15 Fascinating Observation Towers

An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision. They are usually at least 20 metres (65.6 ft) tall and made from stone, iron, and wood. The towers first appeared in Germany at the end of the 18th century, and their numbers steadily increased, especially after the invention of the elevator.

1. Euromast, Netherlands

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8 Unusual Rock Islets Around the World

Usually, rock islet is a landform composed of rock, lying offshore, uninhabited, and having at most minimal vegetation. But sometimes, rock islets don't look exactly like this - some are naturally strange looking, and some of them people have adapted to their own needs and made them pretty unusual. Uniqueness makes these small islands very popular among local visitors, foreign tourists and photographers from around the world.

1. New Eddystone Rock, Alaska, USA

New Eddystone Rock at low tide   link

15 Star-Shaped Forts From Around the World

Star-shaped forts are a particularly interesting type of fortification. They first appeared around the time that gunpowder became commonly used in warfare (first seen in the mid-15th century in Italy). The unusual shape of the forts and the fact that they were made of hard-to-shatter brick (rather than the traditional stone) helped the forts stand up to cannonball fire. These incredible structures are among the most memorable, the most beautiful, and the most historically important forts from around the world.

1. Fort Carré, France

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11 Incredible Navigable Aqueducts

Navigable aqueducts (sometimes called water bridges) are bridge structures that carry navigable waterway canals over other rivers, valleys, railways or roads. They are primarily distinguished by their size, carrying a larger cross-section of water than most water-supply aqueducts. Although Roman aqueducts were sometimes used for transport, aqueducts were not generally used until the 17th century when the problems of summit level canals had been solved and modern canal systems started to appear.

1. Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, UK

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12 Wonderful Water Castles

A water castle is a castle or stately home whose site is entirely surrounded by moats or natural water bodies. The water that surrounds the castle was used as an obstacle to hinder an attacker. In many places in Europe, castles that had formerly been fortified changed their role or were converted over the course of time so that they became largely representational and residential buildings.

1. Červená Lhota Castle, Czech Republic

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Amazing Buildings Devoured by Sand

The deserts and sands are the best landscapes for finding old and abandoned buildings. The arid climate lends itself to preservation, and there is little danger of serious decay or damage from flooding.  At the same time, the sand is an ever-shifting geographic feature that can swallow whole towns both quickly (as in a violent sandstorm) or slowly (as it shifts over time). This article deals with the partially buried buildings in sand, some of which were abandoned for hundreds of years, and some only a few years.

1. Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse, Denmark

Lighthouse in 2000.  link

10 of the Most Impressive Old Aqueducts

Aqueducts were built to bring a constant flow of water from distant sources into cities and towns, supplying public baths, fountains and private households. Many aqueducts over land connect points of similar height in a landscape, usually by bridging a river valley or other eroded opening in an otherwise flat area. This list describes the old aqueducts that were built in the period since the 1st century (Roman times) till the 19th century.

1. Aqueduct of Segovia, Spain

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15 Fairytale Villages of Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are an island group and archipelago under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark, situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Norway and Iceland. This archipelago has 18 main islands and 50,000 people, divided into exactly 123 villages. Villages of the Faroe Islands are like a fairytale - the houses are very colorful, grass roofed and located in beautiful natural surroundings.

1. Porkeri

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