World’s Most-Visited Castles

From Paris to Beijing, these historic castles and palaces draw millions of visitors for a glimpse of the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

Imagine a castle: it probably looks a lot like Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle, the turreted inspiration for Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Each year, more than 1.5 million travelers are inspired to make the steep walk or catch a horse-drawn carriage to reach this castle perched on a rocky outcropping in the Bavarian countryside.

“People have always been interested in celebrities and powerful people and their homes,” says Cordula Mauss, PR officer for the Bavarian Administration of State-Owned Palaces. “Immediately after the death of Ludwig II in 1886, the first tourists came and wanted to see what their king had built as his private residence.”

While castles, palaces, and châteaux naturally pique such curiosity, not all have Neuschwanstein’s European fairy-tale looks. Some of the world’s most-visited castles, found across Asia, feature red exteriors, pagodas, and gates.

Consider Bangkok’s gold-spired Grand Palace, where Thai kings lived for 150 years, and where 8 million annual visitors now traipse through ornate rooms, manicured gardens, and temples, including one that houses a revered Buddha carved from a single block of jade.

Other longtime royal residences have been repurposed as museums. St. Petersburg’s riverfront Winter Palace, for instance, is the sixth-most-visited castle, thanks to the appeal of masterworks by Titian and da Vinci along with lavish restored interiors, where Catherine the Great once held court.

America’s closest approximation is California’s Hearst Castle, though it fell short of our top 20 list with only 750,000 annual visitors. And while Windsor Castle squeaked in at No. 19, Buckingham Palace didn’t make the grade (567,613 annual visitors), nor did Romania’s Bran Castle (542,000) or a single Irish castle. Ireland’s most visited, Blarney Castle, welcomed 365,000 in 2013.

That said, there can be a downside to having too many visitors—these are delicate, historic structures that have existed for hundreds of years, and some, like Neuschwanstein, limit the daily entries. But it’s hard to stem curiosity when it comes to the lives of the blue-blooded.

As Mauss puts it: “Who didn’t want to be a prince or a princess or at least a knight when he or she was a child?”

The Methodology: Totally up the world’s most-visited castles, we gathered the most recent data supplied by the attractions themselves or from government agencies, industry reports, and reputable media outlets. In most cases, it was 2013 data.

No. 1 The Forbidden City (Palace Museum), Beijing

Annual Visitors: 15,340,000

Each day, tens of thousands of visitors pour through the Forbidden City to see the 178-acre walled compound that once shielded the Imperial Palace from public view—while housing Chinese emperors and their extensive entourages. (To handle the volume, the government has started requiring advance ticket sales during festivals and holidays and prohibiting annual ticket holders from visiting during peak seasons.) Bright red buildings topped with golden pagodas exemplify traditional Chinese architecture, while the Palace Museum showcases art, furniture, and calligraphy

 No. 2 The Louvre, Paris

Annual Visitors: 9,334,0000

The largest and most famous museum in the world—displaying masterpieces like La Gioconda (the Mona Lisa) and the Winged Victory of Samothrace—got its start as a palace. The U-shaped Louvre housed generations of French kings and emperors beginning in the 12th century, and the remnants of the original fortress that occupied the site (built for King Philippe II in 1190) can be seen in the basement of the museum. The building was extended and renovated many times. Head to the decorative arts wing for a glimpse of Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie’s opulent state apartments, built between 1854 and 1861.

 No. 3 Grand Palace, Bangkok

Annual Visitors: 8,000,000

Royal offices are still used within the Grand Palace, and state visits and royal ceremonies like the Royal Birthday Anniversary of the current King Bhumibol Adulyadej are held there each year. This was also the official residence of Thai kings from 1782 to 1925 and counts numerous buildings, halls, and pavilions set around open lawns and manicured gardens. The palace’s Temple of the Emerald Buddha is considered one of the most sacred sites in Thailand. It's Buddha was carved from a single block of jade, and his garments, made of pure gold, are changed in a royal ceremony three times a year to reflect the Thai seasons.

 No. 4 Palace of Versailles, France

Annual Visitors: 7,527,122

When Louis XIV built Versailles in the late 1600s, it became the envy of other European monarchs in Europe, and the opulent estate retains an unmistakable allure. Versailles gets seven times the visitors of any other château in France (apart from the Louvre); it helps that it’s easily accessible from Paris. No other palace in the world can match the grandeur of Versailles’s Hall of Mirrors, dripping with chandeliers, and Marie Antoinette’s bedroom, decorated with hand-stitched flowers. The vast grounds are free most days and an attraction in themselves, with 50 water fountains, a parterre (formal garden), a grand canal, and other sites like the Grand Trianon, built for Louis XIV as a refuge from court life, and Marie Antoinette’s Petit Trianon.

