,000 of them having names. And only certain of them are known around the world: the islands of Java, Bali, Kalimantan (Borneo), Sumatra and Komodo. Lets have a journey to several of them!

Bali has a unique geographical location. It is bounded on the south by the Indian Ocean, to the north by the Bali Sea belonging to the Pacific Ocean. There are beaches, volcanoes, flora represented by four types of forest, banana plants that are considered sacred. Among multiple representatives of the local fauna, there is the unique species of a cave crab named Karstama balicum and included in the IUCN Red List.

Indonesia is also known for another unique animal, the Komodo dragon. If you have a look at the map, you will see that the distance between Bali and Komodo is 400 km as the crow flies. But being divided by the sea and other islands of the archipelago, the travel distance will be different.

As a rule, people travel the following way: first, they have to take an airplane from Bali to the island of Flores (1.5 - 2 hours), then take a boat. The one-way trip will last around 4-5 hours.

The other way is to hire a yacht and enjoy beautiful seascape every moment of the trip provided the favourable weather conditions. AirPano team did so and our virtual tour will let you do the same and experience a unique sea adventure.

On our way, we stopped over on a small volcanic island Satonda. It was formed around 3,000 years ago resulted by the eruption of the volcano. The waters of the island possess magnificent coral reefs and together with the neighbouring islands, it forms a national marine park.

In the centre of the island, there is a salt lake with the saline concentration being higher than seawater. This water is believed to be originated in the ancient volcanic rocks dated 10,000 years old.

Finally, we reached Komodo. This island is not among the largest islands of the country (New Guinea is the largest island of Indonesia) but it is famous for its outstanding nature.

The last one is not among the largest islands of the country (New Guinea is the largest island of Indonesia) but it is famous for its outstanding nature.

The surface area of Komodo covers 390 km ²; a little over 2,000 people inhabit this island. Since the middle of the 19th century and till the beginning of the 20th century, the neighbouring island of Flores had been under the rule of the Netherlands. But the first European people set their feet on Komodo only in 1910.

Having passed Komodo by, Dutch sailors returned to Flores with the stories about "living dragons". They saw them on the coast but did not attempt to approach as these creatures were "seven meters long and breathed fire". Hearing the reports, the head of the colony Lieutenant Steyn van Hensbroek accompanied by a team of armed soldiers decided to explore Komodo.

The expedition managed to kill one of the creatures that were taken for dragons. The lizard that was later named the Komodo dragon (or the Komodo monitor) was carefully studied on Java Island. These records are the first documentary evidence of this species. Realizing the significance of the dragons on Komodo Island as an endangered species, the Dutch government issued a regulation on the protection of the lizards on Komodo Island in 1915.

The world's largest living species of lizard grows up to 3 meters long weighing up to 90 kg. Komodo dragons feed with different species of animals ranging from rats to horses. The lizard awaits a prey in an ambush, knocks it over by its mighty long tail and eats it by tearing large chunks of flesh. However, the lizard appeared not to breathe with fire as it was believed by Dutch sailors.

Even though these lizards now inhabit several other Indonesian islands, Komodo Island is most notable as the habitat of this species. In 1980, Komodo National Park was founded to protect Komodo dragon populations. In addition to watching the ancient lizard in this park, tourists can also enjoy the beauty of nature.

Komodo is also famous for a unique pink beach, one of only seven in the world. The sand appears pink because of pieces of shells of Foraminifera, amoeboid protists.

In 1991, Komodo National Park was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for having a unique ecosystem and landscape formed by the combination of climate and geographical location. Bright turquoise water stands in contrast with brownish hills and savanna with a volcano as a highlight of the whole landscape. The local coral reef is a habitat for a huge number of fish that attract turtles, whales, dolphins and dugongs.

