BEST CASTLES
Fortresses and palaces that shaped history
Medieval castles, royal palaces, and fortified cities — each with a distinct story to tell.
Austria
Hohensalzburg Fortress
Salzburg, Austria
A hilltop fortress overlooking Salzburg, built by the city's prince-archbishops. One of the largest fully preserved medieval castles in Europe, it was never taken by force.
Schönbrunn Palace
Vienna, Austria
The Baroque summer residence of the Habsburg emperors, set amid vast formal gardens. Its many rooms and grounds make it one of Vienna's most-visited cultural landmarks.
Belgium
Gravensteen
Ghent, Belgium
A moated stone castle in the heart of Ghent, once the seat of the Counts of Flanders. Restored around 1900, it preserves ramparts, a keep, and displays of medieval weaponry.
Canada
Château Frontenac
Quebec City, Canada
A grand château-style railway hotel overlooking the St. Lawrence River, built by the Canadian Pacific Railway. Its turreted profile dominates the skyline of Old Quebec.
China
Forbidden City
Beijing, China
The immense walled palace complex of the Ming and Qing emperors at the heart of Beijing. Now the Palace Museum, it is among the largest surviving ancient wooden structures on earth.
Croatia
Lovrijenac Fortress
Dubrovnik, Croatia
A fortress rising on a sheer rock outside Dubrovnik's western walls, long defending the city from land and sea attack. It gained wider fame as a Game of Thrones filming location.
Czech Republic
Karlštejn Castle
Karlštejn, Czech Republic
A hilltop Gothic castle founded by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV to safeguard the imperial regalia and holy relics. Its Chapel of the Holy Cross is richly decorated with gilding and gemstones.
Prague Castle
Prague, Czech Republic
One of the largest ancient castle complexes in the world, it has served as the seat of Bohemian kings and Czech heads of state. St. Vitus Cathedral rises at its centre.
Denmark
Frederiksborg Castle
Hillerød, Denmark
A grand Renaissance palace built across three islets in a lake for King Christian IV. Rebuilt after an 1859 fire, it now houses the Museum of National History.
Kronborg Castle
Helsingør, Denmark
A Renaissance fortress guarding the narrow sound between Denmark and Sweden. It is world-famous as Elsinore, the setting of Shakespeare's play Hamlet.
Egypt
Citadel of Saladin
Cairo, Egypt
A medieval Islamic fortification begun by Saladin to defend Cairo. It dominated the city for centuries and is crowned by the 19th-century alabaster Mosque of Muhammad Ali.
Ethiopia
Finland
France
Cité de Carcassonne
Carcassonne, France
A double-walled fortified town in southern France with roots in Roman and medieval defences, heavily restored in the 19th century. Its ring of towers is a landmark of military architecture.
Château de Chambord
Chambord, France
The largest château in the Loire Valley, built as a hunting lodge for King Francis I. Its French Renaissance design features a celebrated double-helix staircase.
Château de Chenonceau
Chenonceaux, France
A Renaissance château famed for its gallery arching across the River Cher on a series of stone bridges. Shaped by a succession of women, it is nicknamed the Château des Dames.
Château d'If
Marseille, France
An island fortress in the bay of Marseille, later used as a notorious state prison. It is best known as a setting in Alexandre Dumas's novel The Count of Monte Cristo.
Château de Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau, France
A sprawling royal palace used by French monarchs from the Middle Ages to Napoleon, reflecting centuries of additions. Its Renaissance interiors and gallery are especially renowned.
Mont Saint-Michel
Normandy, France
A fortified island abbey rising from tidal flats off the Normandy coast, crowned by a medieval Benedictine monastery. Dramatic tides isolate it from the mainland at high water.
Château de Versailles
Versailles, France
The lavish royal residence of Louis XIV and later French kings, a defining symbol of absolute monarchy. It is famed for its Hall of Mirrors and formal gardens.
Château de Villandry
Villandry, France
One of the last great Renaissance châteaux of the Loire Valley, best known for its meticulously reconstructed geometric gardens, including an ornamental vegetable garden.
Germany
Burg Eltz
Wierschem, Germany
A medieval castle nestled in a forested valley near the Moselle, never destroyed and owned by the same family for over 800 years. Its clustered towers make it a picture-book fortress.
Heidelberg Castle
Heidelberg, Germany
A partly ruined Renaissance palace of the Electors Palatine, set on a hillside above the old town. Its red-sandstone ruins are a celebrated icon of German Romanticism.
Hohenzollern Castle
Bisingen, Germany
The ancestral seat of the Hohenzollern dynasty, which produced Prussian kings and German emperors. The present Neo-Gothic structure crowns a solitary hilltop in the Swabian Alps.
Neuschwanstein Castle
Schwangau, Germany
A Romantic-era palace commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and left unfinished at his death. Its fairy-tale silhouette inspired Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle.
