Overrated tourist attraction spots

There are tourist attractions in the world that you simply must see. However, it also happens that our great expectations do not always match reality and popular places and monuments turn out to be mere disappointments.

In a recent survey, tourists considered Stonehenge, the mysterious stone circle that is a symbol of England, to be the most overrated attraction. The Eiffel Tower and New York's Central Park also left globetrotters very unsatisfied.

Most overrated tourist attraction spots in the world

1. Stonehenge — England

Located near the city of Salisbury, one of the most famous European megalithic structures, took first place in a survey organised by Rough Guides, a British guidebook publisher.

Respondents were merciless towards this monument, calling it a "pile of stones" that does not offer much to see. The respondents were also disappointed with the size of the monument, which turned out to be not very impressive. Visitors who rated this attraction poorly also lacked the right atmosphere, which might have slightly improved their experience of the trip.

Ultimately, it was Stonehenge that was hailed as the most overrated tourist attraction in the world.

2. The Eiffel Tower — France

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France [Antoine Antoniol/Getty Images] Business Insider USA

In second place, according to respondents, was the symbol of Paris, the Eiffel Tower. Although it remains very popular - as Rough Guides points out, it is visited by 25,000 people a day - not everyone is impressed.

Disappointed with this monument, tourists complained about the high costs associated with climbing this steel structure. They also highlighted the crowds waiting in line to admire the panorama of the City of Lights, and the view does not always compensate for long queues and costs.

Voters pointed out that while the panorama of Paris can be breathtaking on a clear day, on cloudy days it would be a waste of time to even try to enjoy this view. The sum of negative opinions put the Paris attraction in second place.

3. Central Park — United States

Central Park is a huge tourist attraction [Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images] Business Insider USA

The poll ends with Central Park located in the centre of Manhattan. The green heart of New York with several lakes and ponds, two ice rinks, a zoo and an open-air theater did not impress many respondents. Those who assessed this tourist attraction concluded it was ultimately just a city park.

United States tourist attractions were unlucky in this ranking, as Niagara Falls and the Statue of Liberty are also in the top five.

Further down the list of the most overrated tourist attractions were the Sydney Opera House, the Colosseum, Versailles, the Grand Canyon and the Louvre.

This article was originally published on Onet Travel.