Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

Built between 1869 and 1886 by the eccentric Bavarian King Ludwig II, Neuschwanstein is the world's most photographed castle and directly inspired Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle. Perched 965 metres above sea level in the Bavarian Alps, it attracts 1.4 million visitors annually. Despite spending 17 years and 6.2 million gold marks in construction, Ludwig II lived there for only 172 days before his mysterious death in 1886.