From the air
A devastating decade
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- Tourism
- World Travel
Coral reefs in Australia, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the famous California redwood and the "blue window" in Malta - these are just some of the most severely damaged nature and tourism sites in the last decade. And why did the Paris authorities decide to dismantle a million (!) Locks from the romantic "motor bridge"?
Walla system! Tourism
27/12/2019While many tourist sites in the world have closed or restricted the number of visitors due to over-tourism, there are other wonders of nature and culture that have been destroyed due to factors such as climate change, increased weathering or fires. The Insider website brings to the stage a few examples from around the world.
Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris
Before the Great Fire took hold in mid-April 2019, the 12th-century cathedral underwent extensive renovations. These apparently only exacerbated the catastrophe, because there was a connection between the fire and the engineering equipment used by the workers.
The fire that raged in the building, which served as one of the symbols of Paris, caused him much damage. This year, it was the first time in 230 years, that no Christmas ceremonies were held at the cathedral.
The renovations only exacerbated the disaster. Burnt Notre Dame Cathedral (Photo: AP)
Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France, April 16, 2019 (Photo: AP)
Bow at the beach for shear, Morocco
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For more magazine articlesIn September 2016, one of the pair of natural arches that decorated the beach of Legzira in Morocco collapsed. The coast, which overlooks the Atlantic, has been known for years thanks to its breathtaking arches. Until such a weathering process collapsed one of them. It is believed that it is a matter of time before the second launch also crashes.
As has been said, weathering processes collapsed. Rock arches at Shore Beach, Morocco (Photo: Shutterstock)
Rainbow Rock on the Shore of Morocco (Photo: Shutterstock, ShutterStock)
The famous redwood tree in California
An impressive redwood tree, known as the Tunnel Tree, has stood for many generations in the Calaveras Big Trees Nature Reserve, California. The tree collapsed to the ground in January 2017, following a strong storm that raged in the California and Nevada area. Up until that point, visitors to the reserve had been invited to stroll through the "tunnel" that crossed the huge tree trunk, making the tree one of the most popular sights in the reserve since the early 19th century.
Collapsed to the ground in January 2017 following a strong storm. California redwood on prettier days (Photo: Shutterstock)
The California Sequoia Collapsing Tree (Photo: Shutterstock, ShutterStock)
"The Locks Bridge," Paris
The Pont des Arts bridge in Paris was nicknamed the "Locks Bridge" because of the fondness of tourists and locals to hang locks there, and toss the key to the Hesse River. In 2015, authorities removed close to a million locks accumulated on the bridge. This is after different parts of the bridge began to collapse. "They damaged the bridge's beauty, and its structure, which could cause accidents," explained Deputy Mayor Bruno Giulier at the time.
Hello to love. Disassembly of Locks Bridge in 2015 (Photo: Reuters)
Disassembly of locks from the Von des Reds bridge, Paris, 1 June 2015 (Photo: Reuters)
Shuri Citadel, Japan
The Shuri Castle in Okinawa, Japan, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The last one caught fire and was largely destroyed.
Japan's Oxenawa Fortress (Photo: Shutterstock)
Okinawa Bulls Fortress in Japan (Photo: Shutterstock, ShutterStock)
"The Blue Window," Malta
The Azure Window, one of Malta's well-known symbols, collapsed in March 2017. It was a 30-foot-tall natural arch on one of the islands of Gozo. This popular nature site even appeared in the "Game of Thrones" series. The collapse occurred after a storm hit the area.
In 2018, a Russian architect proposed to erect a replica of the natural arch, which will be constructed of steel.
The collapse occurred after a storm hit the area. "Blue Window" rock in Malta (Photo: Shutterstock)
"Blue Window" rock in Malta (Photo: Shutterstock, ShutterStock)
The storm that wreaked havoc in the Dolomites, Italy
In November 2018, a fierce storm occurred in the region of the Dolomite Mountains in Italy, leaving behind dead, and considerable landscape destruction. The storm has taken the lives of 17 people and caused the collapse of some 14 million trees and the destruction of wooded areas. "We will need at least a decade to get back to normal," an Italian agriculture official said.
About 14 million trees collapsed in the storm. Dolomites in Italy (Photo: Shutterstock)
Dolomites in Italy (Photo: Shutterstock, ShutterStock)
Coral Reefs, Australia
Not long ago, they were overflowing with vivid colors, but today, the coral reefs on Christmas Island in Australia have been whitewashed and destroyed, due to the rise in water temperature, which occurred in 2016-2015.
University of Victoria researchers found that only five percent of the island's coral reefs survived the temperature rise that occurred at that time, as a result of El Niño - a periodic climatic phenomenon that causes sea temperature rise.
The coral reefs have whitened due to the rise in water temperature. Christmas Island in Australia (Photo: Shutterstock)
Coral reefs on Australia's "Christmas Island" (Photo: Shutterstock, ShutterStock)
The natural arch in Porthcothan Bay
A natural rainbow set in Porthcothan Bay in Cornwall, UK, was demolished in January 2014 due to high tides and high winds. Of course you can still visit the bay, but the tourists can no longer meet the same famous rocky arch, which was destroyed by waves about 10 meters high and winds at about 110 km / h.
There used to be a rainbow here among the rocks. Porthcothan Bay in Cornwall, UK (Photo: Shutterstock)
Rainbow collapsed in Porthcothan Bay in Cornwall, UK (Photo: Shutterstock, ShutterStock)
Tourist Sites in Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands, located between Norway and Iceland, mark the list of nature and tourism sites that have been affected in the last decade. 14 popular islands in the islands will close in April 2020 for visitors for a long weekend, with only volunteers allowed to stay. This is to rehabilitate the area, and to secure a sustainable future for it. More than 5,500 people from 95 countries sought to volunteer and help with the rehabilitation project, which was also held in 2019, aimed at tackling overcrowding in the isolated islands, where spectacular nature sites.
14 popular business sites will be closed for rehabilitation. Faroe Islands (Photo: Shutterstock)
Faroe Islands (Photo: ShutterStock)
