The greatest places in the world

selected by piero scaruffi
cities | art museums | buildings | monuments | lost cities | small towns | squares | churches | mountains | skyscrapers | markets | countries | festivals | parks | waterfalls
My list of Wonders of the World | The original seven Wonders of the World
Google Earth links to these wonders
Advertising | Back to the travel page

Most beautiful cities

(See their pictures)
  1. Venezia
  2. New York
  3. Lhasa
  4. Stockholm
  5. Singapore
  6. Firenze
  7. Mandalay
  8. Prague
  9. Beijing
  10. Sydney
  11. Kyoto
  12. Roma
  13. Cairo
  14. Budapest
  15. St Petersburg
  16. Amsterdam
  17. Sana
  18. Athens
  19. Dubai
  20. Delhi
  21. Xian
  22. Katmandu
  23. Bangkok
  24. Moscow
  25. Paris
  26. Tokyo
  27. Istanbul
  28. London
  29. Shanghai
  30. Hong Kong
  31. Boston
  32. Vienna
  33. Cuzco
  34. Yangon
  35. Los Angeles
  36. Rio de Janeiro
  37. Chicago
  38. Barcelona
  39. Montreal
  40. Washington
  41. Berlin
  42. San Francisco
  43. Quito
  44. Toronto
  45. Buenos Aires

Small towns

(See their pictures)
  1. Khiva, Uzbekistan
  2. Jaisalmer, India
  3. Dubrovnik, Croatia
  4. Rothenburg, Germany
  5. Goreme, Turkey
  6. Bruges, Belgium
  7. Gamla Stan (Stockholm)
  8. San Gimignano, Italy
  9. Tallinn, Estonia
  10. Varanasi, India
  11. Banjarmasin, Indonesia
  12. Bhaktapur, Nepal
  13. Fez's medina, Morocco
  14. Begnimato, Mali
  15. Cartagena, Colombia
  16. Toledo, Spain
  17. Shibam, Yemen
  18. Wuzhen, China
  19. Lubeck, Germany
  20. Ia, Greece
  21. Assisi, Italy
  22. Rhodos, Greece
  23. Kashgar, Turkestan (occupied by China)
  24. Elmina, Ghana
  25. Leiva, Colombia
  26. Ganvie
  27. Split, Croatia
  28. Old City Jerusalem, Israel
  29. Salvador, Brazil
  30. Siena, Italy
  31. Colmar, France
  32. Taxco, Mexico
  33. Antigua, Guatemala
  34. Valletta, Malta
  35. Luzern, Switzerland
  36. Kaysersberg, France
  37. Sovana, Italy
  38. Carcassonne, France
  39. Sighisoara, Romania
  40. Hallstatt, Austria
  41. Sermoneta, Italy
  42. Cefalu, Italy
  43. Saint Paul de Vence, France
  44. San Agustin, Florida
  45. Nuremberg, Germany
  46. Obidos, Portugal
  47. Eze, France

Greatest art museums

  1. New York: Metropolitan
  2. Paris: Louvre
  3. Madrid: Prado
  4. Paris: Orsay (#2 if you count the look of the museum)
  5. Roma: Vaticani (#1 if you count the look of the museum)
  6. London: National Gallery
  7. Washington: National Gallery
  8. London: British
  9. New York: MOMA
  10. New York: Guggenheim
  11. Bilbao: Guggenheim
  12. Firenze: Uffizi
  13. Budapest:
  14. Prague:
  15. St Petersburg:
  16. Moscow:

Tallest Buildings


See Skyscrapers
Largest buildings in the world:
  1. Pentagon, Washington, USA
  2. Casa Poporului, Bucharest, Romania
  3. Kheopes Pyramid, Giza, Egypt

The wonders of the world

(Click here for the list of the original wonders of the world)

