The World’s 100 Best Palaces

A palace built as the summer residence of King Carol I of Romania, standing among the Carpathian mountains above Sinaia. Inside, carved wood, paintings, carpets and original furniture fill rooms in varied styles; outside are a freely open park and gardens.

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A restored castle in Tudor style on a steep hill above Hluboká nad Vltavou, long held by the Schwarzenberg family. Guided tours pass through furnished rooms with tapestries, chandeliers, portraits and a library, while a large free park with old trees, gardens and a fountain surrounds it.

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A hilltop sandstone fort above the blue houses of Jodhpur, founded by Rao Jodha in 1459 and entered through a series of large gates. Inside are palaces, carved courtyards, a museum of weapons and royal objects, a temple, cannons and views over the city.

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Red-brick Renaissance castle on islands in a lake in Hillerød, now housing the Danish Museum of National History. Inside are the chapel with its organ, the Great Hall, state rooms with carved ceilings and many portraits, while baroque gardens and a park surround it.

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A fortified palace complex of the Nasrid sultans on a hilltop plateau overlooking Granada, with views across the city and mountains. Visitors walk through carved and tiled palace halls, courtyards with fountains, the Alcazaba fortress and the Generalife gardens.

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Imperial summer residence of Peter the Great on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland, west of St. Petersburg, with the Grand Palace set between the Upper and Lower Parks. Inside are a grand staircase and decorated rooms; outside are gravity-fed fountains, gilded statues and seaside walks.

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A 16th-century royal hunting château built for Francis I in the Loire Valley, set in a forest reserve with deer and wild boar. Inside are a double helix staircase, furnished apartments, exhibitions and rooftop chimneys, with gardens, stables, canal boats and bike trails outside.

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Blue-and-white palace with gilded details in the town of Pushkin, about 30 km south of Saint Petersburg, used as a summer residence of the tsars. Inside are the restored Amber Room and gilded state halls, and outside a large park with ponds, a lake and pavilions.

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A castle rebuilt by Ján Pálffy stands on the edge of the spa town of Bojnice, surrounded by a park with mature trees, water and a moat, beside a zoo. Guided tours pass furnished rooms, a chapel, courtyards, a tomb and a cave.

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Former country home of Lord Armstrong near Rothbury, the first house lit by hydroelectricity, set in a hilly estate of lakes, woodland and rhododendrons. Inside are decorated rooms, fireplaces, stained glass and hydro-powered inventions, while outside lie formal gardens, trails and a six-mile Carriage Drive.

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A neo-Gothic castle of the Liechtenstein family stands in a large landscape park with lakes and canals in the Lednice-Valtice area. Guided tours cover state halls with carved ceilings and private apartments, while the grounds hold a palm greenhouse, fountains and a minaret.

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An 18th-century royal residence in Caserta, a short walk from the train station, set before a long park axis of fountains ending at a great waterfall. Inside are the Grand Staircase and frescoed royal apartments, while the grounds hold the English Garden and pools.

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A working presidential palace in Abu Dhabi's presidential complex, used for state visits and partly open to the public, with a white granite and limestone facade. Inside are the domed Great Hall, banquet rooms, a library and exhibitions, with gardens, fountains and an evening light show outside.

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Former imperial palace of the Ming and Qing emperors in central Beijing, north of Tiananmen Square, now the Palace Museum. Visitors pass through gates and ceremonial courtyards to halls on the central axis, residential palaces, gardens, and exhibitions of clocks and treasures.

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A large Indo-Saracenic palace with towers and domes stands in the centre of Mysuru and was once the seat of the Wodeyar dynasty. Visitors walk through grand halls and corridors with paintings and artifacts, and the building is lit up in the evening.

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Castle commissioned by King Ludwig II on a hill above Hohenschwangau near Füssen, with mountains and lakes around it and left unfinished. A short guided tour passes through decorated state rooms with murals and mosaic floors, ending on a balcony overlooking Hohenschwangau Castle and the lake.

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A royal palace at Versailles on the edge of Paris, once home to Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette, with vast formal gardens, fountains and a Grand Canal. Inside are gilded state rooms, ceiling paintings, the Hall of Mirrors and royal apartments, while the grounds hold the Trianons and the Queen's Hamlet.

