The world's most beautiful castles and palaces: Masmak to Alhambra

In Saudi Arabia and the Gulf

Place	Why go	Before you go
Masmak Fortress	The mud-brick fort where the unification of the Kingdom began, now a museum telling the story.	Ad Dirah, Riyadh; free entry
Salwa Palace	At-Turaif's largest and best-known palace, once the seat of the First Saudi State's imams.	At-Turaif, Diriyah
Shubra Palace	A historic palace built between 1904 and 1906 in a blend of Hijazi and Ottoman styles, now a museum of old Taif.	Central Taif
Tabuk Castle	An Ottoman castle built in 1559 to guard the water station on the pilgrim route, now a museum.	Central Tabuk
Al Qishlah Palace	A large mud palace with towers and wide courtyards; one of Hail's best-known landmarks.	Central Hail
Mashrafa Palace	A five-storey stone palace about 300 years old, in a unique architectural style.	Al Namas
Al Jahili Fort	One of the UAE's largest forts, built in 1898 and now a museum.	Central Al Ain
Qasr Al Watan	The presidential palace, open to visitors, with gilded halls.	Abu Dhabi; ticketed
Bahrain Fort (Qal'at al-Bahrain)	An archaeological site on the UNESCO World Heritage list, home to civilisations since Dilmun.	North Bahrain; loveliest at sunset
Nizwa Fort and souq	A historic fort with a traditional souq for khanjars and Omani halwa.	Nizwa, Oman
Al Zubarah Fort	A historic fort beside an old pearl-trading town, on the World Heritage list.	North-west Qatar

Türkiye, the Caucasus, Jordan and Egypt

Place	Why go	Before you go
Topkapi Palace	The Ottoman sultans' palace on the Bosphorus point, home to the Sacred Relics.	Istanbul; ticketed, including the Harem
Uçhisar Castle	A towering rock carved with ancient rooms, with views over all the valleys from the top.	Cappadocia, Türkiye
Bodrum Castle and the Museum of Underwater Archaeology	The Castle of St Peter on the sea, home to Turkey's only museum of underwater archaeology.	Bodrum, Türkiye
The Palace of the Sheki Khans	An 18th-century palace with stained-glass windows, on the World Heritage list.	Sheki, north-west Azerbaijan
Ananuri Fortress	A fortress on the shore of the turquoise Zhinvali reservoir.	On the way to Kazbegi, Georgia
Ajloun Castle and cable car	An Ayyubid castle on a hilltop, and a cable car opened in 2023 over the Ajloun forests.	Northern Jordan
The Citadel of Saladin	A historic citadel on the Muqattam hills with wide views over Cairo, home to the Muhammad Ali Mosque and its famous domes.	Al-Qal'a district, Cairo
The Citadel of Qaitbay	A historic fortress on the sea, built on the site of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria.	At the tip of the Eastern Harbour, Alexandria

Western Europe

Place	Why go	Before you go
Neuschwanstein Castle	A fairy-tale castle on a hill among the mountains, one of the world's best-known castles.	Bavaria, Germany; timed tickets
The Palace of Versailles	The palace of the kings of France, with its Hall of Mirrors and vast gardens.	About 40 minutes from Paris by train
The Loire Valley châteaux	Royal châteaux such as Chambord and Chenonceau among gardens and rivers, on the World Heritage list.	About 2 hours from Paris
The Alhambra	The masterpiece of Andalusian architecture in Granada, with the Generalife gardens, on the World Heritage list.	Granada; tickets are limited, so book early
The Real Alcázar	A palace of Andalusian architecture, gardens and pools, one of Europe's oldest royal palaces still in use, on the World Heritage list.	Seville, Spain
Edinburgh Castle	A castle on a volcanic rock above the old town.	Edinburgh, Scotland
Eilean Donan Castle	A castle on a small island where three lochs meet.	On the road to Skye, Scotland
Chillon Castle	A castle on a rock in the lake near Montreux.	Montreux, Switzerland
Pena Palace	A colourful palace on a forested hilltop, like something from a children's story, on the World Heritage list.	Sintra, about 40 minutes from Lisbon

