Complete Directory
Castles & Palaces of Europe
125 historic sites across more than 30 countries, with visitor guides, ticket information and curated tours.
france · Île-de-France
Palace of Versailles
The palace that defined royal ambition for three centuries
england · Greater London
Tower of London
A thousand years of royal history — palace, prison, treasury and fortress on the Thames
france · Normandy
Mont-Saint-Michel
The tidal island-fortress rising from the sea that has defined French Gothic architecture for a thousand years
spain · Andalusia
Alhambra
The finest Islamic palace in the world, carved in light and water
france · Occitanie
Carcassonne
The largest medieval walled city in Europe — two kilometres of ramparts rising from the plains of Languedoc
czech republic · Bohemia
Prague Castle
The world's largest ancient castle complex, rising above a thousand years of Czech history
austria · Vienna
Schönbrunn Palace
Vienna's imperial summer palace, where Mozart played and Sisi reigned
portugal · Sintra
Pena Palace
Europe's most colourful castle — a Romantic fantasy perched above the Atlantic mists
england · Berkshire
Windsor Castle
The world's oldest and largest inhabited castle — the official weekend home of the British monarch
hungary · Budapest
Buda Castle
Budapest's crown above the Danube — a royal palace, a UNESCO panorama and a thousand years of Hungarian history
italy · Lazio
Castel Sant'Angelo
From Roman emperor's tomb to papal fortress — nearly 2,000 years of history above the Tiber
poland · Lesser Poland
Wawel Royal Castle
Poland's Acropolis — the royal castle and cathedral where Polish kings lived, ruled and are buried
germany · Bavaria
Neuschwanstein Castle
The fairy-tale castle that inspired Disney's Sleeping Beauty
italy · Campania
Royal Palace of Caserta
Italy's Versailles — the largest royal palace in the world by volume
sweden · Stockholm County
Drottningholm Palace
The living palace of the Swedish royal family — Sweden's Versailles on a lake island near Stockholm
england · Northumberland
Alnwick Castle
Harry Potter's Hogwarts filming location and the seat of the Percy Dukes of Northumberland
greece · South Aegean
Palace of the Grand Master
The Gothic fortress-palace of the Knights of Rhodes — the most complete Crusader castle in the eastern Mediterranean
ireland · County Cork
Blarney Castle
The 15th-century tower where kissing a stone is supposed to give you the gift of the gab
slovenia · Upper Carniola
Bled Castle
Slovenia's most iconic sight — a medieval castle on a 130-metre cliff above the most beautiful lake in the Alps
bulgaria · Veliko Tarnovo Province
Tsarevets Fortress
The hilltop citadel of the Second Bulgarian Empire — capital of the medieval Balkans
slovakia · Trenčín Region
Bojnice Castle
Slovakia's fairytale castle — a medieval core transformed into a romantic Gothic dream by a 19th-century art collector
denmark · North Zealand
Frederiksborg Palace
Denmark's grandest royal palace — a Dutch Renaissance masterpiece on three islands in a lake
greece · South Aegean, Rhodes
Lindos Acropolis & Castle of the Knights
A dazzling acropolis of ancient temples and crusader walls above the Aegean
lithuania · Trakai County
Trakai Island Castle
A red-brick Gothic castle on its own island in a lake — one of the most beautiful medieval sights in the Baltic
georgia · Mtskheta-Mtianeti
Ananuri Fortress
A medieval fortress complex reflected in a turquoise reservoir in the shadow of the Great Caucasus
portugal · Centro, Santarém
Convent of Christ, Tomar
The headquarters of the Knights Templar in Portugal — a UNESCO masterpiece of faith and power
england · Northumberland
Bamburgh Castle
England's most dramatic coastal castle, rising from the Northumberland shore
luxembourg · Canton of Vianden
Vianden Castle
The most spectacular medieval castle in Luxembourg — a Romanesque and Gothic marvel above the Our River valley
northern ireland · County Antrim
Dunluce Castle
Northern Ireland's most dramatic ruin — a castle on the edge of the Atlantic
germany · Rhineland-Palatinate
Eltz Castle
The fairy-tale castle that has belonged to the same family for 33 generations — rising from the Moselle Valley forest
scotland · Aberdeenshire
