Last Updated on 20 January 2024
The following list is the Official Definitive List of the 200 best castles from around the world. I averaged 42 different ranked lists of “best or most beautiful or most visited castles” to get this definitive compilation. See my Methodology page for the research process that was used, including the full spreadsheet and links to all 42 lists that were averaged.
- Neuschwanstein Castle (Schwangau, Germany)
- Edinburgh Castle (Scotland)
- Windsor Castle (England)
- Chambord Castle (France)
- Himeji Castle (Japan)
- Mont Saint-Michel (Normandy, France)
- Pena National Palace (Sintra, Portugal)
- Prague Castle (Czechia)
- Bran Castle (Romania)
- Alcázar (Segovia, Spain)
- Alhambra (Granada, Spain)
- Eltz Castle (Wierschem, Germany)
- Hohenwerfen Castle (Werfen, Austria)
- Palace of Versailles (France)
- Malbork Castle (Poland)
- Peleș Castle (Sinaia, Romania)
- Hohenzollern Castle (Germany)
- Bojnice Castle (Slovakia)
- Kilkenny Castle (Ireland)
- Frederiksborg Castle (Hillerød, Denmark)
- Eilean Donan Castle (Scotland)
- Castel del Monte (Andria, Italy)
- Bodiam Castle (England)
- Chillon Castle (Veytaux, Switzerland)
- Vianden Castle (Luxembourg)
- Trakai Island Castle (Lithuania)
- Hearst Castle (San Simeon, California)
- Predjama Castle (Slovenia)
- Cité de Carcassonne (France)
- Conwy Castle (Wales)
- De Haar Castle (Utrecht, Netherlands)
- Hohenschwangau Castle (Germany)
- Chenonceau Castle (France)
- Aragonese Castle (Naples, Italy)
- Spiš Castle (Žehra, Slovakia)
- Matsumoto Castle (Japan)
- Kylemore Abbey (Galway, Ireland)
- Forbidden City (Beijing, China)
- Krak des Chevaliers (Al-Husn, Syria)
- Leeds Castle (Kent, England)
- Heidelberg Castle (Germany)
- Buda Castle (Budapest, Hungary)
- Chapultepec Castle (Mexico City, Mexico)
- Castle of Pierrefonds (France)
- Swallow’s Nest (Crimea)
- Corvin Castle (Romania)
- Glamis Castle (Angus, Scotland)
- Schwerin Castle (Germany)
- Hochosterwitz Castle (Austria)
- Guaita Tower (San Marino)
- Schönbrunn Palace (Vienna, Austria)
- Amber Fort (Amer, India)
- Osaka Castle (Japan)
- Peterhof Palace (St. Petersburg, Russia)
- Rapottenstein Castle (Austria)
- Zilkale Castle (Turkey)
- Alnwick Castle (England)
- Tower of London (England)
- Red Fort (Delhi, India)
- Hohensalzburg Castle (Austria)
- Lichtenstein Castle (Honau, Germany)
- Egeskov Castle (Denmark)
- Bamburgh Castle (England)
- Topkapi Palace (Istanbul, Turkey)
- Blarney Castle (Ireland)
- Highclere Castle (Newbury, England)
- Örebro Castle (Sweden)
- Boldt Castle (New York)
- Castillo de Coca (Segovia, Spain)
- Miramare Castle (Trieste, Italy)
- Winter Palace (St. Petersburg, Russia)
- Caernarfon Castle (Wales)
- Karlštejn Castle (Czechia)
- Grand Palace (Bangkok, Thailand)
- Culzean Castle (Maybole, Scotland)
- Moszna Castle (Poland)
- Scaligero Castle (Italy)
- Qaitbay Fort (Alexandria, Egypt)
- Agra Fort (India)
- Fagaras Citadel (Romania)
- Gravensteen Castle (Ghent, Belgium)
- Mehrangarh Fort (India)
- Ravadinovo “In Love with the Wind” Castle (Bulgaria)
- Dunrobin Castle (Scotland)
- Trakošćan Castle (Croatia)
- Fasil Ghebbi (Gondar, Ethiopia)
- Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle (France)
- Aït Benhaddou (Morocco)
- Burghausen Castle (Germany)
- Dover Castle (England)
- Cochem Imperial Castle (Germany)
- Kronborg Castle (Helsingør, Denmark)
- Tintagel Castle (England)
- Grand Master Palace (Rhodes, Greece)
- Ashford Castle (Ireland)
