The World’s 100 Best Palaces · 2026
The Best Palaces in France
8 of the 100 palaces in The World’s 100 Best Palaces 2026 are in France. The highest placed is Château de Chambord in Chambord, at number 7 in the world. Palace of Versailles in Versailles (number 17) and Château de Chenonceau in Chenonceaux (number 25) follow.
Around Paris
Versailles has the Hall of Mirrors, the Trianons and the Queen's Hamlet in its grounds. Fontainebleau was a residence of French kings and of Napoleon. Vaux-le-Vicomte near Melun was built for Nicolas Fouquet with gardens by Le Nôtre. Chantilly is a moated château with painting galleries, next to the Great Stables.
Loire Valley
Chambord is a 16th-century hunting château with a double helix staircase, set in a forest reserve. Chenonceau is built across the River Cher. The Château Royal d'Amboise stands above the Loire and holds the chapel with Leonardo da Vinci's tomb. Château d'Ussé is privately owned and shows Sleeping Beauty scenes in its tower.
Palaces
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N° 7
Château de Chambord
Chambord
Château
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N° 17
Palace of Versailles
Versailles
Palace -
N° 25
Château de Chenonceau
Chenonceaux
Château -
N° 39
Château de Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Château -
N° 63
Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
Maincy
Château -
N° 64
Château d'Ussé
Rigny-Ussé
Château -
N° 93
Château Royal d'Amboise
Amboise
Château -
N° 97
Château de Chantilly
Chantilly
Château
Best by region
- The NordicsFrederiksborg CastleHillerød, DenmarkN° 4
- EuropePeleș CastleSinaia, RomaniaN° 1
- AsiaMehrangarh FortJodhpur, IndiaN° 3
- The Middle EastQasr Al WatanAbu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesN° 13
- North AmericaChapultepec CastleMexico City, MexicoN° 26
- Latin AmericaCatete PalaceRio de Janeiro, BrazilN° 70