Top 20 Best Sculptures in Europe to Check Out!

What are the best sculptures to see in Europe to see for a semblance of the European’s creative ingenuity? Find out more in this article.

It’s a given that Europe has seen the flourishing of art and architecture, inspiring other regions worldwide. Sure. When tourists think about Europe, they think of the impressive cathedrals, grand museums, colosseum, temples, and many other structures that showcase architectural and engineering brilliance.

But a lesser-known showcase of Europe’s grandness are its numerous sculptures dating back centuries to thousands of years ago. Here are some of them.

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Table of Contents

Best Sculptures in Europe to Visit for an Artistic Immersion 2022

Sibelius Monument (Helsinki, Finland)

The Sibelius monument is one of the most magnificent sculptures in Europe, designed by Finnish artist Eila Hiltunen. Unveiled on September 7, 1967, the structure consists of 600 acid-resistant steel pipes and with a height of 8.5 meters and a length of 10.5 meters.

The monument commemorates Jean Sibelius, a Finnish composer who is recognized globally for his contribution to the music industry.

Plan your trip with my top post about Helsinki:

Kelpies (Falkirk, Scotland)

Palm trees on a sandy beach under a cloudy sky

Located in Central Scotland, the Kelpies are ranked among the most unique sculptures in Europe. The head sculptures have a height of 30-meter, making them impressive landmarks.

The Kelpies project shape-shifting water spirits with the power of ten horses. For them, the statue is a way to acknowledge the support of horses to Scotland’s history including in economics and politics.

Plan your trip with my top post about Scotland:

Manneken Pis (Brussels, Belgium)

As elusive as it can get, the Manneken Pis statue lies in one of Europe’s most beautiful Grand Palaces called the Grand Palace of Brussels.

It’s a common question of visitors looking for the area: “Where is the little boy hiding?” When at the center of the Grand Palace, turn to your left or right and see where the tourists are going. Once you see people crowing, follow them and certainly, they will lead to the tiny statue.

A popular legend goes that when Napoleon’s army threw a bomb on this beautiful place, the boy peed to extinguish the fire, thus, saving the place from being burned down.

Plan your trip with my top post about Belgium:

Angel of the North (Gateshead, England)

Erected in 1998, the Angel of the North is considered as one of the continent’s most impressive renditions of public sculptures. Designed by Antony Gormley, it is the biggest statue in the United Kingdom, boasting of a contemporary style and massive size.

It is also dubbed as the largest angel statue in the world with a wing span of 54 meters and a height of 20 meters. It took four years to finish the project which is said to weigh over 200 tons.

Plan your trip with my top post about England:

Angry Boy (Oslo, Norway)

Vigeland Park in Oslo, Norway hosts over 200 unique sculptures and statues all designed by Gustav Vigeland, a Norwegian sculptor.

This makes the site the biggest sculpture park in the world that is established by a single sculptor. One of the famous statues in the park is the so-called Angry Boy, aptly named as such because it features a toddler boy in typical tantrum fashion.

Plan your trip with my top post about Norway:

Are you planning your travels? Here’re my top travel resources!

I’m a serial planner both in life and in travel – I have bucket lists, things to do, see, and everything. So, I always love when my life is sorted easily using tools and resources that would make my general planning a little smoother and easier. Therefore, in my many years of traveling the world, I’ve seen myself returning to these travel resources repeatedly. And here I am, sharing my tips to make your life easy and breezy so you can stress less, travel heaps, and focus on the fun part of travel!

Booking.com – I book all my hotels through this website and don’t honestly use anything else. They always have the best prices, in my opinion.
Airbnb – If I’m traveling long-term to one destination, I book my flats through Airbnb.
Skyscanner – The best place to find cheap flights on flexible dates. I use this a lot to score cheap flights within Europe!
SafetyWing – Always travel insured! Never leave your home country without one. It is worth the extra money, I promise you!
GetYourGuide – Hands-down, the best place to find cool and unique tours if you don’t feel like winging it, and go straight to a local expert. I use this a lot in new destinations to get acquainted with the area!
My Pretty Wild World Travel Diary (coming soon) – A book you can write down your travel plans, create itineraries, track down your budget, and dot down memories along the way! A handy book you can keep and read later to revisit memory lane.
Pretty Wild World Travel Planning Printables (coming soon) – Are you a nut like me when it comes to planning? Yes? Good. My travel planning resource in one zip file is an easy-to-use printable planner that comes with tips that helps you plan your travels during the planning stage, a pre-flight checklist, an itinerary planner, and so on.

