In addition to people, culture, food, beverages, sites of interest, and natural landscapes, architecture often leaves an impression tono travelers — especially when the buildings in question are easily recognizable; an important part of the history of the destination; or are simply beautiful…
The Most Beautiful Building in Each Country Around the World, According to Tourists
…but what are the most beautiful building in each country around the world and in each state in the United States?
To find out the answer to that question, the word “beautiful” was searched on TripAdvisor in 132 countries and each state in the United States, collecting a list of buildings with the word “beautiful” mentioned in reviews which were submitted by users.
The analysis was then narrowed to buildings in the following categories: architectural buildings, churches and cathedrals, government buildings, religious sites, historic sites, and points of interest.
The most beautiful building in each country and in each state in the United States is the building with the most mentions of the word “beautiful” in respective reviews. The top 20 global list and top 20 United States list are ranked by the number of mentions of the word “beautiful.” Buildings with fewer than 25 reviews were excluded — as well as attractions that serve as lookout points where most reviews referenced the “beautiful views” as opposed to the building itself.
Data for countries around the world was collected between December 2021 and January 2022; and data for states in the United States was collected in August 2022.
I have been given express written permission to use the illustrations and the verbatim text from this article — which was written by Kaitlyn Pacheco from Angi — of the most beautiful building in each country around the world and in each state in the United States. While Angi has endeavored to ensure the information provided is accurate and current, it cannot guarantee it, as this information is general in nature only and does not constitute personal advice. Neither Angi nor The Gate accept any liability — and assume no responsibility — for any and all information which is presented in this article.
With that disclaimer out of the way, here is the article.
What Is Arguably the Most Beautiful Building in Each Country Around the World?
Few details convey the essence of a place like its architecture. Often developed in a national tradition to reflect the needs and desires of the people, a great building captures a moment in a country’s history while weathering the ages and assuming new surrounding contexts. And they sure make inspiring postcards!
Many people use the sight of a beautiful building as inspiration for how to remodel their own home.
Angi wants to deliver that inspiration without the need for a real-life world tour. So, we researched TripAdvisor reviews from 132 countries and every U.S. state for mentions of the word “beautiful.” Then, we identified the buildings with the most mentions to be the most beautiful in their respective regions. Let’s take a look at the most beautiful building in every country, according to TripAdvisor reviews.
Key Findings:
- Barcelona’s Basilica de la Sagrada Familia is the world’s most beautiful building, with 16,104 mentions of the word “beautiful” in TripAdvisor reviews.
- Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris in France is the second most beautiful building in the world, with 12,931 mentions on TripAdvisor.
- Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina, is the most beautiful building in the U.S. and the third most beautiful in the world, with 9,609 mentions.
Most Beautiful Building in Every Country
The TripAdvisor-ing public has a distinct preference for religious and gothic-tinged structures, such as Saint Mary’s Basilica in Kraków, Poland, which has plenty of both while remaining unique. Parliaments, rail stations, and castles also make a good show, but only one post office: the Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, which is said to be even more beautiful inside than out.
Top 20 Most Beautiful Buildings in the World
Beauty may rest in the eye of the beholder, but 16,104 beholders can’t be wrong. That’s the number of reviewers who have mentioned the beauty of the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain, making it the most beautiful building in the world. It is among 14 places of worship in the top 20 buildings.
The rest are civic or historical buildings in a range of styles from Châteauesque to Beaux-Arts, including the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, which was built in the rococo style for the royal Habsburgs in the 18th century and later remodeled externally in the neoclassical style. Only two buildings (the Louvre and Hallgrímskirkja) are conspicuously modern, and the latter has substantial gothic references.
Most Beautiful Building in Every U.S. State
America’s capitol buildings rival places of worship for the honor of the most beautiful building in each state. Nine of the 50 states have a top structure categorized as a government building. However, nearly half the buildings on the map are religious sites or places of worship. The landscape benefits from some of the most striking modernist architecture of the past century and a half. Frank Lloyd Wright’s concrete and steel “organic” Fallingwater home, cantilevered over a woodland waterfall, is the most beautiful building in Pennsylvania; Seattle Public Library is a post-modern marvel and the top spot in Washington state.
Most Beautiful Buildings in the U.S.
The most beautiful building in the U.S. is Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina, according to our findings. America’s largest privately owned home is set against the Blue Ridge Mountains but cuts a European dash with its French Renaissance chateau styling by architect Richard Morris Hunt.
Along with Grand Central Terminal, reviews of Biltmore have substantially more mentions of its beauty than other top buildings. Biltmore has 9,609 and Grand Central has 8,270, while 14 of the top 20 have fewer than 2,000 mentions.
Reviewers ranked Grand Central Terminal, a 20th-century cathedral of transit, as New York’s most stunning structure and the second-most beautiful building in the U.S. Grand Central Terminal in New York City is a Beaux Arts-style colossus, sheltering 44 rail platforms between its marble-lined walls.
Final Boarding Call
I have been to many of the aforementioned buildings which are included in this article — as well as many photographs of them. Beautiful architecture is a work of art to me which I appreciate. I decided that the feature photograph for this article should be the Országház — which is otherwise known in English as the Hungarian Parliament Building — in Budapest at night, with its reflection on the Danube River.
Which buildings have you visited during your travels that left an everlasting impression on you?
Photograph ©2014 by Brian Cohen.
