The sights most visited by tourists in Europe
Last year some 582 million tourists visited Europe. The continent therefore accounts for over half of global tourism. Join us for a tour of some of the sights in Europe tourists flock to.
Notre Dame in Paris
This Gothic church in the heart of the French capital was made world famous by author Victor Hugo in a novel, which has been made into numerous films, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". In this church you find the remains of the sun king, Louis XIV, and it is where Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned emperor of France. The huge nave can accommodate some 10,000 people.
Louvre Museum in Paris
An old museum, but still a modern media front runner: with 1,783,000 Facebook fans the Louvre is more popular than the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which was ranked top at the start of 2015. One reason for this shift might be that the Louvre offers virtual tours of the museum. Despite the digital alternative, some 9,26 million visitors came in person last year to personally tour the museum.
Sagrada Familia in Barcelona
The Catalan cathedral is to have eighteen spires, once construction is completed - if that ever happens. The Sagrada Familia has been a perpetual building site since its creator Antoni Gaudí began constructing it back in 1882 - but it is a building site that is admired by thousands of visitors. The stone columns in the interior were to be reminiscent of trees and vaults represent a leaf canopy.
Alhambra in Granada
This palace fortress is regarded as an outstanding example of Moorish architecture on the Iberian peninsular. Highlights include the 'court of the lions' with its fountain and its opulent gardens. During the 13th century Muslim emir rulers began construction work on the palace. Today the Alhambra is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Spain.
St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City in Rome
It is officially called the "Papal Basilica of St.Peter in the Vatican". The church can accommodate 20,000 people, making it one of the biggest in the world. Famous artists like Michelangelo designed the interior. Originally the basilica was built to mark the burial site of St. Peter, one of the Apostles of Jesus Christ and, also first Bishop of Rome. Later many Popes were laid to rest here.
Colosseum in Rome
Anyone imagining the 2,000 year history of this ancient Roman circus will think of many horrors: not only did gladiators used to hack each other to pieces here with swords and axes but emperors threw unwanted subjects to be eaten by wild animals. With these ancient live horror shows the biggest amphitheater in the world pulled in audiences of 50,000 spectators over many centuries.
The British Museum in London
When the British Museum was established in 1753 was the first public national museum in the world. Freely open to the public it welcomes all who wish to learn and educate themselves. In the reading rooms that were added later famous minds like Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin gathered intellectual arguments to fire at the capitalist system of their host nation.
National Gallery in London
Britain's National Gallery houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. It is open free of charge on most days of the year. Here visitors can admire works of art by van Gogh, Dürer, Rembrandt and many other masters.
Cologne Cathedral
In 1248 construction work began on the masterpiece of Gothic architecture which lasted for centuries in the city on the Rhine. When it was finally completed in 1880 it was the largest cathedral building in the world. These days some six million people visit Cologne Cathedral, a World Heritage Site, every year.
Neuschwanstein Castle in Schwangau
Bavarian King Ludwig II yearned to own a medieval style knight's castle. Though he didn't live to see his fairytale castle open in 1886, it has become a magnet for visitors. It towers on a rocky outcrop over the mountains of the Allgäu. Wartburg Castle in Thuringia served as an inspiration for the monarch with a passion for building things.
Topkapi Palace in Istanbul
In the middle of the 15th century Topkapi Palace became a power base in the Ottoman Empire. The palace complex is divided into four courts, all of which serve different purposes. As many as 5,000 people lived and worked here, like in a small town on an area of 69 hectares.
Hagia Sophia in Istanbul
Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 1532 had the Haiga Sophia, a Christian basilica, constructed. It was to match in splendor any building in the neighboring Western Roman Empire. It is said Justinian invested a sizable gold treasure in the construction work. In 1453 Constantinople, as Istanbul used to be called, was invaded by the Ottomans. The Islamic rulers eventually made the church into a mosque.