Edinburgh, Scotland
One of the most visited parts of the entire United Kingdom, Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and its beauty revolves largely around its interesting and intriguing history.
Edinburgh Castle, for example, is a fortress built on the top of the Castle Rock volcano and can be dated back to the 11th century, whilst there is no doubting that the poems of famed poet Robert Burns were heavily influenced by the masses of scenery the city offers.
Burma, Asia
From 1044 onwards, the Barma started moving to the area from Tibet and once established, became prosperous due to trading to and from the area. It is during this time when the buildings were created that make Burma a place of beauty.
To display the propserity of the area, a substanital amount of beautiful pagodas were built, many of which are still standing today and can be seen from miles away, scattered over the landscape.
Abu Simbel Temples, Egypt
There are several beautiful points of interest in Egypt and although the Abu Simbel Temples may not be as well known as the Great Pyramids of Giza or the Sphinx, they definitely rank highly in terms of sheer beauty.
Originally carved into mountains in the 13th century BC, the two temples feature some staggering feats of construction, including four individual statues of Ramessess II, the Pharoah who the temples were created as a monument for, which each stand approximately 65 foot tall.
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Regarded as the world’s largest salt flat, the fact Salar de Uyuni is seen as being beautiful is because of both its unusual landscape and the amount of uncommon animals that inhabit the area.
For instance, if you were to dig down into the surface of Salar de Uyuni, after the unusual salt-earth you would be greeted with a flowing river of brine. In addition, head to the area at the right time of year and you should expect to see culpeos, Bolivian vizcachas and the rare James flamingos.
Angkor, Cambodia
When Angkor was at its most populous in the thirteenth century, experts believe that it wasn’t much smaller than the whole of Los Angeles. In 1431, however, almost all of the population left the city due to an invasion from the Ayutthaya kingdom.
Today, it stands as a city of architectural, cultural and religious importance, shown by it being a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
There aren’t many better views of modern America than standing at the top of a hotel at either end of the famed Las Vegas strip and looking along it at night. The lights are glowing and brightening up the sky and the buzz once you actually enter the Strip is nothing short of electric.
Crazy Horse Memorial, South Dakota, USA
The largest monument in the world at the moment is the Spring Temple Buddha in China, which is 420 feet tall. However, once the Crazy Horse Memorial is completed, it will dwarf this by 140 feet.
Started in 1948, the original sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski passed away in 1982, but his family remain heavily involved in the completion of the monument. With no specific end date planned, it is beautiful already, with simply Crazy Horse’s head protruding out of the Black Hills.
Alexandria, Egypt
Once home to one of the Seven Wonders of The World – the Lighthouse of Alexandria – as well as the largest ancient library in the world, the city today has a vast array of different archaeological sites that can be admired, such as Pompey’s Pillar.
In addition to the archaeological aspects, Alexandria boasts a plentiful amount of buildings, including the beautiful Al-Mursi Abu’l-’Abbas mosque and the Bibliotehca Alexandria and various stunning monuments, such as Alexander the Great on Bucephalus.
Uxmal, Mexico
Like Machu Picchu in Peru, Uxmal is a site of pre-Colombian city ruins, but of the Maya civilization, rather than Inca, similar to Chichen Itza.
Of the many astounding ruins that are available, the most beautiful is widely seen to be the Pyramid of the Magician, a pyramidial building that is 115 feet tall and unlike other similar Maya buildings, has rounded sides and is unusually steep.
Hawaii, USA
Although there are officially 137 islands in Hawaii, the largest 8 are the most populous, as well as arguably being the most stunning.
It’s difficult to choose one part of Hawaii to deem as the most beautiful, as the high peaks, clear waters and lush greenery, when combined with the hospitality of the locals, makes the entire area uniquely glorious.
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Located in the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of Ecuador are the Galapagos Islands, famed for being inhabited by many beautiful animals, as well as the sheer beauty of the islands themselves.
The Galapagos Iguanas, for example, are possibly the areas most popular inhabitants, whilst the Blue-footed Booby is humorously pretty and both of them can be seen easily on many of the different islands.
Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
The Plitvice Lakes are situated in Like, a mountainous area of Croatia and can be divided up into 16 individual lakes, all of which flow into the Korana River.
Croatia may have some fantastic cities like Dubrovnik, but arguably the best view in the whole country is watching the water pour over the side of the mountain and down the face of the many travertines and caves of the Plitvice Lakes.
Aeolian Islands, Italy
Dating back thousands of years, the Aeolian Islands are a collection of small islands that are one of Italy’s most notable areas of natural beauty.
What attracts 200,000 people each summer to the Aeolian Islands is more than just the fact they are beautiful, but that they hold a very admirable rustic charm, taking anyone who visits back to a way of life that is centuries old.
Alhambra, Spain
Designed and constructed in the 14th century to be the home of one of Spain’s Muslim Kings, it was used more as a residence for Charles V, a Holy Roman Emperor in the 16th century.
Uninhabited for several hundred years, it was rediscovered throghout the 1800s and further to restorations, is now one of the most beautiful buildsing in Spain, featuring some particularly intricate internal art work.
White Cliffs of Dover, England
The White Clifs of Dover are famed for being just that – beautifully white cliffs on the coast of Dover, easily viewable from the opposite French coast.
