We ranked the 30 most beautiful Apple stores in the world

• To understand Apple's global retail footprint, it helps to see it for yourself.
• We've compiled and ranked the most beautiful Apple stores in the world.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Apple opened its first physical retail store in 2001.

Almost 20 years later, the company now has more than 500 stores in 24 countries around the world.

In many ways, Apple stores have come to represent Apple's other devices, like iPhones and Mac computers: They are beautiful, forward-thinking, and meticulously crafted around the customer.

Many Apple stores reside in malls around the world, but some of the most beautiful stores are architectural marvels themselves. That's why we wanted to round up and rank the most beautiful Apple stores in the world.

We only had a couple of criteria for this ranking: to what extent the store's design catches your eye, and how well the store either complements, or improves upon, the surrounding local environment.

Take a look at our ranking of the most beautiful Apple stores in the world.