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Former summer residence of the Habsburgs in Vienna, associated with Empress Sisi and Maria Theresa, set before large Baroque gardens rising to the Gloriette. Inside, an audio-guided route passes projection rooms and gilded Rococo state rooms; outside are fountains, a maze and hilltop views.

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A 19th-century Ottoman sultans' palace on the Bosphorus shore, in European Baroque style, with carved sea gates and waterfront gardens. Inside, decorated rooms keep their original furnishings, and visitors see the room where Atatürk died.

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A castle rebuilt around 1900 on the ruins of an older one near Haarzuilens, set in a large park with ponds and a church beside it. Inside are furnished rooms, family and staff areas, and Asian artworks; outside are gardens, a deer park and rowboats.

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This lakeside castle stands on an island in Schwerin, surrounded by water and landscaped gardens, and also houses the state parliament. Inside, a museum shows state rooms, the Throne Room and a view of the plenary hall, while the grounds hold gardens, grottoes, a courtyard and an orangery café.

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A castle complex of courtyards, palaces and a tower stands on a hill above the Vltava River bend and the old town of Český Krumlov. Guided tours cover apartments and a Baroque theatre, while the Cloak Bridge, bear moat, gardens and park are open to walk.

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Villa on the wooded Lavedo peninsula at Lenno, on Lake Como, last owned and furnished by explorer Guido Monzino. Guided tours show maps, a library and archaic art inside, while terraced gardens, a loggia and Star Wars and James Bond film spots overlook the lake.

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Former Ottoman palace on Seraglio Point above the water, a complex of pavilions and buildings around a series of courtyards with gardens, plane trees and terraces facing the sea. Inside are the Harem, the Holy Relics, the Treasury with jewels and swords, weapons, costumes and tableware.

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A Renaissance château built across the River Cher, reached by a long avenue of plane trees and known as the Ladies' Castle. Inside are furnished rooms with tapestries, paintings, fresh flower bouquets and basement kitchens, while the grounds hold gardens, a farm, a maze and woods.

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A hilltop castle in Chapultepec Forest, once the imperial residence of Maximilian and Carlota and later a presidential residence, now houses the National Museum of History. Visitors see furnished salons, carriages, murals, stained-glass windows, gardens and terraces with city views.

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A 19th-century neo-Norman castle near Bangor, built for the Pennant family from slate quarry and Jamaican plantation profits, with views over the coast and Eryri mountains. Inside are carved stone and wood, a library, Victorian kitchens; outside, walled and bog gardens, locomotives and slate demonstrations.

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A large royal palace in central Madrid, still used for state ceremonies, facing the Plaza de la Armería and Almudena Cathedral across a parade ground. Inside, visitors walk through gilded rooms with chandeliers, tapestries, clocks, a throne room and a laid state dinner table.

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Palace complex of the Mewar rulers on the bank of Lake Pichola in Udaipur, part of it still home to the royal family. Inside are courtyards, royal rooms, mirror and glass work, a museum of weapons and paintings, and balconies overlooking the lake.

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A working royal residence and one of the oldest inhabited castles, standing above the town of Windsor with the Long Walk stretching out from it. Inside are the State Apartments with paintings and armour, Queen Mary's Dolls' House and St George's Chapel, where monarchs are buried.

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Small Rococo palace built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, set among forest and mountains in the Bavarian Alps. Guided tours cover ornate rooms of gold, mirrors and porcelain, while the park holds fountains, terraces, statues and the artificial Venus Grotto.

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A French Renaissance-style mansion built by George Vanderbilt in the late 19th century, set on a large estate near Asheville with Blue Ridge mountain views. A self-guided audio tour covers the rooms and basement, and the grounds hold gardens, a conservatory, a winery and Antler Hill Village.

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Former prince-bishops' residence in Würzburg, a three-winged Baroque complex largely rebuilt after 1945 bombing damage. Inside are a grand staircase under Tiepolo's ceiling fresco, gilded halls with plaster drapery and a court church, while a large free garden with fountains lies behind.