Sad news for nature and travel lovers is that the Indonesian Government is considering a plan to close Komodo Island to tourism to preserve the local flora and fauna. There are a lot of opponents of the idea, in particular, local people who would become unemployed. Objecting to the closure of the island, people suggest the introduction of entering fees that would limit the number of visitors.

Either way, AirPano will make it possible to visit this corner of the Earth at any time!

Photos by Oleg Gaponyuk

27 November 2019

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Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world measuring 5,120 x 1,760 km. According to various accounts, it consists of around 13,000 - 17,000 islands with only 9,000 of them having names. And only certain of them are known around the world: the islands of Java, Bali, Kalimantan (Borneo), Sumatra and Komodo.

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La Chapelle Sixtine

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Musée Dali

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La Fondation a le plaisir de mettre à disposition du public la visite virtuelle du Théâtre-Musée Dalí.

Cependant, nous voulons remarquer que toute exploitation commercial de la visite virtuelle doit être dûment autorisée.

Les droits de reproduction de la visite virtuelle sont réservés et les usages commerciaux de tiers doivent compter avec les permis nécessaires.

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VISITEZ LE MUSÉE COMME VOUS NE L'AVEZ JAMAIS FAIT.

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Musées du Vatican, Vatican City, Vatican

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Musées du Vatican, Vatican City, Vatican

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Musées du Vatican, Vatican City, Vatican

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Mosquée du Sultan Barquq

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Tombeau de la reine Mérésânkh III

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Tomb of Queen Meresankh III (G 7530-7540)

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Tombeau du pharaon Ramsès VI

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L'oasis de Palmyre est un point de convergence de plusieurs pistes dans le nord-ouest du syrien. Citée par les sources textuelles dès le 2e millénaire av. J.-C., la ville connaît son apogée à l'époque gréco-romaine, en particulier sous le règne de la reine Zénobie.

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Les catacombes de Kom El Shoqafa

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Quelques musées parisiens et les catacombes

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Découvrir Lascaux

Le 12 septembre 1940, rien n'incitait alors à détourner son attention des évènements dramatiques qui marquèrent cette période. Pourtant, en Dordogne, quatre adolescents font une découverte archéologique exceptionnelle...

Visitez les répliques

Lascaux II, Lascaux III et, depuis 2016, Lascaux IV - Centre International de l'Art Pariétal permettent aux visiteurs du monde entier de découvrir les oeuvres exceptionnelles, inaccessibles, et de vivre une expérience sensible unique.

1. Infos pratiques

2. Lascaux IV

3. Lascaux II et III

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La découverte de Lascaux en 1940 a bouleversé la connaissance de l'art préhistorique et de nos origines. Œuvre monumentale, la grotte continue de nourrir l'imaginaire collectif et d'émouvoir les nouvelles générations du monde entier.

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Château de Chenonceau, Chenonceaux, France - Google Arts & Culture

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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Palais Farnèse, Piazza Farnese, Rome, Italie

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Palais Farnèse, Piazza Farnese, Rome, Italie

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Palais Farnèse, Piazza Farnese, Rome, Italie

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Petit Palais, Avenue Winston Churchill, Paris, France

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Petit Palais, Avenue Winston Churchill, Paris, France

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Petit Palais, Avenue Winston Churchill, Paris, France

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Le Petit Palais vous propose de découvrir sa visite virtuelle! Les plus fidèles d'entre vous remarqueront que depuis la conception de cette visite, le musée a connu quelques nouveaux aménagements! Merci à "photographie 360 © Timothée Eisenegger / www.timographie360.fr"

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Le Petit Palais vous propose de découvrir sa visite virtuelle! Les plus fidèles d'entre vous remarqueront que depuis la conception de cette visite, le musée a connu quelques nouveaux aménagements! Merci à "photographie 360 © Timothée Eisenegger / www.timographie360.fr"

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Ready to explore Yellowstone? You don't have to wait for your trip out here. You can start exploring now by virtually touring some of the main attractions around the park. Included with each map-based tour is additional information about visiting in person.

