Many people do not even know the distinction between the Acropolis and the Parthenon and use the two words interchangeably

Sigh.

I did not say I was shocked that people could not 'pick the Athenian Acropolis out' I said I was shocked by the statement that (I repeat yet again) "MANY people have never heard of the Acropolis"

Getting irritated now.

I'm not bothered if people do not know or understand the difference between the Acropolis and the Parthenon.

Unless I've missed it, nobody has mentioned Notre Dame, that has to be up there in the European list.

For the U.S., I don't believe anyone has mentioned the White House or the U.S. Capitol building. Although #1 might be Cinderella's Castle in Walt Disney World.

the western wall in jerusalem.... i think that equals the eifel tower and the statue of liberty

No one has mentioned the Hagia Sophia either. Its not going to be THE most famous icon, but its certainly worth a mention.

Fashion

Come back from the ledge and put away the prozac. Sorry for not making that distinction.

Trying to imagine people from the most "backward" places in the world who have had very little schooling (say, a village in Ethiopia), I think that there's a good chance that they would still recognize the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben.

However, I'm not sure if it would be true of a village in the Amazon -- perhaps they would recognize the Statue of Liberty instead.

What I find interesting is that the Eiffel Tower is also a symbol of irony. So many Parisians purportedly hated it when it was built and yet it is now the icon of their city, even their country -- perhaps all of Europe in some people's minds.

I agree - the Eiffel Tower is "Europe's Most Famous Single Sight" - by a landslide.

Most famous sights -
Stonehenge
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Fjords of Norway
St Basil Church Moscow
Roman Colesium
Canals of Venice

I believe it shall be my life's ambition to have the Buza Bar in Dubrovnik mentioned in the same breath with these famous sights.

((H))

Since #1 is pretty much accepted, how about Manneken Pis?
I think many would recognize it on a photo, but not sure if all knew its location..

Brussels (French: Bruxelles, pronounced [bʁysɛl] ( listen); Dutch: Brussel,
of course.
it is so small... you really have to look for it.
same with Copenhagen's Little Mermaid .

oh.. I never doubted that everybody HERE would know its location.. was more thinking about the general public

Cowboy... you are right.


I would not be surprised if McDonald's was not more famous around the world than most of the places mentioned here.

Yes even if in Europe they inevitably call it MacDonalds!

"Should they trade study of WWII (or the plains Indians, or Sherman's March to the Sea, or Commodore Perry or...) for the study of the architecture of the Acropolis or the history of the Ancient Greeks? In the abstract, everything seems important."
Interesting point, although I doubt many children in European schools have ever heard of Sherman's March to the Sea, or Commodore Perry or some other events in American history.
By the same token, what the education system puts the emphasis on in France is probably rather different than
what children might be learning in Croatia.

For foreigners the most famous sight in the U.S. is no doubt to me the Statue of Liberty - seen as the beckoning call to come to the Land of the Free and opportunity (real or not) - i think nothing else would come close. Except maybe Disney World/Land

Adu - I am a little stressed. Is it showing? Bloody Greeks. Look what they have done now.

Before McDonald's it was Coca-Cola.

I would offer the Manhattan skyline, especially from the Brooklyn side with the Brooklyn Bridge. How many movies and TV shows has that scene been shown?