Symbols often play an important role in the branding of nations and the assertion of identity. What is France without the Eiffel Tower, Italy without its leaning tower at Pisa, and Switzerland without the Matterhorn? When a group of feminist activists hacked off the head of Copenhagen's Little Mermaid a few years ago, the vandalism was interpreted as an attack on Danish identity - Edvard Eriksen's sculpture on Copenhagen's harbour front neatly picks up a theme from Hans Christian Andersen to symbolise the Danish nation and its relationship with the sea.
Of turrets and towers
From radio towers in Moscow, to the ancient pigeon towers of Isfahan, towers are things to be celebrated and explored. We look at some of Europe's finest, and take a close look at towers along the route of the Great Western Railway from London to ...