Top 10 Most Beautiful Castles in Europe

Perched on volcanic rock inhabited since the 9th century BC; receives 2.2 million visitors per year as Scotland most visited paid attraction; houses the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny.

Construction began in 1661 under Louis XIV; 2,300 rooms across 63,154 m2 of floor space; the Hall of Mirrors stretches 73 metres and was the venue for the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919; 10 million annual visitors.

The largest ancient castle complex in the world at 70,000 m2; continuously inhabited since the 9th century; contains St. Vitus Cathedral and three historic palaces; a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The oldest and largest occupied castle in the world; continuously inhabited for over 11 centuries; serves as the official residence of the British monarch; covers 13 acres on a chalk hill above the Thames.

14th-century fortress built in 1388 as a border defense; associated with Bram Stoker Dracula character; receives 600,000 visitors annually; perched dramatically on a 60-metre rocky bluff in Transylvania.

Moorish palace and fortress complex begun in 889 AD; UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984; receives 2.7 million visitors per year; its Nasrid Palaces contain some of the finest Islamic architecture in the world.

Tidal island abbey-fortress dating to the 8th century; 3.5 million annual visitors; accessible only via a causeway during high tide; inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

Third castle on its 855-metre summit; ancestral seat of the Hohenzollern dynasty and the royal family of Prussia; houses the Prussian Crown Jewels including Frederick the Great personal effects.

16th-century castle spanning the Cher River on five arches; known as the Ladies Castle for the six women who shaped its history; receives 800,000 visitors annually, France most visited chateau after Versailles.

Perched on volcanic rock inhabited since the 9th century BC; receives 2.2 million visitors per year as Scotland most visited paid attraction; houses the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny.

Construction began in 1661 under Louis XIV; 2,300 rooms across 63,154 m2 of floor space; the Hall of Mirrors stretches 73 metres and was the venue for the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919; 10 million annual visitors.

The largest ancient castle complex in the world at 70,000 m2; continuously inhabited since the 9th century; contains St. Vitus Cathedral and three historic palaces; a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The oldest and largest occupied castle in the world; continuously inhabited for over 11 centuries; serves as the official residence of the British monarch; covers 13 acres on a chalk hill above the Thames.

14th-century fortress built in 1388 as a border defense; associated with Bram Stoker Dracula character; receives 600,000 visitors annually; perched dramatically on a 60-metre rocky bluff in Transylvania.

Moorish palace and fortress complex begun in 889 AD; UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984; receives 2.7 million visitors per year; its Nasrid Palaces contain some of the finest Islamic architecture in the world.

Tidal island abbey-fortress dating to the 8th century; 3.5 million annual visitors; accessible only via a causeway during high tide; inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

Third castle on its 855-metre summit; ancestral seat of the Hohenzollern dynasty and the royal family of Prussia; houses the Prussian Crown Jewels including Frederick the Great personal effects.

16th-century castle spanning the Cher River on five arches; known as the Ladies Castle for the six women who shaped its history; receives 800,000 visitors annually, France most visited chateau after Versailles.