To learn the history of a new destination, travelers should look no further than its most famous buildings. Of course, there are other ways to discover the local culture, which can be reflected in the food, the textiles, and the dialects, but its the buildings that often reveal the most about a place. Local landmarks are, in essence, silent witnesses to past eras, kingdoms, and tastes. They can also offer us clues to what the future holds (not to mention make for a great travel gram too).Consider this lineup to be a travel bucket list of sorts. These must-see buildings are renowned for various reasonssome for their architectural charm, others for their historical significance, and many for a healthy mix of both. A fair amount of them are well-known, of course: Think Europes museums, churches, and other notable landmarks whose replicas live on in souvenir shops and countless photos. There are also a decent number of marvels on this list designed by famous architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, and Oscar Niemeyer. But there may be a few spots youve never heard of, buildings off the beaten path, which are worthy of a visit too.Here, AD rounds up famous buildings from around the world that youll be glad youve seen when you look back on your travels. Its been said that travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richerand we couldnt agree more.1. Hagia Sophia (Istanbul)Hagia SophiaPhoto by DeAgostini. Image courtesy of Getty Images.The first building to include a fully pendentive dome, Hagia Sophia is a paragon of Byzantine architecture. It was built as a Christian church by emperor Justinian I in 537, but it now serves as a mosque.2. The Guggenheim (New York City)The Guggenheim MuseumPhoto by Stan Honda. Image courtesy of Getty Images.Two spiraling structures come together to create the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Frank Lloyd Wrights midcentury masterpiece on Manhattans Upper East Side. Wright chose the circular shape to introduce his organic style to a metropolitan setting.3. Taj Mahal (Agra, India)Taj MahalPhoto by Julian Finney. Image courtesy of Getty Images.In 1631, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I commissioned the Taj Mahal to house the tomb of his favorite wife. With its symmetrical design of domes and arches, the white-marble mausoleum is a prime example of Indo-Islamic architecture.4. Dancing House (Prague)Dancing HousePhoto by Insights/UIG. Image courtesy of Getty Images.Inspired by Hollywood duo Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, Dancing House is a deconstructivist collaboration between Vlado Miluni and Frank Gehry. They designed the twisted, glass-stone-and-metal building in the 1990s for Dutch insurance company Nationale-Nederlanden.5. Chteau de Chenonceau (Chenonceaux, France)Chteau de ChenonceauPhoto by DeAgostini. Image courtesy of Getty Images.Most PopularTravelThe 11 Most Beautiful Mountain Cities in the WorldBy Emma TubbsArchitecture + DesignA Creative Directors Milan Home Is a Master Class in Secondhand ShoppingBy Kelly DawsonMagazineMieke ten Have Fashions a Home for Hudson Valley NeighborsBy Michael BoodroA mix of late Gothic and early Renaissance architecture, Chteau de Chenonceau is a 16th-century castle that spans the Cher River. Water flows beneath the bridge part of the structure, which is topped with a gallery.6. Niteri Contemporary Art Museum (Niteri, Rio de Janeiro)Niteri Contemporary Art MuseumPhoto by Patrick Altmann. Image courtesy of Getty Images.Oscar Niemeyer is the genius behind the Niteri Contemporary Art Museum, a saucer-shaped modernist building completed in 1996. He described the 52-foot concrete tower as a flower rising from the ground, but many people liken it to a UFO.7. The Pyramids of Giza (Giza, Egypt)The Pyramids of GizaPhoto by Sean Gallup. Image courtesy of Getty Images.We can only theorize how exactly the Pyramids of Giza were built, but we do know the complex of ancient Egyptian structures took nearly 100 years and thousands of workers to complete.8. Acropolis of Athens (Athens)Acropolis of AthensPhoto by Milos Bicanski. Image courtesy of Getty Images.Most PopularTravelThe 11 Most Beautiful Mountain Cities in the WorldBy Emma TubbsArchitecture + DesignA Creative Directors Milan Home Is a Master Class in