The Little Mermaid (Copenhagen, Denmark)

Sitting idly on a structure facing the sea is one of the most iconic sculptures in Europe known as the Little Mermaid. Here is a more interesting fact.

Both the ugly duckling and the Little Mermaid are works of Hans Christian Andersen, a Danish novelist. Andersen underwent persistent criticisms from his contemporaries but with his children’s stories, he was able to enjoy massive success during the later part of his life.

Today, the Little Mermaid is one of the most visited attractions in Copenhagen, serving not only as a creative showcase but as a historical landmark. The construction of the sculpture was made possible by the son of the owner of Carlsberg Breweries who provided finance and commission.

Plan your trip with my top post about Denmark:

Maman (Bilbao, Spain)

Maman is a sculpture of Louise Bourgeois, a French genius who also commissioned other iconic artworks in Europe. It features a giant spider carrying its eggs.

Many spectators describe the sculpture as both sweet and ferocious, showcasing how a mother elegantly handles its eggs. There are several versions of Maman which are displayed in the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Tate Modern in London, and the Guggenheim Museum.

Plan your trip with my top post about Spain:

Trevi Fountain (Rome, Italy)

Trevi Fountain is one of Rome’s most iconic landmarks and one of the most popular sculptures in Europe. It’s a can’t-miss destination for those visiting the eternal city. Behind the fountain are various structures and sculptures showcasing heavenly characters. Among which is Oceanus together with the Goddess of Abundance and the Goddess of Health. Many spectators come here to draw luck and inspiration.

Plan your trip with my top post about Italy:

David (Florence, Italy)

Dating back more than 600 years ago, this sculpture is one of the most famous in the world, owing partly to the popularity of sculptor Michelangelo. David represents the biblical character who slain the tyrant Goliath with a slingshot.

There are different versions of the sculpture, but the original form is shown in the Galleria dell’ Accademia in Florence. Don’t miss seeing the Florence Cathedral after viewing the sculpture for a more meaningful experience.

Plan your trip with my top post about Italy:

Sanctuario de Cristo Rei (Lisbon, Portugal)

Also known as the Sanctuary of Christ the King, the monument stands majestically in Almada, Portugal. The statue takes inspiration from the globally acclaimed Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. It has an impressive height of 92 meters with a 269-foot tall platform.

The platform’s top offers breathtaking views of the Tagus River and Lisbon City. The statue was finished in 1959 but it was earlier proposed in 1940 as a way to protect Portugal from the devastating effects of World War II which ravaged most of Europe that time.

Plan your trip with my top post about Portugal :

What are my favorite travel must-haves?

As a frequent traveler, I’ve learned a lot throughout my years of travel, and there are five items that I always carry with me regardless of where I go and how long the trip is. Here are my five travel must-haves!

Warm packable jacket – I always carry a light jacket, even when heading to warm countries. There hasn’t been a time I never used it, especially in airports and planes.
Transparent toiletry bag – I often bring a carry-on if I’m only traveling within Europe for a few days. Life is so much easier to go through security checks with a transparent toiletry bag.
Kindle Paperwhite – I love a good read and always take my Kindle everywhere. It keeps me entertained during long flights and waiting times.
Powerbank – I don’t know how I could travel without one! Having a power bank saved me a ton since I carry a lot of electronic devices with me.
Travel Adapter – I never leave my luggage without a travel adapter! I carry one with me all the time. It is just one of that travel-must haves that doesn’t hurt to have in your bag at all times.