Ghana
Hungary
Buda Castle
Budapest, Hungary
The historic palace of the Hungarian kings on Castle Hill above the Danube. Repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, it now houses national museums and the Hungarian National Gallery.
India
Agra Fort
Agra, India
A walled Mughal fortress-city in red sandstone rebuilt under Emperor Akbar, later enriched with marble palaces. It overlooks the Yamuna River and the nearby Taj Mahal.
Amber Fort
Jaipur, India
A hilltop fort-palace of the Rajput rulers of Amber, built in pale sandstone and marble. It is celebrated for its terraced courtyards and mirror-inlaid Sheesh Mahal.
Mehrangarh Fort
Jodhpur, India
A massive hilltop fort of the Rathore rulers, rising on a cliff high above Jodhpur. Its ramparts overlook the blue-painted houses of the old city and enclose ornate palaces.
Red Fort
Delhi, India
The red-sandstone fortress-palace of the Mughal emperors in Delhi, built by Shah Jahan. A symbol of the empire, it is where India's prime minister addresses the nation each Independence Day.
Ireland
Dublin Castle
Dublin, Ireland
For centuries the seat of British rule in Ireland, now a government complex used for state ceremonies. It combines a medieval tower with grand Georgian state apartments.
Kilkenny Castle
Kilkenny, Ireland
An Anglo-Norman stronghold that was long the seat of the powerful Butler family. Remodelled over the centuries, it now anchors extensive public parkland in the city centre.
Italy
Castel Sant'Angelo
Rome, Italy
A towering cylindrical monument on the Tiber, begun as the mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian and later converted into a papal fortress and prison, linked to the Vatican by a fortified passage.
Castello Sforzesco
Milan, Italy
A large brick fortress rebuilt by the Sforza dukes of Milan on earlier Visconti foundations. It now holds several city museums, including works linked to Leonardo and Michelangelo.
Japan
Himeji Castle
Himeji, Japan
Japan's finest surviving feudal castle, nicknamed the White Heron for its brilliant white plaster. Its interlocking defensive walls and gates have survived intact for centuries.
Kumamoto Castle
Kumamoto, Japan
A large hilltop castle built by lord Kato Kiyomasa, famed for its steeply curved stone walls designed to repel attackers. It is counted among Japan's three great castles.
Matsumoto Castle
Matsumoto, Japan
One of Japan's oldest surviving wooden keeps, nicknamed the Crow Castle for its black exterior. It is a flatland castle ringed by a moat against a backdrop of the Japanese Alps.
Nijo Castle
Kyoto, Japan
The Kyoto palace of the Tokugawa shoguns, encircled by stone walls and a broad moat. Its rooms feature elaborately painted sliding screens, and its corridors have intentionally squeaky floors designed to detect intruders.
Osaka Castle
Osaka, Japan
A landmark castle first built by warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, set on immense stone walls and a broad moat. The present main keep is a 20th-century reconstruction housing a museum.
Lithuania
Trakai Island Castle
Trakai, Lithuania
A Gothic brick castle set on an island in Lake Galvė, a former seat of the grand dukes of Lithuania. Restored in the 20th century, it is reached by footbridges across the water.
Luxembourg
Vianden Castle
Vianden, Luxembourg
A large Romanesque and Gothic palace of the counts of Vianden, perched above the Our River valley. Sold off and stripped in the 19th century, it was returned to the Luxembourg state and meticulously restored over three decades.
Mexico
Chapultepec Castle
Mexico City, Mexico
A hilltop castle in Mexico City's Chapultepec park, later the residence of Emperor Maximilian I and Mexican presidents. It is the only true castle in North America to have housed sovereigns.
Morocco
Aït Benhaddou
Ouarzazate, Morocco
A fortified earthen village of clustered kasbahs along a former caravan route at the edge of the Sahara. Its rammed-earth towers have featured in numerous films and series.
Netherlands
Muiderslot
Muiden, Netherlands
A compact square castle with a round tower at each corner, encircled by a water moat near Amsterdam. Built by Count Floris V, it is the most complete and best-preserved medieval castle in the Netherlands.
Poland
Malbork Castle
Malbork, Poland
A vast brick fortress built by the Teutonic Knights as their headquarters. It is considered the largest castle in the world by land area and a masterpiece of Gothic brickwork.
Portugal
Castelo de São Jorge
Lisbon, Portugal
A Moorish-era hilltop castle overlooking Lisbon and the Tagus River. It later became a royal residence and today offers some of the widest panoramic views over the city.
Pena Palace
Sintra, Portugal
A vividly coloured Romanticist palace built for the Portuguese royal family on a wooded hilltop above Sintra. It blends Gothic, Moorish, and Renaissance revival styles.
Romania
Bran Castle
Brașov, Romania
A hilltop fortress guarding a Transylvanian mountain pass, widely marketed as the inspiration for the home of Bram Stoker's fictional Count Dracula.