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Virtual Tours - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Yosemite National Park, Californie, États-Unis

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Yosemite National Park, Californie, États-Unis

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Yosemite National Park, Californie, États-Unis

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Virtual Yosemite presents a groundbreaking interactive (VR) tour of one of America's most spectacular destinations - Yosemite National Park in California.

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Les plus grands parcs nationaux avec Google Earth (patientez le chargement peut être long)

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Aw snap! Google Earth isn't supported on your browser. You may need to update your browser or use a different browser. Please see our system requirements for more information. Chrome is a great choice and you can download it here.

Or if you're feeling adventurous, you can try Earth anyway by choosing an option below.

Learn more about Google Earth.

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Aw snap! Google Earth isn't supported on your browser. You may need to update your browser or use a different browser. Please see our system requirements for more information. Chrome is a great choice and you can download it here. Or if you're feeling adventurous, you can try Earth anyway by choosing an option below.

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Les plus beaux espaces naturels des USA

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The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks - Google Arts & Culture

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Mont Rushmore, South Dakota 244, Keystone, Dakota du Sud, États-Unis

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Mont Rushmore, South Dakota 244, Keystone, Dakota du Sud, États-Unis

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Mont Rushmore, South Dakota 244, Keystone, Dakota du Sud, États-Unis

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Les portraits géants des présidents américains

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Mont Fuji, Kitayama, Fujinomiya, Préfecture de Shizuoka, Japon

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Mont Fuji, Kitayama, Fujinomiya, Préfecture de Shizuoka, Japon

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Mont Fuji, Kitayama, Fujinomiya, Préfecture de Shizuoka, Japon

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Mt. Fuji, Japan's tallest mountain, is world renowned not only for its natural splendor and its spiritual significance, but also for its enduring influence on Japanese culture. The currently dormant volcano has inspired countless haiku and woodblock prints over many centuries, and around the world, its perfect conical shape has become one of Japan's most iconic symbols.

The Google Maps team trekked up all 3,776 meters to the summit of Mt. Fuji, along the popular Yoshida trail. The Street View imagery also allows you to explore the full walk around the crater at the top, and the quick zigzag descent. We hope these 14,000 panos of imagery will give climbers a sense of the terrain to expect under their feet - especially all the night-time climbers who shuffle up in the dark to see the sunrise at the crack of dawn. Read more

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Mt. Fuji, Japan's tallest mountain, is world renowned not only for its natural splendor and its spiritual significance, but also for its enduring influence on Japanese culture. The currently dormant volcano has inspired countless haiku and woodblock prints over many centuries, and around the world, its perfect conical shape has become one of Japan's most iconic symbols.

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Découvrez l'Arctique

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Trek the Canadian Arctic with Google Maps. Travel with the team to Iqaluit, Canada as they collect Street View imagery of this breathtaking landscape. Gain a deeper understanding of the place through photographs, videos, audio tours, panoramic views and more.

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Centre spatial Kennedy, Floride, États-Unis

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Centre spatial Kennedy, Floride, États-Unis

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Centre spatial Kennedy, Floride, États-Unis

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For fifty years, NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida has been the launch point for a generation of space technology and exploration. Countless enthusiasts (including this one) grew up longing to see a space shuttle up close and walk in the paths of astronauts. Today, a collaboration between NASA and Street View is enabling people around the world to take a trip to the doorway to outer space, and see Kennedy as it transitions into a multipurpose launch complex for the next 50 years of space innovation. This location is our largest special collection of Street View imagery to date, totaling 6,000 panoramic views of the facilities, and expanding our mission to document the world's most amazing places.

