Famous landmarks like the Arc Du Triumph, the Pyramids of Giza, and the Sagrada Familia have been photographed countless times by photographers from around the world. They are recognizable to most, if not all, of us. But this collection of stunning aerial photography shots gives us a birds-eye-view of these places, casting them in a totally new light.

Most of the beautiful photos are of places or things that most of us could easily identify right away. The images illustrate just how much a change in perspective, such as an aerial view, can alter. It’s also worth noting that a few of these sites, like the Pyramids of Giza and the hotels in Dubai, were designed with an aerial perspective in mind. The designs of certain Dubai hotels can only be appreciated fully from above, and some theorize that the Pyramids of Giza were meant to be aligned with the stars in Orion’s Belt.

Although taking photographs from an actual bird’s perspective is possible, most photographers prefer taking cool photos like these from hot-air balloons, helicopters, gliders, or very tall structures. A few of the photographs also seem to be taken from altitudes that even birds couldn’t reach. None of this, however, detracts from these tourist attractions’ epic beauty.

For more great examples of aerial photography, check out these photographs by Kacper Kowalski and Klaus Leidorf. (via)

Image credits: Judit Kovacs

1. Barcelona

Image credits: Aldas Kirvaitis

2. Central Park, New York City

Image credits: Sergey Semenov

3. Maze at Longleat, England

Image credits: archive.4plebs.org

4. Mexico City

Image credits: Pablo Lopez Luz

5. Venice

Image credits: Yann Arthus Bertrand

6. Amsterdam

Image credits: unknown

7. Giza Pyramids, Egypt

Image credits: satimagingcorp.com

8. Niagara Falls, Canada

Image credits: thezooom.com

10. Chicago

Image credits:  Robert Elves

11. Tulip Fields, The Netherlands

Image credits: Normann Szkop

12. Bern

Image credits: imgur.com

13. Mangroves in New Caledonia

Image credits: Yann Arthus Bertrand

14. Dubai

Image credits: unknown

15. Dubrovnik

Image credits: Michaelphillipr

9. Namib Desert, Namibia

Image credits: SysaWorld Roberto Moiola

16. Paris

Image credits: imgur.com

17. Meskendir Valley, Turkey

Image credits: Beng Lieu Song

18. Shanghai

Image credits: imgur.com

19. Cape Town

Image credits: imgur.com

20. Moscow

Image credits: imgur.com

21. Athens

Image credits: imgur.com

22. Vancouver

Image credits: Evan Leeson

23. Male, Maldives

Image credits:  Mohamed Abdulla Shafeeg

24. Seattle

Image credits: thatcherphotography.com

25. Vatican City

Image credits: Randy P

26. Bac Son Valley, Vietnam

Image credits: Hai Thinh

27. Marina Bay, Dubai

Image credits: airpano.com

28. Rio de Janeiro

Image credits: Antonello

29. Terraced Rice Fields, China

Image credits: Thierry Bornier

30. A Lake in Pomerania, Poland

Image credits: Kacper Kowalski

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