Castles & Palaces
Europe's most beautiful castles and palaces

Europe's Most Beautiful
Castles & Palaces

Visitor guides, tours and itineraries for 700+ historic sites across Europe.

Explore All Castles

Editor's Picks

Featured Castles

The Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, with gilded arches and chandeliers reflected in 357 mirrors
UNESCO

france · Île-de-France

Palace of Versailles

The palace that defined royal ambition for three centuries

From €22Explore →
Topkapi Palace's Imperial Gate with the domes of the Treasury visible and the Bosphorus in the background
UNESCO

turkey · Istanbul

Topkapi Palace

The seat of the Ottoman Empire for 400 years — a city within a city at the meeting point of three seas

From €68Explore →
Carcassonne's double ring of towers and ramparts rising above the Languedoc plain at sunset
UNESCO

france · Occitanie

Carcassonne

The largest medieval walled city in Europe — two kilometres of ramparts rising from the plains of Languedoc

From €13Explore →
Mont-Saint-Michel rising from the tidal bay of Normandy at high tide, surrounded by sea at dawn
UNESCO

france · Normandy

Mont-Saint-Michel

The tidal island-fortress rising from the sea that has defined French Gothic architecture for a thousand years

From €13Explore →
The Tower of London with Tower Bridge visible behind it at dusk, reflected in the Thames
UNESCO

england · Greater London

Tower of London

A thousand years of royal history — palace, prison, treasury and fortress on the Thames

From €43Explore →
The Court of the Lions in the Nasrid Palaces of the Alhambra, Granada, with its famous 12-lion marble fountain
UNESCO

spain · Andalusia

Alhambra

The finest Islamic palace in the world, carved in light and water

From €28Explore →
Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral rising above the Vltava river and red rooftops of Malá Strana
UNESCO

czech republic · Bohemia

Prague Castle

The world's largest ancient castle complex, rising above a thousand years of Czech history

From €19Explore →
Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna from the Gloriette, with formal gardens stretching toward the ochre Baroque facade
UNESCO

austria · Vienna

Schönbrunn Palace

Vienna's imperial summer palace, where Mozart played and Sisi reigned

From €15Explore →
The Hofburg Palace's grand Michaelertor entrance facade in central Vienna, with its imperial dome and statuary against a clear sky

austria · Vienna

Hofburg Palace

700 years of Habsburg rule compressed into one living palace at the absolute centre of imperial Vienna

From €52Explore →
View all castles →

Explore by Destination

Browse by Country

Berat Castle's Ottoman-era towers above the Osum River

Albania

Schönbrunn Palace gardens with Vienna skyline in the background

Austria

Belgium castles thumbnail

Belgium

Počitelj citadel rising above the Neretva River

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Tsarevets Fortress hilltop at sunset in Veliko Tarnovo

Bulgaria

Dubrovnik city walls and Adriatic Sea at sunset

Croatia

Kolossi Castle in the Cypriot countryside

Cyprus

Prague Castle overlooking the Vltava River and Charles Bridge

Czech Republic

Denmark castles thumbnail

Denmark

England castles thumbnail

England

Narva Castle on the banks of the Narva River

Estonia

Turku Castle medieval towers on the Aura River

Finland

Château de Chambord reflected in the Loire River at dawn

France

Georgia's Ananuri Fortress on the Aragvi River

Georgia

Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian Alps in autumn

Germany

The Rock of Gibraltar — British Overseas Territory at the entrance to the Mediterranean

