Best World Castles to Visit

The U-shaped Louvre Museum is located in Paris, France. The building has been extended and renovated many times. The museum has housed generations of the French kings and emperors beginning in the 12th century and remnants of the original fortress (built for King Philippe II in 1190) can be viewed in the basement. The Louvre opened at the end of the eighteenth century and has since become most visited in the world, currently receiving over 8 million visitors each year. Before it opened as a museum, King Charles V and Philippe II chose the palace as their residence, decorating it with their ever-growing art collections, including The Mona Lisa, Liberty Leading the People and The Wedding at Cana.

Located at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand, this Grand Palace was the former residence of Thai Kings, between 1782 to 1925. Today, the palace is used for hosting royal ceremonies and welcoming the king’s guests, State guests, and other foreign dignitaries. Interestingly, the remains of kings and high-ranked members of the royal family were situated on the premises before cremation. The grand palace is divided into two main zones, which are the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the royal residence. Every visitor to Bangkok should see the magnificent buildings within the Grand Palace compound to get a feeling of the grandeur of the architectural style.

Edinburgh Castle is situated on Castle Rock in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. Castle Rock was formed after a volcano erupted over 340 million years ago. The first castle that was built on the rock was known as “The Castle of the Maidens”. This historic stronghold sheltered Scottish monarchs like Queen Margaret, Queen Mary and the Queen of Scots during times of unrest. The castle was a military base and royal residence for centuries, also serving as a jail for prisoners of war!

The Alhambra is an ancient palace, fortress, and citadel located in Granada, Spain. The site is eight-centuries-old and was named because of its red walls and towers that surrounded the citadel. In 1984, the Alhambra was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, although it has been refined and expanded on over the centuries. This hilltop palace combines fortifications, gardens, churches, and several smaller palaces, notably the Alhambra, and the Generalife, the country estate of the kings of Grenada and Andalusia. Both are remarkable examples of Islamic architecture from the Spanish medieval period.

Located in Prague, Czech Republic. This castle was founded in the 9th century and became the seat of Czech rulers and later presidents. The castle is one of the largest complexes in the world, made up of historical palaces, offices, churches, fortification buildings, gardens, and picturesque spots. Today, the Czech president lives in the castle and most areas are open to tourists who can stroll through the palace and view the Prague Castle picture gallery. The castle covers an area of 45 hectares and boasts spectacular panoramas.

Attracting over 8 million visitors a year, the Palace of Versailles is one of France’s most popular tourist destinations. With the reopening of the Queen’s Grand Apartment and the update of Louis XIVs rooms, the palace boasts exciting pursuits for its visitors. No other palace in the world can match the grandeur of Versailles’s Hall of Mirrors, dripping with chandeliers and Marie Antoinette’s bedroom, decorated with hand-stitched flowers.

This important architectural, cultural, and historic monument is located in Hietzing, Vienna, Austria. Schönbrunn palace is the most visited site in this Rococo palace, previously a summer retreat for Hapsburg emperors from the 1700s until 1918. Of the 1,441 rooms, the most famous is the Mirror Room, with white and gold Rococo decoration and an abundance of crystal mirrors,. Mozart was said to have performed his first concert at age six in this room!