- Durham Castle (England)
- Querini Castle (Astypalaia, Greece)
- Quinta da Regaleira (Sintra, Portugal)
- Favorite Palace (Ludwigsburg, Germany)
- Drottningholm Castle (Sweden)
- Wawel Castle (Kraków, Poland)
- Château de Sully-sur-Loire (France)
- Buckingham Palace (London, England)
- Nakhal Fort (Oman)
- Shuri Castle (Japan)
- Hever Castle (England)
- Hluboká Castle (Czechia)
- El Morro (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
- Hatley Castle (British Columbia, Canada)
- Stirling Castle (Scotland)
- Gifu Castle (Japan)
- Warwick Castle (England)
- Kalmar Castle (Sweden)
- Bangalore Palace (India)
- Dunnottar Castle (Stonehaven, Scotland)
- Moritzburg Castle (Germany)
- Rosenborg Castle (Copenhagen, Denmark)
- Wartburg Castle (Eisenach, Germany)
- Bellver Castle (Spain)
- Blair Castle (Scotland)
- Brunnenburg Castle (Italy)
- Château Challain (France)
- Clam Castle (Austria)
- Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac (Quebec City, Canada)
- St. Michael’s Mount (Cornwall, England)
- Cairo Citadel (Egypt)
- Château de Chantilly (France)
- Lednice Castle (Czechia)
- Cardiff Castle (Wales)
- Château de Fontainebleau (France)
- Château d’Ussé (France)
- Taj Mahal (Agra, India)
- Tourbillion Castle (Switzerland)
- Orava Castle (Slovakia)
- Royal Castle (Warsaw, Poland)
- São Jorge Castle (Lisbon, Portugal)
- Château de Villandry (France)
- Doge’s Palace (Venice, Italy)
- Elmina Castle (Ghana)
- Fortified Church of Biertan (Romania)
- La Mota Castle (Spain)
- Potala Palace (Lhasa, Tibet)
- Castle of Good Hope (South Africa)
- Corfe Castle (England)
- Dublin Castle (Ireland)
- Gripsholm Castle (Mariefred, Sweden)
- Kanazawa Castle (Japan)
- Oberhofen Castle (Switzerland)
- Prince’s Palace of Monaco (Monaco)
- Hofburg Palace (Vienna, Austria)
- Louvre Palace (Paris, France)
- Castle of Sammezzano (Tuscany, Italy)
- Kadriorg Palace (Tallin, Estonia)
- Hampton Court Palace (East Molesey, England)
- Atalaya Castle (Spain)
- Muiden Castle (Netherlands)
- Suscinio Castle (Sarzeau, France)
- Bishop’s Castle (Colorado)
- Bled Castle (Slovenia)
- Kasbah of the Udayas (Rabat, Morocco)
- Lyndhurst Castle (Tarrytown, New York)
- Balmoral Castle (Scotland)
- Queluz National Palace (Lisbon, Portugal)
- Rumeli Fortress (Istanbul, Turkey)
- Château de Vincennes (France)
- Bourtange Fortress (Netherlands)
- Caerlaverock Castle (Dumfries, Scotland)
- Duart Castle (Isle of Mull, Scotland)
- House of Parliament (London, England)
- Royal Palace of Olite (Spain)
- Ross Castle (Ireland)
- Arundel Castle (England)
- Biltmore Estate (Asheville, North Carolina)
- Novgorod Kremlin (Russia)
- Walzin Castle (Belgium)
- York Castle (England)
- Ksiaz Castle (Poland)
- Stari Grad (Dalmatia, Croatia)
- Chartwell Castle (England)
- Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire (France)
- Daniel Castle Hostel (Haromsxzek, Romania)
- Doorwerth Castle (Netherlands)
- Almourol Castle (Portugal)
- Český Krumlov Castle (Czechia)
- Fenis Castle (Italy)
- San Felipe Castle (Bolivar, Colombia)
- Trenčín Castle (Slovakia)
- Castel dell’Ovo (Napoli, Italy)
- Lake Blad Castle (Slovenia)
- Linderhof Palace (Germany)
- Bunratty Castle (Ireland)
- Monastir’s Ribat (Tunisia)
- Nesvizh Castle (Belarus)
- Rocamadour Castle (France)
- Castle Howard (York, England)
- Doe Castle (Ireland)
- Marksburg Castle (Braubach, Germany)
- Castello di Amorosa (California)
- Gyantse Fortress (Tibet)
- Malahide Castle (Ireland)