Among the images you can now explore online with the click of your mouse are the space shuttle launch pad, Vehicle Assembly Building and Launch Firing Room #4. Gaze down from the top of the enormous launch pad, peer up at the towering ceiling of the Vehicle Assembly Building (taller than the Statue of Liberty) and get up close to one of the space shuttle's main engines, which is powerful enough to generate 400,000 lbs of thrust. And even though they recently entered retirement, you can still get an up-close, immersive experience with two of the Space Shuttle Orbiters-the Atlantis and Endeavour -with Street View. From these vantage points, anyone can live out his or her childhood dream of becoming an astronaut.

We'd like to thank NASA for making this project possible and giving all of us the chance to digitally walk in the shoes of all of the pioneering astronauts, scientists, engineers and technicians that made our space dreams possible.

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For fifty years, NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida has been the launch point for a generation of space technology and exploration. Countless enthusiasts (including this one) grew up longing to see a space shuttle up close and walk in the paths of astronauts.

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Camp de base de l'Everest

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Inspired by their love of mountaineering, four Googlers decided go on a trip to Everest Base Camp in 2011. Before leaving they learned they could capture imagery of the trip for Google Maps with a tripod and digital camera, and make the photos available in Google Maps for all to see. So they loaded their packs with cameras, tripods, wide-angle lenses, solar chargers, batteries and laptops, and hopped on a plane to Nepal.

The trek to Everest Base Camp was a 12-day adventure in the mountains where they battled altitude sickness, an earthquake, mudslides, snow storms and flash floods to reach their destination and capture this imagery. With the equipment typically used for the Business Photos program, they captured a collection of panoramas at key camps and other interesting stops along the way, including a Buddhist monastery.

This intrepid team hiked more than 70 miles (about 50 hours) and reached an altitude of 18,192 feet -- higher than anywhere in the contiguous U.S. Thanks to their efforts, and the leadership of their guide Bhuwan Karki of Adventure Treks Nepal, this breathtaking imagery is now available in Street View.

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Inspired by their love of mountaineering, four Googlers decided go on a trip to Everest Base Camp in 2011. Before leaving they learned they could capture imagery of the trip for Google Maps with a tripod and digital camera, and make the photos available in Google Maps for all to see.

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Chez les ours polaires

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Discover the world with Google Maps. Experience Street View, 3D Mapping, turn-by-turn directions, indoor maps and more across your devices.

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Outreach teams were invited to the Amazon Basin to collect ground-level images of the rivers, forest and communities in the Rio Negro Reserve. On, March 21, 2012 on World Forest Day, we made those images available through the Street View feature on Google Maps.

This project was made possible in partnership with the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS), the local nonprofit conservation organization that invited us to the area. We used the Street View trike, which we also put on top of a boat to collect the river views, and a tripod camera with a fisheye lens-typically used to capture imagery of business interiors-to capture both the natural landscape and the local community.

We ended up collecting imagery of the Rio Negro, an Amazon Forest trail and five river communities. You can take your time and explore all the images in the gallery below.

Together with FAS, we're thrilled to help everyone from researchers and scientists to armchair explorers around the world learn more about Amazon, and better understand how local communities there are working to preserve this unique environment for future generations.

Note from the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation: The Sustainable Development Reserve of Rio Negro is a conservation unit created by the State Government of Amazonas in 2008 to protect the environment and the life of communities living in this area. The management of the reserve is a responsibility of the State Center for Protected Areas - CEUC - from the State Secretary of Environment and Sustainable Development of Amazonas (SDS / AM). The entry of non-resident people in the reserve is controlled by the Amazonas Government. For more information, please visit CEUC's website.

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Outreach teams were invited to the Amazon Basin to collect ground-level images of the rivers, forest and communities in the Rio Negro Reserve. On, March 21, 2012 on World Forest Day, we made those images available through the Street View feature on Google Maps.

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Grande barrière de corail, Queensland, Australie

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Grande barrière de corail, Queensland, Australie

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Grande barrière de corail, Queensland, Australie

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The Great Barrier Reef collection was part of the first group of underwater panoramic images added to Google Maps, the next step in our quest to provide people with the most comprehensive, accurate and usable map of the world. With these vibrant and stunning photos you don't have to be a scuba diver-or even know how to swim-to explore and experience six of the ocean's most incredible living coral reefs. Now, anyone can become the next virtual Jacques Cousteau and dive with sea turtles, fish and manta rays.