Dunnottar Castle
The most dramatically positioned ruined castle in Britain — a clifftop fortress above the North Sea
france · Loire Valley
Château de Chambord
François I's Renaissance fantasy — the Loire Valley's most theatrical château
france · Loire Valley
Château de Chenonceau
The ladies' château — built on arches over a river by the women who loved it most
spain · Castile and León
Alcázar of Segovia
The castle that inspired Disney's Cinderella — rising from a rocky prow above the plains of Castile
portugal · Centro, Oeste
Óbidos Castle
A perfectly preserved medieval walled town given by kings to their queens
scotland · Central Scotland
Edinburgh Castle
Scotland's most iconic fortress, perched on an ancient volcano above the Old Town
france · Alsace, Bas-Rhin
Haut-Kœnigsbourg Castle
Alsace's most-visited castle, rising above the Rhine plain
switzerland · Vaud
Château de Chillon
A medieval castle on a lake island — the setting that inspired Byron, Hugo and Rousseau
france · Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Bouches-du-Rhône
Les Baux-de-Provence Castle
A ruined citadel on a white limestone spur above the olive groves of Provence
germany · Saxony
Moritzburg Castle
A Baroque hunting palace rising like a mirage from a Saxon lake
ireland · County Clare, Munster
Bunratty Castle
Ireland's most complete medieval castle and folk park
italy · Lombardy, Province of Brescia
Scaligero Castle of Sirmione
A medieval fortress rising from the waters of Lake Garda
denmark · Zealand
Kronborg Castle
Hamlet's castle — the Renaissance fortress guarding the narrowest point of the Baltic passage
italy · Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trieste
Miramare Castle
A fairy-tale palace on the Adriatic cliffs, built for a tragic archduke
italy · Sicily, Palermo
Palace of the Normans
The oldest royal palace in Europe — home to the world's most beautiful mosaic chapel
wales · Gwynedd
Caernarfon Castle
Edward I's masterpiece of military architecture — the castle built to dominate Wales forever
ireland · Tipperary
Rock of Cashel
A cluster of medieval towers rising from a limestone outcrop — the ancient seat of the Kings of Munster
turkey · Central Anatolia, Nevşehir, Cappadocia
Üçhisar Castle
Cappadocia's highest peak — a volcanic rock fortress carved with a thousand rooms
hungary · Komárom-Esztergom County, Danube Bend
Esztergom Castle
Hungary's first royal capital — birthplace of King Stephen and cradle of a nation
lithuania · Vilnius County
Gediminas Tower
The symbol of Vilnius and Lithuania — a medieval tower above the city of amber
albania · Berat County
Berat Castle
A living Byzantine citadel above the City of a Thousand Windows
greece · Peloponnese
Palamidi Fortress
A Venetian fortress above Nafplio reached by 999 steps — with the Peloponnese at your feet
latvia · Vidzeme, Gauja National Park
Turaida Castle
Latvia's iconic red-brick castle rising above the Gauja valley gorge
norway · Vestland
Bergenhus Fortress
Norway's oldest and most important medieval fortress — commanding the entrance to Bergen harbour since 1261
finland · Southwest Finland
Turku Castle
Finland's largest and most important medieval castle — seven centuries of Nordic history at the mouth of the Aura River
northern ireland · County Antrim
Carrickfergus Castle
The best-preserved Norman castle in Ireland, standing guard over Belfast Lough
slovakia · Trenčín Region
Trenčín Castle
One of Slovakia's largest castles — a thousand-year fortress above the Váh River
wales · South Wales
Caerphilly Castle
The second largest castle complex in Britain — a masterpiece of medieval water defence engineering
austria · Lower Austria, Wachau
Dürnstein Castle
The prison of Richard the Lionheart, high above the Danube vineyards of the Wachau
croatia · Split-Dalmatia County
Klis Fortress
The clifftop fortress above Split that resisted the Ottomans for decades — and stood in for Meereen in Game of Thrones
serbia · Braničevo District
Golubac Fortress
A medieval river fortress guarding the Iron Gates gorge of the Danube
slovenia · Littoral
Predjama Castle
Built into the mouth of a cave — the world's largest cave castle and the lair of a Renaissance outlaw
scotland · Fife
