Google Maps’ Street View feature has helped many of us virtually travel to places we were curious about or nostalgic for.
The tool launched on May 25, 2007. To celebrate the 15-year anniversary, Google has released a ranking of the most visited places in the world on Street View.
Unsurprisingly, Italy is among the top ten most visited countries on Street View.
As for the top ten sites within Italy, the ancient Roman Forum in the Italian capital is the most clicked cultural destination. The Forum shares the podium for Italy with Juliet's House in Verona and Palazzo Pitti in Florence, Google said. Following are the Doge's Palace in Venice, the Reggia di Caserta, the Castello di Miramare in Trieste, the Uffizi Gallery, the Egyptian Museum in Turin, the Ferrari Museum in Maranello and Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.
As for spots near the water, the most searched destinations are not in Sardinia, Sicily or Puglia, as one may expect; the top beach destination on Google Street View is Due Sorelle in Le Marche, followed by Tuerredda beach in Teulada (Sardinia), and the lakeside destination of Lake Carezza in Trentino-Alto Adige.
When Google Street View was launched in 2007, only five U.S. cities were available. Over time, it has added more than 220 billion Street View images from over 100 countries and territories.
As part of the birthday celebrations, Google is also releasing four new Street View collections; one features the Duomo in Milan, bringing imagery from inside the third largest Cathedral in Europe for everyone to enjoy a "behind-the-scenes look at this architectural and cultural gem."
You can learn more about Google Street View’s anniversary here.
