Temppeliaukio Church -- One of Finland's Most Popular Attractions

Temppeliaukio church often stuns tourists seeing it for the first time with its unusual and distinctive appearance as if from an earlier era. Half a million visitors come here to tour through this interesting-looking building.

Sitting in the center of Helsinki, Finland, Temppeliaukio church's construction was completed in 1969. It's quite distant from the more conventional structures which churches are often connected with. Temppeliaukio church has been excavated straight into bedrock and receive natural light which enters via the glazed dome. Because of its superb acoustics it has become a popular locality for concerts.

Known as Rock Church, a copper dome covers Temppeliaukio church, and its walls in the interior are made of rugged rock. In fact, its unique architecture has been attracting not only ordinary people but also of architects everywhere.

After upgrading its lighting system to a more efficient one, a wireless lighting control system, the improvement helped significantly reduce the total usage of electricity, now only using 15% of electric consumption. 

Most Famous Must-See Tourist Attractions in Finland

Glenfinnan Viaduct -- Scotland's Stunning Piece of Architecture

Glenfinnan Viaduct, Scotland

Glenfinnan Viaduct, built during the years 1897 and 1901, is essentially a railway viaduct that acts like a bridge for trains, traveling in Glenfinnan along the West Highland Line. In fact, Glenfinnan Viaduct is a 19th-century derivation from the ancient Roman aqueducts, and that is why several early viaducts have a series of arches, mostly of equal length. Since Glenfinnan Viaduct is 380 meters long, it's Scotland's longest railway bridge of concrete, crossing the River Finnan at the amazing height of 30 meters.

But today a lot of people recognize it as "the Harry Potter bridge" because of being filmed in the Harry Potter's movie. Glenfinnan Viaduct is an indisputably impressive work of architecture and even the breathtaking nearby scenery only adds to the overall impression. 

Viaduct Defined

If you are uncertain what the word means, viaduct is a sort of bridge, but one which especially stands out on account of its arrangement of columns, piers, and arches that support a lengthy elevated stretch of road or railway.

Generally, a viaduct is constructed in order to permit transport across a river or a low-lying valley or another type of hindrance, by linking two points of about equal elevation. It's common to find a structure constructed with a succession of arches of approximately equal length, the evenness of which could frequently look extraordinary.

Most Famous Must-See Tourist Attractions in Scotland