ABSTRACT
The history of what we now call landscape research followed many different paths and several important conceptual changes occurred. To understand this we must consider the multiple meanings the word ‘landscape’ has, as well as the context of society and technology. As the roots of the word ‘landscape’ are found in Western Europe, the perspective of this review will start there. First, I will discuss the etymology and meanings of the word ‘landscape’ related to the dif-
ferentiation of activities of studying and forming the landscape. Second, I shall consider the consecutive phases of the history in more detail. Third, I shall discuss briefly some of the changes in landscape research since the introduction of formal definitions of landscape, by the World Heritage Convention and European Landscape Convention.
