Stonehenge is 'pointless', Sydney Harbour Bridge is 'unimpressive' and Mount Rushmore is 'obnoxious': Fifteen popular tourist attractions that for some just didn't live up to the hype

There's no pleasing some people.

As scathing reviews for some of the world's most iconic and popular tourist attractions reveal.

The world's tallest tower? 'Underwhelming views'. Sydney Harbour Bridge? 'Unimpressive'. Mount Rushmore? 'Obnoxious'.

And don't even get these disgruntled travellers started on the Empire State Building, Stonehenge, Bondi Beach and Checkpoint Charlie.

Scroll down for reviews of 15 tourist attractions that proved huge disappointments. And at the bottom, vote in our poll for the tourist attraction in the list that disappointed you the most.

Mona Lisa - Paris, France: 'World's most disappointing masterpiece'

The Mona Lisa has been dubbed the 'world's most disappointing masterpiece'

It may be the world's most recognised piece of art, but Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, is also the 'world's most disappointing masterpiece'. 

A new study by Couponbirds.com awarded the 16th-century painting the title after examining hundreds of online reviews and discovering nearly four in ten (37.1 per cent) posted negative comments about visiting the work. 

Some who have viewed the Louvre's most popular attraction have left underwhelmed. One Tripadvisor review, left by 'Reut V', described the experience as 'a bit boring'. They added: 'The Mona Lisa was very small and not as beautiful as I thought it would be.' 

Others were frustrated by the sheer amount of people trying to view it. 'Peter M' likened the experience to a 'rock concert', while 'Carolyncane', said it had a 'zoo-like atmosphere'. 

The Eiffel Tower - Paris, France: 'Just an Iron building'

The Eiffel Tower has been labelled 'underwhelming' and 'boring' in scathing Tripadvisor reviews 

As landmarks go, few can match the Eiffel Tower for majesty.

That's the consensus, but some strongly disagree. 

'Ali A' awarded the tower just one star on Tripadvisor. He wrote: 'It's boring, nothing special about it. You have to wait in a long queue just to go up and take pictures.' 

Another reviewer, 'Julia Sztuczkowska', wrote: 'Unfortunately, it is not a very special place. It's just an iron building.' 

'Amy F' dubbed the spot a 'tourist trap' and claimed it's 'not worth the queueing time or money'. They wrote: 'Ridiculously long queues, miserable claustrophobic toilets, lack of food choices at the kiosk, insane prices at the shops... just really, seriously underwhelming.'

Stonehenge - Salisbury, UK: 'A pile of rocks'

One Tripadvisor reviewer described Stonehenge as just a 'bunch of freestanding rocks'

For some, Stonehenge is one of the most architecturally sophisticated ancient stone circles in the world, but for others, it's 'pointless' and a 'big disappointment'.

One reviewer, 'Andrew C', went so far as to say it was the 'biggest disappointment of my life'. Rating it one star, he continued: 'I was expecting so much more. Do not waste your time people. The only magical thing about this place is that somehow it has the power to draw people on to look at it.'

'Roam60489264217', who also awarded the attraction one star, said he left ‘fleeced and disappointed'. 'How you can charge to see a bunch of freestanding rocks I will never know,' he wrote. While 'Seaside800092' added: 'It's a pile of rocks. Pointless.'

La Sagrada Familia - Barcelona, Spain: 'Cheap and tacky'

One reviewer dubbed La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona as 'cheap and tacky'

Barcelona's Sagrada Familia, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi, is a postcard favourite, and widely regarded as a masterpiece. 

But for reviewer 'John F', it's a one-star attraction. He wrote: 'The church is surrounded by a nasty metal security fence like some kind of prison, and the site is drained of any sense other than a machine for extracting cash from tourists.'

'DebGrays' claimed the structure looks 'cheap and tacky', while 'Sam A' said it has been 'ruined' by overcrowding.

Szechenyi Thermal Bath - Budapest: 'Unclean and packed with people'

Although a popular tourist attraction, some have described the Szechenyi Baths as 'gross'

Budapest's thermal baths have become one of the city's most popular attractions - but they leave some cold.

'Lucylala11' said she found the 'whole place disgusting', and left it a one-star review. Describing the spas as 'gross', she wrote: 'The indoor spas absolutely stank, the pools themselves looked dirty, the whole thing was making me feel physically ill. There were far too many people wedged in.' 

Another reviewer, 'Lois', added: 'When we arrived, we knew straight away that the photos on here and Pinterest didn't quite [reflect] what the baths are actually like. There was a horrible smell, it felt unclean, and it was packed with people.'

The Little Mermaid statue - Copenhagen: 'Nothing special'  

The small statue attracts millions of tourists per year, but some have described it as 'pointless'

This small bronze statue, which sits in the water at Copenhagen's Langelinie Pier, was based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale. While the spot attracts millions of tourists per year, it has received mixed reviews on Tripadvisor, with many describing it as 'underwhelming'. 

'FoodFanMan26' left the attraction one star and described it as 'pointless'. He wrote: 'I wouldn't say don't go there but, be prepared to be severely underwhelmed.' 

Awarding the statue two stars, 'Soccermike' added: 'Well, it's a mermaid, nothing special and, in my opinion, not worth a visit.' 

The Natural History Museum - London: 'Dangerously overcrowded'

The Natural History Museum is a staple on the London tourist circuit, but some have complained that it's too crowded

This London museum is home to 80million items and numerous collections, but according to some Tripadvisor reviews, it's not all it's hyped up to be.  

