Google announces World Wonders Project, includes 3 Canadian landmarks

Nova Scotia's Old Town of Lunenberg is one of the World Wonder chosen byGoogle

Google's Cultural Institute, which helps preserve and promote culture online, is pleased to announce the launch of the World Wonders Project. From the archaeological areas of Pompeii to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, Google’s World Wonders Project aims to bring to life the wonders of the modern and ancient world. Using similar technology to that of Google's Streetview, users can virtually visit the locations virtually.

Here in Canada The World Wonders Project enables you to explore the Historic District of Quebec City, Ottawa's Rideau Canal and the Old Town of Lunenberg, Nova Scotia.  And from around the world there are 132 historic sites from 18 countries to discover, including  to Stonehenge, the archaeological areas of Pompeii and the ancient Kyoto temples. In addition to man-made sites, you can explore natural places: wander the sandy dunes of Australia’s Shark Bay or gaze up at the rock domes of Yosemite National Park in California.

World Wonders uses Street View technology to take you on a virtual trip to each iconic site. The site also includes 3D models and YouTube videos of the historical places, so you can dig in and get more information and a broader view of each site. We also partnered with several prestigious organizations, including UNESCO, the World Monuments Fund, Getty Images and Ourplace, who provided official information and photographs for many of the sites.

This is just the beginning and we look forward to adding more sites from Canada and around the world to the project to make it more useful for our users. The World Wonders Project is part of Google’s commitment to preserving culture online and making it accessible the widest possible audience.  Under the auspices of the Cultural Institute, Google is publishing high resolution images of the Dead Sea Scrolls, digitizing the archives of famous figures such as Nelson Mandela, and presenting thousands of artworks through the Art Project.

Find out more about the project on our new YouTube channel, and start exploring at www.google.com/worldwonders.