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A hilltop fort-palace above Maota Lake in Amer, near Jaipur, built in a mix of Rajput and Mughal styles. Visitors walk through gateways, courtyards, an audience hall, frescoes and mirror mosaics, and look out over the lake and surrounding hills.

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Renaissance villa in Tivoli, near Rome, built by Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este on a steep terraced hillside. Inside are rooms with frescoed walls and ceilings and mosaics, while the gardens below hold hundreds of fountains, pools and water features.

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A large aristocratic residence in Łańcut, set in an English-style park with old trees, a moat and Italian and rose gardens. Inside are original furniture, oak floors, tiled stoves and paintings, with stables, a coach house of carriages and an orchid house outside.

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A Tudor and Baroque palace beside the River Thames on the edge of London, linked to Henry VIII and his wives. Attractions include the Great Hall, Tudor kitchens, royal apartments, paintings, gardens with fountains, a maze and the Magic Garden play area.

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A palace modelled on Versailles, built by King Ludwig II on Herreninsel island in Lake Chiemsee and reached by boat and a forest walk. A guided tour covers the gilded state rooms, about 20 of 70 finished, and the park has fountains and water features.

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Former royal residence of French kings and of Napoleon, standing about an hour from Paris beside a large forest, with interiors from several centuries. Visitors see royal apartments, a throne room, the Gallery of François I and the Napoleon I Museum, then gardens, a carp pond and a park.

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A neo-Baroque palace of the Princes von Pless in Pszczyna, beside the market square and surrounded by a large park with paths along the water. Inside, rooms keep about 80% of their original furniture, art, ceramics and hunting trophies, with an armory and stables exhibitions nearby.

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Hilltop castle above Hechingen, ancestral seat of the Hohenzollern dynasty and still owned by the family, with views over the surrounding countryside. Visitors walk through rooms with paintings, furniture and armour, a treasury, casemates and a courtyard with a beer garden.

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A French Renaissance-style château built for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the Buckinghamshire countryside near Aylesbury, surrounded by gardens and parkland. Inside are ornate rooms filled with paintings, furniture and clocks, while the grounds hold an aviary, woodland walks and a children's playground.

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Gothic palace beside St. Mark's Basilica on St. Mark's Square, once the seat of the Doges, government, courts and prison of the Venetian Republic. Inside are gilded halls with Tintoretto and Veronese paintings, an armory, a central courtyard, and prison cells reached across the Bridge of Sighs.

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A brightly painted hilltop palace above Sintra, mixing Neo-Gothic, Moorish and Indian-inspired styles, surrounded by a large forested park with views to the ocean. Visitors file through a short interior route of royal rooms, then walk the terraces, ramparts, gardens and trails.

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Former Qing imperial summer retreat in Beijing, built by Emperor Qianlong for his mother and later used by Empress Dowager Cixi, set around Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill. Visitors walk painted corridors, climb to temples, cross stone bridges and take boats across the lake.

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Former residence of the Dalai Lamas and seat of Tibetan government, the red and white palace rises on Red Hill above Lhasa at about 3,700 metres. A long stair climb leads to dim halls with murals, golden Buddha statues, tombs and private quarters.

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A white 19th-century castle built for Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg and Charlotte of Belgium, standing on a rocky promontory above the Gulf of Trieste. Inside are rooms with original furnishings and later Duke of Aosta apartments; outside lie a large free park, terraces and a small harbour.

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Hilltop estate above the coast at San Simeon, built for William Randolph Hearst and designed by architect Julia Morgan. Guided tours pass through rooms filled with art and artifacts, libraries and bedrooms, then out to gardens, ocean views and two pools.

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A royal palace complex in central Seville, still used by the Spanish royal family, mixing Mudéjar, Gothic and Renaissance styles. Inside are courtyards, tiled rooms, carved plasterwork and wooden ceilings; outside, large gardens with fountains, orange trees and roaming peacocks.

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Baroque royal residence of King Jan III Sobieski on the southern outskirts of Warsaw, surrounded by terraced gardens, a lake and parkland. Inside, royal apartments hold paintings, furniture, clocks and Chinese porcelain, while the park hosts summer Shakespeare performances and winter light shows.

