The Most Visited Attractions in Every Country in Europe

The crowds don't lie — these are the places you must see in Europe!

Europe's Most-Visited Attractions

There are so many wonderful museums, castles, historic locations and other attractions in Europe to explore that seeing them all could easily take months.

But of course, most travelers don't have that kind of time to burn — so hitting the biggies is a smart way to go. You know the ones: the attractions every one of your friends raves about upon their return.

Will there be crowds? Yes. Will there be lines? Yes. Will they be worth it? Yes!

The top attractions in Europe's biggest countries listed here welcome millions of visitors each year. Ready to join the throngs of tourists? Add these to your must-see list now.

Austria: Schönbrunn Palace

Number of annual visitors: 2.3 million

Location: Vienna

At this former summer home of the Habsburg dynasty, Empress Maria Theresa bore 16 children and then married off 11 of her daughters — including one Marie Antoinette — to create partnerships with other royal families. The palace and its grounds span more than 450 acres in the heart of Vienna, with 1,441 rooms. You can take an Imperial Tour to view the palace interior, visit the Children's Museum, stroll through the gardens, and enjoy concerts and seasonal events.

Tickets: Start at €20

*Note: All prices are presented in Euros, regardless of the country's currency.

Belgium: La Grand Place

Number of visitors: 3 million

Location: Brussels

La Grand Place is Brussels' central city square, also called the Grote Markt. Surrounded by the opulent buildings of the Town Hall, the Museum of the City of Brussels, the King's House and Godiva Chocolate, the square was home to the city's markets until 1959. A pedestrian square since 1990, La Grand Place is filled with a flower carpet every other year in August (as seen in this photo).

Tickets: Free

Bulgaria: Rila Monastery

Number of visitors: 1 million

Location: The valley of the Rilska (Rila) River

This colorful — inside and out — monastery was founded in the 10th century, and remains the largest Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. More officially known as the Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila, it spans 940,000 square feet and touts a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation.

Tickets: Monastery and church are free of charge. Entrance to the History Museum starts at €4

Croatia: Plitvice Lakes National Park

Number of visitors: 1 million

Location: Outside of Zagreb

Although "Game of Thrones" made Dubrovnik's Old Town a huge hotspot, it's not Croatia's most-visited attraction. Instead, that honor goes to the country's national park, Plitvice Lakes.

Featuring 16 lakes joined by waterfalls, including the 256-foot-tall Veliki Slap, this popular park spans 183 square miles and features hiking trails and a boat that travels the terraced lakes.

Tickets: Start at €10 off-season (January-March, November and December), €23.50 mid-season (May and October), €40 in-season (June-September)

Czech Republic: Prague Castle

Number of visitors: 2 million

Location: Prague

Standing on its hilltop location since the 9th century, Prague Castle is home to the president of the Czech Republic. Prior, it was where kings and emperors resided and ruled.

One of the largest castles in the world, it is more than 750,000 square feet in size and encompasses the Old Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica, St. Vitus Cathedral, Rosenberg Palace, Daliborka Tower and the Powder Tower, as well as the Golden Lane, which you can walk along for free.

Tickets: Start at €10.50

Denmark: Tivoli Gardens

Number of visitors: 3.9 million

Location: Copenhagen

The second-oldest amusement park in the world (the oldest, Bakken, is in nearby Klampenborg), Tivoli has been providing entertainment since 1843.

Spanning 15 acres, the park features roller coasters, swing rides, bumper cars, arcades, concert halls and, yes, gardens. Visit the Tivolis Koncertsal for classical music and the Pantomime Theatre for pantomime and dance. On Fridays in the summer, take in live rock music at the open-air concert venue Fredagsrock.

Tickets: Start at €19.50

England: The British Museum

Number of visitors: 4.1 million

Location: London

The biggest draw to England is London's British Museum, which has treasures (often looted in colonial wars) from around the world. You'll get to see items like the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies and sculptures from the Athenian Parthenon.

Amazingly, despite how extensive it is, the British Museum actually only showcases a small portion of its 8-million-piece collection.

Tickets: Free

Finland: Suomenlinna

Number of visitors: 1 million

Location: Near Helsinki

This sea fortress spread across six separate islands just off the coast of Helsinki is only accessible by water — but that doesn't stop around 1 million people from visiting it every year. Built in 1748, the fortress protected Finland from Sweden, and served as a stopping point between Lapland and Russia.

Tickets: Free

France: Louvre

Number of visitors: 7.5 million

Location: Paris

The world's largest museum is also France's most-visited attraction, with more than 7.5 million people walking through its doors to see the "Mona Lisa," the "Venus de Milo," the "Winged Victory of Samothrace" and the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities outside of Egypt.

