Many people travel all over the world for their love of architecture.  Some say it is an art that is “appreciated by many” but “perfected by” a previous few.  Some may claim that constructing a residence takes not only imagination but craftsmanship.  (Of course, architects rarely build the actual building themselves but you get the point.)

We did some research and took a good look at the world’s most incredible buildings.  We chose and charted the top 30 of the most beautiful buildings in the world.  Check them out and let us know how many of them you have already visited.

30.  Château de Chambord, France

Situated in Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France, the famous Château de Chambord is one of the most recognizable châteaux on the planet.  This is mainly due to its quite distinctive architecture.  It combines classical Renaissance structures with traditional French medieval forms.

Construction went on for 28 years.  The building was never actually completed.  It was originally a hunting lodge for King Francis I.  Reportedly designed by Italian architect Domenico da Cortana, Leonardo da Vinci was rumored to be involved too.

29.  Berlin Cathedral, Germany

The official name of the Berlin Cathedral is the Evangelical Supreme Parish and Collegiate Church.  It is ensconced on the well-known Museum Island located in the Mitte borough.  The building travelers visit today was finished in 1905. 

It is also said to be one of the most significant Historicist architectural works of Germany’s “Kaiserzeit.”  This structure actually consists of four buildings that were constructed on different dates between the year 1451 and 1905.  The most recent renovations occurred in 1993.    

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28.  Westminster Abbey, United Kingdom

The large mostly Gothic church Westminster Abbey is situated in Westminster, London, England just west of the famous Palace of Westminster.  It was once named the Collegiate Church of St. Peter at Westminster.  Unfortunately, it lost its official abbey or cathedral around 1560.
Once a Benedictine monastic church, it is now an official “Royal Peculiar” church that is responsible only to the sovereign.  It is the official burial site and coronation location for British monarchs.

27.  Catherine Palace, Russia

This stunning Rococo palace is situated in the city of Tsarskoye Selo which is less than 19 miles (30 kilometers) south of famous St. Petersburg.  It is one of the city’s main attractions too.  Indeed, this grandiose building was built in 1717 as a summer home for such Russian tsars as Catherine I.  On the roof you will see gleaming statues made of 100 kilograms of gold.  Veteran visitors can confirm that you must not miss the Amber Room.

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26.  Paro Taktsang, Bhutan

Opened in 1692, Paro Taktsang is a famous site considered sacred by the Buddhists.  The actual temple complex is ensconced within the upper Paro Valley cliffside.  Also known as the Tiger’s Nest, this Himalayan monastery is also pretty close to the popular Taktsang Senge Samdup cave.  It was here that the locals claim a guru meditated for a total of “three years, three months, three days, and three hours” in the 700s.  This guru is credited for introducing the Buddhist faith to the country and the monastery was dedicated to him.

25.  St. Peter’s Basilica, Italy

Located in Vatican City, this is where Saint Peter, Rome’s first bishop and one of Jesus Christ’s twelve apostles, was buried.  Many visitors are actually unaware that this church is not the Diocese of Rome.  It is also not the official “mother church of Catholicism.”  Nevertheless, it is the world’s largest church and reportedly Christendom’s “most important” one.  A number of Popes have been buried there because of its legendary connection to Jesus Christ.

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24.  Bourges Cathedral, France

Located in the city of Bourges, the Bourges Cathedral is a popular Roman Catholic church.  It is the official seat of Bourges’ Archbishop.  The church is also dedicated to Saint Stephen. 
The original building was constructed over a period of 35 years (from 1195 to 1230).  It features both Romanesque and Gothic styles of architecture.  What travelers actually see today, however, is largely a replacement.  The remains of the original structure can be viewed inside the crypt of the current church.

23.  Big Ben, United Kingdom

Big Ben is the nickname of both the giant clock and the clocktower located at the palace of Westminster’s north end.  This famous tourist site in London, England was once known only as the Clock Tower.  English folks celebrated the neo-gothic tower’s 150th anniversary in 2009.  In 2012 it was officially rechristened the Elizabeth Tower as a way of celebrating the official Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.  Big Ben remains a “must see” for anyone traveling to London.