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Former residence of Prince Mohamed Ali on Manial el-Roda Island in Cairo, built from 1901 in a mix of Islamic styles within a walled garden. Visitors see a mosque, a hunting museum, a throne room with portraits, and tiled, decorated residence rooms.

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Royal palace complex in Bangkok's old city, founded in 1782 by King Rama I, with gilded spires, tiered roofs and decorated buildings. Visitors walk open courtyards past murals and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, though many buildings stay closed.

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A Renaissance fortress and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Øresund strait at Helsingør, facing Sweden, known as the setting of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Inside are largely bare halls with interactive banquet rooms, dress-up and Hamlet performances, plus dark underground casemates, a climbable tower and walks along the ramparts.

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A pentagonal Farnese palace, first built as a fortress and later turned into a residence, stands above the village of Caprarola. Inside are a circular courtyard, a spiral staircase and frescoed rooms; outside, Italian gardens, fountains, a grotto and a rose garden climb to an upper pleasure house.

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A Baroque palace of the Borromeo family on Isola Bella in Lake Maggiore, reached by boat from Stresa. Inside are frescoed rooms with paintings, tapestries and period furniture, plus pebble-lined grottoes below; outside, terraced Italian gardens with statues and white peacocks.

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Royal residence on an island on Lake Mälaren, reached from Stockholm by boat, bus or metro, where the King and Queen live in one wing. Visitors see rooms with portraits and painted ceilings, Baroque and English gardens, a Chinese Pavilion and a historic theatre.

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This 19th-century palace of the Muhammad Ali dynasty in central Cairo served as a seat of government and stands among traditional neighbourhoods. Visitors tour museum sections displaying weapons, medals, silverware and presidential gifts, and walk a well-kept garden.

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A Baroque and Rococo palace in Brühl, next to the train station and within easy reach of Cologne and Bonn, set in formal French-style gardens. Guided tours lead through decorated halls and a grand staircase, and a park path continues to Falkenlust hunting lodge.

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A 17th-century villa of the Hachijo-no-miya princely family, standing on the west bank of the Katsura River in Kyoto and managed by the Imperial Household Agency. Guided groups walk a strolling garden around a central pond, past bridges, stone lanterns, stepping-stone paths and teahouses.

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A Qajar-era royal palace complex in central Tehran, next to the Grand Bazaar and Arg Square, once the residence of the Qajar shahs. Halls hold mirror work, tilework, stucco and museum collections, set around courtyards and gardens with fountains.

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This Gothic royal residence of the kings of Navarre, linked to Charles III, stands in the centre of Olite and was largely rebuilt after a fire. Visitors walk through courtyards, galleries, a cloister and largely empty halls, then climb spiral staircases to tower tops with views over the town.

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This 18th-century Baroque palace in the Latvian countryside near Bauska, designed by Rastrelli, was the summer residence of the Dukes of Courland. Visitors see restored halls, private apartments and exhibitions, then walk a French formal garden with a fountain and rose collection.

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A 17th-century château near Melun built for Nicolas Fouquet, with architecture by Le Vau, painted interiors by Le Brun and formal gardens by Le Nôtre. Visitors tour richly decorated rooms with an audio guide, climb the dome, and walk or drive the gardens to the Hercules statue.

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This château with many turrets is said to have inspired Charles Perrault's Sleeping Beauty, and is privately owned and maintained by the family. Visitors see furnished rooms with tapestries and paintings, Sleeping Beauty scenes in the tower, attics and ramparts, and a chapel, cellars, prison and stables, along with gardens and cedars.

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Palace near Woodstock where Winston Churchill was born, set in vast grounds with lakes, lawns and long walking trails. Inside are state rooms with tapestries, porcelain and portraits, a Churchill exhibition and the Long Library, while the grounds hold a cascade, maze, walled garden and butterfly house.

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A castle of the Sutherland family stands on raised ground above the sea near Golspie, with French-style architecture and turrets. Inside are furnished rooms, a library, portraits and china, while the grounds hold walled gardens, a falconry display and a taxidermy museum.

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A Renaissance palace of rusticated stone in the Oltrarno district south of the Arno, bought by the Medici in 1549 and later home to other ruling families. Inside are painting galleries with frescoed vaults, royal apartments, fashion and modern art museums, with the Boboli Gardens behind.