Lost cities

(See their pictures)
  1. Khmer: Angkor (#age, Cambodia)
  2. Maya: Tikal (#age, Guatemala)
  3. Egypt: Valley of the Kings (#age, Egypt)
  4. Burma: Bagan (#age, Burma)
  5. Roman: Pompei (#age, Italy)
  6. China: Forbidden City (#age, China)
  7. Inca: Machu Picchu (#age, Peru`)
  8. Etruscan: Cerveteri (600 BC, Italy)
  9. Roma: Foro Palatino (#age, Italy)
  10. Indus Valley: Mohenjo-Daro (7000 BC, Pakistan)
  11. Persia: Persepolis (500 BC, Iran)
  12. Greece: Delphi (Greece)
  13. Hindu: Vijayanagar (#age, India)
  14. Tayrona: Ciudad Perdida (#age, Colombia)
  15. Persia: Bam (Iran)
  16. Jordan: Petra (Jordania)
  17. Thailand: ancient Thai capitals (#age, Thailand)
  18. Turkestan: Goachang (#age, China)
  19. Maya: Palenque (#age, Mexico)
  20. Teli (11th c, Mali)
  21. Arabia: Ubar
  22. Bolivia: Tiwanaku (#age, Bolivia)
  23. Peru: Tucume (#age, Peru)
  24. Persia: Pasargadae (Iran)
  25. Peru: Kuelap (#age, Peru)
  26. Palmyra (Syria)
  27. Peru: Nazca (#age, Peru)
  28. Jerash (Jordan)
  29. Roma: Ostia Antica (#age, Italy)
  30. Ebla (Syria, 2400 BC)
  31. Anuradhapura (Sri Lanka, 1st c BC)
  32. Roma: Ercolano (#age, Italy)
  33. Greece: Dilos (Greece)
  34. Georgia: Uplistsikhe
  35. Greece: Olympia (Greece)
  36. Maya: Copan (#age, Honduras)
  37. India: Hampi (16th c, India)
  38. Persia: Merv (8th-13th AD, Turkmenistan)

Monuments

(See their pictures)
  1. Cambodia: Angkor Wat (1100 AD)
  2. Java, Indonesia: Borobudur (800 AD)
  3. Lhasa, Tibet: Potala (637 AD)
  4. Xian, China: Terracotta soldiers (210 BC)
  5. Egypt: Cheope's Pyramid (2560 BC)
  6. Iraq: Ziggurat of Ur (2112 BC)
  7. Roma, Italy: St Peter's Basilica (1564 AD)
  8. Egypt: Sphinx (2500 BC)
  9. India: Taj Mahal (1631 AD)
  10. China: Great Wall (220 BC)
  11. Roma, Italy: Sistine Chapel (1534 AD)
  12. India: Konarak (1250 AD)
  13. Granada, Spain: Alhambra (1250 AD)
  14. Bamiya, Afghanistan: giant Buddhas (380 AD)
  15. Burma: Sambuddhe Kat Kyaw Pagoda, Monywa (1301 AD)
  16. Tibet: Ganden monastery (1409 AD)
  17. India: Ellora caves (650 AD)
  18. Mexico: Teotihuacan (150 AD)
  19. Iran: Naghsh-e-Rostam (750 BC)
  20. China: Mogao caves (366 AD)
  21. Ethiopia: Lalibela churches (12th century AD)
  22. Athens, Greece: Parthenon (438 BC)
  23. Roma, Italy: Colosseum (79 AD)
  24. Poland: Saltmine "Wieliczka" (1350 AD)
  25. Istanbul, Turkey: Hagia Sofia (537 AD)
  26. Isfahan, Iran: Imam mosque (1650 AD)
  27. Armenia: Geghard cave monastery (1164 AD)
  28. Egypt: Abu Simbel (1250 BC)
  29. Paris, France: Notre Dame (1163 AD)
  30. Ulm, Germany: Cathedral (1492 AD)
  31. Egypt: Tutankamun's Tomb (1323 BC)
  32. Samarkand, Uzbekistan: Ulug Beg madrasah (1420 AD)
  33. Guatemala: Tikal Temple IV (741 AD)
  34. Bukhara, Uzbekistan: Kalyan minaret (1127)
  35. Crete, Greece: Palace of Knossos (1400 BC)
  36. London, Britain: Houses Of Parliament (1045 AD)
  37. Istanbul, Turkey: Suleyman Mosque (1550 AD)

Greatest churches in the world

(See their pictures)
  1. Lalibela, Ethiopia: St George
  2. Monreale, Italy: cathedral
  3. Sivilla, Spain: cathedral
  4. Batalha, Portugal: monastery church
  5. Ulm, Germany: Cathedral
  6. Istanbul: Hagia Sofia
  7. Rome: St Peter
  8. Paris: Chartres cathedral
  9. Isfahan: Imam mosque
  10. Cairo: Hassan mosque
  11. Napoli, Italy: Chiesa del Gesu Nuovo

Greatest squares in the world

(See their pictures)
  1. Samarkand: Registan
  2. Pisa: Piazza dei Miracoli
  3. Mexico: Monte Alban
  4. Roma: St Peter's Square
  5. Nepal: Patan's Durbar Square
  6. Istanbul: Sultanahmet square
  7. Venezia: St Mark's Square
  8. Jerusalem: Haram
  9. Muscat: Palace square
  10. Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  11. Dom square, Riga, Latvia
  12. Golbasi, Urfa, Turkey
  13. Staromestska Square, Prague
  14. Praca dos Tres Poderes, Brasilia
  15. Brussels: Grand Place
  16. Marienplatz, Munich
  17. Market Square, Warszaw, Poland
  18. London: Parliament Square