However, the cliffs are also packed with interesting history, as inside them there are dozens of tunnels, initially created in the Middle Ages. Used largely throughout the Napoleonic Wars, they were also used in the Second World War, with Winston Churchill having a residence within the cliffs.
Nile River, Ethiopia / Sudan / Egypt / Uganda / Democratic Republic of Congo
If you were only able to visit one river in your life, whilst there are some beautiful stretches of water earth, many would find it difficult to not choose the Nile.
Stretching for 6,650 kilometres, the Nile runs through five countries and four cities and what you would see were you to travel along its entire length makes the Nile a worthy inclusion in any list of the most beautiful places in the world.
Angel Falls, Venezuela
There have been several waterfalls included in this list, all of which are breathtaking. Angel Falls, whilst not being the most popular, is considered to be one of the most beautiful.
The world’s highest waterfall at 3,212 feet tall, the water that comes over the top of the mountain falls for 2,647 feet before plunging into the Kerep River below.
Mont Saint-Michel, France
What was once a small tidal island off the coast of northern France began its transformation in the 6th century, acting as a stronghold for the Romano-British.
It wasn’t until the 8th century when the first religious building was constructed on the site and from that point forward it continued to grow in both stature and importance.
What’s interesting about Mont Saint-Michel is that after the monastery supported William of Normandy claim the English throne in 1047, they were given a small island just off the Cornish coast. Building a replica island, St Michael’s Mount in Penzance is one of the areas most stunning attractions in Cornwall.
Olympia, Greece
Home to the very first Olympic games, which historians believe could have taken place earlier than 776 BC, Olympia was made a redundant area after 394 AD, when Theodosius I permanently suspended the games.
Visiting the site today, many people simply stand and attempt to take in what the atmosphere must have been like over 2,000 years ago. With various remains to see, including the Philippeion, the stadium and the exedra, the area in which the judges were seated, the whole area is awe-inspiring.
New England, USA
Covering the entire north east region of the United States of America, it is generally accepted that the states encompassed within the New England umbrella phrase are Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Beautiful the year round, it is in September and October when the area is at its best, with the orange and red colours of the trees seeming to be like nothing seen elsewhere on earth.
Stonehenge, England
For centuries there has been much debate as to when Stonehenge dates back to and what it’s actual use was.
With experts believing Stonehenge dates back to the Neolithic period and with theories varying considerably, there isn’t much doubt that Stonehenge is anything but a beautiful eye-opener to historic construction.
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, London
Whilst London itself has already been mentioned in this list, most would agree that Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament deserve their own place, purely for their iconic British status.
Situated on the bank of the River Thames, the Houses of Parliament is where the House of Commons and House of Lords meets, whilst Big Ben, now into its 151st year of operation, is the world’s third highest freestanding clock tower at 315.9 feet tall.
Serengeti, Africa
Spanning an area of over 30,000 square kilometres, the Serengeti is the home of the most expansive overland migration on earth.
With hundreds of individual animal species crossing the Serengeti every year, the migration of the wildebeests, zebras and buffalos is one of the most wonderful sights of nature in the world.
Antarctica
Covered almost entirely by ice, the average thickness of which is approximately 1.6 kilometres thick, Antarctica is the fifth largest continent in the world.
Considering the area is as cold as it is, it’s surprising to hear that there are dozens of animals that call Antarctica home – and up 5,000 people, albeit on a temporary basis.
Altiplano, South America
Originally an area of land covered entirely by Lake Ballivan, it has drained over time and is now an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Encompassing areas such as Salar de Uyuni, Altiplano is simply a stunning part of the globe.
Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
Originally built as a cathedral for over 10 centuries until 1453, when it was a most for just under 500 years, Hagia Sophia is now a famous museum in Istanbul, Turkey’s biggest city.
A stunning piece of architectural beauty, Hagia Sophia is beautiful on the outside and even more breathtaking when you walk through the entrance.
Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
Encompassed within the Carlsbad Caverns National Park in the Guadalupe Mountains, the caverns are located deep within the mountains and ground, with the most popular cavern being 750 feet below ground level.
Consisting of different rooms, such as the Balloon Ballroom, The Hall of the Giants and the King’s Palace, each and every cavern in the Carlsbad Caverns is truly wonderful.
Potala Palace, Tibet
Now transformed into one of China’s most popular museums, Potala Palace was once the permanent residence of the Dalai Lama, up until 1959 when the then Dalai Lama travelled to India further to a potentially devstating uprising.
A particularly impenetrable building, Potala Palace has copper-poured foundations, walls that are in excess of 16 feet thick and has thirteen stories containing over 200,000 statues in 1,000 rooms.
Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca, Morocco
The largest mosque in the whole of Morocco, the Hassan II Mosque was designed by Michael Pinseau and further to its completion in 1993, can house 105,000 people at once, with 25,000 able to be in the actual central mosque area itself.
Having the tallest minaret on earth just under 690 feet tall, the mosque required a combination of 12,500 builders and artists 3 years to construct.
Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain
Officially known as the Temple Expiatori de le Sagrada Familia (which when translated into English means Expiatory Church of the Holy Family), building work started in 1882 and although it isn’t expected to be finished until 2026, a small section of the building is supposed to be opened to the public in September 2010.
A completely privately funded Roman Catholic church, the Sagrada Familia has long been one of Barcelona’s most popular tourist attractions since Antoni Gaudi started designing and constructing the building almost 130 years ago.
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