From royal residences and grand retreats for the incredibly wealthy of days gone by, these gorgeous palaces all have one thing in common – no expense has been spared when building and decorating these jaw-dropping structures.
Let's take a journey through these sought-after destinations...
The grande dame of Britain’s royal residences, Buckingham Palace is the home of His Majesty the King and the administrative headquarters of the monarchy. But it has not always looked quite so grand as it does today. It began life as Buckingham House, a sizeable town house constructed in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. It wasn't until the late 1820s that it would become a palace. George IV, who acquired the house from his father, set about making it a lavish abode fit for royalty.
Sadly, George IV died before the palace's completion and the first monarch to call Buckingham Palace home was Queen Victoria. She moved here in 1837 and added a fourth wing to the already sprawling estate. Today, the palace has some 775 rooms, with 240 bedrooms (including royal, guest and staff sleeping quarters), 78 bathrooms and 19 state rooms. Its Neoclassical façade has become a symbol of Britain the world over, serving as a backdrop for many significant royal moments.
The glittering state rooms are typically open to the public through the summer months – the deep red Throne Room and the ornate Ballroom are among the most impressive. On top of being able to take a sneak peek behind the scenes of a working palace, it’s also an opportunity to explore the property’s lavish interiors and 19 state rooms. Visitors can feast their eyes on paintings by the likes of Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer and Poussin too.
As palaces go, the fabulously Baroque Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna is a serious beauty and a big one at that – it has an impressive 1,441 rooms. Emperor Leopold I replaced the Château de Plaisance on the site with the Schönbrunn Palace in the 17th century. It was originally designed as an imperial hunting lodge for his son and was the summer residence of the Habsburg emperors from the 18th century to 1918. Today it's one of Austria’s most popular tourist attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The work of architect Fischer von Erlach, the sprawling palace houses many priceless treasures that belonged to Austria's longest-reigning royal family. Inside, there are intricately painted ceilings, enormous mirrors and glittering crystal chandeliers while more than 400 acres of manicured gardens with trickling fountains and ornate sculptures adorn the outside. There's even a vineyard within the estate. Typically, there are daily concerts at 8.30pm in the Palace Orangery where Mozart performed in 1786.
It's a little-known fact that normally visitors can even spend the night at the palace. Guests can book the Grand Suite and pretend they're part of the Habsburg dynasty. The opulent bolthole is complete with a salon, two bedrooms, a drawing room and two bathrooms as well as sweeping views of the palace's sprawling gardens. A private cook, butler and a limousine service are also at the guest's disposal.
Famously the one-time residence of Marie Antoinette, the Palace of Versailles (or Château de Versailles) near Paris is well renowned for its opulence and extravagance. Constructed in the 17th century, Versailles served as the French royal family’s home until the Revolution, which began in 1789. It’s hard to imagine a grander residence than this elegant palace.
During the Revolution, the palace was stripped of many of its furnishings, but happily lots of the pieces were returned and the Château has since been restored to its former glory. Though the residence has little shortage of stunning rooms, the glittering Hall of Mirrors (pictured) still somehow manages to outshine the rest. The central gallery sparkles with chandeliers and is home to around 5,000 pieces of antique furniture and 6,000 priceless paintings.
Located 12 miles (19km) southwest of Paris, this glittering palace is typically open for visitors and warrants a whole day's exploration – its collection holds more than 60,000 works and its incredible gardens are filled with statues, fountains and the famous orangery. Other highlights apart from the Hall of Mirrors include Marie Antoinette’s rooms, which are models of opulent Rococo-style decor with soft florals, green velvet and an eye-popping amount of gold.
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Home to 285 rooms, 46 halls and 68 toilets, it’s safe to say that Turkey’s Dolmabahçe Palace is one of the world's most opulent palaces. The estate served as the seat of the Ottoman Empire from 1856 to 1887, and 1909 to 1922, and its spectacular interior conceals a rather lavish secret. During the construction, Emperor Abdülmecid I wanted no expense to be spared, so a whopping 14 tonnes of gold were used to gild the palace's ceilings.
The palace's design is an eclectic mix of Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical styles, but also has plenty of traditional Ottoman architecture details. Expensive materials, like Marmara marble and Egyptian alabaster, have been used throughout the palace and there are several 150-year-old bearskin rugs decorating the rooms, originally a gift from the Russian Tsar Nicholas I.
Once the residence of Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, the palace today is normally open for visitors. Tours usually explore the three main sections of the palace: Selamlik or the administrative area, the Ceremonial Hall where the Sultan and his family lived and the Harem-i Humayun, which was used for state ceremonies.
Normally, one of China’s most visited tourist attractions, The Forbidden City is popular for a reason. A palace complex rather than an individual building, it has been home to more than 20 emperors in its time, and the imposing network hidden behind its walls boasts upwards of 90 palace compounds, 900-plus buildings and just shy of 10,000 rooms. It's the largest palace complex in the world, covering around 180 acres.
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the sprawling palace complex has also been listed as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. Constructed between 1406 and 1420, the palace is an exceptional example of Chinese palatial architecture and after its completion influenced architectural developments in East Asia for the coming decades.
For five centuries under the Ming and Qing dynasties, ordinary Chinese people were banned from even approaching the walls of the Imperial Palace, hence its better-known name. Today, the palace typically welcomes thousands of visitors every day. Since 1925, the Palace Museum has been in charge of the Forbidden City and the complex now houses an extensive collection of objects and artefacts from thousands of years of Chinese history.
