The locations to visit for the most spectacular views
Whether it’s down to our actual eyesight or our individual likes and dislikes, we all see the world in a slightly different way. That is why we were curious to find out which are the most popular breathtaking views in the UK and internationally.
We’ve compiled lists of some of the most spectacular places in the UK and abroad, and have carried out research to find which views we like the most.
The locations with the most beautiful views in the UK
1. London Eye - 4,325 ‘beautiful view’ reviews
In first place, the view that was rated the most beautiful is that from the London Eye. Taking you up into the sky above London, the view from this iconic wheel is breathtaking. With excellent views of the expanse of the city, as well as of the Thames running below, it’s no wonder that this is the most popular view in the country.
2. Arthur’s Seat - 4,305 ‘beautiful view’ reviews
The second-highest scoring view is from Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh. Looming high above the Scottish capital, this view lets you take in the whole of this undeniably beautiful city. Just come prepared for a hard slog up the hill and make sure you dress for the weather!
3. Tower of London - 3,810 ‘beautiful view’ reviews
Our third entry is the Tower of London. This historic castle on the bank of the River Thames is truly stunning to look at and is well worth a visit if you’ve never been. The castle and surrounding fortifications are incredibly well-kept and offer a peaceful respite from the busy modern city that surrounds the area.
The Most Beautiful Views in the Rest of the World
1. Sagrada Familia - 5,000 ‘beautiful view’ reviews
The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is one of the most jaw-dropping pieces of architecture in the world, and so has every right to top our list of the most breathtaking views. Construction started on the Basilica almost 150 years ago and it remains an ongoing process.
2. The Eiffel Tower - 4,980 ‘beautiful view’ reviews
The second most popular beautiful view is the Eiffel Tower. One of the most iconic and recognisable buildings in the world, the Eiffel Tower is a must-see for anyone visiting Paris. Not only does reaching the top reward you with fantastic views of the centre of the city, but the tower itself and the accompanying grounds are beautiful in their own right and make a lovely place to spend an hour relaxing and taking in the sights.
3. Golden Gate Bridge - 4,725 ‘beautiful view’ reviews
The Golden Gate Bridge takes third place on our list, and deservedly so. Spanning the mile-wide strait which connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean, the bridge is stunning to look at and offers fantastic views of the whole bay area.
How do these views look to people with impaired vision?
Having found some of the most beautiful views in the country and abroad, we wanted to know how they might look to people with conditions that affect their vision.
Here you can compare how the top 3 views in the UK look for people who are short-sighted, long-sighted and those without any impairment.
London Eye
With views over Thames and central London, the London Eye attracts visitors from all over the world who are looking to take in this incredible cityscape.
Arthur’s Seat
From high above Edinburgh, the view from Arthur’s Seat is truly stunning. With the picturesque Scottish capital below, you can take in a breathtaking view of the city, the sea and the surrounding landscape.
Tower of London
The world-famous Tower of London is an impressive sight for tourists, history buffs and anyone with an appreciation for architecture. This beautiful castle is one of the most attractive in all of the country.
As you can see, short-sightedness and long-sightedness really do change the way in which we perceive the world, meaning we lose so much of the detail and beauty of our surroundings. You can compare the effects of various eye conditions on your eyesight using our Vision Simulator Tool.
Summary
Did your favourite view feature on our lists? There are so many wonderful things to look at that it would be impossible to consider them all, but this at least provides a snapshot of what makes us, as humans, tick.
As beauty is intrinsically subjective, not everyone has the same opinion on what makes something great to look at, but there are wonderful views all around us if we take the time to stop and take a look.
Methodology
We wanted to find out which are the most popular beautiful views in the UK and in the world. To do this, we created lists of some well-known places which people consider to be beautiful.
We then used Tripadvisor to search for each of these places, and also identified several keywords to do with beauty that would be applicable in the context of views. We searched the reviews of each place for these keywords and noted how many mentions of each keyword there were. This allowed us to rank them in order of beauty, based on the number of mentions in the reviews.