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A turreted castle with red roofs in Cesvaine, built in the 1890s for the Wulf family and later a school, still under restoration after a 2002 fire. Inside are stucco ceilings, fireplaces, tiled stoves and art exhibitions, with a tower, basement, park and forest paths.

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A Joseon Dynasty royal palace from 1405 in central Seoul, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose wooden halls follow the hilly terrain rather than a symmetrical axis. Visitors pass through gates and courtyards to the throne hall, royal residential quarters and a rear garden with ponds and pavilions.

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A 19th-century palace in Catete, Rio de Janeiro, once an aristocratic residence and later the presidential seat, now houses the Museum of the Republic. Inside are frescoed ceilings, stained glass and Getúlio Vargas' pajamas; behind lies a garden with a lake, grotto and ducks.

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Royal palace in central London, fronted by black and gold gates and the white marble Victoria Memorial, where crowds gather for the Changing of the Guard. Visitors tour the State Rooms with an audio guide, see royal treasures and dinner sets, and walk the garden to a café.

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A castle in Alnwick, Northumberland, home of the Percy family, Dukes of Northumberland, who live there in winter, and a filming location for the Harry Potter films. Inside are State Rooms with a library, paintings and a kitchen; outside are grounds, broomstick lessons and Dragon Quest.

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A Neo-Manueline estate in Sintra with a small, ornate palace of towers, pinnacles and gargoyles set in hilly, forested gardens. Inside are tiles and woodwork, while the grounds hold the Initiation Well, caves, tunnels, waterfalls, lakes, towers and winding paths.

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Former Habsburg residence and seat of power in central Vienna, a complex of wings, courtyards and domes around Michaelerplatz and Heldenplatz. Inside are the Imperial Apartments, the Sisi Museum and the Spanish Riding School, with free-to-walk courtyards and adjacent parks.

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Neo-Gothic castle in the Central Bohemian region, once home to the Auersperg family, with towers, a courtyard and a park beside a white deer game reserve. Guided circuits pass furnished salons, armour and weapon collections, leather wallpapers and a working castle kitchen.

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Built in 1395 as the main palace of the Joseon Dynasty, this reconstructed royal complex stands in central Seoul against Mt. Bugaksan. Through Gwanghwamun Gate lie throne halls, courtyards, gardens and pavilions over ponds, with a guard-changing ceremony at the gate.

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The former summer palace of Emperor Dom Pedro II stands in Petrópolis and now houses the Imperial Museum, surrounded by a large garden with trees and birds. Inside, rooms keep 19th-century furniture, paintings, the imperial crown and mantle, and a pavilion holds period carriages.

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A white hilltop castle in the Zagorje hills, once home to the Drašković nobility, rises above a lake ringed by forest and a landscaped park. Inside, rooms hold period furniture, paintings, knightly armour, weapons, stoves and a preserved kitchen.

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A castle on a hill above the town of Arundel in West Sussex, still the family home of the Duke of Norfolk, with a Norman keep and medieval gatehouse. Inside are grand rooms, bedrooms, paintings, armour and furniture; outside are formal, rose and water gardens and a chapel.

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Castle in central Kyoto built in 1603 by Tokugawa Ieyasu as the shogun's residence, later the site of the restoration of imperial rule in 1867. Visitors walk through the Ninomaru Palace's painted rooms and nightingale floors, the Honmaru Palace, gardens, stone walls and moat.

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Official residence of the Swedish monarch, this Baroque palace stands at the northern edge of Gamla Stan in Stockholm. Inside are the Royal Apartments, state rooms, the Treasury with royal crowns and the Tre Kronor Museum in the cellar, while the changing of the guard fills the Outer Courtyard.

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Neo-Gothic country house on the Isle of Bute, the ancestral home of the Marquesses of Bute, set in wooded grounds running down to the shore. Inside are a marble hall, stained glass, ceilings and paintings; outside are gardens, forest walks and a beach.

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Baroque palace built in the 18th century for the Grassalkovich family in Gödöllő, about 25–30 km from Budapest, later a residence of Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth (Sissi). Inside are furnished rooms, paintings and a Sissi exhibition; outside are a courtyard café and a large park.

