Mention \"Sydney, Australia\" and most people think of the Opera House. Shaped like huge shells or billowing sails, this famous building on Sydney\'s Bennelong Point graces the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is one of the world\'s great architectural icons. The location is stunning. Water surrounds the structure on three sides, and the Royal Botanic Gardens border it to the south.

Danish architect, Jørn Utzon won an international competition for its design but withdrew from the project after technical and financing problems. Construction was finally completed in 1973 at a cost ten times the original budget. By this time, Utzon had left the country never returning to see his magnificent creation.

Today, you can enjoy a performance here; dine at one of the restaurants; or take a tour of the building, which encompasses theaters, studios, a concert hall, exhibition rooms, and a cinema. But it\'s far more impressive viewed from a distance. One of the best sites to photograph the Opera House is Mrs Macquarie\'s Chair in the Royal Botanic Gardens, or you can hop aboard a harbor cruise or ferry for yet another picturesque perspective.

English speaking countries