Starting today, you can use Google Maps to find a sea turtle swimming among a school of fish, follow a manta ray, and experience the reef at sunset. You can also find out much more about this reef via the World Wonders Project, a website that brings modern and ancient world heritage sites online.

We partnered with The Catlin Seaview Survey, a major scientific study of the world's reefs, to make these amazing images available to millions of people through the Street View feature of Google Maps. The Catlin Seaview Survey used a specially designed underwater camera, the SVII, to capture these photos. Whether you're a marine biologist, an avid scuba diver or a landlocked landlubber, we encourage you to dive in and explore the ocean with Google Maps.

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The Great Barrier Reef collection was part of the first group of underwater panoramic images added to Google Maps, the next step in our quest to provide people with the most comprehensive, accurate and usable map of the world.

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Trek the Galápagos Islands - Google Maps

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Sea lions, giant tortoises, marine iguanas and more - the first Street View collection of the Galápagos Islands.

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Réserve naturelle

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I entered a world of wonder 50 years ago when I began studying the elephants of Lake Manyara, Tanzania. My life was forever captured by these magnificent creatures and the great landscapes they live in -- deep forests, vast plains, winding rivers, lakes, volcanoes, and stark lava flows, from bush to desert to soaring mountain heights.

Samburu is one of these landscapes, and for me it is the most precious because I call it home. I'm thrilled to share the place I love on Street View, and let people everywhere roam across elephant range on a voyage of digital discovery. We hope that experiencing this area on Google Maps and Google Earth brings you a deeper understanding of elephants, one that can be translated into action on their behalf.

Elephants, and many other wild animals, need our help. We must allow the splendour of nature to survive alongside us. We brought the Samburu elephants online so people can "meet" them, experience the beauty of their habitat and realize the need for urgent action to protect them. The more we understand the denizens of the natural world, the more we can help them to survive and thrive on this planet. Join us in the fight to protect Africa's elephants.

-Iain Douglas-Hamilton, PhD, CBE
Founder, Save the Elephants
September 15, 2015

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I entered a world of wonder 50 years ago when I began studying the elephants of Lake Manyara, Tanzania. My life was forever captured by these magnificent creatures and the great landscapes they live in -- deep forests, vast plains, winding rivers, lakes, volcanoes, and stark lava flows, from bush to desert to soaring mountain heights.

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Découvrez le fleuve Colorado

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American Rivers

American Rivers protects wild rivers, restores damaged rivers, and conserves clean water for people and nature. Since 1973, they have protected and restored 150,000+ miles of rivers through advocacy efforts, on-the-ground projects, and an annual America's Most Endangered Rivers® campaign. Take action at www.AmericanRivers.org/Colorado

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American Rivers protects wild rivers, restores damaged rivers, and conserves clean water for people and nature. Since 1973, they have protected and restored 150,000+ miles of rivers through advocacy efforts, on-the-ground projects, and an annual America's Most Endangered Rivers® campaign. Take action at www.AmericanRivers.org/Colorado

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Découvrez le temple d'Angkor

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Temples of Angkor

Explore the wonders of Angkor, Cambodia, where thousand-year-old temples lie hidden in the jungle, and ancient cities and roads trace a path to the lost kingdoms of the Khmer empire.

Banteay Srei

Beng Mealea

Angkor Wat

Angkor Thom

Ta Prohm

Banteay Srei

The only major Angkor temple built in radiant rose-pink sandstone, the “ladies temple” is the jewel in the crown of Khmer art.

