Thinking of a trip to Europe and having a hard time deciding where to go in Europe? It’s no surprise, as there are amazing travel destinations in Europe that will enchant you! But, the must-visit tourist attractions in Europe were just revealed, so these tourist spots in Europe might help you decide where to spend your next vacation in Europe.
From Sagrada Familia and the Eiffel Tower to Belem Tower, Schonbrunn Palace, The Transfăgărășan, and many more, eurochange.co.uk compiled the list of Europe’s most visited tourist attractions.
Included in this article are:
- Top 20 must-visit tourist attractions in Europe
- Top 10 must-visit attractions in Europe based on the number of reviews
- The top cultural attractions in Europe
- Top 10 architectural attractions in Europe
- Top 10 historical attractions in Europe
- The top 10 must-visit natural attractions in Europe
I admit, I was a bit surprised by some of the findings, but more on that below!
Key findings:
Sagrada Familia in Spain is the top must-visit attraction in Europe as well as the top architectural attraction in Europe.
The Colosseum in Italy is the top historical attraction in Europe.
The Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna is the top cultural attraction in Europe (you can read here the insider’s comprehensive guide to visiting this palace)
Plitvice National Park in Croatia is the top natural attraction in Europe.
But let’s see the details.
Top 20 must-visit tourist attractions in Europe
Italy and France have the most tourist attractions included in this top 20, while Spain has only two. Both are linked to Gaudi – Park Guell and, of course, Sagrada Familia, the number one tourist attraction in Europe.
I admit that I was surprised to see that the Louvre Museum is only fourth in this top – after Sagrada Familia, the Colosseum, and the Eiffel Tower.
As the Louvre is the most visited museum in the world, I was expecting it to rank higher in this top too.
I am also surprised that only the Tower of London made it from the United Kingdom to the top 20 most visited attractions in Europe.
In the general top based on 5-star reviews – things look like this:
- Sagrada Familia (Spain)
- Colosseum (Italy)
- Eiffel Tower (France)
- Louvre Museum (France)
- Trevi Fountain (Italy)
- Pantheon (Italy)
- Cathédrale Notre-Dame (France)
- Charles Bridge (Czech Republic)
- Milan Cathedral (Italy)
- Park Güell (Spain)
- The Alhambra (Spain)
- Basilica of St. Peter (Vatican City – Italy)
- Grand Canal (Venice)
- Edinburgh Castle (Scotland)
- Hungarian Parliament Building (Hungary)
- Schonbrunn Palace (Austria)
- Brandenburg Gate (Germany)
- Acropolis (Greece)
- Tower of London (UK)
- La Grand Place (Belgium)
Top 10 must-visit attractions in Europe based on the number of reviews
This time, taking into consideration the number of reviews (not only those that are 5-star reviews), the top changes a bit. I am including the top 10, as the places to visit are the same, just the order varies.
- Sagrada Familia (Spain)
- Colosseum (Italy)
- Eiffel Tower (France)
- Trevi Fountain (Italy) (number 5 on the list of 5-star reviews)
- Louvre Museum (France) (number 4 on the list of 5-star reviews)
- Pantheon (Italy)
- Park Güell (Spain)
- Cathédrale Notre-Dame (France)
- Charles Bridge (Czech Republic)
- Milan Cathedral (Italy)
The top cultural attractions in Europe
Based on the type of attractions, several tops were created. The top cultural places to visit in Europe are:
- Hermitage Museum (Saint Petersburg, Russia)
- Heidelberg Old City (Heidelberg, Germany)
- Vigeland Sculpture Park (Oslo, Norway)
- Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf (Bergen, Norway)
- State Opera (Vienna, Austria)
- City of Arts and Sciences (Valencia, Spain) – discover here free things to do in Valencia
- Schonbrunn Palace (Austria)
- Popeye Village (Malta)
I admit that these findings were truly surprising for me. I would have pictured a different top, but it’s great to see what are the top cultural attractions in Europe, according to people and their reviews.
Let’s add to this the fact that people going to museums or concerts/exhibits live longer, according to a study, and you’ll have even more reasons to visit these great cultural attractions in Europe.
Top 10 architectural attractions in Europe
Another surprising top – for me at least, was the one focusing on Europe’s top architectural tourist attractions. I have to be truly honest and say that none of the places that I thought I’d see in the top 10 made it to the actual top.
I was expecting to see the Hofburg Imperial Palace (Vienna) – it’s present in the top, but ranks 16. I was expecting to see Neuschwanstein Castle higher in this top (19th place) – and I had a few other surprises.
But, it’s not an issue – as there’s always room for more places to visit, so I’ll include some of these architectural attractions on my European bucket list.
These are the best things to see in Europe for architecture buffs:
- Rotunda of Mosta (Mosta, Malta)
- Basilica of St. Peter (Vatican City – Italy)
- House on the Drina (Višesava, Serbia)
- Valletta (Malta)
- Frederiksborg Palace (Hillerød, Denmark)
- Tyn Church (Prague, Czech Republic)
- Château de Chillon (Montreux, Switzerland)
- Municipal House (Prague, Czech Republic)
- Christiansborg Palace (Copenhagen, Denmark)
- Chartres Cathedral (Chartres, France)
Top 10 historical attractions in Europe
The top 10 must-see historical attractions in Europe are:
- St Sophia Cathedral (Novgorod, Russia)
- Ale’s Stones (Ystad, Sweden)
- Convent of Christ (Tomar, Portugal)
- Templo Romano Évora (Évora, Portugal)
- Delphi (Greece)
- Metéora Monasteries (Greece)
- Pont du Gard (France)
- Aqueduct of Segovia (Segovia, Spain)
- Golubac Fortress (Golubac, Serbia)
- The University Towns of Cambridge & Oxford (United Kingdom)
Top 10 natural attractions in Europe
The top 10 must-visit natural attractions in Europe are:
- Devil’s Town (Serbia)
- Moravian Karst (Czech Republic)
- Vatnajökull National Park (Iceland) – as a note, if you are visiting Iceland, you can rent a car from Cozy Campers, a campervan rental company in Iceland.
- Lake District National Park (United Kingdom)
- Mount Elbrus (Russia)
- Gran Paradiso National Park (Italy)
- Transfăgărășan (Romania) – woohoo, the most beautiful road in the world, from my country, is included 😉
- Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen) Norway
- Geirangerfjord (Norway)
- The Matterhorn (Switzerland)
As mentioned, these rankings are based on TripAdvisor rankings and the number of reviews. However, it’s still interesting to see what people consider to be the must-see attractions in Europe.
Over to you now: how many of these amazing things to see in Europe have you visited so far? Which ones would you like to see on your next trip to Europe?
