Sydney Opera House has been named the top modern wonder of the world in a new poll.
Conducted by Halifax Travel Insurance in June, the survey of 2,000 people revealed the Australian opera house as the number one global wonder while Stonehenge topped the list of wonders of the British isles.
Spokeswoman Vicky Watson said the list of worldwide wonders was largely dependant on advances in architecture, technology and design.
The full list is:
1 Sydney Opera House
2 Eiffel Tower, Paris
3 Christ the Redeemer Statue, Rio de Janeiro
4 The Palm, Dubai
5 Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
6= Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpar
6= The Kremlin, Moscow
8 Ground Zero, New York
9 CN Tower, Toronto
10 The Atomium, Brussels
Watson said: “The top 10 landmarks on foreign shores reflect the diversity of the architecture around the world and the destinations people aspire to travel to.”
Meanwhile the list of British wonders is less dependent on new design but is instead dominated by areas of natural beauty and historical sites.
The list is:
1 Stonehenge, Wiltshire
2 Giant’s Causeway, County Antrim
3 Big Ben, London
4 Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh
5 Ben Nevis, Lochaber
6 The Needles, Isle of Wight
7 The Eden Project, Cornwall
8 The London Eye
9 Blackpool Tower
10 Angel of the North, Gateshead
Watson said: “Aside from the wonderful beaches, countryside and historical sites that Britain is renowned for, there’s a wealth of wonders throughout the British Isles to keep adults happy and children busy.
“This will be reassuring for families forced to stay closer to home this year as it is clear home holidaying can be just as interesting and fulfilling as visiting abroad.”