Virtual Walks in World Cities

Explore Rome, Venice, Florence, London, Paris, Istanbul - and Never Leave Home!

Your treadmill can transport you to world famous cities, the centers of incredible history and culture! Cities like Rome, London, Paris, Florence, Venice, and Istanbul.

If you love world metropolotian centers, their history, famous tourist attractions, and incredible scenery, then you'll love taking one of our virtual walking tours through different cities around the world, such as:

FLORENCE:

Starting in Piazzale Michelangelo, with its breathtaking view of the city of Florence and the Arno, you walk down the beautiful tree-lined stone slope beside the Viale Giuseppe Poggi, and pass through the Porta San Miniato, built in 1320, and a part of the city walls of Florence, and across the Ponte alle Grazie where you turn and pause to take in the view of the Arno River and the Ponte Vecchio in the distance. You'll walk along the Via de' Cerretani and stop to view the Duomo of Florence and Brunelleschi's famous dome. Walking on, you'll pause to admire the Baptistry and the famous Gates of Paradise, by Lorenzo Ghiberti. You'll walk down the Via dei Servi until you encounter the Basilica della Santissima Annunziata, a Renaissance-style basilica whose construction was begun in 1469 and completed in 1481.

You'll enter the Piazza della Repubblica where the street market has typical Italian cheeses, meats, and other local foods for sale. You'll walk to the Piazza della Signoria, the focal point of the city of Florence where you take a short visit into the Loggia dei Lanzi, an open-air sculpture gallery of antique and Renaissance art. After pausing to admire some of the Renaissance sculpture, you leave the Loggia dei Lanzi and walk over and into the Palazzo Vecchio where you pause to admire the First Courtyard with its intricately painted ceiling vaults and the Putto walk over to the Palazzo Vecchio and, on the right, admire Bartolommeo Bandinelli's Hercules and Cacus and on the left is a reproduction of Michelangelo's statue, David. The real statue stood in this spot from 1504 to 1873. Today, the original is housed in the Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze.

You next pass through the heavy doors and into the First Courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio and you look up to admire the intricately painted ceiling vaults. In this niche inside the First Courtyard stands Samson and Philistine by Pierino da Vinci. Here in the First Couryard, even the columns are intricately stuccoed. Before leaving the Palazzo Vecchio, you stop to admire the copy of the Putto with Dolphin fountain by Verrocchio.

Once back in the Piazza della Signoria, you walk over to the famous Fountain of Neptune by Bartolomeo Ammannati before turning and walking through the Piazzale degli Uffizi and past the famous Uffizi Gallery, one of the most prominent art museums in the world and open to the public since 1765. At the far end, we leave the Piazzale degli Uffizi and then, after crossing a narrow street, you pause to view the Arno River and the Ponte Vecchio. Once at the Ponte Vecchio, you take a quick look at the Florentine gold jewelry on display. After walking across the Ponte Vecchio, you turn left and follow the Arno River eastward a short distance before entering the expansive Piazza di Santa Croce and its famous Basilica di Santa Croce, the principal Franciscan church in Florence which contains the tombs of Machiavelli, Michelangelo and Galileo.

ROME:

Where you'll explore the Ancient Roman Forum which was the center of day-to-day life in Rome and where many of the oldest and most important structures of the ancient city were located, you'll walk up to the Arch of Septimius Severus, dedicated in AD 203 to commemorate the Parthian victories of Emperor Septimius Severus and his two sons, Caracalla and Geta, in the two campaigns against the Parthians of 194/195 and 197–199. You'll walk past the Temple of Saturn whose pediment and eight surviving columns represent one of the iconic images of Rome's ancient architectural heritage. You'll pass the Temple of Vespasian and Titus, constructed to honor the Flavian Dynasty, which comprised the emperors Vespasian (69-79), Titus (79-81), and Domitian (81-96).

You'll walk on the Palatine Hill, the centremost of the Seven Hills of Rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city. It stands 40 metres above the Roman Forum, looking down upon it on one side, and upon the Circus Maximus on the other. From the time of Augustus Imperial palaces were built here. and enter the Domus Augustana, part of the vast palatial complex constructed by the Emperor Domitian. You'll walk through Piazza Navona, which was built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in the 1st century AD, and which follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans went there to watch the agones ("games"), and hence it was known as "Circus Agonalis" ("competition arena"). It is believed that over time the name changed to navone and eventually to navona.

The fountains at each end of the Piazza were sculpted by Giacomo della Porta in 1575. You'll stop to admire the incredible Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or Fountain of the Four Rivers by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The base of the fountain is a basin from the centre of which travertine rocks rise to support four river gods and above them, an ancient Egyptian obelisk surmounted with the Pamphili family emblem of a dove with an olive twig. Collectively, they represent four major rivers of the four continents through which papal authority had spread: the Nile representing Africa, the Danube representing Europe, the Ganges representing Asia, and the Río de la Plata representing the Americas.

