Cities Across The World With The Most Iconic And Breathtaking Downtown Skylines

While some cities have structures that capture the imagination and steal the heart — think the Taj Mahal (here's a primer for first-time visitors), the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids of Giza — nothing is quite as thrilling as a grand skyline. It could be how the buildings rise, a collection of skyscrapers challenging the laws of physics and logic. Or perhaps it is how the forms are composed against the elements, set alongside water or fronting mountains. 

Sometimes, it's the buildings that are on show, some thrillingly futuristic, others steeped in deep history. Whatever the combination, who can forget the feeling of first laying eyes on a sublime skyline, the need to pinch yourself to ensure that you aren't dreaming? In no particular order, we present some of the most iconic and breathtaking ones on the planet, perfect for romantic sunsets and exciting city exploration. Get the camera ready.

A country whose economy is primarily fueled by oil and gas, Azerbaijan sits on the Caspian Sea between Iran and Russia. Baku is the nation's capital, and visitors can see futuristic shapes peppered along the skyline, a dizzying melange of shapes funded by petrodollars. Among the highlights is the Heydar Aliyev Centre, named for the former president and designed by the late starchitect Zaha Hadid. A cultural center, it is notable for its sensuous, curving form with sweeping, undulating roof lines and vast sections of glass.

Another outstanding architectural tour de force is seen in the Baku Flame Towers. These three skyscrapers — the tallest structures in the city — are multi-use buildings with offices, hotels, and apartments within. The name? Well, you'll see that the shapes of the three buildings resemble tongues of a flame that flicker in the breeze, especially when illuminated at night.

By some mark the most populous city in the Midwest United States, Chicago is packed with landmark buildings, some flanking the Chicago River. The panorama of a spectacular skyline by Lake Michigan adds some sheen to the vista. Once known as the Sears Tower, the Willis Tower was also the tallest building in the world for more than a decade. With a cool black facade and distinctive white stalks on top, it is possibly the most easily identified building in the city. 

Another structure with white spires that soar from its roof is 875 North Michigan Avenue. The building also went by another name for many decades — the John Hancock Center — and has a stoic, black exterior that lends it an air of mystery. Other fine edifices include the Tribune Tower (it was the home of the "Chicago Tribune"), the Art Deco Wrigley Building, and the scalloped Marina City towers.

If you want to see the tallest building in the world, you'll need to visit this iconic Middle Eastern spot that is also home to a unique multicultural entertainment destination. The smorgasbord of striking buildings in Dubai includes the Burj Khalifa, which rises more than 2,700 feet from the ground. It appears like a series of cylinders that gradually climb to a central spire that ascends above all others around it. 

Dubai is also home to Burj Al Arab, a hotel shaped like the billowing sail of a boat, located on its own small island. A clutch of skyscrapers huddle together in the Marina district, with Marina 101 the tallest of the lot. Travelers will need to crane their necks upwards to see the top of the Princess Tower, which has a top that looks like a voluminous crown. The nearby 23 Marina is a glass-sheathed tower that comes to a fine point, like a carefully sharpened pencil.

Frankfurt is not only Germany's financial hub, but also arguably the finance center of continental Europe. Money courses through Frankfurt's streets, and such wealth is evident in the many skyscrapers here. There are almost 40 skyscrapers within the central core, all more than 300 feet tall. Frankfurt is where to find Germany's highest structures, making the skyline such a scintillating sight. 

The tallest building — not surprising for a metropolis anchored by finance — is the headquarters of Commerzbank. MesseTurm is another soaring spectacle, one that even has its own dedicated entrance to the subway line. Frankfurt is also home to the head office of the European Central Bank, a complex with a shimmering glass tower. The city continues to grow its stock of skyscrapers, with many new bank buildings among the towers currently under construction.

Hong Kong is home to one of the most thrilling skylines anywhere in the world, and the combination of mountains, water, and the vertiginous cityscape make this one for the ages. When seen from the Kowloon side across Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong Island looks like some kind of fantasy land. The series of structures rise and fall in a way that mirrors the undulating ridges of the mountains behind them. 

The water in front adds a layer of physical separation, as though the skyline lives in a distant realm, so close and yet not. The Bank of China Tower glimmers with reflective glass and looks like a geometric puzzle, a piece of origami come to life. Seeming both industrial and sleek, the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Building, designed by Foster + Partners, comprises three towers of ascending height. And the thousands of circular cut-outs of Jardine House make it appear made from LEGO.

The Petronas Twin Towers are a focal point of the skyline of the melting pot that is Kuala Lumpur, and travelers who clamp their eyes on these sumptuous skyscrapers will understand why. For starters, the precision geometry is a marvel to behold. The shape of each tower is inspired by Islamic forms with crossed squares creating a star with eight points. The mix of glass and steel creates a sense of strength and elegance. When lit at night, the two towers almost look like space rockets that are about to launch. 