When in Paris, missing this attraction is simply unthinkable.

Tickets: Start €17. Pro tip: Entrance is free after 6 p.m. on the first Friday of the month

Germany: Neuschwanstein Castle

Number of visitors: 1.4 million

Location: Bavaria

Built by the shy King Ludwig II, who wanted to be secluded from the world, Neuschwanstein Castle is rumored to be the castle Walt Disney modeled Sleeping Beauty's castle after.

Straight out of the pages of a fairy tale, the 19th-century castle is the most popular physical attraction in Germany. However, the most popular "attraction" is actually an event: about 6 million people attend Munich's Oktoberfest every year.

Tickets: Start at €15

Greece: Acropolis

Number of visitors: 3 million

Location: Athens

One of the most ancient sites on the list, the Acropolis of Athens overlooks modern-day Athens ("Acropolis" means "high city" in Greek). Dating back to the 5th century BC, temples to the Greek gods once outfitted its hill, with the ruins available to tour today.

The crown jewel of Athens is The Parthenon, a spectacular temple built between 447 and 438 BC that served as a church and, later, a mosque under Turkish rule.

However, the Greek government has announced plans to cap visitor numbers to 20,000 per day in order to preserve the site.

Tickets: Start at €10 during the winter, €15 during the summer

Hungary: Szechenyi Baths

Number of visitors: 1 million

Location: Budapest

More than a million people take to the thermal baths of Budapest at Szechenyi. Supplied by thermal springs, the outdoor bath is one of the largest in the city. The complex also encompasses numerous indoor baths, as well as a spa to accommodate visitors.

This refuge is not to be missed in a country that is experiencing record-breaking numbers of visitors.

Tickets: Starts at €22.50 on weekdays, €32 on weekends

Iceland: Thingvellir

Number of visitors: 1 million

Location: East of Reykjavík

This national park near Iceland's bustling capital city was once home to the country's Viking parliament, which lasted from the 10th to 18th centuries. While this is a historic place for Icelanders, it is also home to amazing scenery due to its location on the Almannagjá fault. Centuries ago, parliament would operate with an audience standing above in the cliffs.

As you drive through the park, you'll cross two continents and see numerous waterfalls. The park is part of Iceland's popular "Golden Circle" tourist route.

Tickets: Free

Ireland: Guinness Storehouse

Number of visitors: 1.1 million

Location: Dublin

Which of Ireland's famous attractions wins the hearts of visitors? Well, that would be Guinness, by a small margin. With 1.6 million visitors, the Cliffs of Moher were a close second.

Guinness, the dark Irish beer first made in 1759 at St. James's Gate Brewery, is still brewed from its original location. Visitors can discover the history of the beer and try samples as they learn how to properly pour the stout.

Across the island in County Clare are the runner-up Cliffs of Moher. These famous cliffs overlook the sea in the most majestic way imaginable.

Tickets: Starts at €26

Italy: Colosseum

Number of visitors: 6 million

Location: Rome

Rome's colossal Colosseum in the center of the city dates back to 70 AD and was home to the Roman gladiators. Built by the Flavian emperors — its real name is the Flavian Amphitheatre — the arena held up to 80,000 people.

Today, it still holds massive amounts of people who want to see the ruins and artifacts showcasing Rome's former role as a world power.

Tickets: Starts at €16

Luxembourg: Vianden Castle

Number of visitors: 180,000

Location: Vianden

Built on the ruins of a Roman castle, Vianden Castle served as the home of the Counts of Vianden. Built between the 11th and 14th centuries by the Hohenstaufen dynasty, the castle became part of the Grand Ducal family's castle from 1890 to 1977, when it was fully restored for visitors to view.

Tickets: Start at €10

Netherlands: Van Gogh Museum

Number of visitors: 1.3 million

Location: Amsterdam

The Van Gogh Museum's astonishing annual attendance is proof that the eponymous artist's works remain as popular as ever. The museum houses the largest collection of van Gogh's work in the world, as well as the works of his contemporaries.

And it boasts a location to make art lovers swoon: between Amsterdam's history and arts museum Rijksmuseum and the Stedlijk Museum of modern art.

Tickets: Start €20

Norway: Hunderfossen Familiepark

Number of visitors: 300,000

Location: Faberg

Located near the largest fjord in Norway, Hunderfossen, this amusement park is the biggest attraction in Norway.

After exploring the trails and scenery of the fjord, travelers can explore the park's science museum, petting zoo, fairytale castle and amusement rides. The park is located just north of the Winter Olympics home of Lillehammer.