You'll walk through the Piazza della Rotunda and actually enter the Pantheon, one of the best-preserved of all Ancient Roman buildings, and pass through its massive doorway. You'll look up to admire the Pantheon's dome which, 2,000 years later, is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. You'll walk to and stop and admire the famous Trevi Fountain, the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world. Lastly, you'll enter the incredible Coliseum, originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre. Built of travertine, tuff, and brick-faced concrete, it is the largest amphitheatre ever built. Construction began under the emperor Vespasian in AD 72, and was completed in AD 80 under his successor and heir Titus. The Colosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators, having an average audience of some 65,000; it was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles. You'll completely explore the upper and lower levels of the ancient structure before your one hour virtual walking tour ends.

VENICE:

Where you'll begin atop the Ponte degli Scalzi, with a view of the Grand Canal directly ahead and the train station to the right, you'll cross the Ponte de la Pieta, a small bridge which is a favorite of local artists painting a view of the Rio de la Pieta, you'll pause briefly to take a glimpse of Rio de la Ca' en Duo from the bridge before continuing on the Calle de la Grana and then through one of Venice's narrowest alleyways which parallels the Calle Scudi, you'll enter the Campo de L'Arsenale and pass by a large stone lion before climbing the Ponte de L'Arsenale del Paradiso, and turning to view the front of the Arsenale, a complex of former shipyards and armories.

You'll enter the Viale Giuseppe Garibaldi, one of Venice's surprising small green parks and then turn right onto the Riva dei Sette Martiri (Bank of the Seven Martyrs), which runs along part of the San Marco basin, you'll continue on to the Dorsoduro district, we walk along the Fondamenta Zattere past S. Maria del Rosario and Chiesa di Santa Maria della Visitazione before turning right onto Fondamenta Nani beside Rio de S. Trovaso, passing the Squero di San Trovaso, a 17th century gondola boatyard still in use today. So much beauty everywhere... it's not surprising that Venice was once the home of playwright and famous lover Giacomo Casanova, the explorer Marco Polo, and composer Antonio Vivaldi.

You'll continue on along the Grand Canal and more sidewalk cafes and pause to admire the Rialto Bridge before crossing it, and dodging some tourists, we turn into the long arcade along the north side of Piazza San Marco, the buildings on this side are known as the Procuratie Vecchie and today house upscale shops and restaurants. Then turning into Piazza San Marco, you see for the first time the famous square, reputedly called by Napoleon "the finest drawing room of Europe." Then on towards St. Mark's basilica, one of the best known examples of Italo-Byzantine architecture in the world and famous for its gold mosaics. Then past the Doge's Palace, built in the Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice.

LONDON:

Your 60 minute Virtual Walk begins beside the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London's Hyde Park. Leaving the fountain, you take a brief stroll beside the Serpentine and on through Hyde Park, the largest of the four Royal Parks, until you reach Royal Albert Hall and the Albert Memorial which was commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her beloved husband, Prince Albert who died of typhoid in 1861. The unique memorial is 176 feet tall and took over ten years to complete. Next you tour Covent Garden and its unique stalls and shops. Covent Garden was once the location for a fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square but now is a popular shopping and tourist site.

Next this virtual walking tour takes you on a walk through the Leicester Square area with its many ticket booths and movie theaters. Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London and is the prime location in London for film premieres and co-hosts the London Film Festival each year. Leaving Leicester Square on Irving Street, you turn left and walk down Charing Cross Road and pass St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church where there has been a church on the site since the medieval period. The present building was constructed in a Neoclassical design by James Gibbs in 1722–1726.

Your walking tour now enters Trafalgar Square, one of the city's most vibrant open spaces. The site of Trafalgar Square had been a significant landmark since the 13th century and originally contained the King's Mews. After George IV moved the mews to Buckingham Palace, the area was redeveloped by John Nash, but progress was slow after his death, and the square did not open until 1844. The 169-foot Nelson's Column at its centre is guarded by four lion statues.

Next your one hour walking tour of London takes you to and through Piccadilly Circus, known for its video display and neon signs mounted on the corner building on the northern side, as well as the Shaftesbury memorial fountain and statue of Eros. Then on to a quieter part of London and a walk through Green Park before turning right onto the Mall, a road between Buckingham Palace at its western end and Trafalgar Square via Admiralty Arch to the east. Continue walking until you arrive at Buckingham Palace, the home of Queen Elizabeth. Buckingham Palace is the London residence and headquarters of the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focal point for the British people at times of national rejoicing and mourning.

You pause briefly to view the impressive changing of the guard ceremony. Next you move over to Westminster Abbey, one of the most notable religious buildings in the United Kingdom. Westminster Abbey is a large, mainly Gothic abbey church in the City of Westminster, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the United Kingdom's traditional place of coronation and burial site for English and, later, British monarchs. Then you walk eastward across Parliament Bridge, busy with both foot and vehicle traffic. After crossing Parliament Bridge, you turn and take a brief glimpse of Big Ben, the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster, and the Houses of Parliament, the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, which governs the United Kingdom.