Central and Eastern Europe and Russia

Place	Why go	Before you go
Schönbrunn Palace and gardens	The imperial summer palace, with more than a thousand rooms and vast baroque gardens, on the World Heritage list.	West of central Vienna
Hohensalzburg Fortress	A hilltop fortress above the old town, reached by funicular.	Salzburg, Austria
Prague Castle	One of the largest ancient castle complexes in the world, with city views.	Hradčany, Prague
Buda Castle and Fishermen's Bastion	A historic palace on the hill, and white towers with an enchanting view of the city and the river.	Buda, Budapest
Bled Castle	Slovenia's oldest castle, on a cliff above the lake, with a museum and a wide view.	Bled, Slovenia
Predjama Castle	A castle built into the mouth of a cave in a towering cliff.	Near Postojna, Slovenia
Malbork Castle	The largest brick castle in the world, on the World Heritage list.	North Poland, near Gdańsk
Peterhof Palace and its fountains	Golden cascading fountains and gardens by the sea, known as the Versailles of Russia.	St Petersburg; the fountains run from late April to early October
Catherine Palace and the Amber Room	A grand palace with the famous Amber Room and vast gardens.	Pushkin, south of St Petersburg

Asia

Place	Why go	Before you go
Himeji Castle	The finest of Japan's original castles, its white walls earning it the name White Heron Castle, on the World Heritage list.	About 30 minutes from Osaka by Shinkansen
Osaka Castle and its park	A historic castle with a museum inside and views from the top, in a wide park with thousands of cherry trees.	Central Osaka
Nijo Castle	The shogun's castle, with floors that sing as you walk on them, on the World Heritage list.	Central Kyoto
Gyeongbokgung Palace	The largest royal palace in Seoul, with the changing of the guard at its gate; entry is free for visitors wearing hanbok.	Seoul; closed on Tuesdays
The Grand Palace	The historic royal palace complex with its gilded architecture.	Bangkok, on the Chao Phraya river
The Ark	The old fortress of the emirs of Bukhara, with walls up to about 20 metres high and a view over the city from the top.	Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Itchan Kala	A whole city inside its walls, with minarets, palaces and madrasas, on the World Heritage list and like an open-air museum.	Khiva, western Uzbekistan
Amber Fort and Hawa Mahal	A hilltop fort with mirrored halls and courtyards, and the Palace of the Winds with its pink façade and hundreds of small windows.	Jaipur, India
Galle Fort	A fortified town on the sea with its walls and old houses, on the World Heritage list.	South coast of Sri Lanka

Tips before you go

Book the famous palaces early: the Alhambra, Neuschwanstein and the Nasrid Palaces sell timed tickets that run out in high season.
Allow at least half a day for the big palaces such as Topkapi, Schönbrunn and Versailles; their gardens alone take time.
Many castles sit on hills and slopes, so wear comfortable shoes and ask about lifts or funiculars for older travellers.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most famous historic palaces in Saudi Arabia?

Masmak Fortress in Riyadh, Salwa Palace in At-Turaif in Diriyah, Shubra Palace in Taif and Al Qishlah Palace in Hail.

What are Europe's most beautiful castles?

Neuschwanstein in Germany, Prague Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Chillon Castle in Switzerland and Bled Castle in Slovenia.

What are Europe's most beautiful palaces?

Versailles in France, the Alhambra and the Real Alcázar in Spain, Schönbrunn in Vienna, Pena Palace in Portugal and Peterhof in Russia.

What are Asia's most beautiful castles?

Himeji and Osaka castles in Japan, the Ark and Itchan Kala in Uzbekistan, and Amber Fort in India.

Last updated: October 2026. The information is for guidance only; ticket prices and opening hours are set by each attraction and may change, so check them on the official website before you go.