Europe's Most-Visited Tourist Attractions

1. Visit the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul TURKEY

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 3,000 shops which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily.

179 people are doing this goal:

2. Visit Notre Dame Cathedral FRANCE

Notre Dame de Paris, also known as Notre Dame Cathedral or simply Notre Dame, is a Gothic, Roman Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. It is the cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Paris: that is, it is the church that contains the cathedra (official chair) of the Archbishop of Paris, currently André Vingt-Trois. The cathedral treasury houses a reliquary with the purported Crown of Thorns.

The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris took over 200 years to build and is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.

434 people are doing this goal:

3. Visit Disneyland Paris PARIS

Disneyland Paris is a holiday and recreation resort in Marne-la-Vallée, a new town in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. The complex is located 32 km (20 mi) from the centre of Paris and lies for the most part within the commune of Chessy, Seine-et-Marne. Disneyland Paris comprises two theme parks, a retail, dining and entertainment district, and seven Disney-owned hotels.

Disneyland Paris is the most visited theme park in Europe, attracting over 15 million visitors annually.

560 people are doing this goal:

4. Visit Sacré-Cœur, Paris FRANCE

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, commonly known as Sacré-Cœur Basilica and often simply Sacré-Cœur (French: Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, pronounced [sakʁe kœʁ]), is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Paris, France. A popular landmark, the basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city.

84 people are doing this goal:

5. Visit the Louvre FRANCE

The Musée du Louvre, or officially Grand Louvre — in English the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre — is one of the the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. It is a central landmark of Paris and located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement (district). Nearly 35,000 objects from prehistory to the 19th century are exhibited over an area of 60,600 square metres (652,300 square feet).

The Louvre Museum in Paris is home to over 35,000 works of art, including the famous painting of Mona Lisa.

1959 people are doing this goal:

6. Visit St Peter's Basilica VATICAN CITY

The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter, officially known in Italian as the Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as St. Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. St. Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, holding 60,000 people. It is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic sites.

St. Peter's Basilica is the largest church in the world and is built on top of a burial site believed to be the tomb of Saint Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus.

438 people are doing this goal:

7. Visit the Colosseum ITALY

The Colosseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.

The Colosseum in Italy is the largest amphitheater ever built and could hold up to 50,000 spectators.

961 people are doing this goal:

8. Visit the Eiffel Tower PARIS

The Eiffel Tower (nickname La dame de fer, the iron lady) is an 1889 iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris that has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The tallest building in Paris, it is the most-visited paid monument in the world; millions of people ascend it every year. Named for its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the tower was built as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair.

The Eiffel Tower was originally intended to be a temporary structure and faced initial public criticism, but it went on to become one of the most iconic landmarks in the world.

577 people are doing this goal:

9. Visit Cologne Cathedral GERMANY

Cologne Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and is a World Heritage Site. It is Germany's most visited landmark, attracting an average of 20,000 people a day. Cologne Cathedral was commenced in 1248 and left unfinished in 1473.

54 people are doing this goal:

10. Visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes FRANCE

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes or the Domain (as it is most commonly known) is an area of ground surrounding the shrine (Grotto) to Our Lady of Lourdes in the town of Lourdes, France. This ground is owned and administrated by the Roman Catholic Church, and has several functions, including devotional activities, offices, and accommodation for sick pilgrims and their helpers.

20 people are doing this goal:

11. Visit the Shrine of Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo ITALY

The Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church is a church in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy owned by the Ordine dei Frati Minori Cappuccini di Foggia. Built in devotion to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, it can accommodate 6,500 people seated at worship, with standing room for 30,000 people outside. The Genoan architect Renzo Piano designed the church. It is located in front of Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, a big Italian hospital and research center, founded by Saint Pio of Pietrelcina.

8 people are doing this goal:

12. Visit the Palace of Versailles FRANCE

The Palace of Versailles, or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles. When the château was built, Versailles was a country village; today, however, it is a suburb of Paris, some 20 kilometres southwest of the French capital.

The Palace of Versailles has over 700 rooms, 1,200 fireplaces, and 67 staircases, making it one of the most grand and extravagant palaces in the world.

374 people are doing this goal:

13. Visit the British Museum LONDON

The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present. The British Museum was established in 1753, largely based on the collections of the physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane.