However, the city has other buildings that make the skyline special. Merdeka 118 is an angular glass tower that is the second-tallest building in the world. And KL Tower — a skinny shaft with a revolving restaurant on top — adds a retro-futuristic structure to the mix. It also offers fabulous views of the city's skyscrapers.

London is a city that mixes old and new like no other. Along the River Thames, visitors can see the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster, and diagonally across the way, the London Eye. However, it is to the east of this assemblage that the verticality of the city really shines, no matter when you decide to visit.

Near a short stretch of water, travelers can cast their eyes on the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and St. Paul's Cathedral, close to modern skyscrapers. These include 30 St. Mary Axe — affectionately known as The Gherkin — and 20 Fenchurch Street, which locals refer to as the Walkie Talkie building. On the south bank of the Thames, The Shard is one of the most distinctive buildings anywhere in the city. As its name suggests, it is a finely pointed structure shaped to mimic a shard of glass reaching up to the sky.

New York City is overflowing with iconic things, whether it is spots from your favorite movies or the internationally famous skyline. Manhattan has so many hallmark buildings that it is hard to know where to look. The Big Apple truly promises the best-of-the-best when it comes to skyscrapers, from the Empire State Building to the Chrysler Building and One Vanderbilt to Rockefeller Center. NYC really is the skyscraper Hall of Fame. 

Some of the marquee buildings are in Midtown, where you will see the United Nations building right on the East River and the soaring residential towers just south of Central Park in an area known as Billionaires Row. However, Lower Manhattan has the densest concentration of skyscrapers, and is close to the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. This is where to see the Woolworth Building, One World Trade Center, and the Frank Gehry-designed 8 Spruce, where the exterior metal appears as though it has been crumpled by a giant hand.

The old section of Panama's capital is a joy to wander. Known as Casco Antiguo (or Casco Viejo), it is filled with brick streets, pretty plazas, and Spanish colonial-era buildings. And from this slice of history, you can gaze across to the city's thrilling modern skyline. Perhaps the most eye-catching structure is the F&F Tower. A soaring site of green glass, it has a uniquely twisting exterior, and its form recalls a drill bit or an inverted tornado. For fans of avant-garde architecture, this is one not to miss. 

Also sheathed in green glass, Torre Global Bank sits two blocks away. Closer to the water, the JW Marriott Panama is a statement in design. Shaped like a butterfly's wings that are partially open, it ascends high above Panama Bay. Towers rise all around the property, creating an exciting waterfront panorama.

The city by the bay has a striking skyline set against its famous waters. Add to this the bridges —including the Golden Gate Bridge, one of the most famous in the country — that link San Francisco to points north and east, and the sum total of the scenery is divine. The Transamerica Pyramid Center is among the most striking structures in America's healthiest city. A white colossus of sharp angles and slick geometry, it rises to a fine point at the top, like the tapered nib of a pen. 

The Coit Tower is another distinctive piece of the skyline puzzle, though it is removed from the Downtown core. Back in the commercial center of the city is the gleaming Salesforce Tower. The city's tallest building, it is a glass monument where LED lights on its exterior allow it to be a canvas for digital art at night.

What makes Santiagi's skyline a hypnotic sight is the way it presents both the resounding power of urban architecture and the silent potency of nature. The towers in Chile's capital rise as the snow-capped mountains behind make the image even more memorable. A cluster of high-rises in the Providencia district climbs above the sprawl of Santiago, but two glassy structures really stand out.

Gran Torre Santiago shoots up into the sky about 1,000 feet, a glass tower that is the tallest building on the continent. The building slowly tapers inwards as it rises, and at its crest, tourists can make out a crown. A few blocks away, the 52-story Titanium La Portada shimmers thanks to its glass facade, and the building is fully powered by renewable energy. The crinkled slopes and snowy peaks of the Andes mountains ensure that this is an unforgettable skyline.

It might be America's most-crowded Labor Day destination, but Seattle promises a skyline that mixes marvels of engineering with the beauty of a mountain. If one building dominates the view, it is the Space Needle. Constructed for the World's Fair in 1962, it stands as a homage to the concept of space travel and symbolizes the futuristic thinking of Washington state's largest city. A saucer dome tops the structure, with an observation deck allowing visitors unencumbered views of Puget Sound and the city skyline.

Guests will also see the snow-capped stunner that is Mount Rainier, the "Crown of the Pacific Northwest." Breathtaking views are also guaranteed from Sky View Observatory atop the Columbus Center, the tallest building in the city. At dawn and dusk, when Seattle's buildings are lit and Mount Rainier's slopes are bathed in soft light, the scenery is spectacular.