Best markets in the world

(See their pictures)
  1. Chichicastenango (Guatemala)
  2. Kumasi (Ghana)
  3. Osh (Kyrgizstan)
  4. Gorom-Gorom (Burkina Faso)

Greatest domes in the world

(See their pictures)
  1. Roma: Pantheon
  2. Istanbul: Hagia Sofia
  3. Roma: St Peter
  4. Firenze: Duomo
  5. Isfahan: Great Mosque

Mountains

(See their pictures)
Great mountains of the world
Tallest mountains in the world

Waterfalls

click here

Favorite countries

(See their pictures)

Nature

  1. USA
  2. Chile
  3. Indonesia
  4. Venezuela
  5. Russia
  6. Nepal
  7. Brazil
  8. Ethiopia
  9. Mongolia
  10. Namibia
  11. Canada
  12. Norway
  13. Mozambique
  14. Australia
  15. Congo
  16. China
  17. India
  18. Pakistan

(Ancient) History

  1. India
  2. Italy
  3. Egypt
  4. Turkey
  5. Greece
  6. Mexico
  7. Iran
  8. China
  9. Syria
  10. Peru
  11. Iraq
  12. Guatemala
  13. Lebanon

Wildlife

  1. Tanzania
  2. Ecuador
  3. Botswana
  4. Guyana
  5. Madagascar
  6. Australia
  7. Indonesia
  8. India

The Seven Wonders of the World

  1. Pyramid of Cheopes (2550 BC, still standing)
  2. Hanging Gardens of Babylonia (580 BC, destroyed)
  3. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (550 BC, destroyed)
  4. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia (by Pheidias, Greece, 432 BC, destroyed)
  5. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (354 BC, destroyed)
  6. The Colossus of Rhodos (Greece, 290 BC, destroyed)
  7. The Pharos of Alexandria (Egypt, 300 BC, destroyed)
These were compiled (probably) by Herodotus, who lived when they were still standing (and not too far from his place). Not my fault if most of these have been destroyed.

While attributed as far back as to Herodotus, the "standard" list came to us via Antipater of Sidon, a minor greek poet who obviously had nothing better to do. The man who wrote the book "Seven Wonders of the World" was actually a Callimachus of Cyrene, but that book has not survived, so we don't know if he meant the Herodotus list or another list. But his title stuck and today we use his title ("seven wonders") to refer to Herodotus & Antipater list (which was really titled "seven sights").

Other popular "seven wonders" included:

This is what happened to some of these wonders:

Best countries for (ranked 0 to 10)...

Country Historical attractions Natural attractions Architecture Ethnographic attractions
Argentina 1 6 1 1
Belize 3 4 1 1
Bolivia 3 5 1 5
Brazil 1 8 7 2
Canada 1 5 3 1
Colombia 6 6 2 1
Ecuador 1 7 1 3
Guatemala 8 7 1 6
Guyana 1 7 1 2
Mexico 8 5 3 3
Peru 8 8 1 5
USA 1 8 9 1
Venezuela 1 8 2 1
---- -- -- -- --
Australia 1 6 4 1
Cambodia 7 3 1 1
China 7 8 8 3
Emirates 1 1 8 1
India 10 5 2 2
Indonesia 3 8 2 3
Iran 8 3 1 2
Japan 4 2 5 1
Jordan 4 1 1 1
Malaysia 1 3 4 1
Myanmar 4 4 1 4
Nepal 3 6 1 2
New Zealand 1 3 1 1
Pakistan 3 5 1 3
Saudi Arabia 3 2 5 2
Singapore 1 1 4 1
Syria 7 1 1 1
Thailand 4 3 1 3
---- -- -- -- --
Britain 3 2 5 1
France 5 2 4 1
Germany 6 2 3 1
Greece 8 1 1 1
Italy 9 2 1 1
Russia 5 4 1 1
Spain 7 1 5 1
Turkey 9 3 1 1
---- -- -- -- --
Congo 1 7 1 2
Egypt 8 2 1 1
Ethiopia 3 6 1 3
Kenya 1 3 1 2
Madagascar 1 7 1 3
Mali 5 3 1 3
Morocco 5 3 1 2
Mozambique 1 6 1 3
South Africa 1 6 1 1
Tanzania 1 7 1 3
Zambia 1 5 1 2