TripAdvisor names top-10 attractions in the world for 2019
We have the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney Opera House and Bondi Beach, but that wasn’t good enough for TripAdvisor’s top 10 attractions for 2019.
The most popular tourist attractions in the world have been revealed, with seven of the top 10 found in Europe.
And despite boasting the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney Opera House and Bondi Beach, Australia doesn’t get a single mention.
Rome, Paris and Venice all feature on the list, along with New York and Chicago, The Sun reports.
TripAdvisor came up with the list of popular landmarks by compiling booking data in 2019.
Here’s what made the cut, from 10 down to number one.
10. PIAZZA SAN MARCO – VENICE, ITALY
The third popular landmark in Italy to make the list, Piazza San Marco in Venice is where tourists can find St Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace and the oldest cafe in the world, Caffe Florian.
It was built in the ninth century but is the lowest point in Venice, which means it often floods.
It was closed last month after historic flooding left the city underwater, but it’s free to visit.
9. SKYDECK CHICAGO – CHICAGO, US
The Skydeck is located on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower in Chicago.
Brave tourists can attempt The Ledge, a glass balcony than extends out of the building, 412m in the air.
Earlier this year, a family was terrified after the transparent floor cracked while they stepped on it, although a spokesperson said it was just the protective sheet and not the glass floor.
Tickets cost $25 ($A36.30).
8. ANNE FRANK HOUSE – AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
Amsterdam’s Anne Frank House is a popular attraction among tourists who can visit the attic that housed the young diarist while her family hid from the Nazis during World War II.
It first opened in 1960 and allows visitors to see the bookcase that concealed the annex as well as objects, photographs, and Anne’s original diary.
In 2016, Justin Bieber was slammed for claiming Anne would have been a fan of his while signing a tribute after visiting.
Tickets cost €10.50 ($A17).
7. FRENCH QUARTER – NEW ORLEANS, US
The French Quarter in New Orleans is the oldest in the city and one of the most popular attractions in the world.
It is also known as Vieuz Carre and has an open air French market as well as the famous Jackson Square and bustling Bourbon Street, which is known for the neon signs and live jazz.
Many tourists visit between February and March for the New Orleans Mardi Gras festival.
Free to visit.
6. SAGRADA FAMILIA, BARCELONA, SPAIN
La Sagrada Familia is the most famous work of Antoni Gaudi despite it still being unfinished.
Construction started in 1882 before Gaudi’s death in 1926.
Now a UNESCO world heritage site, you can visit the grounds and the towers with it expected to be finished by 2026 – 100 years since the architect died.
Tickets start from €17 ($A27.50).
5. EIFFEL TOWER, PARIS, FRANCE
An iconic tourist attraction, the Eiffel Tower was in fifth place in popularity.
It was built in 1887 and named after Gustave Eiffel. Although Parisians originally hated the structure, it is now an iconic landmark in the city and was the tallest building in the world for 41 years (until the Chrysler Building in New York in 1930).
Tickets start from €10.20 ($A16.50).
4. STATUE OF LIBERTY – NEW YORK CITY, US
The Statue of Liberty is often on tourists’ bucket lists when visiting New York City.
Gifted to the US by France in 1886, the statue represents the Roman liberty goddess Libertas, holding a torch and a tablet with the US Declaration of Independence date.
You can climb to the crown of the statue, but you have to buy tickets well in advance, with a limit on daily visitors – so many opt to see the statue by ferry to Staten Island instead.
Tickets to the grounds including the ferry cost $18.50 ($A26.90), while tickets to the crown are $21.50 ($A31.20).
3. VATICAN MUSEUMS – VATICAN CITY
Also in Italy, the Vatican Museums are some of the most popular landmarks.
Inside are religious artworks collected by popes throughout the centuries.
Most well known is the Sistine Chapel, with the ceiling painted by Michelangelo.
Tickets costs €26 ($A42).
2. LOUVRE MUSEUM – PARIS, FRANCE
Beating Paris’ iconic Eiffel Tower to second place is the Louvre Museum.
It is the largest art museum in the world, having opened in 1793 and is now home to around 38,000 items.
Most people visit to see the Mona Lisa, as well as Venus de Milo – or to see the building in Beyonce’s Apes**t music video, which during filming shut down the entire museum.
Tickets costs €17 ($A27.50) or entry is free on the first Saturday of the month.
What would you have included on the list? Tell us in the comments below
1. COLOSSEUM – ROME, ITALY
The most popular tourist attraction in the world is the Colosseum in Rome for the second time in a row, according to TripAdvisor.
One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the ancient amphitheatre was built in 80AD to hold 50,000 people.
Last year it welcomed more than seven million visitors – which works out to be a whopping 21,000 people a day.
Tickets costs €12 ($A19.40) or entry is free on the first Sunday of the month.
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission
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