Europe is the quintessential place to see castles and palaces — they are everywhere, most of them throw-backs to earlier times when wealth was flaunted and when there were dangers all around. A list of the major and/or best of either of these categories would take up much too much room, so I will try to concentrate on the very best of each.

        Castles are truly fun to visit, since they typically have very unusual architecture, are almost always high on hills, and just look formidable. Palaces traditionally overwhelm the visitor with frescoes, fancy furninture, and gold everywhere.

            Chambord* — Loire Valley, France

            Chenonceau* — Loire Valley, France

            El Alcazar* — Segovia, Spain

            Forbidden City* — Beijing, China

         Grand Palace* — Bangkok, Thailand

         Hofburg* — Vienna, Austria

         Linderhof* — Near Mittenwald, Germany 

         Neuschwanstein* — Near Fussen, Germany

          Nymphenburg* — Munich, Germany

          Palacio Real* — Madrid, Spain

          Potala Palace — Lhasa, Tibet

         Reggia di Caserta* — Caserta, Italy

         Residenz — Wurzburg, Germany

         Schonbrunn* — Vienna, Austria

         Summer Palace* — Beijing, China

         Versailles* — Versailles, France  

         Wawel Castle* — Krakow, Poland

   Total = 17 (We have toured 16 of them).