This Unfinished Masterpiece Just Became the No. 1 Attraction in the World
Barcelona’s Sagrada Família—Gaudí’s soaring, dreamlike basilica—has just been crowned the top attraction in the world in TripAdvisor’s 2025 Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Things To Do. Rising from fourth place last year to claim the crown, the win is thanks to millions of glowing reviews from travellers who clearly don’t mind a few cranes in their skyline shots.
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A Work in Progress That Steals Hearts
Construction began back in 1882 and is finally expected to be complete in 2026—exactly 100 years after Gaudí’s death. The spires, sculptures, and yes, even the scaffolding, have become part of its charm. Visitors say it feels like stepping inside a living work of art, one that’s still telling its story.
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Inside, the basilica is pure magic: columns stretch skyward like a forest canopy, while sunlight pours through stained glass in shifting shades of sapphire, emerald, and gold. Morning light bathes the space in cool blues, while evenings glow in fiery ambers—meaning no two visits are ever quite the same.
The Rest of the Best
The Eiffel Tower — the world’s most visited paid monument — took second place, with European landmarks dominating the rankings, claiming six of the top ten spots.
Here’s the full list:
- Basílica de la Sagrada Família – Barcelona, Spain
- Eiffel Tower – Paris, France
- NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex – Merritt Island, United States
- Louvre Museum – Paris, France
- Angkor Wat – Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Mutianyu Great Wall – Beijing, China
- Anne Frank House – Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Duomo di Milano – Milan, Italy
- Plaza de España – Seville, Spain
A Final Chapter 140 Years in the Making
This might be the last chance to see the Sagrada Família in its unfinished form. When the final spires are in place in 2026, it will mark the end of a construction project that’s spanned generations—transforming a building site into a finished wonder, and cementing Gaudí’s vision in stone forever.
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