Gibraltar

Rhodes medieval city walls overlooking the Aegean

Greece

Hungary castles thumbnail

Hungary

Ireland castles thumbnail

Ireland

Castle Rushen limestone keep in Castletown, Isle of Man

Isle of Man

Italy castles thumbnail

Italy

Prizren Fortress above the city of Prizren, Kosovo

Kosovo

Turaida Castle towers rising above the Gauja valley

Latvia

Trakai Island Castle reflected in Lake Galvė

Lithuania

Vianden Castle perched above the Our river valley

Luxembourg

Fort St. Angelo above Grand Harbour, Malta

Malta

Soroca Fortress on the Dniester River, northern Moldova

Moldova

Prince's Palace of Monaco — the Grimaldi fortress on Le Rocher

Monaco

Stari Bar fortress ruins in coastal Montenegro

Montenegro

Netherlands castles thumbnail

Netherlands

Samuel's Fortress on the hills above Ohrid Lake

North Macedonia

Dunluce Castle cliffs on the Antrim coast

Northern Ireland

Norway castles thumbnail

Norway

Malbork Castle's brick towers reflected in the Nogat River

Poland

Portugal castles thumbnail

Portugal

Bran Castle in Transylvania at dusk, Romania

Romania

Guaita Tower and Mount Titano, Republic of San Marino

San Marino

Eilean Donan Castle on Loch Duich in the Scottish Highlands

Scotland

Golubac Fortress towers on the Danube

Serbia

Bojnice Castle fairy-tale towers in central Slovakia

Slovakia

Slovenia castles thumbnail

Slovenia

The Alhambra palace complex overlooking Granada at golden hour

Spain

Drottningholm Palace reflected on Lake Mälaren

Sweden

Switzerland castles thumbnail

Switzerland

Yedikule Fortress walls in Istanbul at dusk

Turkey

Wales castles thumbnail

Wales

Top Rated on GetYourGuide

Featured Castle Tours

The Alhambra palace complex rising above Granada with the Sierra Nevada behind
Half Day · 3 hours

Granada: Alhambra & Nasrid Palaces Skip-the-Line Guided Tour

Spain's most visited monument — and the most perfect palace complex ever built

4.7
(21,506)

From €47

View Tour
Eilean Donan Castle reflected in the still waters of Loch Duich at dawn
Full Day · 13 hours

Loch Ness, Glencoe & Scottish Highlands Day Trip from Edinburgh

Eilean Donan Castle, the mysterious Loch Ness, and the wild Glencoe valley in one epic day

4.7
(18,856)

From £77

View Tour
The Palace of Versailles garden facade reflected in the ornamental canal at golden hour
Half Day · 4–5 hours

Palace of Versailles Skip-the-Line Half-Day Trip from Paris

The Sun King's masterpiece — the grandest palace ever built, one hour from Paris

4.5
(28,400)

From €165

View Tour
Windsor Castle Round Tower reflected in the Thames on a clear morning
Full Day · 12 hours

Windsor Castle, Stonehenge & Bath Day Trip from London

Britain's oldest royal residence, the world's most famous prehistoric monument, and a Georgian spa city — all in one day

4.5
(22,100)

From £85

View Tour
Edinburgh Castle perched on its volcanic rock above the city at dusk
Half Day · 1.5 hours

Edinburgh Castle: Guided History Tour with Entry Ticket

Scotland's most visited attraction — a thousand years of royal history on an extinct volcano above the city

4.8
(10,369)

From £48.88

View Tour
Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral rising above the Vltava river at dusk
Half Day · 2.5 hours

Prague Castle Small Group Tour with Local Guide & Entry Tickets

The largest ancient castle complex in the world — 1,000 years of Bohemian history on a hill above the Vltava

4.7
(11,049)

From €52

View Tour
Château de Chenonceau spanning the Cher river in the Loire Valley at dawn
Full Day · 12–13 hours

Loire Valley Castles Day Trip from Paris — Chambord, Chenonceau & More

The greatest concentration of Renaissance châteaux in the world — just 90 minutes from Paris

4.5
(14,200)

From €90

View Tour
Pena Palace rising above the forest of Sintra in vivid yellow and red
Full Day · 8–9 hours

Sintra, Pena Palace & Quinta da Regaleira Day Trip from Lisbon

Portugal's most magical palaces — a fairy-tale hilltop village just 40 minutes from Lisbon

4.6
(9,400)

From €52

View Tour
Warwick Castle's medieval towers reflected in the River Avon on a clear morning
Full Day · 12 hours

Warwick Castle, Stratford-upon-Avon & Oxford Day Trip from London

England's finest medieval castle, Shakespeare's birthplace, and Britain's oldest university — all in one extraordinary day

4.4
(14,200)

From £87

View Tour
View all tours →

Castle Photography Every Day

Follow @castlespalacesfor daily inspiration from Europe's most spectacular historic sites.

Follow on Instagram