Europe's 10 most beautiful railway stations

If you arrive in the diamond and port city of Antwerp by train, you should definitely take the time to admire the architecture. The huge central station, which locals call the "railway cathedral," is one of the city's main attractions. When King Leopold II of Belgium saw it at its opening in 1905, he was impressed. His comment: "C'est une petite belle gare." ("It's a lovely little station").

In the same country, but in stark contrast to Antwerp: Liege-Guillemins railway station — a light-flooded futuristic structure of glass, steel and concrete. Every day 500 trains stop at the station, which is slightly outside the city center and an important junction in Europe's high speed network. It was designed by the celebrated Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

It's not just the architecture of Amsterdam's central station in the Netherlands that's impressive. It stands on three artificial islands supported by 8687 wooden piles. The neo-Gothic building was designed by the Dutch architect Petrus Cuypers, whose work consisted mainly of churches — and with its towers and embellishments, the station bears some similarity to a medieval cathedral.

The Gare de Lyon in Paris already looks impressive from the outside: a magnificent building in Belle Epoque style. But its interior is splendid as well. Two marble staircases lead up to the iconic restaurant, "Le Train Bleu". Its ornate walls feature frescoes depicting the loveliest landscapes in France. This is one train station you really shouldn't miss!

This station is a television celebrity — at least the four huge statues next to the entrance are. They often play a role in advertising campaigns and are landmarks in Helsinki. On the one hand, the building's Finnish granite gives it a massive look, and on the other, its large windows allow light to pour in. This masterpiece by the Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen was inaugurated in 1919.

The Victorian brick facade of London St. Pancras, now officially St. Pancras International, looks almost palatial. Inside, large halls with many shops and restaurants await travelers. The station is a terminus mainly for international trains. Most domestic services terminate at King's Cross, the modern station right next to it, where some scenes from the "Harry Potter" series were filmed.

With 23 platforms, a 298-meter facade and some 80,000 square meters of floor area, Leipzig's main station is considered the largest terminus in Europe. And it's more than just a railway station: here there are more than 140 shops, restaurants and services on three levels. In addition, events regularly take place in the side halls. On Sunday, many shops are open — an exception in Germany.

Budapest is rich in magnificent monumental buildings, and Keleti station is definitely one of them. Opened in 1884, in its time it was considered the most modern railway station in Europe, as it had electric light and central signaling control. Nowadays its Renaissance Revival architecture is what most impresses visitors.

Atocha railway station, built from 1888 to 1892 in Art Nouveau style, is one of Madrid's two long-distance train stations. It has a surprise for passengers: a huge tropical garden with a turtle pond and 7000 plants. It's also well worth looking upwards, because the concourse is famous for its gigantic iron and glass roof.

Beautiful stations don't always have to be big. Lisbon's Rossio station, on the square of the same name in the heart of the Portuguese capital, proves that. The small terminus with its two horseshoe-shaped entrances opened in 1890. The facade is designed in the Neo-Manueline style, a revival of the 16th century Manueline style so typical of Portugal.