7 Royal Trips To See Europe’s Epic Castles

Unsplash/Ricardo Gomez Angel

Break out your gown and crown — it’s time to plan a trip to one of Europe’s best castles! From the United Kingdom to Portugal, these seven vacation destinations are certainly worthy of a royal adventure.

1. Neuschwanstein Castle — Hohenschwangau, Germany

Flickr CC/Shearings Holidays

This German castle in Bavaria was the inspiration for Disney’s castle in “Sleeping Beauty” and the Disney castles that serve as the centerpieces of most Disney parks.

Combine a visit to this castle with seeing: Munich, Germany for the beer gardens, architecture and markets.

2. Edinburgh Castle — Edinburgh, Scotland

Flickr CC/Bernt Rostad

The focal point of the city of Edinburgh, this enormous castle towers over the town.

Combine a visit to this castle with seeing: Edinburgh, Scotland and the Scottish Highlands for a fairytale town experience and sweeping mountain views.

3. Chatèu de Chillon — Veytaux, Switzerland

Flickr CC/Stuart-Buchanan

One of the inspirations behind the castle in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” this chateau isn’t actually on the sea — it’s located on Lake Geneva.

Combine a visit to this castle with seeing: Lake Geneva for Swiss opulence and natural beauty.

4. Chateau de Chambord — Chambord, France

Flickr CC/TWojtowicz

This quintessential French chateau was inspired by Leonardo da Vinci and contains 426 rooms, 83 staircases and 282 fireplaces.

Combine a visit to this castle with seeing: the Loire Valley for vineyards and traditional French cuisine.

5. Pena Palace — Sintra, Portugal

Flickr CC/chiron3636

Built on top of a mountain, this colorful palace is a towering example of Romantic architecture. The red and gold palace is visible from anywhere in the surrounding park.

Combine a visit to this castle with seeing: Lisbon, Portugal for quaint coastal charm, food and intricate architecture.

6. Conwy Castle — Wales, United Kingdom

Flickr CC/Christine und Hagen Graf

Conwy Castle was built as a medieval fortress in the 1200s. You can basically imagine dragons (Wales’ national symbol) creeping around the classic towers.

Combine a visit to this castle with seeing: Snowdonia National Park for mountain hikes with sweeping views.

7. Corvin Castle — Hunedoara, Romania

Flickr CC/Alex Bikfalvi

Also known as Hunyadi Castle or Hunedoara Castle, it’s the site where Dracula was imprisoned. But if you’re not into vampire tales, it’s also a beautiful location on its aesthetic merits alone.

Combine a visit to this castle with seeing: Bucharest, Romania and Budapest, Hungary on a road trip between both cities.

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