One of the largest palaces in India, Mysore Palace was completed as it stands today in 1912, though it's thought a fortress could have existed here since the 14th century. With its striking domes and ornate archways, the exterior is breathtaking and the interiors are just as impressive. Typically open for visitors, there’s a lot to pack into a day. In the evenings (except on Sundays or public holidays) the palace is illuminated by 97,000 lights.
The palace is the official residence of the Wadiyar dynasty in the Indian State of Karnataka. The seat of the Kingdom of Mysore, the building – constructed from granite and pink marble – bursts with colourful details inside and out, from bold tiles and striped columns to ornate archways and stained-glass windows. The palace houses two durbar halls, which are ceremonial meeting halls of the court, and several courtyards, gardens and buildings.
The marvellous mishmash of architectural styles includes Islamic, Neoclassical and Gothic Revival, and the opulence continues inside. Audience Hall, in shades of buttercup yellow, cream and gold, is particularly gorgeous, with elegant columns, chandeliers, and an intricately painted ceiling while the columned audience hall with details in teal and pastel pink looks like it's been lifted straight out of a fairy tale.
The summer palace and private refuge for the King of Prussia, Frederick the Great, Sanssouci is located in Potsdam, a city on the border of Berlin. The name of the palace means without concern (sans souci) in French and it encapsulates the spirit of its architecture perfectly. Built on raised ground with cascading vineyard terraces at the back, the architectural style of the palace is often referred to as Frederician Rococo because of the king's strong influence and personal tastes.
Completed in 1747, the palace was further expanded and improved by King Frederick William IV in the 19th century. Luckily, it was left unscathed after both World Wars and after the reunification of Germany the palace was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many of the paintings, books and other decor elements were returned to the palace as was Frederick the Great, or rather his casket, which was brought back to the palace too, to be buried in a new tomb overlooking the gardens.
Today, the palace is among Germany's most-visited attractions and there are many sights not to be missed in this unique architectural masterpiece. The gold and white Marble Hall reception area, the Voltaire Room (named after the French philosopher who was a frequent guest) and the magnificent Neues Palace are all simply remarkable to see. If visiting, a stroll in the sprawling gardens and park also won't go amiss, if only to catch a glimpse of The Chinese House, a garden pavilion mixing Rococo elements with East Asian influences.
Another palace complex rather than an individual building, Bangkok's Grand Palace was the official residence of the Kings of Siam and the location of the king's court and his government from 1782 to 1925. Situated on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, the complex has a combined area of more than two million square feet. Initially, the palace was built entirely out of wood due to shortage of funds, but later the entire complex was replaced with masonry, from walls and gates to throne halls and royal residences.
The exquisite detailing on both the façades and the interiors is simply breathtaking. The whole complex is divided into several quarters: the Outer Court, the Middle Court, the Inner Court and Wat Phra Kaew, or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. A temple complex within the palace walls, it features myriad buildings for various religious purposes, but the central temple houses a statue of the Emerald Buddha, venerated as the country's palladium.
Today, the palace mostly serves as a museum although it is used by the Thai royal family on certain occasions, like state visits and royal ceremonies so it remains a working palace. Usually, visitors are able to walk through some of the grounds and buildings. Strolling through the asymmetrical complex really gives a good understanding of how the palace complex evolved as successive reigning kings kept adding and rebuilding structures over 200 years, resulting in an eclectic mix of styles.
Built between 1238 and 1358, Granada's sprawling Alhambra is an impressive Moorish masterpiece. The name Alhambra comes from an Arabic phrase meaning red castle and was given due to the reddish hue of its towers and walls, even though it's not a castle but rather a fortress guarding a palatial complex. It was described as "a pearl set in emeralds" by Moorish poets, referring to its location within the woods.
The Alhambra served as a royal palace and its exquisite gardens are home to many beautiful walkways and fountains. It consists of a royal complex, several courts and halls and a collection of outlying buildings. One of its most famous features is the Court of the Lions. An exuberant mixture of Moorish and Christian decorative styles, the stilted arches of the gallery and the sebka (a traditional Moorish motif) decoration and arches are simply spellbinding.
The Alhambra’s structures are elaborately decorated from floor-to-ceiling and it’s easy to imagine royalty walking through the fragrant gardens. Its beauty has inspired many works of literature and film including Washington Irving’s book Tales of the Alhambra.
A symbol of power and influence in Venice, Palazzo Ducale, otherwise known as Doge's Palace, is enshrouded in myth and legends. The official residence of the Doge of Venice for five centuries, it's where some of the most influential decisions in this powerful city were once made. The building itself is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture that combines its 14th- and 15th-century foundations with opulent Renaissance-era and Mannerist additions.
While the exterior is recognised the world over for its ornate decoration, the interior is equally significant. The spectacular halls, staircases and rooms really encapsulate the spirit of old Venice, from the Hall of the Great Council, where the Venetian Parliament sat, to the Giants Staircase, also known as Scala d'Oro, with rich gold decoration. Interestingly, the central courtyard reveals that the palace isn't actually a square and only has three wings. The fourth side is formed by the adjoining St Mark's Basilica.
Today, the stunning building is one of the 11 museums run by the city of Venice and it's probably its most famous. Doge's Palace became a museum in 1923, housing countless priceless works of art by Tintoretto and Titian. An unmissable sight is the fresco entitled Il Paradiso (pictured). Located directly above the Doge's Throne in the Chamber of the Great Council, it's the world's largest canvas painting.
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