The Little Mermaid in Copenhagen, Denmark. The cartoon movie is more fun.

OPINION: Seeing the world is one of the ultimate ways of broadening your mind.

You glimpse into foreign lands; see unique traditions, and experience the sights and sounds of local cultures.

But sometimes, just sometimes, what they regard as a must-see local attraction can turn out to be, how do I put this mildly, "disappointing".

CHRIS J RATLIFFE/GETTY Buckingham Palace "grim".

It is often not the fault of the locals - guidebooks and consumerism can drive what is regarded as an "attraction". This leads to hordes of meandering zombie-type tourists shuffling around, ticking off lists of monuments, statues and buildings.

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Paris: "must do Eiffel Tower and Mona Lisa", London: "must do Buckingham Palace and Big Ben", Sydney: "must do Opera House and Bondi".

REUTERS "The problem with the Mona Lisa is not the painting itself but the environment it is presented in."

We asked colleagues and friends which attractions they *had* to go and see, but ultimately left them feeling "is that it?"

Little Mermaid, Copenhagen, Denmark

This is my particular choice. Copenhagen is one of my favourite cities in the world. It's energetic, amazingly friendly, and easy to get around. But when people say "Copenhagen" one of the first things you picture is the "Little Mermaid" - alas, one of the world's most forgettable statues.

Before I saw it in real-life I was picturing this beautiful structure rising high in the harbour. A vision in bronze. Spoiler: It ain't. It's pretty tiny (just over a metre high) and is stuck out a long way from the city centre.

The other tourists with me were similarly underwhelmed. The headlines on TripAdvisor say it all: "Don't go out of your way for this", "An over-rated mutilated and restored or replaced figure of historical significance", or simply "Meh!" (To be fair there are positive comments too, so each to their own.)

Mona Lisa, Louvre Museum, Paris, France

"We were on a bus tour and had 30 minutes at the Louvre. So it had to be the Mona Lisa, the world's most famous painting. We ran and fast-walked down corridors until we got to a packed room and far in the distance was this tiny, tiny painting," writes Ewan Sargent.

"There were big signs saying "no flash photography". The clock was ticking. The crowd wasn't parting. Over the sea of heads, it was like looking at a postage stamp. I turned the flash off and took a photo with the camera high over my head. The flash fired and museum guards headed for us. We ran back to the bus. The photo was a blurry write-off. That was the Mona Lisa."

Fellow traveller Sebastian was also underwhelmed.

"The problem with the Mona Lisa is not the painting itself but the environment it is presented in.

"On days when tourists are likely to visit, the time, patience and frustration you need to endure to get anywhere near it ruins the experience of being in its presence. And God forbid you try to stop near it long enough to actually take in the majesty of the painting."

A post shared by Cristina (@cristinafromitaly) on Nov 11, 2017 at 4:30am PST

Juliet's balcony, Verona, Italy

Sam writes: "It's meant to be Juliet's balcony from Romeo and Juliet. Literally, just a balcony with a bunch of tourists staring."

Buckingham Palace, London, UK

"When you think "home fit for a queen" you're not imagining the grotty old pile of wee-yellow stone that is Buckingham Palace," comments Kylie Klein-Nixon.

"I'm sure it's all very flash inside, but from the cheap seats, out on the Mall, Buck House has more in common with 1970s Brutalism than the kind of place princesses are meant to live. Plus, the windows are tiny and poorly proportioned. Grim. "

A post shared by Emma Vogn Hansen (@emmavogn) on Nov 10, 2017 at 10:38am PST

The Manneken Pis, Brussels, Belgium

"A fountain with a statue of a small boy is so unremarkable that the main (and only) draw is the possibility of seeing it dressed up in a silly little costume, and even then, it would only make the 'monument' marginally more entertaining," writes an unenthused Janan Jay.

"Ok, it would make it significantly more amusing, but the 'peeing' bronze statue flying solo (and naked) is really quite anti-climatic.

"Touted as one of the 'must see' landmarks of Belgium, which is already quite thin on the ground when it comes to tourist attractions, it's tiny. Not to mention crowded. On the corner of two intersecting streets. Plus, it's surrounded by shops hawking tatty tourist-bait. Nope.

"Seriously, food is what they're good at. Go have a nice cold cherry beer on tap, and stuff yourself silly with waffles instead."

Stonehenge, UK

David writes: "They are bloody charging up to £19 ($36) for it now! Better to do a drive-by from the motorway."

Times Square, New York, US

"Wow, it's lights and terrible big-box retailers," writes Bevan.

"Hordes upon hordes of people looking at the lights and big-box retailers because they were told they have to go there to be with the hordes of people looking at the lights and the big-box retailers."

A post shared by Claire Brown (@clairebrown7355079) on Nov 6, 2017 at 7:24pm PST

The "Big" anything, Australia

"I include pineapples, bananas, sheep, guitars, dogs on letterboxes, prawns, and many more," says Mike. "Tatty, underwhelming and frankly (here goes) UGLY!"

Honourable mentions:

Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland - "unauthentic"

The Blarney Stone, Ireland - "Stand in line for half an hour as overweight foreigners struggle to the top of a Medieval staircase, all just to kiss a rock that the locals have been p...... on for years!"

Knock, also Ireland - "A modern Catholic church surrounded by cheap tat made in China!"

Government House, Parramatta, Australia

Sherwood Forest, UK - "It's one big oak in a small forest and a child orientated visitor experience."

Oxford St, Sydney, anytime except Mardi Gras

Jerusalem, Israel - "There is a miniature 3-dimensional map of key landmarks in Israel. So underwhelming."

Sistine Chapel in the Vatican - "It's a small square box."

Las Vegas, US

Barcelona, Spain - "dirty, busy, noisy and unfriendly."

Disney Land Castle in Los Angeles, US "was the biggest disappointment of my childhood - it's minuscule."

​Let us know in the comments below which attractions have similarly underwhelmed you.