The World’s 100 Best Palaces · 2026
The Best Palaces in Spain
5 of the 100 palaces in The World’s 100 Best Palaces 2026 are in Spain. The highest placed is Alhambra in Granada, at number 5 in the world. Royal Palace of Madrid in Madrid (number 28) and Royal Alcázar of Seville in Seville (number 49) follow.
Andalusia
The Alhambra in Granada is the fortified palace complex of the Nasrid sultans, with carved and tiled halls, the Alcazaba fortress and the Generalife gardens. The Royal Alcázar of Seville mixes Mudéjar, Gothic and Renaissance styles and is still used by the Spanish royal family.
Castile and Navarre
The Royal Palace of Madrid is still used for state ceremonies; visitors see the throne room and the Royal Armory. The Alcázar de Segovia stands on a rock above a canyon and has a tower of 152 steps. The Royal Palace of Olite was the residence of the kings of Navarre and was largely rebuilt after a fire.
Palaces
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