Landmarks

Suomenlinna :: Helsinki, Finland

October 18, 2010 By Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

In 1748 construction started on a maritime fortress of tremendous proportions. Suomenlinna (roughly translated to “visitor”) covers nearly 200 acres of land across six islands off the coast of Helsinki, Finland. Actually built under Swedish rule, Suomenlinna and Finland were conquered in 1808 and became a part of Russia in 1809. It was not until over a century later that the Finnish people were given their independence and reclaimed the fortress as part of their capital city. Today it is among the more exceptional tourist destinations in Finland attracting approximately 700,000 locals and foreigners a year. And not just for the unique military architecture. Suomenlinna has plenty to keep you entertained from cafés and restaurants to a brewery and museums. [Read more…] about Suomenlinna :: Helsinki, Finland

Buckingham Palace :: London, England

August 15, 2010 By Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

Buckingham Palace is a part of the legacy carried from Britain’s Kings and Queens who built this official Royal Residence to be held in trust for future generations. It was intended to be a home for the members of the Royal family, working buildings of the official royal staff, entertaining official guests, and also for hosting formal events and ceremonies. Since 1837, the Buckingham Palace has remained one of the most famous icons of Britain and today it serves to be the central administrative headquarters of the country. [Read more…] about Buckingham Palace :: London, England

Devils Tower :: Hulett, Wyoming

August 12, 2010 By Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

For many people around the world, five little musical notes will always bring to mind this awesome formation. That’s because Devils Tower in Hulett, Wyoming was the featured backdrop to the 1977 movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Who doesn’t remember Richard Dreyfuss making little mashed potato sculptures of it??! What many people do not know is that this massive 1,267 foot behemoth resting about one third of a mile from the Belle Fourche River was the nation’s very first national monument. Consistently ranked as one of the most beloved presidents of all time, Theodore Roosevelt made it his mission to protect many of America’s most fragile and beautiful natural wonders. It is clear why in 1906 this was his first. [Read more…] about Devils Tower :: Hulett, Wyoming

Christ the Redeemer :: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

August 11, 2010 By Chris Blecha 1 Comment

Rio de Janeiro is home to the world’s largest Art Deco statue that overlooks the city from the peak of the Corcovado Mountain and is one of Rio’s most famous sights, Christ the Redeemer (O Cristo Redentor). With the idea for a statue at the top of the mountain first suggested in the mid-1850s, it wasn’t until a second proposal made in 1921 by the Catholic Circle of Rio that construction of this amazing monument was approved. Completed and opened in 1931, for decades the statue has graced the skyline and been the focal point of a great many postcards and photos of Rio de Janeiro. [Read more…] about Christ the Redeemer :: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Tower of Hercules :: Galicia, Spain

August 5, 2010 By Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

As the great Dan Deacon once said, “Lighthouses rule. If you don’t like the lighthouse, you suck”. This statement is all the more true when you are blessed enough to have visited the Tower of Hercules, otherwise known by its Spanish name, Torre de Hércules. Perched on a rocky peninsula on the coast of Galicia in the northwest corner of Spain, the Tower of Hercules has been safeguarding ships since the late 1st century AD. Among the more magnificent structures erected by the Roman Empire, local legend has it that Hercules cut off the head of Medusa’s grandson Geryon, buried it where he stood, and built the lighthouse as a monument to his victory. In reality, researchers have conjectured that the tower was actually designed by the architect Gaius Sevius Lupus and commissioned by Emperor Trajan in his efforts to “Romanize” the area then known as Brigantium due to its prime port location. [Read more…] about Tower of Hercules :: Galicia, Spain