Tickets: €44.50

Poland: Auschwitz

Number of visitors: 1.1 million

Location: Near Oswiecim

Now a museum, Auschwitz was made up of three Nazi concentration camps, one of which was used for extermination during World War II. A visit includes a historic film and guided tour, and is a somber reminder of the horrors that occurred here and across Europe.

Today, the number of people who annually visit Auschwitz is almost equal to the number killed in its camps during the Holocaust.

Tickets: Free

Romania: Bran Castle

Number of visitors: 800,000

Location: Zehra

When Bram Stoker created the character of Dracula, he probably didn't anticipate it would one day send hundreds of thousands of people to Transylvania in search of Dracula's Castle.

Although Dracula was fictional, the story of the castle (actually a fortress) is just as fascinating. Built in the 14th century, the castle overlooks the borders of Transylvania and Romania, and was used by Crusaders and the Romanian Royal family during its history.

Tickets: Start at €8.5

Russia: State Hermitage Museum

Number of visitors: 2.8 million

Location: Saint Petersburg

After the Louvre, the Hermitage is the world's second-largest museum, and like the Louvre, it is housed in a former palace.

First created using the personal collection of art owned by Empress Catherine the Great in the 18th century — and eventually growing to house even more artwork, cultural pieces and historic artifacts — the Hermitage was the former Winter Palace for the Imperial Russian family and features 1,500 rooms.

San Marino: Guaita

Number of visitors: 60,000

Location: San Marino City

Although San Marino is the least-visited country in Europe, the 24 square-mile destination in the mountainous peaks of Northern Italy is very worth a visit.

The capital of San Marino is home to Guaita, the city and republic's oldest and main fortress, standing sentinel since the 11th century. One of three peaks of the city, it is the heart of San Marino. A rigorous stroll around it will give you insight into the history of the republic, thanks to the presence of various museums.

Tickets: €4.50

Scotland: National Museum of Scotland

Number of visitors: 1.9 million

Location: Edinburgh

Housing Scottish antiquities, this relatively new museum is a combination of the Museum of Scotland and the Royal Museum, and covers the history and culture of the entire country.

Although the museum isn't as old as others on the list — it was formed in 2006 — inside is a rich history that millions line up to see.

Tickets: Free

Slovakia: Spis Castle

Number of visitors: 212,000

Location: Zehra

One of the largest castles in Europe, Spis Castle, or Spissky Hrad, is Slovakia's most popular tourist attraction, seeing nearly 250,000 visitors in 2018, even while under construction. (It was completed in early 2019.) A UNESCO monument that dates back to the 12th century, the castle was a part of the Hungarian Kingdom.

Tickets: Starts at €8

Spain: La Sagrada Familia

Number of visitors: 3 million

Location: Barcelona

Famously unfinished since construction began in 1882, this highly unique church was designed by Antoni Gaudí and wows visitors from the exterior to the interior.

In 2013, Gaudí'-designed Parc Güell reached 9 million visitors annually, but Barcelona put a limit on entrances — just 800 people per hour — and set a fee. The plan to lower visits worked; 2.3 million visit the park now, giving the basilica the current lead for attendance.

Tickets: Start at €30

Sweden: Vasa Museum

Number of visitors: 1 million

Location: Stockholm

Stockholm and its sites receive more than 8 million visitors each year. With its seafaring history, it's no wonder travelers flock in particularly large droves to see Vasa, a ship that sank during its first voyage in 1628.

Tickets: Start at €16

Switzerland: The Rheinfall

Number of visitors: 1 million

Location: On the border between Schaffhausen and Zürich

The largest falls in Europe drop 75 feet from an elevation of more than 1,000 feet, a spectacular feat of nature. No wonder they've earned the nickname "Switzerland's Niagara Falls,"

Neuhausen am Rheinfall surrounds the waterfall, adding a touch of charming historic architecture to the already impressive landscape.

Tickets: Free

Ukraine: Kiev Pechersk Lavra

Number of visitors: 1 million before the conflict with Russia

Location: Kiev

More than 40 million people have visited on pilgrimage to this Orthodox Christian monastery.

Underground caverns dating back to the 11th century are burrowed deep into the Dnieper hills. Visitors can explore 58 acres of caves, temples, the monastery bell tower and the historical treasures of the Ukraine.

Vatican: Sistine Chapel

Number of visitors: 5 million

Location: Vatican City

The chapel of the Pope's Apostolic Palace opened in the late 15th century following a restoration by Pope Sixtus IV, for whom the chapel is named. It is filled with frescoes painted by the Renaissance's most esteemed artists, including Botticelli, Rosselli and Michelangelo, the later of whom spent four years on his ceiling masterpiece.

In order to visit the chapel, visitors must tour the Vatican Museums, meaning they, too, are the most visited in Vatican City.

Tickets: Starts at €17