 No. 5 Topkapi Palace, Istanbul

Annual Visitors: 3,335,000

With a lovely setting overlooking the Bosporus and Sea of Marmara, Topkapi Palace was the royal residence for about 400 years until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the 1920s. The sultan lived with his wives, concubines, mother, and children in the harem, under the fierce protection of eunuchs. Look for the Privy Chamber of Murat III, with its indoor pool, gilded fireplace, and walls decorated with blue, white, and coral Iznik tiles from the 16th century. The Palace Kitchens reopened in September 2014, displaying fine china and large cookware. And the complex also includes courtyards, gazebos, gardens, and the Imperial Treasury. An emerald and diamond-studded bow and quivers sent by Sultan Mahmud I to the ruler of Persia is just one example of the lavish gifts on view.

 No. 6 The Winter Palace (State Hermitage Museum), St. Petersburg, Russia

Annual Visitors: 3,120,170

Catherine the Great and Nicholas I are among the Russian royals who occupied this green-and-white baroque palace along the Neva River from 1762 to 1917. Today, the palace is a museum with one of the finest collections in Europe, including works by Titian, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci (Benois Madonna). Much of the palace was destroyed by fire in 1837, but the beautifully restored interiors speak to the opulent tastes of the Russian elite. St. George Hall (a large throne room) features two tiers of windows, double Corinthian pink marble columns, patterned parquet floors, and gilt bronze details.

 No. 7 Tower of London

Annual Visitors: 2,894,698

This medieval fortress on the north bank of the River Thames was built to intimidate Londoners and keep out foreign invaders. The oldest part of the structure, the White Tower, dates back to the 12th century. While it originally served as a royal residence, the Tower has become notorious for its use as a prison and the site of executions that included Henry VI and Lady Jane Grey. Millions flock to the tower today to see historical reenactments as well as the British Crown Jewels, among them, the Sovereign’s Sceptre containing the Great Star of Africa, the largest colorless cut diamond in the world. In 2014, the tower’s moat was filled with 888,246 ceramic red poppies in remembrance of British soldiers who died in World War I—an example of art installations and events held regularly.

 No. 8 Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna

Annual Visitors: 2,870,000

Austria’s most-visited site is this Rococo Palace, a summer retreat for Hapsburg emperors from the 1700s until 1918. Of the 1,441 rooms, the most famous is the Mirror Room, with white and gold Rococo decoration and crystal mirrors, where Mozart is said to have performed his first concert at age six. The palace’s elaborate gardens can claim the world’s longest Orangerie and the site of the first zoo (east. 1752). The guided Grand Tour provides access to all 40 rooms open to the public, including the Gobelin Salon with tapestries from Brussels and the Millions Room, an office paneled in rare rosewood.

 No. 9 Alhambra y Generalife, Grenada, Spain

Annual Visitors: 2,315,017

Refined and expanded over centuries, this hilltop palace and fortress complex combines fortifications, gardens, churches, and several palaces, notably the Alhambra, and the Generalife, the country estate of the kings of Grenada and Andalusia. Both are remarkable examples of Islamic architecture from Spain’s medieval period. Expect intricate arabesques, honeycomb vaunted ceilings (muqarnas), and courtyards with pools and fountains. Generalife’s Moorish gardens feature large boxwood trees, rosebushes, and willows and cypresses. Numbers swell in the spring and summer; to beat the crowds, consider a January visit.

 No. 10 Shuri Castle, Okinawa, Japan

Annual Visitors: 1,753,000

Shuri Castle was the seat of the kings of Ryukyu for more than 400 years. The castle was completely destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, and reconstruction work was only completed in the early 1990s. The results include eight Chinese-style gates or entrances, plus gardens, a study, and a main hall with red-colored tiles on two layered roofs. The three-story red building houses two throne rooms and the royal family’s private apartments. Ponds, bridges, and miniature islands makeup the royal gardens, added in 1799.

 No. 11 Prague Castle

Annual Visitors: 1,748,000

The Czech president lives in Prague Castle these days, yet most areas are open to tourists, who stroll through palaces, ecclesiastical buildings, and museums like the Prague Castle Picture Gallery. The Castle, whose history dates back to 870, still guards the Bohemian Crown Jewels, notably, the St. Wenceslas Crown, made of pure gold and decorated with pearls and precious stones. The crown is kept in an iron safe with seven locks and seven keys; all key holders must be present to open it—the last time was in 1998. At 753,474 square feet, Prague Castle counts as the largest ancient castle in the world.

 No. 12 Kumamoto Castle, Kumamoto, Japan

Annual Visitors: 1,579,000

A 17th-century feudal lord outfitted this castle with 44-foot-high outward curving stone walls (much-games hi) intended to repel invaders. Many of the castle buildings were destroyed by fire during the Sean Civil War of 1877. The Main Tower was rebuilt in 1960 using original materials and methods. It now features a museum with displays on the castle’s history and construction as well as a collection of weapons, armor, and furniture. Time your visit to spring to catch the surrounding 800 cherry trees in pinkest bloom.