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A hidden temple treasure

Eastern Gopura (Entrance Gateway)

Banteay Srei was commissioned in AD 967 by a Brahmin counselor of King Rajendravarman II and dedicated to the god Shiva. Its location deep in the jungle kept it hidden for centuries, until a French expedition rediscovered it in 1914. A decade later, in one of the 20th century’s most celebrated art scandals, French novelist and art theorist André Malraux was arrested trying to leave the country with several important pieces stolen from the site. The sculptures were returned, and the resulting international attention led to the temple’s restoration in the 1930s using pioneering archaeological methods.

Painstaking preservation

Anastylosis restoration, which involves reassembling structures based on their original materials and positions, was first used at Banteay Srei in the 1930s. The work continues today through a joint venture between the Swiss and Cambodian governments. Though vandalism and pilfering have taken their toll, the installation of a drainage system, as well as measures to slow damage caused by trees, makes this one of the best preserved sites in Angkor.

Pink sandstone reliefs

Banteay Srei’s soft pink sandstone is unique among Angkor’s temples for its delicate beauty and ability to be carved in fine detail, much like wood. Entire scenes from Hindu legend play out on its walls, towers, lintels and pediments, including inlay re-creations of the Ramayana at the western entrance and a depiction of Kamadeva, the God of Love, shooting an arrow to Lord Shiva on the pediment of the southern library.

Duel of the monkey gods

Detailed carvings at the central sanctuary’s west entrance depict the famous duel between monkey brothers Valin and Sugriva from the Hindu epic Ramayana.

Animal statues guarding central tower

The nature spirit yaksa guards the entrance to Banteay Srei’s central tower, considered a prime example of ancient Khmer sculpture.

Beng Mealea

Trek through the jungle to discover Angkor’s mysterious lost temple of Beng Mealea.

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Temple at the crossroads

This large, remote and crumbling ruin lies at the crossroads of an ancient royal highway that once connected it to Angkor and other cities in the Khmer kingdom. Built as a Hindu temple in the 12th century during the reign of Suryavarman II, it’s believed to be the precursor to Angkor Wat, constructed in the same style and with the same floor plan.

Clearing the last landmines

Until recently, the dense jungle and unexploded landmines left over from the Vietnam War made Beng Mealea difficult and dangerous to reach. The landmines were cleared in 2003, and a year later a wooden walkway was built into the central sanctuary for the filming of a movie, finally making it accessible to the public.

Chambers and courtyards

To explore the remote temple of Beng Mealea, you must cross an enormous dry moat, climb over tree roots and rubble, and wander through a series of mysterious subterranean chambers. If you make the journey, you’ll find an Indiana Jones adventure come to life: an ancient building whose walls and roofs are covered in moss and vines, with trees growing out of its crumbling towers and sandstone blocks piled high in its courtyards.

Angkor Wat

Explore the legendary City of Temples, a thousand-year-old living monument and one of the world’s greatest architectural wonders.

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Central tower

Angkor Wat is meant to be an earthly re-creation of the universe in stone. with Its central tower representing Mount Meru, the mythical Hindu home of the gods.

Causeway promenade

Angkor Wat’s harmonious design features a three-tiered pyramid crowned by five towers that resemble lotus buds. Visitors enter from the West over a grand sandstone-paved causeway that crosses a massive rectangular moat before reaching the outer wall.

Depictions of Hindu myths

The Gallery of Bas-Reliefs contains nearly 13,000 square feet of exquisitely intricate sandstone carvings depicting Hindu epics and myths, with a level of detail and quality unequaled anywhere else in the world.

Army of King Suryavarman II

Reliefs in the southwest pavilion of the West Gallery show King Suryavarman II holding court, while his army marches east to battle the Chams led by commanders on elephants.

Heavens and Hells

The east wing of the South Gallery features depictions of the 37 heavens and 32 hells of Hindu myth. In one section, Yama, the god of death, points out the upper and lower roads that take mortal spirits to heaven or hell.

