Even if you haven’t been there, you must have seen them — the 20 most beautiful train stations in the world

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Bustling train stations are not only transportation hubs that carry passengers to their destinations, but if you pause and take a closer look, the stations themselves — with their classic grandeur or strikingly artistic designs — are also rare sights not to be missed. The foreign website*Fodor’s Travel*has listed the world’s 20 most beautiful major train stations. See if you’ve ever hurried past, oblivious to their beauty?

▲20. Belgium – Liège-Guillemins Station. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲19. Japan, Ishikawa Prefecture – Kanazawa Station. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲18. Russia, Moscow – Kazansky Station. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲17. Brazil, São Paulo – ESTAÇÃO DA LUZ Station, which means “Station of Light.” (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲16. New Zealand, Dunedin – Dunedin Railway Station. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲15. Turkey, Istanbul – Haydarpaşa Railway Station, one of the city’s two major stations. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲14. France, Paris – Gare de Lyon, one of the seven major SNCF departure stations in Paris, offering a variety of rail services. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲13. Netherlands, Amsterdam – Amsterdam Centraal Station. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲12. United States, Washington D.C. – Union Station, the busiest in the area and also the headquarters of Amtrak. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲11. Mozambique, Maputo – CFM Station. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲10. India, Mumbai – Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, not only one of India’s busiest railway stations, but also a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its historic significance. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲9. Turkey, Istanbul – Sirkeci Station, once the eastern terminus of the Orient Express, with vehicle ferries still crossing the strait to the also-listed Haydarpaşa Station. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲8. Spain, Madrid – Madrid Atocha Station, notable for its lush, jungle-like indoor plantings. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲7. Portugal, Porto – São Bento Station, famous for its 20,000 azulejo tiles depicting scenes from Portuguese history. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲6. Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur – Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, notable for its eye-catching white façade and its blend of Eastern and Western architectural styles. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲5. Italy, Milan – Milan Central Station, one of Europe’s major railway stations. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲4. France, Paris – Paris Gare du Nord, currently the busiest station in Europe. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲3. United States, New York – Grand Central Terminal, America’s most famous and busiest major station. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲2. United Kingdom, London – St Pancras Railway Station; aside from its impressive structure, it also features a bronze statue called “The Meeting Place,” created by British artist Paul Day to evoke the romance of travel. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

▲1. Belgium, Antwerp – Antwerp Central Station, known as the “Railway Cathedral.” (Photo / from Wikipedia)