When you are in Singapore, stand on the edge of Marina Bay and gaze around, and you will see some truly unique architecture. The three towers of Marina Bay Sands (a hotel casino) resemble three playing cards next to each other. On top of the trio is a large pool deck some 57 stories above ground, with the biggest rooftop infinity pool on the planet. Unsurprisingly, the pool is a big hit on social media. 

Close by, the ArtScience Museum — designed by Moshe Safdie — takes its inspiration from a lotus flower, and the building is as artistic as the pieces within. Elsewhere around Marina Bay, visitors will see soaring towers, the historic Customs House (which recalls Singapore's important role as a shipping hub), and the iconic Merlion statue. The most avant-garde structure might be Esplanade, a performing arts center with a spiky exterior that resembles the shell of a durian, the beloved, pungent Southeast Asian fruit.

Strolling along The Bund (a section of Shanghai on the west side of the Huangpu River), travelers will encounter architecture that runs through lauded periods of history. They will find structures exhibiting Renaissance, Beaux-Arts, Romanesque, and Gothic touches along this compact stretch. However, look across the river to the Lujiazui side, and the skyline is altogether different. 

Lujiazui is the financial heart of Shanghai and has buildings that look both futuristic and retro at the same time. There is the Oriental Pearl Tower, looking like a '60s version of a space rocket that has landed by the water. The cut-out at the top of the Shanghai World Financial Center appears like a giant bottle opener. The Jin Mao Tower rises to a point like a giant ballpoint pen. And the Shanghai Tower, with its green-glass facade, twists at rises, almost as if it were a slender screw being turned.

The skyline of Australia's financial hub isn't one that awes visitors with its mouthwatering verticality or a crush of soaring towers. What Sydney does have that makes it so special is the combination of iconic sites and a web of waterways. Sydney Harbour reaches in among pockets of land like fingers pushing the coastline into sharp, pointy shapes. In between sections, towers rise, creating a heightened cityscape. 

It is a couple of world-class, instantly recognizable pieces of the urban puzzle that catch the eye. The Sydney Opera House — a UNESCO World Heritage site — is a vision in white, designed to look like a series of sails. A short distance away, the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened in March 1932 and is a landmark in steel arch bridges. Today, thrill-seekers can take a dizzying daredevil climb on the bridge and take in fabulous views of the city.

A gentle wave of mountain ridges frames the skyline of Taiwan's main city. The city is home to Taipei 101, once the world's tallest building, that rises more than 1,600 feet from the ground. When it opened in October 2003, it was the tallest tower on Earth. 

Its architecture draws on traditional influences. The number eight is a recurring theme throughout the sections of the building, showcasing an auspicious number in local culture. The demarcated levels of the building recreate the segments of a stalk of bamboo. Almost next door, Taipei Nanshan Plaza is another piece of imaginative architecture. The building has a broad base and gradually narrows as it climbs, like a mountain rising to its peak or a pair of hands clasped in prayer.

A giant Ferris wheel atop a river is one of the eye-catching sights in Tianjin, a coastal city located southeast of Beijing. The Tianjin Eye is an impressive piece of innovative design sitting on the Yongle Bridge above the Hai River. With the top of the wheel almost 400 feet above the water, the eye is both a visual treat from a distance and offers fine city views from its carriages. 

While Tianjin is home to an abandoned skyscraper of immense height (Goldin Finance 117), other structures are very much in use and lend the skyline some visual heft. Tianjin CTF Finance Centre looks both sensuous and strong, full of curves and curls, square-based but rounded at the edges to soften its shape. Other buildings in the city rise 70 stories or more.

A city with some great shopping on a futuristic island, Tokyo is a very vertical destination. Alongside the commercial skyscrapers and residential towers, views of the skyline can take in Mount Fuji, while vistas of the city will inevitably take in the spectacular Tokyo Tower. First opened in 1958, it looks like a skinnier version of the Eiffel Tower but shaded in red and white. 

From its observation deck, you will be able to see the glass towers all around. The main financial core of the city is Marunouchi, where a solid density of skyscrapers houses banks, financial institutions, and offices of multinational companies. Travelers should keep an eye out for Tokyo Skytree, a slender tower that also has an observation deck.

An easy side-trip from Niagara Falls, Toronto is Canada's largest city. It also promises visitors a thrilling skyline, one that can be seen from a distance and is beautifully reflected in the waters of Lake Ontario. The CN Tower is the most obvious cynosure for any onlooker. Rising more than 1,800 feet, it features 1,776 steps and was completed in 1976. 

You can look out across the lake and city from its observation levels (it has more than one), or for some heart-pumping excitement, take a walk along the building's edge, 116 stories above ground. By contrast, the domed Rogers Centre is soberly low-rise, but its setting close to the lake is equally scintillating. At night, when its domed roof is lit, the stadium almost looks like an alien craft ready to launch.