 No. 13 Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany

Annual Visitors: 1,520,128

This looks like the ultimate fairy-tale castle, though its backstory is anything but. Reclusive King Ludwig II was declared insane and deposed before the castle was completed; he died shortly thereafter of mysterious causes. Neuschwanstein Castle stands as a testament to his medieval vision, with a two-story throne room inspired by Byzantine churches and a bedroom decorated with murals depicting the legend of Tristan and Isolde and furnished with an ornately carved oak bed covered in blue silk. Visits are allowed only via guided tour.

 No. 14 Osaka Castle, Japan

Annual Visitors: 1,512,000

Skyscrapers encroach on this 16th-century castle, but thanks to 15 acres of parkland, it remains an oasis complete with cherry blossom trees and waterways. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a politician and warlord regarded as one of Japan’s great unifiers, built Osaka Castle, which was a seat of power until the mid 1800s. Ravaged by war and fire, the castle has been reconstructed many times, most recently, in the 1990s. The five-story-tall donjon, built on a stone foundation to protect it from attackers, now displays art and armor from the 16th century. Hideyoshi’s Golden Tea Room, with walls, pillars and tea utensils finished in gold leaf, has been reconstructed on the third floor.

 No. 15 Nagoya Castle, Japan

Annual Visitors: 1,472,000

Golden Dolphins (kin Sha chi), believed to be able to summon water, spring from the roof of Nagoya Castle, built in 1612 on the orders of General Ieyasu Tokugawa to ward off attacks from Osaka. It flourished until the late 1800s, even serving as a temporary residence for the Emperor of Japan. During World War II, many of the buildings were burned down in air raids; the iconic main tower was reconstructed in 1959. Hommaru Palace’s entrance hall, adorned with black lacquer and ornate metal fixtures, and main hall, with tiger screen paintings, reopened to the public in 2013; restoration work continues.

 No. 16 Nijo Castle, Kyoto, Japan

Annual Visitors: 1,463,000

Most castles in Japan were built from the late 1500s to early 1600s, when there were many warring city-states—and Nijo Castle is no exception. Ieyasu Tokugawa ordered the construction of this flatland castle, consisting of two rings of fortifications, in 1603, with two palaces eventually added. Ninomaru Palace’s five buildings encompass 33 rooms, including a waiting room with intricate wall paintings of tigers and leopards, and a hall where the 15th shogun (military governor) announced the restoration of Imperial rule in 1867.

No. 17 Edinburgh Castle

Annual Visitors: 1,420,027

This ancient stronghold sheltered Scottish monarchs like Queen Margaret and Mary, Queen of Scots during times of unrest. The castle became a military base in the 1600s, serving as a jail for prisoners of war. The imposing fortress on Castle Rock dominates the Edinburgh skyline. Like the Tower of London, Edinburgh Castle’s history is tumultuous and bloody—hundreds of supposed witches were burnt at the stake where the esplanade is today. Visitors who enter will see the Great Hall, with its medieval wooden roof; the alleged biblical relic, the Stone of Destiny; and the Scottish Crown Jewels, hidden beneath a latrine to avoid detection during World War II.

 No. 18 Catherine Palace, Tsarskoye Selo, Russia

Annual Visitors: 1,382,000

A summer residence for Russian tsars, this palace southeast of St. Petersburg is named for the wife of Peter the Great, Catherine I, who ruled Russia for two years after his death. But credit for its lavish Rococo style goes to daughter Empress Elizabeth, who ordered her imperial architect to renovate it on a scale to rival Versailles. The palace stretches more than half a mile in circumference and is elaborately decorated with a blue and white façade with gilded reliefs. It’s most famous for the Amber Room, a chamber made completely of amber panels backed with gold leaf and mirrors.

 No. 19 Windsor Castle, Berkshire, United Kingdom

Annual Visitors: 1,327,976

Thirty-nine British kings and queens have stayed in Windsor Castle, the longest occupied palace in Europe. In the 1600s, Charles II setout to rival the achievements of his cousin, Louis XIV, at Versailles by modernizing the 11th-century castle’s interiors with painted ceilings and ornate wood carvings. The colossal Waterloo Chamber celebrates the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815, while the State Apartments are furnished with some of the finest art from the Royal Collection, including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, and Canaletto. 

No. 20 Doge’s Palace, Venice

Annual Visitors: 1,307,230

When Venice was a powerful city-state, its highest official was the doge, and he lived in this pink-and-white marble palace, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture right by St. Mark’s Basilica. The structure standing today has been remodeled and expanded over the years (the oldest section dates back to 1340). The doge’s apartments are as ornate as any sovereign’s, with marble fireplaces, painted friezes, and ornate stucco work. This palace was also the seat of government, featuring council chambers and two prisons connected by the famed Bridge of Sighs.