Europe

On this day: Napoleon Died In Exile on Saint Helena

On May 5, 1821, Napoleon died on Saint Helena. Following his defeat in the Battle of Waterloo six years earlier, the British had imprisoned Napoleon on this South Atlantic island. As he still believed he was an emperor he complained…

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Monday, 5th May 2014

On this day: Mary Queen of Scots escaped Loch Leven castle

On May 2, 1568, Mary Queen of Scots escaped from Loch Leven Castle. After having been imprisoned on this isolated island for close to a year, and having been forced to abdicate the throne, Mary escaped but promptly lost a…

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Friday, 2nd May 2014

Solar Power Towers

We've visited a few solar power generation facilities in the past, but here is a roundup of solar power towers - elevated structures surrounded by movable mirrors called heliostats. The mirrors concentrate solar energy onto receptors in the tower where…

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Friday, 25th April 2014

Google Underwater View

The latest frontier for Google's Street View technology is underwater. Cameras have visited quite a number of popular diving and snorkelling locations, giving us spectacular imagery of sea life and coral reefs. Today we're taking a tour of these locations,…

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Thursday, 17th April 2014

Airship Hangars Around The World

From the late 19th century to the period between the World Wars, hundreds of airship hangars were built in Western Europe and the USA to house the massive lighter-than-air craft. Today, only a handful of these huge structures remain, including…

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Thursday, 10th April 2014

Floating Bridges

Floating bridges, while often temporary structures used in times of war or disaster, can also be used long-term in locations where water conditions are very sheltered. The road surface is supported by pontoons, which - while they do float -…

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Thursday, 3rd April 2014

Welcome to Google Sightseeing!

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

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