For countless sightseers, visiting regal palaces is a dream come true. They offer a chance to delve into history and explore the extravagant and awe-inspiring style in which kings and queens lived and ruled. Let's visit a few of these beauties...
It rises like a pinch-yourself-to-believe vision from the midst of a forest in southern Germany near the Austrian frontier. A romantic 19th-century masterpiece with dream-like towers and turrets and alpine backdrop, it looks like it might have popped out of Cinderella's tale.
One of Japan’s prettiest palaces at Hyogo, not far from Kyoto, feudal-era Himeji has 83 rooms and a traditional Japanese castle design with quaint, poetic, curved- up roofs. This 17th-century marvel showcases exquisite craftsmanship and ingenious defence design.
With 1,441 lavish rooms, Schönbrunn is a dazzling Baroque gem. For over three centuries, the majestic Vienna palace, set amid sweeping fanciful gardens, served as the Habsburgs’ opulent summer retreat.
The Polish castle, in the southwestern corner of the country, might have leapt straight out of Disney film, boasting 99 towers, 365 rooms and a spellbinding blend of Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance styles.
This Palace of Winds in Jaipur is a sight to behold in rose-hued sandstone. Built in 1799, the five-storey mahal was designed so royal women could watch the lively streets unseen.
The haughty Normandy landmark, when seen from far, appears otherworldly and as if it has been built in the middle of the sea, off France’s northern coast. Crowned by its medieval abbey, the island fortress has stood for centuries as a symbol of faith and fortitude.
Located on an islet in Lake Galvė, the graceful castle is like a fantasy from a medieval legend. Built in the 14th century under Duke Kęstutis, the red-brick fortress once guarded the heart of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.