Churning of the Ocean of Milk

The Churning of the Ocean of Milk in the east gallery is the most famous of Angor Wat’s bas reliefs. In it, gods and demons stir up the Ocean of Milk to retrieve the treasures within, among them the elixir of immortality.

Angkor Wat's Apsaras

Angkor Wat features carvings of more than 3,000 unique apsaras (heavenly nymphs), who sport 37 different varieties of hairstyle and headdress.

Statue of Vishnu

An eight-armed statue of Vishnu carved from a single block of sandstone is located in the right-side tower at the western entrance. Pilgrims frequently leave offerings of flower garlands and locks of hair for Vishnu as thanks for good fortune.

Stairs Ascending to heaven

To reach the corner towers and the inner gallery, you must climb three sets of steps. The stairways are deliberately steep to represent the difficulty of ascending to heaven.

Angkor Thom

Walk along the statue-lined promenade that leads to the soaring gates of the Khmer kingdom’s last famed capital city.

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Promenade of Gods and Demons

Angkor Thom was rebuilt several times over the course of 500 years. The last and most extensive remodel took place in the 12th century under Jayavarman VII, who erected immense fortifications to protect against invasion. The city walls are meant to symbolize the mountains surrounding Mt. Meru; the moat represents the cosmic ocean.

Angkor Thom entrance gates

The great gates of Angkor Thom are among the most photographed sights in all of Angkor. Rising up 75 feet, they are capped by four monumental faces looking north, east, south and west. The lower half of the gates are made up of three-headed elephants whose trunks serve as pillars.

Temple of Bayon

The temple of Bayon sits at the exact center of Angkor Thom, crowned with 54 towers carved with as many as 2,000 faces. Bayon’s maze of galleries and dark passages are renowned for their detailed bas reliefs that depict historical battles and events, as well as scenes of daily life.

Terrace of the Leper King

The 22-foot-high Terrace of the Leper King remains one of the mysteries of Angkor Thom. Some believe that several Angkor kings may have had leprosy and that the nude statue at the center (a copy) was Yama, the god of death, who presided over the royal crematorium. Others think the figure represents Kubera, the god of wealth, who was also a leper. Learn more at the Google Cultural Institute.

Kneeling deity

This head was once part of an 8-foot-tall kneeling deity, one of 54 that line the causeway guarding the south entry to Bayon temple. Scholars believe the statues illustrate the Hindu myth of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk. Learn more at the Google Cultural Institute.

Ta Prohm

Journey to the mystical tree-covered temple that was the location for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

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The Goddess Prajnaparamita

King Jayavarman VII honored his mother throughout the temple. There are many female reliefs, including this famous carving of a woman's face. People marvel at the how the roots of the trees grew to frame this face.

Stone faces of Bodhisattva

The western gopura (entrance gate) is topped by the four towering stone faces of Bodhisattva, each looking towards a different compass point.

Mysterious dinosaur relief

While animal carvings appear frequently in Angkor temple reliefs, none have caused as much speculation as this one, which bears an uncanny resemblance to a stegosaurus.

A romantic ruin

Ta Prohm lies suspended in a state of splendid ruin, with banyan and fig tree roots running down its walls, doorways, and chambers like rivers of molten lava. Unlike the majority of Angkor’s temples, Ta Prohm’s buildings have been left mostly untouched by restoration efforts, the temple’s decay becoming part of its romantic allure.

City of Temples

Special Thanks

Google Cultural Institute - Angkor

Learn more about Angkor at the Google Cultural Institute

Learn more

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Dans les pas de Jane Goodall

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Collecting data in the wild

When Jane first moved to Gombe she lived in a tent with her mother, made her observations using second-hand binoculars and wrote notes with pencil and paper. She watched the movements of chimps throughout the day, taking notes on their daily habits and social structures. She soon realized the observations she was making challenged most conventional notions about chimpanzees.