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A walled castle complex of historic buildings, churches and courtyards on a hill above Prague, with views over the city's red roofs. Inside are St. Vitus Cathedral with its stained glass, the Old Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica and the small houses of Golden Lane.

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A country house of the Devonshire family set in parkland near Bakewell in the Peak District, with deer and sheep on the grounds. Inside are painted ceilings, sculpture, tapestries, paintings and a library, while the gardens hold a rockery, maze, ponds and a farmyard.

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Castle on Castle Square at the edge of Warsaw's Old Town, destroyed in World War II and rebuilt using surviving fragments and plans. Inside are gilded royal apartments with furniture and paintings by Canaletto, Matejko and Rembrandt, plus a courtyard and terraced gardens above the Vistula.

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Former residence of the House of Savoy on Piazza Castello in central Turin, part of the Royal Museums complex. Visitors see decorated royal apartments with painted ceilings, the Royal Armoury, the Sabauda Gallery, the Chapel of the Holy Shroud and the gardens.

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Single-storey Rococo summer palace of Frederick the Great, set above terraced vineyards in a large park in Potsdam. Inside are decorated rooms with paintings and original furniture; the grounds hold the king's tomb, a windmill, the Chinese House and other palaces.

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Former residence of the Polish royal family on Wawel Hill in Kraków, set beside the cathedral above the Vistula River. Inside are state rooms, royal apartments, tapestries and art collections, with courtyards, a treasury, armoury and the cathedral crypts and bell tower nearby.

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A neoclassical former royal residence stands in the hills of Ajuda above Belém, with an unfinished west wing and exterior restoration under way. Inside are furnished state rooms, private apartments, porcelain, silverware, chandeliers, painted ceilings and a servants' kitchen.

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The former home of the Yusupov princes stands on the Moika River in St Petersburg. Visitors follow routes through gilded halls with chandeliers, original furniture and paintings, see the family's home theatre, and visit an exhibit on Rasputin's murder.

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A Renaissance red-brick castle built by Christian IV as a summer residence, standing in the King's Garden in central Copenhagen. Rooms hold paintings, tapestries and furniture, the basement treasury displays the crown jewels, and the free park has a moat and paths.

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A royal castle on a rocky promontory above the Loire, overlooking the town of Amboise and the river from its terraces. Inside are furnished period rooms and history panels, while the grounds hold gardens and the chapel with Leonardo da Vinci's tomb.

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This large noble residence in Keszthely near Lake Balaton has a wide courtyard, a park with fountains, and outbuildings housing exhibitions. Inside are furnished historic rooms, a dining hall and a library, with coaches, a hunting exhibition and model railways nearby.

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A castle with origins in the 13th century, home of the Hochberg family for over 400 years, set in woodland and parkland near Wałbrzych. Visitors see restored halls and family exhibitions, the underground tunnels, terraced gardens, stables and a palm house.

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Renaissance palace designed by Giulio Romano for Federico II Gonzaga, standing about 1.5 km from Mantua's historic centre amid gardens. Frescoed rooms with coffered ceilings and classical myths lead to the Hall of the Giants, with courtyards, a garden and an upper-floor coin collection.

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A moated château in Chantilly, associated with the Duke of Aumale, set in a large park beside the Great Stables. Inside are painting galleries including works by Raphael, furnished apartments and a library, while the grounds hold French and English gardens, a hamlet and animals.

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A castle with roofed towers perched on a rock above a canyon in Segovia, reached through a garden with old trees and benches. Inside are decorated halls with ornate ceilings, suits of armour, a museum and a tower climb with views.

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This Savoy hunting lodge, designed by Filippo Juvarra from 1729 on a St Andrew's cross plan, stands on the outskirts of Turin under a bronze stag on its dome. Inside are frescoed rooms with period furniture and a domed central hall, and outside lies a lawned garden being replanted.

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A vast complex of over 500 rooms, courtyards and gardens in Mantua, home of the Gonzaga family and joined to the Castle of San Giorgio. Inside are frescoed halls, painted ceilings, tapestries, Roman busts, a coin collection and Mantegna's Bridal Chamber.

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