Secondhand ShoppingBy Kelly DawsonMagazineMieke ten Have Fashions a Home for Hudson Valley NeighborsBy Michael BoodroBuilt atop a rocky hill, the Acropolis of Athens is an ancient Greek citadel. Its most iconic structure, the Parthenon, is a peripteral octastyle Doric temple, meaning its surrounded by columns, with eight on either end.9. Le Centre Pompidou (Paris)Le Centre PompidouPhoto by DEA/C. SAPPA/De Agostini. Image courtesy of Getty Images.The Pompidou Centre, which houses a public library, a modern art museum, and a music research center, is a 1977 high-tech, inside-out building by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers. Its ventilation, electricity, and water systems are expressed colorfully on the exterior.10. The Gateway Arch (St. Louis)The Gateway ArchPhoto By Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives. Image courtesy of Getty Images.Designed by Eero Saarinen in the mid-20th century, the Gateway Arch is a stainless steel monument that honors the pioneers who expanded the United States westward. At 630 feet, its the worlds tallest arch.11. Muse dOrsay (Paris)Muse dOrsayPhoto by Chesnot. Image courtesy of Getty Images.Most PopularTravelThe 11 Most Beautiful Mountain Cities in the WorldBy Emma TubbsArchitecture + DesignA Creative Directors Milan Home Is a Master Class in Secondhand ShoppingBy Kelly DawsonMagazineMieke ten Have Fashions a Home for Hudson Valley NeighborsBy Michael BoodroAn art museum on the Left Bank of the Seine, Muse dOrsay occupies a 1900 Beaux Arts railway station. Among the buildings most striking features are a barrel-vaulted ceiling and a glass-and-steel clock.12. The Gherkin (London)The GherkinPhoto by Oli Scarff. Image courtesy of Getty Images.Officially titled 30 St Mary Axe, the Gherkin is a 2003 commercial skyscraper that resembles a pickled cucumber. Foster and Partners designed the glass building with energy efficiency in mind.13. Metropolitan Cathedral of Braslia (Braslia)Metropolitan Cathedral of Braslia.Photo by Matt Frost. Image courtesy of Getty Images.The Metropolitan Cathedral of Braslia is another Oscar Niemeyer sensation. The 1970 buildings 16 concrete columns meet to create a hyperboloid structure that looks like a crown.14. Mosque of Crdoba (Crdoba, Spain)Mosque of Crdoba.Photo by Gerig/ullstein bild. Image courtesy of Getty Images.Most PopularTravelThe 11 Most Beautiful Mountain Cities in the WorldBy Emma TubbsArchitecture + DesignA Creative Directors Milan Home Is a Master Class in Secondhand ShoppingBy Kelly DawsonMagazineMieke ten Have Fashions a Home for Hudson Valley NeighborsBy Michael BoodroThough its now a Catholic cathedral, the Mosque of Crdoba was commissioned as an Islamic place of worship by Abd al-Rahman I in 785. Its hypostyle prayer hall is filled with Moorish two-tiered arches made of brick and stone.15. Westminster Abbey (London)Westminster AbbeyPhoto by Pawel Libera. Image courtesy of Getty Images.A site of royal coronations, weddings, and burials for nearly 1,000 years, Westminster Abbey is an Anglican church whose current Gothic-style building dates back to the 13th century.16. Dresden Frauenkirche (Dresden, Germany)Dresden FrauenkirchePhoto by Sean Gallup. Image courtesy of Getty Images.Dresden Frauenkirche is a Baroque-style Lutheran church that was destroyed by firebombing in World War II and rebuilt between 1994 and 2005. Previously, its ruins had served as a war memorial for nearly half a century.17. Chteau Frontenac (Qubec, Canada)Chteau FrontenacPhoto by Jayakumar Radhakrishnan. Image courtesy of Getty Images.Most PopularTravelThe 11 Most Beautiful Mountain Cities in the WorldBy Emma TubbsArchitecture + DesignA Creative Directors Milan Home Is a Master Class in Secondhand ShoppingBy Kelly DawsonMagazineMieke ten Have Fashions a Home for Hudson Valley NeighborsBy Michael BoodroOne of Canadas first grand railway hotels, Chteau Frontenac opened in 1893 in an asymmetrical Chteauesque-style building with cylindrical and polygonal towers, steeply-pitched roofs, ornate gables, and tall chimneys.18. The Colosseum (Rome)The ColosseumPhoto by Alberto Pizzoli/AFP. Image courtesy of Getty Images.When the Colosseum was completed in 80 AD, it was the largest amphitheater ever built. Now, over 1,000 years after it was used for gladiator games, the travertine