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The Grand Canyon was our inaugural collection using the Street View Trekker. The Trekker, our latest imagery-gathering apparatus, is a wearable backpack system that allows us to venture to locations only accessible by foot. The ability to take Street View to remote, hard-to-navigate places, such as the Grand Canyon, is a major opportunity to make the beauty and history of locations like these accessible to a global audience.

The rugged terrain, ridges and steep trails of the Grand Canyon are the perfect setting to showcase the functionality of the Trekker. The narrow trails would be inaccessible to our traditional Street View cars, trikes, and trolleys, but is perfect for the wearable Trekker backpack. The compact size of the Trekker makes it unobtrusive and easy to maneuver, while automatically gathering images as it goes. The Trekker is operated by an Android device and consists of 15 lenses at the top of the mast, each angled in a different direction that will enable us to stitch together a 360-degree panoramic view.

It took a team of 10 Googlers and 5 Trekkers about 3 full days to adequately capture the main trails of the Grand Canyon's south rim. Two Trekker teams hiked down the Bright Angel Trail, camped overnight at Phantom Ranch, and then hiked out the next day along the South Kaibab Trail. Another three Trekker teams remained at the top of the Grand Canyon collecting imagery around the rim as well as the South Rim Trail. Our team also ventured out to collect imagery of Meteor Crater, just outside Grand Canyon National Park.

To continue making Google Maps as comprehensive and accurate as possible, we're eager to take the Trekker still more places only accessible by foot. We look forward to sharing future collections with you that showcase more unique places around the world - from forest trails to the steps of ancient castles, and beyond.

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The Grand Canyon was our inaugural collection using the Street View Trekker. The Trekker, our latest imagery-gathering apparatus, is a wearable backpack system that allows us to venture to locations only accessible by foot.

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Inca Trail to Machu Picchu - Google Arts & Culture

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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Les plus beaux sites italiens

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Italian Cultural Sites You Can Explore From Home - Google Arts & Culture

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Discover 6 wonders of Italy, from the ruins of Pompeii to the grand Colosseum

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Les plus beaux monuments indiens

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6 Iconic Indian Stone Monuments - Google Arts & Culture

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Discover the craftsmanship behind these historical sites

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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Taj Mahal, Dharmapuri, Forest Colony, Tajganj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, Inde

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Taj Mahal, Dharmapuri, Forest Colony, Tajganj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, Inde

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Taj Mahal, Dharmapuri, Forest Colony, Tajganj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, Inde

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Taj Mahal: A Tour from the Top - Google Arts & Culture

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Voyage au pays des sherpas

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In the shadow of Mt. Everest lies a group of sacred valleys known as the Khumbu.
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Discover the hidden treasures along the trail and off the beaten path.

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Discover the world with Google Maps. Experience Street View, 3D Mapping, turn-by-turn directions, indoor maps and more across your devices.

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Les grandes pyramides

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The Great Pyramid

The Great Pyramid, built by Khufu, was the first and largest pyramid at Giza. Standing 139 meters high (455 ft), it was the tallest man-made structure on Earth for nearly 4,000 years. The pyramid is aligned with the cardinal directions, and faces almost exactly due north, a confounding architectural feat.Next to the Great Pyramid is the Khufu ship, a fully intact solar boat intended to transport the pharaoh to the afterlife.
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Discover the world with Google Maps. Experience Street View, 3D Mapping, turn-by-turn directions, indoor maps and more across your devices.

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Over 2,000 years ago, the Nabataeans created Petra-the city of stone. Journey with us behind the iconic facade from the movies, and discover one of the great wonders of the world, forgotten by time itself.

Explore an ancient world wonder, forgotten by time itself.

Discover Petra

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Over 2,000 years ago, the Nabataeans created Petra-the city of stone. Journey with us behind the iconic facade from the movies, and discover one of the great wonders of the world, forgotten by time itself. Explore an ancient world wonder, forgotten by time itself. Discover Petra

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.