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22.  Vienna Opera House, Austria

As part of Vienna’s expansion plans, this Neo-Renaissance building was erected in 1869.  The designer was the popular Czech architect Josef Hlávka.  Originally known as the Vienna Court Opera, the Vienna State Opera is a famous opera house and company based located in Vienna. 
In 1920, the First Austrian Republic replaced the Habsburg Monarchy.  One of the changes put into place was to rename the opera house the Vienna State Opera.  The famous Vienna Philharmonic recruits its members from the opera house’s orchestra.

21.  Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral, Russia

Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral is located in St. Petersburg within the Peter and Paul Fortress.  It is a Russian Orthodox cathedral and the first and oldest landmark in the city of St. Petersburg.  Both the fortress and the actual cathedral were constructed between 1712 and 1733.
The designer was Domenico Trezzini.  He was working under the direction of ruler Peter the Great.  This is also the home of the world’s tallest orthodox belfry or bell tower.  It is 122 meters (over 400 feet) high.

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20.  Hagia Sophia, Turkey

Construction of the well-known Hagia Sophia occurred in several phases.  It all began in 537 AD.  It was originally a Greek Orthodox Christian cathedral.  During the Ottoman Empire, the cathedral was converted to a mosque. 
At present, the building is a popular museum.  It’s home, Istanbul, also went through a lot of changes.  It has been named Augusta Antonia, Byzantium, Constantinople, Lygos, New Rome, and more.  It’s most famous for its huge dome and Byzantine architecture.

19.  Potala Palace, China

Today the Potala Palace is an official UNESCO World Heritage Site and a museum.  Situated in Lhasa, Tibet, China, this was once the home of the legendary Dalai Lama prior to the infamous  Tibetan uprising back in the 1950s.  The palace took its name from Mount Potalaka.  Mount Potalaka is the mythical residence of the  bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, who reportedly “encompasses the compassion of all Buddhas.”  In English the word Potala would be “brilliance.”

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18.  The Cologne Cathedral, Germany

This Catholic cathedral found in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia is the country’s most popular tourist attraction.  Also, the official seat of the Archbishop of Cologne, over 20,000 tourists explore the building every day.  Construction on this medieval marvel started in 1248 but was halted in 1473.
Construction would not resume until some time in 1840.  The cathedral would not actually be finished until 1880.  Today it is the home of the Three Kings or Three Wise Men relics.

17.  The Eiffel Tower, France

Ensconced on the famous Champ de Mars in Paris, this famous French icon is a wrought-iron lattice tower.  It was erected in 1889 and meant to serve as the marker for the main entrance for the World’s Fair that year.  It was designed by Gustave Eiffel.
Immediately after it was finished it became the object of derision of both the French intelligentsia and Paris art community.  It was supposed to be torn down two decades after the fair.  Eiffel argued the structure had a scientific purpose so city officials decided to let it stand.  Today it is the city’s most popular tourist attraction. 

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16.  Angkor Wat, Southeast Asia

The temple complex Angkor Wat (in English “City of Temples”) was constructed circa 1125.  Located in Cambodia it is one of the planet’s biggest religious monuments.  The Khmer Empire (eighth to 15th centuries CE) intended it to be a Hindu temple that was specifically dedicated to the god Vishnu.  The stone temple’s architecture is a distinctive blend of both galleried temple and temple-mountain styles.  (Both were relatively new at that time.)

15.  The Parthenon, Greece

This was once a temple on the famous Athenian Acropolis.  It was built in honor of the Greek Goddess of Strategy who was the legendary patron of the residents of Athens.  Ground was broken in 447 BC at the peak of the Athenian Empire’s power.
It was finished in 438 BC.  Decorations and additions went on until some time in 432 BC.  During the Persian invasion, the original monument was actually destroyed and the Parthenon replaced it.  

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14.  The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, Spain

Similar to the above-mentioned Château de Chambord, this Roman Catholic church in Barcelona is also technically incomplete.  Construction on this place of worship started in 1882.  Financial limitations limited the progress of the work.  The infamous Spanish Civil War brought a stop to the construction.  Although the work is still not officially complete as this goes to press, the structure is still quite beautiful.

13.  Sacré-Cœur, France

In English, the name of this structure is “sacred heart.”  Thus the building is essentially the “Sacred Heart of Paris.”  It is a minor basilica and Roman Catholic church and was built in memory of the socialist Paris Commune of 1871 and the losses suffered during the Franco-Prussian War.  It is located at Paris’ highest point on the Montmartre butte.  From here you can enjoy a stunning view of the city.