limestone, tuff, and brick-faced concrete amphitheater is still the largest in the world.19. One World Trade Center (New York City)One World Trade CenterPhoto by Andrew Burton. Image courtesy of Getty Images.After the Twin Towers were destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, One World Trade Center was constructed in their place. Also known as the Freedom Tower, the faceted skyscraper is the tallest in the United States and western hemisphere.20. The Lotus Temple (New Delhi)The Lotus TemplePhoto by Universal Images Group. Image courtesy of Getty Images.Most PopularTravelThe 11 Most Beautiful Mountain Cities in the WorldBy Emma TubbsArchitecture + DesignA Creative Directors Milan Home Is a Master Class in Secondhand ShoppingBy Kelly DawsonMagazineMieke ten Have Fashions a Home for Hudson Valley NeighborsBy Michael BoodroAs its name suggests, the Lotus Temple is a Bah House of Worship shaped like a lotus flower. With its 27 marble-covered petals, the design by Fariborz Sahba represents purity, simplicity, and freshness.21. St. Basils Cathedral (Moscow)St. Basils CathedralPhoto by Pola Damonte. Image courtesy of Getty Images.In the 1550s, Ivan the Terrible ordered the construction of St. Basils Cathedral to commemorate the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan. The Orthodox church, with its nine onion-shaped domes, received its colorful paint job a century later.22. Dome of the Rock (Jerusalem)Dome of the RockPhoto by Joris Grling. Image courtesy of Getty Images.The oldest surviving piece of Islamic architecture, the Dome of the Rock is a shrine on the Temple Mount that dates back to 692. The octagonal structure is covered in mosaics and topped with a golden dome.23. Casa Mil (Barcelona)Casa MilPhoto by Michelle McMahon. Image courtesy of Getty Images.Most PopularTravelThe 11 Most Beautiful Mountain Cities in the WorldBy Emma TubbsArchitecture + DesignA Creative Directors Milan Home Is a Master Class in Secondhand ShoppingBy Kelly DawsonMagazineMieke ten Have Fashions a Home for Hudson Valley NeighborsBy Michael BoodroCasa Mil, Antoni Gauds last private residence, is a 1910 Catalan modernist building recognizable for its undulating stone faade and elaborate wrought iron balconies. Its also known as La Pedrera, the stone quarry.24. The White House (Washington, DC)The White HousePhoto by Alex Wong. Image courtesy of Getty Images.Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, the White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. James Hoban designed the neoclassical building, whose exterior is made of white-painted sandstone.25. Forbidden City (Beijing)Forbidden CityImage courtesy of Getty Images.The Forbidden City is a 1420 imperial palace that housed 24 Ming and Qing dynasty emperors over its 500 years as Chinas political center. The complex is oriented north-south, like the rest of Beijing.26. Sagrada Famlia (Barcelona)Sagrada FamliaPhoto by Prasit. Image courtesy of Getty Images.Most PopularTravelThe 11 Most Beautiful Mountain Cities in the WorldBy Emma TubbsArchitecture + DesignA Creative Directors Milan Home Is a Master Class in Secondhand ShoppingBy Kelly DawsonMagazineMieke ten Have Fashions a Home for Hudson Valley NeighborsBy Michael BoodroA blend of dramatic Gothic and curvy Art Nouveau architecture, Sagrada Famlia is an unfinished Catholic church by Antoni Gaud, who is buried in its crypt. Construction is projected to be completed in 2026, 144 years after it began.27. Lincoln Center (New York City)Lincoln CenterPhoto by Siegfried Layda. Image courtesy of Getty Images.Home to the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera, and more, Lincoln Center is a midcentury performing arts complex on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Architects like Eero Saarinen, Philip Johnson, and Gordon Bunshaft contributed to the project.28. The Shard (London)The ShardPhoto by Greg Fonne. Image courtesy of Getty Images.Renzo Pianos 2012 pyramidal skyscraper, The Shard, is the tallest building in the United Kingdom. The architect was inspired by the nearby railway lines, the masts of tall ships, and the spires of London's churches in Canalettos 18th-century paintings.29. Le Mont-Saint-Michel (Normandy, France)Le Mont-Saint-MichelPhoto by Jeff Morgan. Image courtesy of Getty Images.Most Popular