DestinationDestinationsTips & Deals

50 Iconic Buildings Around the World You Need to See

When it comes to learning about the history of a new destination, travelers should look no further than its iconic buildings. Of course, there are other ways to discover the local culture, which can be reflected in the food, the textiles, and the dialects, but it’s the buildings that can reveal the most about a place. Local landmarks are—in essence— silent witnesses to past eras, kingdoms, and tastes, but they can also offer us clues to what the future holds (not to mention make for a great travel gram, too).

Consider this lineup to be a travel bucket list of sorts. These buildings are renowned for various reasons—some for their architectural charm, others for their historical significance, and some for a healthy mix of both. A fair amount of them are well-known, of course: Think Europe’s museums, churches, and other landmarks whose replicas live on in souvenir shops and countless photos. There are also, of course, a decent number on this list designed by famous architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, and Oscar Niemeyer too. And while some of these edifices exist off the beaten path, they’re just as important in their own right. Here, AD rounds up iconic buildings from around the world that you’ll be glad you’ve seen when you look back on your travels. It’s been said that travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer, and we couldn’t agree more.

1. Hagia Sophia — Istanbul, Turkey

Image may contain Building Architecture Dome Mosque Urban City Town and Metropolis

2. The Guggenheim — New York City, USA

a round building with cabs outside

3. Taj Mahal — Agra, India

a tall building in front of a river

4. Dancing House — Prague, Czech Republic

a building that slants

5. Château de Chenonceau — Chenonceaux, France

a castle in front of blue sky that extends over the water

6. Niterói Contemporary Art Museum — Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

a circular building with a circular ramp

7. The Pyramids of Giza — Giza, Egypt

pyramids made of sand

8. Acropolis of Athens — Athens, Greece

large building with ancient columns lit up at night

9. Le Centre Pompidou — Paris, France

building with workings exposed

10. The Gateway Arch — St. Louis, Missouri, USA

a large arch in the sky

11. Musée d’Orsay — Paris, France

grand building with tree outside of it

12. The Gherkin — London, U.K.

large building that twists towards the sky

13. Metropolitan Cathedral of Brasília — Brasília, Brazil

a circular building with white shards and a cross on the top

14. Mosque of Córdoba — Córdoba, Spain

inside of a mosque with domed ceilings and arches

15. Westminster Abbey — London, U.K.

large church with pointy architecture

16. Dresden Frauenkirche — Dresden, Germany

a building with a large dome

17. Château Frontenac — Québec, Canada

large castle with red facade

18. The Colosseum — Rome, Italy

building with holes in it

19. One World Trade Center — New York City, USA

tall building with a spire on it

20. The Lotus Temple — New Delhi, India

temple that looks like a flower about to bloom

21. St. Basil’s Cathedral — Moscow, Russia

building with spinning tops

22. Dome of the Rock — Jerusalem, Israel

gold dome top with blue tiles surrounding

23. Casa Milà — Barcelona, Spain

a building with wavy facade

24. The White House — Washington, D.C., USA

building with a fountain outside it with white columns

25. Forbidden City — Beijing, China

a building with a pagoda top

26. Sagrada Família — Barcelona, Spain

a large building in the sky

27. Lincoln Center — New York City, USA

a dark sky and a building

28. The Shard — London, UK

tall building pointed towards the sky

29. Le Mont-Saint-Michel — Normandy, France

a castle on a mountain

30. Bran Castle — Bran, Romania

a castle with a pointed top

31. Angkor Wat — Siem Reap, Cambodia

far away view of a temple

32. Sultan Ahmed Mosque — Istanbul, Turkey

four tall spikes on a building

33. Konark Sun Tower — Konark, India

a temple in the sun surrounded by scaffolding

34. Chrysler Building — New York City, USA

a tall tower with a point

35. Sacré-Coeur — Paris, France

SacréCœur building in paris with steps leading up to it

36. Potala Palace — Lhasa, Tibet, China

large building on top of a mountain

37. Musée du Louvre — Paris, France

a glass pyramid in front of old bulidings

38. Sydney Opera House — Sydney, Australia

a building with arches in front of a city skyline

39. Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao — Bilbao, Spain

a building that curves around

40. Fallingwater — Mill Run, Pennsylvania, USA

modern building built into a waterfall

41. The Pantheon — Rome, Italy

a building in Rome with columns

42. Space Needle — Seattle, Washington, USA

a tall thin tower with a circular observation deck up top

43. Villa Savoye — Poissy, France

a square building with sharpe edges

44. House of Parliament and Elizabeth Tower — London, U.K.

a clock tower next to building with pointed spires

45. Burj Khalifa — Dubai, UAE

tall building surrounded by smaller buildings

46. Leaning Tower of Pisa — Pisa, Italy

a tower that leans to the right

47. São Paulo Museum of Art — São Paulo, Brazil

a building that elevates in the air supported by four pillars

48. The Flatiron Building — New York City, USA

a building with a thin point that looks like its smushed

49. The Sistine Chapel — Vatican City

intricately painted ceiling with people standing below it

50. Eiffel Tower — Paris, France

tall building on four legs that meets at one point

Related Article: Best 50 Stunning Destinations & Places To Visit this 2022

Source: https://bit.ly/3cR6RLc