Walking on to the London Eye which, when erected in 1999, was the world's tallest Ferris wheel and overlooks the South Bank of the River Thames. Next, you move to the Globe Theatre, a modern reconstruction of the original Globe, which was opened in 1997 and just 750 feet from the site of the original theatre. Beginning at the Globe, you walk over the Millennium Bridge, (affectionately known to Londoners as "wobbly bridge") a steel suspension bridge for pedestrians crossing the River Thames. The bridge was closed later on opening day, and after two days of limited access, it was closed for almost two years while modifications were made to eliminate the motion. It reopened in 2002.

Crossing the bridge, you see ahead St. Paul's Cathedral, designed in the English Baroque style by Sir Christopher Wren in the late 17th century. Its construction, completed in Wren's lifetime, was part of a major rebuilding program in the City after the Great Fire of London. Services held at St Paul's have included the funerals of Admiral Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, Sir Winston Churchill and Baroness Thatcher; jubilee celebrations for Queen Victoria; peace services marking the end of the First and Second World Wars; the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer; the launch of the Festival of Britain; and the thanksgiving services for the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees and the 80th and 90th birthdays of Elizabeth II. Entering the garden around St. Paul's Cathedral and walking completely around the outside of the cathedral, you pause for a moment for a look at the front of the famous cathedral.

The last segment of your one hour virtual walking tour of London begins at the Tower of London and a chance to view the moving installation art placed in the Tower's moat, "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red." The work consisted of 888,246 ceramic red poppies, each intended to represent one British or Colonial serviceman killed in World War I. Approximately 6,780 poppies were added to the moat each day between 1 July and 11 November 2014, commemorating the centenary of the outbreak of World War I. After walking around the outer wall of the Tower of London, your walking tour ends with a view of the iconic symbol of London, the Tower Bridge.

ISTANBUL:

The Exotic Istanbul Virtual Walk begins on the north side of the Galata Bridge, looking toward the Golden Horn. After crossing the Galata Bridge, the viewer enters into the Eminonu Pier area, and stops briefly to admire the traditional Turkish boats awaiting passengers.

Then after crossing the busy street, you enter the Spice Market, one of the largest bazaars in the city with a total of 85 shops selling spices, Turkish delight and other sweets, jewellery, souvenirs, and dried fruits and nuts. Then it's up a steep market street alive with the hustle and bustle of men with over-loaded carts making their way up and down the hill. The walk next takes you into the courtyard of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque which is also known as the Blue Mosque, constructed between 1609 and 1616.

A popular tourist site, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque continues to function as a mosque today; men still kneel in prayer on the mosque's lush red carpet after the call to prayer. Next, walking through a crowded park, you stop to admire a fountain with a view of Hagia Sophia in the distance. Hagia Sophia was a Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal basilica, later an imperial mosque, and is now a museum.

Next the walk takes you past street vendors and past the elaborate fountain kiosk of Sultan Ahmed III, then through the Imperial Gate and into the First Courtyard of the Topkapi Place which was the main residence and administrative headquarters of the Ottoman sultans in the 15th century. The next section of your walk takes you into the courtyard of the New Mosque, an Ottoman imperial mosque located in the Eminönü quarter of Istanbul. It is situated on the Golden Horn, at the southern end of the Galata Bridge, and is one of the famous architectural landmarks of Istanbul. You next enter into a wide modern pedistrian only shopping district followed by more traditional Turkish stalls displaying their wares.

Next you enter one of the most famous sites in Istanbul, the Grand Bazaar which is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. In 2014, it was listed No.1 among world's most-visited tourist attractions with 91,250,000 annual visitors. The Grand Bazar at Istanbul is often regarded as one of the first shopping malls of the world. As you make your way through the Grand Bazaar, you have to dodge, weave in and out, and maneuver in order to make your way through the locals and tourists.

Leaving the Grand Bazaar after a 10 minute visit, you enter a tranquil park before heading downhill and onto a busy street as you again dodge one of the modern Istanbul trams that service the city. As the afternoon comes to an end, you can see two mosques in the distance as we leave the city center and the one hour Exotic Istanbul Virtual Walk ends next to the Galata Bridge.

Whether you use these Virtual Walks to make the time spent exercising on your treadmill FUN, or use them as a way of "relaxing" after a hard workday, you'll delight in the amazing scenery and vitality captured in these DVDs and HD Downloads.

Customers tell us again and again, that these virtual walk videos actually make the time spent exercising on their treadmills, ellipticals, or Nordic Tracks, "fly by!" They tell us they exercise longer and enjoy every minute! One of our Amazon customers recently posted this review, "These folks that make these DVDs do such a great job that I feel I am actually there! I can't wait to get the next DVD that they make. I am never disappointed."

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So if you love big cities, their famous sites and history, then pick out a location and order either a DVD or a High Def Download today. Tomorrow you could be taking a treadmill virtual walk in Paris, London, Rome, Venice, Florence, Istanbul. So much history and vitality here, waiting for you to experience while you exercise!