Peleș Castle
Sinaia, Romania
A Neo-Renaissance palace in the Carpathian Mountains, built as a summer residence for Romania's first king, Carol I. It was among the first European castles fully wired for electricity.
Slovakia
Bojnice Castle
Bojnice, Slovakia
A Romanticist castle rebuilt from a medieval core for nobleman Ján Pálffy, inspired by French châteaux. Its turrets, crenellations, and deep well make it the most visited castle in Slovakia and one of the most photographed in Central Europe.
Slovenia
Predjama Castle
Postojna, Slovenia
A Renaissance fortress dramatically built into the mouth of a cliff cave, with a network of natural tunnels behind it. It is often called the largest cave castle in the world.
South Korea
Gyeongbokgung Palace
Seoul, South Korea
The main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty in Seoul, destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries. Its restored halls and gates host a daily changing-of-the-guard ceremony.
Hwaseong Fortress
Suwon, South Korea
A late-Joseon fortress encircling the city of Suwon, built under King Jeongjo. Its walls, gates, and command posts blend Korean design with contemporary military engineering.
Spain
Alhambra
Granada, Spain
A palace and fortress complex of the Nasrid dynasty, the last Muslim rulers of Spain. It is renowned for its intricate Islamic stucco work, tilework, and courtyard gardens.
Alcázar of Segovia
Segovia, Spain
A distinctive ship-shaped fortress rising on a rocky crag above the confluence of two rivers. It served as a royal palace and is often cited among the inspirations for Disney castles.
Real Alcázar of Seville
Seville, Spain
The oldest royal palace still in use in Europe, built across a thousand years by Moorish, Gothic, and Renaissance rulers. Its 14th-century Mudéjar halls, geometric tilework, and walled gardens are among the finest anywhere.
Alcazaba of Málaga
Málaga, Spain
An 11th-century Hispano-Muslim palace-fortress climbing the hill above the Roman theatre, its double ring of walls, horseshoe-arch gates and courtyard gardens making it the best-preserved alcazaba in Spain.
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Drottningholm Palace
Stockholm, Sweden
A Baroque palace on an island in Lake Mälaren, the private residence of the Swedish royal family. Its grounds include a well-preserved 18th-century theatre and formal gardens.
Switzerland
Château de Chillon
Veytaux, Switzerland
An island castle on the shore of Lake Geneva, long controlling the road along the lake. Lord Byron's poem The Prisoner of Chillon made its dungeon famous.
Syria
Turkey
Topkapi Palace
Istanbul, Turkey
The main residence and administrative court of the Ottoman sultans for roughly four centuries. Now a museum, it displays imperial treasures, the harem, and sacred relics.
United Kingdom
Balmoral Castle
Aberdeenshire, Scotland
A Scottish Baronial estate in the Highlands, purchased and rebuilt under Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. It remains a private residence of the British royal family.
Bodiam Castle
East Sussex, England
A 14th-century moated castle built by a former knight of Edward III. Its symmetrical outer walls surrounded by a broad water moat make it a classic image of the medieval fortress.
Conwy Castle
Conwy, Wales
A medieval fortress built by Edward I during his conquest of Wales, part of a ring of castles ringing the region. It is considered one of the finest examples of Edwardian military architecture.
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh, Scotland
A historic fortress perched on Castle Rock, an extinct volcanic plug dominating the city skyline. It houses the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny.
Eilean Donan Castle
Dornie, Scotland
A Highland castle on a small tidal island where three sea lochs meet, reached by a stone footbridge. Ruined in the 18th century, it was fully reconstructed in the early 1900s.
Stirling Castle
Stirling, Scotland
A commanding fortress on a volcanic crag that guarded the strategic gateway to the Scottish Highlands. It was a favoured residence of the Stewart monarchs and a coronation site.
Tower of London
London, England
A riverside fortress begun under William the Conqueror that has served as royal palace, prison, and armoury. It guards the Crown Jewels and is watched by the Yeoman Warders.
Urquhart Castle
Drumnadrochit, Scotland
A ruined hilltop castle on the western shore of Loch Ness, once one of the largest in Scotland. Demolished in 1692 to prevent Jacobite use, its five-storey tower keep is the most photographed castle ruin in Scotland.
Warwick Castle
Warwick, England
A medieval fortress on a bend of the River Avon, developed from an earthwork raised by William the Conqueror. It now operates as a visitor attraction with restored ramparts and towers.
Windsor Castle
Windsor, England
Founded by William the Conqueror, it is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world and a working royal residence of the British monarch.
United States
Castillo de San Marcos
St. Augustine, Florida, United States
The oldest masonry fort in the continental United States, built by the Spanish to defend St. Augustine. Its walls are made of coquina, a soft shell-stone that absorbed cannon fire.
Castillo San Felipe del Morro
San Juan, Puerto Rico
A Spanish colonial citadel guarding the entrance to San Juan Bay, built in stages to defend the harbour from sea attack. Its multi-level bastions rise above the Atlantic.