St Andrews Castle
A ruined bishop's castle on the North Sea cliffs, with a famous siege tunnel beneath
ireland · County Tipperary
Cahir Castle
One of the largest and best-preserved medieval castles in Ireland — on an island in the River Suir
bulgaria · Vidin Province, Northwestern Bulgaria
Belogradchik Fortress
A Roman fortress woven between giant red rock sculptures in the Bulgarian wilderness
estonia · Ida-Virumaa
Narva Castle
The most dramatic border castle in Europe — facing the Russian fortress of Ivangorod across a river that divides NATO from Russia
cyprus · Limassol District
Kolossi Castle
The Crusader keep of the Knights Hospitaller — birthplace of Commandaria, the world's oldest named wine
spain · Andalusia
Alcázar of Seville
A living Moorish palace — still the Spanish royal residence in Seville after 1,100 years
germany · Baden-Württemberg
Heidelberg Castle
Europe's most romantic ruin — a Renaissance palace half-destroyed and twice as beautiful
austria · Salzburg
Hohensalzburg Fortress
Europe's largest and best-preserved medieval fortress, looming above Mozart's Salzburg
slovenia · Central Slovenia
Ljubljana Castle
Ljubljana's crown — a hilltop castle above one of Europe's most charming small capitals
england · Warwickshire
Warwick Castle
England's ultimate medieval castle experience — with jousting, trebuchets and a thousand years of history
norway · Oslo
Akershus Fortress
Seven centuries of Norwegian history above the Oslofjord — the fortress that defined Oslo's skyline
romania · Transylvania
Bran Castle
Transylvania's Dracula Castle — Gothic, dramatic and more complex than the legend
ireland · Kilkenny
Kilkenny Castle
Eight centuries of Irish history above the River Nore — the seat of the Butler dynasty in Ireland's medieval capital
poland · Pomerania
Malbork Castle
The world's largest brick castle — a Gothic citadel that once ruled the Baltic
romania · Wallachia / Carpathians
Peleș Castle
Romania's fairy-tale mountain palace — 160 rooms of Neo-Renaissance splendour in the Carpathians
germany · Thuringia
Wartburg Castle
Where Luther translated the Bible and St. Elisabeth lived — the castle that shaped German history and language
scotland · Scottish Highlands
Eilean Donan Castle
Scotland's most photographed castle — three lochs, one island, one arched bridge
france · Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Château de Castelnaud
The English fortress of the Dordogne and museum of medieval warfare
hungary · Northern Hungary
Eger Castle
Where 2,000 Hungarians held off 80,000 Ottomans — the siege of 1552 that became Hungary's national legend
france · Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Château de Beynac
A medieval fortress perched above the Dordogne River
wales · Conwy County Borough
Conwy Castle
Eight towers and an unbroken wall — the most perfectly preserved ring of medieval town walls in Britain
england · East Sussex
Bodiam Castle
The perfect romantic ruin — a moated medieval castle rising from water lilies in the English countryside
belgium · Wallonia, Namur Province
Citadel of Namur
The most besieged fortress in history, guardian of the confluence of the Meuse and Sambre
italy · Tuscany, Siena
Monteriggioni Walled Town
Dante's tower-crowned crown — the most perfect medieval ring fortress in Tuscany
montenegro · Budva Municipality
Budva Citadel
A Venetian citadel on the Adriatic — guardian of Montenegro's most glamorous old town
netherlands · North Holland
Muiderslot
The best-preserved medieval castle in the Netherlands — a perfect square fortress reflected in its moat
poland · Silesia, Zawiercie County
Ogrodzieniec Castle
Poland's most romantic castle ruin — Gothic towers rising from a limestone crag
portugal · Braga
Guimarães Castle
The birthplace of Portugal — the castle where Afonso Henriques was born and a nation began
belgium · Wallonia, Luxembourg Province
Bouillon Castle
The castle of Godfrey of Bouillon — leader of the First Crusade
germany · Saxony
Albrechtsburg Castle
Germany's oldest palace — birthplace of European porcelain
belgium · East Flanders
Gravensteen
A Crusader-inspired castle in the heart of Ghent — the stronghold of the Counts of Flanders
latvia · Vidzeme, Gauja National Park
