Nine travel disappointments in Europe

Every European travel guide has a list of "must see" tourist sites. As a result, you have to queue for hours, then push through the crowd to see at least some part of the attraction. As a result, we are often severely disappointed. Here is a list of nine of Europe's bitterest travel disappointments.

(Total 9 photos)

9. Eiffel Tower. Paris.

According to thousands of tourists surveyed, ticket prices for the tower are unreasonably high, but at the same time there are so many visitors from morning to evening that it is difficult to find a free corner to admire the views of the French capital and take a few photos.

8. Dublin Castle, Ireland

If you have already seen Prague or Edinburgh castles, this one will most likely disappoint you. Entering the main gate and looking at the chess-like Counting Tower, you will imagine that you will now see an underground prison or historical halls in which knights celebrated victories and fought with swords. It turns out that the tower is all that remains of the ancient castle, the rest of the buildings on the territory are the government complex. However, the tour will still be interesting, because at the end you will go down into the dungeon and see the original castle walls. And of course, there is a souvenir shop here.

7. Little Mermaid statue, Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Little Mermaid is a statue dedicated to the famous fairy tale by Hans Christian Anders from 1837. The statue was unveiled in 1913. There are very few famous must-see attractions in Copenhagen, so the Little Mermaid has become the most popular monument. To get to the bronze lady, you will need to turn off the tourist route and walk along the harbor for a long time. And at the end of the road, a crowd of tourists and a statue with a height of only 125 cm are waiting for you again. Most tourists are surprised by the small size of the iconic figure of the city, as well as the unsympathetic industrial landscape against which the monument stands.

6. London Bridge, UK.

Have you already seen the famous London Bridge? No? Do not worry. Despite such a big name, London Bridge is the simplest bridge across the Thames. Tourists might be confused by the songs they heard as children, but before you go somewhere, get to know this place on the Internet so as not to be disappointed. On the other hand, the adjacent Tower Bridge as well as the new Millennium Bridge are surprisingly interesting.

5. The interior of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral, Barcelona, Spain.

The Sagrada Familia is a famous cathedral and a must-see in Barcelona. It was created by the famous architect Antonio Gaudí and has been under construction since 1886. For this reason, it is best to walk around the cathedral from the outside and admire the exceptional shape and details of the building's façade. Entrance inside costs, unfortunately, €11. For this money, you will only see a few workers and a lot of construction equipment. The only compensation will be the informative museum in the basement.

4. City of Saint-Tropez, France.

No one knows why Saint Tropez is considered the most incomparable city on the French Riviera. Maybe because the aloe vera sunblock was named after him. Or because everyone wants to have that famous St. Tropez tan. Who knows? In fact, the city is so crowded with tourists that even the locals would rather you go to a neighboring town. Even though it's a very nice place, St. Tropez is like a dozen other cities on the Côte d'Azur, but if you like crowds and a lot of people around, you should definitely come here. If not, perhaps it is better to visit Sainte-Maxime, Cap d'Agde, Camargue, Cassis or Sète.

3. Manneken Pis. Brussels, Belgium.

Experienced tourists say that there are not so many attractions in Brussels, unless you like tall administrative buildings. However, everyone plans to see one attraction - Manneken Pis. This is a small bronze statue of a boy who constantly pees into the fountain. The biggest problem with this funny statue is the large crowd of tourists in front of it. When you finally manage to get into the first row of spectators, you will realize that the statue looks the same as in the photographs, only even smaller.

2. Gondola ride, Venice, Italy.

Venice is the favorite city of all romantics. Be prepared for the fact that even in the off-season, there are more tourists in Venice than in Times Square on New Year's Eve. If you want to take a gondola ride through the canals, don't be disappointed when you find out the price - a 40-minute ride costs about €80. Perhaps you decide that such a walk will take place only once in a lifetime. Yes, of course, but don't expect a romantic setting with your loved one in a gondola. Chances are, around you in ten other gondolas, tourists will be trying to enjoy the famous City of Bridges just like you.

1. Mona Lisa, Paris, France.

In the 16th century, Leonardo da Vinci painted a portrait of a shyly smiling woman. At that time, he could not even imagine what kind of torment awaits people in the 21st century who want to look at his canvas. Today, the Mona Lisa is located in the majestic Louvre in Paris. The Louvre is an attraction in itself, it is so big that if you wanted to devote one minute to each painting in the museum, it would take you 500 years to see them all. Every guidebook recommends a guided tour of the museum and insists that you see at least the Mona Lisa. Many tourists do just that, as a result, in the hall where the painting is exhibited, it is always very crowded, which makes it almost impossible to get acquainted with this masterpiece of painting.