Lion Monument (Lucerne, Switzerland)

There’s not as many statues that warrant the interest of famous writers. But among these few, powerful prose and poems arose. Such is the case with the Lion Monument which inspired Mark Twain to write about it.

Also referred to as the Lion of Lucerne, the Lion Monument was built to honor the Swiss guards who perished during the French Revolution in 1972.

Plan your trip with my top post about Switzerland:

Sun Voyager (Reykjavik, Iceland)

The Sun Voyager is one of the most iconic landmarks in Reykjavik in Iceland and is one of the contemporary sculptures in Europe. It was built in 1986 to commemorate the city’s 200^th year anniversary.

There’s a sad story attached to it though since the sculptor died in 1989, a year before the sculpture was transferred to its modern location. It now lies along the shoreline on Reykjavik’s Saebraut road.

Plan your trip with my top post about Iceland:

Vénus de Milo (Paris, France)

Representing the goddess Aphrodite, Venus de Milo is globally acclaimed and is found in the Louvre Museum in Paris. It is named as such having been discovered on the Greek island of Milos during the 19^th century. The story goes that while a farmer was digging his field to find suitable stones for building walls, he accidentally discovered Venus.

Plan your trip with my top post about France:

Fountain of Neptune (Bologna, Italy)

The Fountain of Neptune lies in front of the iconic Palazzo Vecchio and dates back to 1559 when it was commissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici. It features different iconographies and mythological characters. To preserve the monument, the local authorities conducted a major restoration project in 2019 to bring back its original glory.

Plan your trip with my top post about Italy:

Molecule Man (Berlin, Germany)

Considered as one of the top modern statues in Europe, the Molecule Men is a contemporary design but with a past significance that remains applicable today. It depicts three men with hundreds of holes that represent the molecules of human beings.

Plan your trip with my top post about Germany:

Hold up! Have you thought about the importance of travel insurance?

Remember this: anything can happen. Travel is fun, but your health is more important; thus, I always, always, always recommend getting insured during the duration of your trip. I have benefitted from having one multiple times, and it has been covered for thousands of euros!

The latest one is not necessarily “health” related – it was during the peak of the unspeakable terrible C that consumed the world. I was living in Vietnam when I received an email from SafetyWing (my travel insurance) that if I want they’ll fly be back home to Finland as the world goes through a global emergency alert. I flew back fully covered, and dealing with SafetyWing was a breeze despite the roar of people in contact with them trying to get back home.

I can’t highly recommend them enough. Otherwise, I rarely get sick; hence I don’t always need to head to a hospital, but knowing that I have travel insurance makes me feel safe at the very least.

Read my post about why you should get travel insurance for more information. Otherwise, you can get a free quote from SafetyWing – they’re the best, in my opinion.

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The Statue of Dacebalus (Orsova, Romania)

The Statue of King Dacebalus is a huge structure, measuring 40 meters high and taking 10 years to complete.

He is considered the last king to rule the Dacians in the 1^st century AD. Backdropped by a towering mountain with lush forests, the statue projects a profound gaze of the king.

Interestingly, the statue was built on the entrance of a river between Romania and Serbia signifying how the king once protected the Dacians from the invading Roman armies.

Plan your trip with my top post about Romania:

Shoes on the Danube Bank (Budapest, Hungary)

Erected in April 16, 2005 along the banks of the Danube River, the said memorial aims to honor the thousands of Jews who were murdered during the Second World War.

Plan your trip with my top post about Hungary:

Freedom Monument (Riga, Latvia)

Latvia has seen numerous conquests in its history and it was only in 1918 when it achieved independence from Russia with a peace treaty signed in 2020. Following this, the people commissioned and built a monument at the heart of the capital, Riga.

Plan your trip with my top post about Latvia:

Top 10 BEST Places to Visit in Latvia

El Oso y el Madrono (Madrid, Spain)

El Oso y el Madrono literally translates to the Statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree. It is a sculpture that signifies the town’s heraldic arms and was incorporated on January 10, 1967. It was designed by Antonio Navarro Santafe.