Sigulda Medieval Castle
The Livonian Order's first Latvian stronghold in the Gauja valley
portugal · Algarve
Silves Castle
The Moorish capital of the Algarve, built in red sandstone above the orange groves
turkey · Central Anatolia, Nevşehir, Cappadocia
Ortahisar Castle
Cappadocia's needle — a slender rock fortress piercing the valley sky
hungary · Pest County, Danube Bend
Visegrád Royal Palace
The Renaissance palace of Matthias Corvinus — once the most splendid court north of the Alps
italy · Puglia
Castel del Monte
The most perfect geometric building of the Middle Ages — Frederick II's mysterious octagonal castle on the Apulian plain
poland · Lesser Poland, Kraków-Częstochowa Upland
Pieskowa Skała Castle
A Renaissance pearl of the Eagles' Nests Trail, perched above a limestone valley
italy · Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trieste
Castle of San Giusto
Trieste's hilltop fortress with sweeping views over the Adriatic
spain · Catalonia, Bages
Cardona Castle
A Carolingian fortress and Romanesque jewel rising above the salt mountains
switzerland · Schaffhausen
Munot Fortress
Switzerland's most beautiful Renaissance fortress — a cylindrical bastion above the Rhine Falls city
germany · Bavaria, Swabia
Harburg Castle
One of the best-preserved medieval castles in Germany, overlooking the Romantic Road
north macedonia · Ohrid Municipality
Samuel's Fortress
The citadel of Tsar Samuel, towering above Ohrid and its UNESCO lake
portugal · Alentejo
Monsaraz Castle
A medieval hilltop village frozen in time above the Alentejo plains
serbia · Podunavlje District
Smederevo Fortress
The last capital of medieval Serbia — the largest medieval fortress in the Balkans
sweden · Stockholm Archipelago, Stockholm County
Vaxholm Fortress
The guardian of Stockholm — a Renaissance sea fortress on its own island in the archipelago
cyprus · Limassol District
Limassol Medieval Castle
Where Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria of Navarre on the way to the Crusades
wales · Monmouthshire
Raglan Castle
The last great medieval castle built in Wales — a courtly fortress of rare grandeur
bosnia · Herzegovina-Neretva Canton
Počitelj Citadel
A perfectly preserved Ottoman fortified village clinging to a limestone cliff above the Neretva
germany · Rhineland-Palatinate, Rhine Gorge
Stahleck Castle
A medieval Rhine castle turned youth hostel, commanding the UNESCO gorge above Bacharach
latvia · Vidzeme
Cēsis Castle
The medieval stronghold of the Livonian Knights in Latvia's most romantic town
luxembourg · Müllerthal, Grevenmacher
Beaufort Castle
A romantic ruined medieval fortress in Luxembourg's Little Switzerland
turkey · Istanbul, European side
Yedikule Fortress
The Fortress of Seven Towers — where Constantinople's last emperors fell
england · North Yorkshire, Yorkshire Dales
Bolton Castle
Mary Queen of Scots' Yorkshire prison, standing in the heart of Wensleydale
scotland · Central Scotland
Stirling Castle
Where Scottish kings were crowned and history pivoted — the key to Scotland
france · Loire Valley
Château d'Amboise
Where the French Renaissance began — and where Leonardo da Vinci died
germany · Swabia
Hohenzollern Castle
The ancestral seat of the Kaisers — a Neo-Gothic peak rising from the Swabian Alps
czech republic · South Bohemia
Český Krumlov Castle
A medieval fairy-tale town and castle looped by a river — Bohemia's best-kept secret
france · Loire Valley
Château de Cheverny
The original Moulinsart — Tintin's château, still owned by the family who built it 400 years ago
czech republic · Central Bohemia
Karlštejn Castle
The Gothic crown jewel of Bohemia — built by Emperor Charles IV to guard the Holy Roman regalia
france · Picardy / Oise
Château de Pierrefonds
Napoleon III's restored medieval fantasy — Camelot in the forests of Picardy
romania · Transylvania
Corvin Castle
The most dramatic Gothic castle in Eastern Europe — turrets, a bear pit, and a Vlad the Impaler legend
scotland · Central Scotland
Doune Castle
Monty Python's castle, Game of Thrones' Winterfell — medieval Scotland's most filmed fortress
serbia · Braničevo District
Ram Fortress
An Ottoman river fortress guarding the Danube crossing above the Silver Lake