In this article, we will look at the 12 Countries with the Best Architecture in Europe.

An Overview of Europe’s Architecture Market

Construction and architecture markets are proponents of growth for the European economy. The sector provides approximately 18 million direct jobs and contributes around 9% to the GDP of the European Union. According to the Architects’ Council of Europe, the overall construction market of Europe was valued at $13.37 trillion in 2022. The developed economies of the region including Germany, France, and the UK are the main contributors to the market and contributed approximately $1.23 trillion during the same year. Growth in the market was driven by low energy prices, reduced supply constraints, a strong labor market, and improved business across the region. Within the construction market, the architecture segment is one of the fastest-growing segments and contributes around $22.45 billion in value. The architecture market has grown by 23% since 2020 and comprises 56% of private housing work and 62% of building design work.

Although the prospects for the architecture market have improved since 2020, the architect’s sentiment on the future of work remains gloomy. Architects’ Council of Europe forecasted the workload to fall by 10% across the region during 2023. The lack of confidence was mainly due to the subsiding property sector of Europe. On April 25, Reuters reported that real estate deals fell the greatest during Q1 of 2024 since the global pandemic, according to the data, property deals worth more than $5.4 million were terminated and the total property sales of European commercial property decreased by 26% compared to 2023. Both the buyer’s and seller’s price expectations have diverged and await cuts in interest rates. If you want to read more about countries with the best architecture, you can look at the 20 Countries With The Best Architecture.

Performance of Architecture as a Profession

The number of architects in the region has grown by 100,000 during the past 10 years and Europe had approximately 620,000 architects in 2022. Countries including Italy, Turkey, and Germany lead in the profession as more than half of the architects originate from these countries. The profession has seen steady improvement since the pandemic, the salaries for architects in Europe have gone up by 6% since 2020, unemployment in the profession was recorded at 2% in 2022, down from 7% in 2020, and around 86% architects have resumed full-time work. Moreover, during the past 10 years gender parity within the profession has decreased with the number of female architects increasing 10% during the said time. In addition, the gender pay gap decreased by almost half and was recorded at 17% during 2022. You can also look at the 10 Countries with the Best Architecture in Africa and 10 Countries with the Best Architecture in Asia.

European Architecture as a Driver of Tourism 

The architecture and culture of Europe is one of the key drivers of tourism in the region. According to the European Commission, cultural tourism accounts for almost 40% of all the tourism in Europe. Moreover, as per the European Travel Commission Report 2023, travel and tourism for the region is witnessing strong demand and is returning to pre-pandemic levels. Approximately 66.6% of the countries are now reporting a full recovery or are within 10% of the pre-pandemic levels. Foreign tourism is also recovering fast and is just 1.6% short of its 2019 performance. Almost 700 million travelers visited Europe in 2023, making around 56% of the total international travel that year.

The current year has been forecasted as a year of recovery for European tourism, as inflation is expected to ease. Southern European travel destinations including Portugal, Montenegro, and Turkey have witnessed the strongest increase in travel and are up by 11%, 10%, and 9% respectively from the 2019 levels.

Companies such as Expedia Group Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) through its technology and API solutions are helping European companies fuel growth in the travel and tourism market of the region. Expedia Group Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) is a leading online travel technology company that powers travel companies through its white label templates, tailor-built solutions, and end-to-end booking lodging systems that allow companies to set up their sites. The company operates in three main segments namely Expedia Brands, Expedia Product Technology, and Expedia for Business.

On December 5, 2023, Expedia Group Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) announced a series of partnerships consisting of advertisement, B2B technology, and distribution deals across Europe. European companies including Ryanair, one of the largest low-cost airlines in Europe, and Icelandair, a flag carrier airline of Iceland are leveraging Expedia’s white label templates to enhance customer experience on their platforms. Ryanair launched Ryanair Rooms, a platform that allows travelers to book a hotel with their flights and gives access to Expedia’s AI customer service tool using the white label templates. On the other hand, Icelandair used the same technology to launch Saga Club, a new traveling site that allows loyal customers to book additional trips along with their flights. Loyal customers of Icelandair can also access Expedia’s supply of hotels, and other related services to enhance their journey. In May 2024, the company reported an 8% increase in the number of passengers it transported during the year, thereby increasing the passenger revenue of Icelandair by 17% YoY.

The advertising and media segment of Expedia Group Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) helps brands and Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) reach and convert millions of travelers around the globe through its advertising solutions. Expedia’s revenue increased 8% YoY during the first quarter of 2024 and was mainly led by robust growth in its advertising business, which witnessed the greatest increase in revenue of 20.49%. Some recent European partnerships in this segment of business include Deutsche Hospitality, a German Hotel Chain that will target hundreds of millions of travelers globally through Expedia’s media solutions, and the Croatian National Tourism Board (CNTB), a national tourist organization. A series of targeted, meaningful campaigns of CNTB on Expedia’s platform resulted in a 10% increase in demand from US travelers for Croatia across Expedia media solutions. Other European companies leveraging Expedia’s advertisement campaigns include Iberia Airlines and Turkish Airlines, which experienced a 15% increase in booking volumes as a result of its campaigns on the platform.