The British Museum in London houses the Rosetta Stone, a key artifact that helped decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

486 people are doing this goal:

14. Visit Saint Mark's Basilica ITALY

The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark (officially known in Italian as the Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco and commonly known as Saint Mark's Basilica) is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, northern Italy. It is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture. It lies at the eastern end of the Piazza San Marco, adjacent and connected to the Doge's Palace.

50 people are doing this goal:

15. Visit the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi ITALY

The Papal Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Francesco, Latin: Basilica Sancti Francisci Assisiensis) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor—commonly known as the Franciscan Order—in Assisi, Italy, the city where St. Francis was born and died. The basilica is one of the most important places of Christian pilgrimage in Italy. With its accompanying friary, the basilica is a distinctive landmark to those approaching Assisi.

31 people are doing this goal:

16. Visit the Roman Forum ITALY

The Roman Forum (Latin: Forum Romanum, Italian: Foro Romano) is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum.

67 people are doing this goal:

17. Visit the Tate Modern ENGLAND

Tate Modern is a modern art gallery located in London, England. It is Britain's national gallery of international modern art and forms part of the Tate group. It is the most-visited modern art gallery in the world, with around 4.7 million visitors per year. It is based in the former Bankside Power Station, in the Bankside area of Central London.

The Tate Modern in London is housed in a former power station and is home to the world's largest collection of modern and contemporary art.

211 people are doing this goal:

18. Visit the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) TURKEY

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is an historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923). The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built from 1609 to 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice.

37 people are doing this goal:

19. Visit the National Gallery, London ENGLAND

The National Gallery is an art museum on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The gallery is an exempt charity, and a non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Its collection belongs to the public of the United Kingdom and entry to the main collection (though not some special exhibitions) is free of charge.

The National Gallery in London houses a painting that was once used as a dartboard by Winston Churchill.

116 people are doing this goal:

20. Visit the Vatican Museum VATICAN CITY

The Vatican Museums, in Viale Vaticano in Rome, inside the Vatican City, are among the greatest museums in the world, since they display works from the immense collection built up by the Roman Catholic Church throughout the centuries. Pope Julius II founded the museums in the 16th century. The Sistine Chapel and the Stanze della Segnatura decorated by Raphael are on the visitor route through the Vatican Museums. They were visited by 4,310,083 people in the year 2007.

The Vatican Museum houses the world's largest collection of ancient Roman statues, with over 1,500 pieces on display.

208 people are doing this goal:

21. Visit the Natural History Museum in London ENGLAND

The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England (the others are the Science Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum). Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road. The museum is an exempt charity, and a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

The Natural History Museum in London houses over 80 million specimens, including the remains of a 25-meter-long blue whale suspended from the ceiling.

145 people are doing this goal:

22. Visit the Sistine Chapel VATICAN CITY

Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture, evocative of Solomon's Temple of the Old Testament, and its decoration that has been frescoed throughout by the greatest Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Raphael, Bernini, and Sandro Botticelli. Under the patronage of Pope Julius II, Michelangelo painted 12,000 square feet (1,100 m) of the chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512.

The Sistine Chapel is famous for its stunning ceiling frescoes, including Michelangelo's iconic depiction of the Creation of Adam.

90 people are doing this goal:

23. Visit Centre Pompidou FRANCE

Centre Georges Pompidou (also known as the Pompidou Centre in English) is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais. It was designed in the style of high-tech architecture. It houses the Bibliothèque publique d'information, a vast public library, the Musée National d'Art Moderne which is the largest museum for modern art in Europe, and IRCAM, a centre for music and acoustic research.

The Centre Pompidou is known for its unique architectural design, with its exposed structural elements and colorful exterior, making it a prominent example of high-tech architecture.

73 people are doing this goal:

24. Visit the Musée d'Orsay FRANCE

The Musée d'Orsay is a museum in Paris, France, on the left bank of the Seine, housed in the former railway station, the Gare d'Orsay, an impressive Beaux-Arts edifice built between 1898 and 1900.

The Musée d'Orsay in Paris houses the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world, including iconic works by Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, and Degas.

101 people are doing this goal:

25. Visit Hagia Sophia TURKEY

Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the cathedral of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was the cathedral of the Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1934, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum on 1 February 1935.

122 people are doing this goal: