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Scenic Cities

138K views 348 replies 116 participants last post by  Jaehaerys 
#1 ·
It's amazing how much scenery can make or break a city. Rio de Janeiro without it's epic mountains would be just another dull developing world skyline, albeit probably still with excellent culture. Then again, Paris has one of the most boring settings imaginable, save for Montmartre, yet is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

What are your favourite natural settings for cities, and what do you think the scenery adds or takes away? Here are my best urban landscapes, in ascending order.

1. Lisbon: amazing scenery, with the sparkling bay and the castle hill. I think the situation is what makes Lisbon such an awesome city, since tbh its architecture, though aesthetically pleasing, is no different from most of the rest of the mediterrean.

2. San Fransisco: similar to Lisbon in many ways, though the architecture compliments the landscape better what with the skyscrapers and the bridge.

3. Rio: in some ways the grey block shaped buildings help with the city's exotic image, since it can't be confused with an American or European city, but I feel the landscape rather dwarfs teh city itself, apart from the majestic statue of Christ the Redeemer.

4. Hong Kong: couldn't be better, huge skyscrapers complementing the hills perfectly, in a city that might otherwise have been something of a Dubai.

5. Edinburgh: again, architecture matches the setting: the castle makes a fine centrepoint with the Royal Mile running down the spine of the crag, and arthur's seat makes Edinburgh truly unique. It's not my favourite architecture style but it's still beautiful.

6. Venice: my favourite scenic city, for obvious reasons: complements it perfectly.

Honourable mention to magnificent mountain cities, such as Munich, Vancouver, Innsbruck, Grenoble, and Darjeeling. I feel all should be better renowned for their beauty than they are.
 
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#37 ·
These are my favorites in terms of scenic setting:

Constantine, Algeria


Algeria-Constantine by jaimukerji, on Flickr


Pont Sidi Rached (Constantine, Algeria) by Farida-D, on Flickr

Guilin, China


Li river .. China ( Explore ) by ZedZap, on Flickr

Luang Prabang, Laos


View from the Phu Si Hill by B℮n, on Flickr


The Royal Palace in Luang Prabang by B℮n, on Flickr

Shigatse, Tibet


Tashinlhunpo by reurinkjan, on Flickr

Thimpu, Bhutan


Bhutan- Thimpu Tsechu - Tashichoe Dzong 2008 by sgluskoter, on Flickr


tiger's nest by rachael hyde, on Flickr

La Paz, Bolivia


La Paz, Bolivia - Illimani Peak by GlobeTrotter 2000, on Flickr

Ushuaia, Argentina


Ushuaia by vanto5, on Flickr
 
#47 · (Edited)
The one city that can rival Rio that combines urbanity and natural landscape would be Hong Kong.

Even with supertalls scattered around the territory, the view from the peak is still unblocked.

Plus the views is not just limited to The Peak but to several vantage points from Lantau Island to The New Territories and beyond.

http://www.pbase.com/bono



http://www.globalphotos.org















 
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