'Jivg' left the museum one star and advised other tourists to 'avoid' it. They wrote: 'It was so busy it was uncomfortable to walk around it. We left within 20 minutes because of how unpleasant it was.' Another reviewer, 'Aoim', said: 'You simply could not enjoy a single thing at the museum because it was so crowded.' 

The Leaning Tower of Pisa - Italy: 'It's literally just a leaning tower' 

'It's literally just a leaning tower' is one reductive review of Italy's most famous tower 

Some lean towards disliking Italy's most famous tower. 

One reviewer on Tripadvisor claimed the Leaning Tower of Pisa provides 'short-lived excitement'. They wrote: 'It's literally just a leaning tower. I wouldn’t make a stop here just to see it. It is overly crowded and hot in the summertime.'

Others pointed out that there are numerous street sellers in the area. 'Sonja M' commented: 'The whole area is crawling with at times aggressive street hawkers who feel it is OK to keep hassling and trying to sell you tourist tat.'

Checkpoint Charlie - Berlin, Germany: 'A complete waste of time'

One reviewer dubbed Checkpoint Charlie a 'tacky tourist trap'

Set up as a reminder of the former border crossing and the partition between East and West Berlin during the Cold War, Checkpoint Charlie is one of the German capital's tourist must-sees. 

Well, that's the theory. 

'Artemis', who left the spot just one star, wrote: 'The only place in Berlin where we encountered street traders who were deeply unpleasant. The museum is overpriced and very tired. The whole area was uninspiring and a complete waste of our time.'

'Johnny Wallman' also left the sight one star and dubbed it a 'tacky tourist trap'. He wrote: 'I thought the site was pretty unimpressive. The checkpoint is not the original and is surrounded by souvenir shops and fast food outlets.'

Manneken Pis - Brussels, Belgium: 'Small and strange'

Manneken Pis - a sculpture of a small boy urinating - is a confusing attraction for some visitors 

Much to the confusion of some tourists, this 21.5-inch (55cm) bronze fountain sculpture of a child urinating has become one of the main attractions in Brussels. 

One Tripadvisor reviewer, 'Emma B' declared the statue 'small and strange'. She wrote: 'Didn't really understand why it's such a landmark - was very very tiny. We nearly missed it!' User 'John F' added: '[It's] a tiny statue depicting a boy peeing in public. Blink or look the wrong way and you've missed it.'

The Empire State Building - New York, U.S: 'As bad as an amusement park' 

The Empire State Building has 'long lines' and is 'overpriced', according to some dissatisfied tourists

Many tourists have slammed this New York attraction's 'terrible customer service' and 'ridiculous prices'. ‘BritvicGirl’ wrote: 'Wow! What a waste of $185 (£146) for a family of three to struggle to fight our way to finally see a view obscured by a metal crisscross railing.'

Meanwhile, 'Scott B' added: 'Long lines, rude staff, cheesy "museum", and overpriced. I last visited 20 years ago and it was a pleasant, authentic experience. Now it's as bad as an amusement park.' 

Mount Rushmore - South Dakota, U.S: 'A terrible sight'

This colossal structure is a 'terrible' and 'obnoxious' sight for some tourists 

This memorial sculpture of the founding fathers sits in the Black Hills region of South Dakota. Despite its colossal size, not all tourists appreciated it.

One reviewer, 'trainsforever', declared it a 'terrible sight', and added: 'A perfectly good mountain was ruined to create this.' Another reviewer, 'ChristineLR', agreed: 'It is unfortunate that such an obnoxious, expensive monument was placed on this lovely mountain.'

Bondi Beach - Sydney, Australia: 'Like cramming sardines into a can' 

Bondi Beach is like 'cramming sardines into a can', according to one disappointed reviewer

One of the most famous beaches in the world is also the 'world's most overrated beach' according to Tripadvisor reviews. 

'Lincolnstewart' said: 'The beach is all the hype and show but it's like having a bath with your entire family and a dozen strangers.' He added: 'It's packed on any normal day and should be regulated with a fence line and tickets so it's not like cramming sardines into a can.' Meanwhile, 'KevinI122' said there's 'nothing much to shout about'. He added: [There's] no Pamela Anderson. In fact, nothing really here at all.'

Sydney Harbour Bridge - Sydney, Australia: 'A piece of iron across a body of water'

One tourist said the Sydney Harbour Bridge was one of the most 'unimpressive landmarks' they had ever seen

Some tourists have been left scratching their heads as to why this Sydney attraction is so popular. 

One reviewer, 'Danni', wrote: 'It looks ok from far. If you walk on it, the noises and exhaust from vehicles make it unbearable. We left without walking the full distance.'

While another, 'Kevin M', said: 'The bridge is probably one of the most underwhelming and unimpressive landmarks that I have ever seen. It is merely a piece of iron across a body of water and is not even particularly historically significant.'

The Burj Khalifa - Dubai, UAE: 'Blackpool Tower was more interesting' 

Burj Khalifa: Tourists were left dissatisfied with the brutal queuing experience' and 'underwhelming view'

Size - even when it's record-breaking - really doesn't matter for some.

One Tripadvisor reviewer, 'Sharon J', penned this remark after visiting the 828m- (2,717ft) tall Burj Khalifa: 'You won't be thrilled,' by the sight, adding: 'Over-inflated price for a cramped lift and an underwhelming view of beige and sand. Boring, Blackpool Tower was more interesting.'

Others were put off by the 'brutal queuing' experience. User '427annae' wrote: 'The queuing for the lifts was a brutal, close to claustrophobic, 1.5-hour experience. No water, no seats, crowded.' While 'Chloe N' commented: 'Don't bother unless you want to wait in a two-hour queue for the lifts with no aircon.'