Now that we have looked into the architecture market and how it drives tourism in Europe, let’s move forward to the 12 countries with the best architecture in Europe.

Our Methodology

To compile the list of 12 countries with the best architecture in Europe, we relied on a consensus methodology. We first shortlisted countries with the best architecture in Europe by sifting through 10 online rankings on the internet and selected countries that appeared in at least 50% of our sources. Next, we ranked them based on the number of tourists that visited the country in 2022, sourced from the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). We have hypothesized that a country rich in architecture and culture attracts more tourists. The list is arranged in ascending order of the number of tourists it received in 2022.

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12 Countries with the Best Architecture in Europe

12. Hungary

Tourist Arrivals (2022): 12.6 million

Hungary is a landlocked country in central Europe. It ranks as the 12th country with the best architecture in Europe. Around 12.6 million tourists visited the country in 2022. Budapest is the capital city of Hungary and is renowned for its architectural landmarks. The Parliament Building of Budapest is one of the tourist attractions, its imperious central façade and central dome are unique in design and structure. Moreover, the Danube River adds to the beauty of the parliament building and presents a sight to behold during the night.

11. Croatia

Tourist Arrivals (2022): 15.3 million

Croatia ranks as the 11th country with the best architecture in Europe, approximately 15.3 million people visited the country during 2022. The architecture of the country offers a mix of Renaissance, Romanesque, and Baroque styles. The Diocletian Palace in Split and the amphitheater in Pula offer a glimpse of the Roman Empire. The country has preserved Croatian history as well, the stone houses along the Adriatic coast and modern hotel complexes in the country present a mix of historical and modern architecture. Some of the old towns in the country include Korcula, Trogir, Dubrovnik, Zadar, and Šibenik.

10. Netherlands

Tourist Arrivals (2022): 16.6 million

The Netherlands ranks 10th on our list of countries with the best architecture in Europe. It is situated in the northwestern part of Europe and attracted around 16.6 million tourists in 2022. The Central Station is one of the best architectural buildings in the country. It was designed by P.J.H. Cuypers and completed in 1889. The design of the building captures the neo-Renaissance style. Moreover, people who visit Netherlands admire the famous Cubic Houses, known for their unique design and innovative urban lifestyle.

9. Portugal 

Tourist Arrivals (2022): 22.3 million

Portugal is a Southern European country that ranks 9th on our list of countries with the best architecture in Europe. The country holds and has preserved some medieval castles that give Portugal’s architecture a touch of Roman, Romanesque, and Gothic style. Some of the famous places to visit in Portugal for architecture admirers are the ornate Manueline-style Jerónimos Monastery, Lisbon Cathedral, and the Palace of Justice. Around 22.3 million people visited the country in 2022.

8. Austria

Tourist Arrivals (2022): 26.2 million

Austria is another landlocked country in Europe. It ranks 8th on our list of countries with the best architecture in Europe. Austria presents a mix of Italian, Viennese Classicism, Jugendstil, and modern architecture. Some of the famous places to visit in the country include Salzburg Cathedral, Belvedere Palace in Vienna, grand buildings along the Ringstraße, and Kunsthaus Graz.

7. Greece

Tourist Arrivals (2022): 27.8 million

Greece ranks as the 7th country with the best architecture in Europe. It is situated in southeastern Europe and was visited by 27.8 million people in 2022. The architecture of Greece is characterized by simplicity, proportions, and uniformity. The Athens Acropolis is one of the greatest achievements of Greek architecture that features both the Doric order and the Iconic order. Other buildings famous for their architecture include basilicas, amphitheaters, and triumphal arches.

6. Germany 

Tourist Arrivals (2022): 28.5 million

Germany has a long history from the Roman Empire to the post-modern times. This rich history of Germany is reflected in the architecture of the country which features Romanesque, Renaissance, Gothic, Baroque, and modern and international style architecture. Some of the famous buildings in Germany include the Cathedrals at Cologne, Wartburg, the Reichstag Building in Berlin, and Neuschwanstein Castle in Schwangau. There were around 28.5 million tourists who visited the country in 2022.

5. United Kingdom 

Tourist Arrivals (2022): 30.7 million

The United Kingdom makes it to the top 5 countries with the best architecture in Europe. Its architecture is characterized by the Palladian, Chinoiserie, and neo-Gothic style. Some of the historic architectural buildings in the kingdom include Warwick Castle, Westminster Abbey, Oxford Castle & Prison, and Lincoln Castle. Around 30.7 million tourists visited the country in 2022.