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12.  Florence Cathedral, Italy

The full name of this cathedral is the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore.  In English, it is “Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower.”  Ground was broken on this UNESCO World Heritage Site in Florence in 1296.
It would be 140 years before it would be finished.  The structure was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio.  The bricked dome of the building, however, was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi.  It is the largest of its kind on the planet.

11.  City of Petra, Jordan

Petra was founded by the Nabataeans possibly as long ago as 9,000 BC.  It was probably born of its closeness to the ancient Incense trade route which once ran from the popular Levant through India and Arabia.  At one point it was home to almost 20,000 people.  In 306 AD an earthquake devastated the city and it was abandoned.  It was rediscovered in 1812.

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10.  Notre-Dame de Paris, France

Notre-Dame de Paris (in English “Our Lady of Paris”) took about a century to build.  Construction ran from 1160 to 1260.  It is considered by many to be perhaps the very best example of  French Gothic Architecture in the world.  Much of the original structure was destroyed during the French Revolution.  Renovations would not begin until 1831 following the publication of Victor Hugo’s famous The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

9.  Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Russia

The construction on Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square in Moscow was initiated in 1555 by none other than the infamous Ivan the Terrible.  First known as the Trinity Church, it included a total of eight churches surrounding a ninth with a tenth one added later.  Its design is unique with domes that some have previously described as “a bonfire rising to the sky.”

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8.  Machu Picchu, Peru

Situated in the rugged Andes Mountains, Machi Picchu is undoubtedly the most famous Inca archaeological site on the planet.  It was erected in 1450 but totally abandoned in 1550 because of the Spanish Conquest.  This is also a popular UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It includes the well-known ritual stone known as Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows.  It was restored in the 1980s.

7.  The Louvre Palace, France

The Louvre Palace is can be found on the Right Bank of the well-known Seine in Paris.  Erected in 1202 as a medieval fortress, it is between the olden church of Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois and the beautiful Tuileries Gardens. In the 1300s Charles V converted it into a palace.  It was next used as the Paris residence of the later kings of France.  In 1793 it was turned into a museum and opened to the public.

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6.  The Hungarian Parliament Building, Hungary

Completed in 1906, the Hungarian Parliament Building is located in Kossuth Square on the bank of the famous Danube in the Pest side of Budapest.  It required 100,000 workers almost two decades to build this popular landmark and tourist attraction.  They used 40 million bricks, 88 pounds of gold and 500,000 assorted precious stones.  It’s definitely a “must see.”

5.  Mont Saint-Michel Castle, France

The Mont Saint-Michel Castle in Normandy is found amidst a unique representation of the feudal system.  Society’s lowest level is represented by the homes of the farmers and fishermen.  The monastery and abbey represent God.  The castle has survived the Hundred Years’ War.  King Louis XI later converted it to a prison.  It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Roughly 50 people still live there.

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4.  Milan Cathedral Duomo, Italy

Completed in 1965, the Milan Cathedral Duomo to nearly 600 years to complete.  The first basilica was constructed in 355 but was terribly damaged in a fire in 1075.  This cathedral replaced it and is the fourth largest church on the planet.  It is centrally located in Lombardy.  Tourists take note that all the local streets either circle or originate from this site.

3.  The Palace Of Versailles, France

Less than 20 kilometers (12+ miles) southwest of the heart of Paris, is the Palace of Versailles.  Louis XIV moved into the place in 1682.  He lived there until the famous French Revolution in 1789.  The palace includes the royal apartments an opera, a private park, a canal, gardens, flower beds and the Hall of Mirrors.  It was trashed in the French Revolution and later restored.

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2.  Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

Located in southwest Bavaria, The Neuschwanstein Castle was commissioned by Ludwig II, the King of Bavaria, in 1869.  He paid for it from his own personal fortune.  He died in 1886 before construction was actually completed.  The architectural style, called “castle romanticism”, was inspired by a pair of castles that Ludwig thought were reminiscent of the Middle Ages.

1.  The Taj Mahal, India

In English, the name “Taj Mahal” translates to “Crown of the Palaces.”  Found in the city of Agra, ground was broken in 1632.  Construction took 21 years.  The cost to build it was 32 million rupees or the equivalent of 8 hundred million dollars at that time.gardens and a partially-surrounding crenelated wall.  The work was overseen by a group of architects headed up by Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.

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