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This article is about objects used in navigation. For visitor attractions, see Tourist attraction. For other uses, see Landmark (disambiguation).
An 18th century painting of a VOC ship with Table Mountain in the background, used by navigators as the landmark to sail around southern tip of Africa.
The Statue of Liberty, a famous landmark of New York City and United States, greets the newly arrived immigrants, located near Ellis Island where millions of immigrants first touched U.S. soil.
The Eiffel Tower - tallest in the world from 1889 to 1930 and a famous Paris landmark
The Elbe Philharmonic Hall in Hamburg, Germany is planned to be completed in October 2016 and was particularly designed to become the city's new landmark




In old English the word landmearc (from land + mearc (mark)) was used to describe an "object set up to mark the boundaries of a kingdom, estate, etc.".[1] Starting from approx. 1560, this understanding of landmark was replaced by a more general one. A landmark became a "conspicuous object in a landscape". A landmark literally meant a geographic feature used by explorers and others to find their way back or through an area.[citation needed] For example, the Table Mountain near Cape Town, South Africa is used as the landmark to help sailors to navigate around southern tip of Africa during the Age of Exploration. Artificial structures are also sometimes built to assist sailors in naval navigation. The Lighthouse of Alexandria and Colossus of Rhodes are ancient structures built to lead ships to the port.


In urban studies as well as in geography, a landmark is furthermore defined as an external point of reference that helps orienting in a familiar or unfamiliar environment.[2] Landmarks are often used in verbal route instructions and as such an object of study by linguists as well as in other fields of study.[citation needed]

Types of landmarks[edit]


There are small structures that are landmarks such as the Colonna Mediterranea in Malta

In modern sense, landmarks are usually referred to as monuments or distinctive buildings, used as the symbol of a certain area, city, or nation, such as the Statue of Liberty in New York City, Eiffel tower in Paris, Big Ben in London, Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, The Obelisk in Buenos Aires, Sydney Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Colonna Mediterranea in Luqa or Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Church spires are often very tall and visible from many miles around, thus often serve as built landmarks. Also town hall towers and belfries often have a landmark character.

Natural landmarks can be characteristic features, such as mountains or plateaus. Trees also serve as local landmarks, such as jubilee oaks or conifers. Some landmark trees may be nicknamed, examples being Queen's Oak, Hanging Oak or Centennial Tree.

See also[edit]


  1. ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Retrieved 2016-01-25. 
  2. ^ Lynch, Kevin. "The image of the city". MIT Press, 1960, p. 48

External links[edit]

  • Media related to Landmarks at Wikimedia Commons