Castles, Palaces & Monasteries Worldwide
Palaces, castles, residences and monasteries with museums, guided tours and historic rooms.
Castles, Palaces & Monasteries Worldwide: Overview & Tips
Our guide lists 226 castles, palaces and monasteries worldwide, spread across 3 countries and 208 towns and cities. Of these, 185 are in Germany, 25 in Denmark, and 16 in the Netherlands.
Among regions, Bavaria (40), Baden-Württemberg (20), and North Rhine-Westphalia (18) have the most; among cities, Potsdam (5), Bayreuth (3), and Dresden (3) lead the way.
8 museums are free to visit. For the others with a published price, a regular adult ticket costs €8 at the median, and the middle half charge between €5 and €10.
46 museums are fully wheelchair accessible, 170 offer dedicated programs for families, and 110 have a café or restaurant. These figures come from our ongoing research – museums whose details we haven’t verified yet aren’t included in the counts.
Top 10 castles, palaces and monasteries worldwide
The best-known castles, palaces and monasteries worldwide
Schloss NeuschwansteinCastles & Palaces · Schwangau
WartburgCastles & Palaces · Eisenach
KronborgCastles & Palaces · Helsingør
Schloss NymphenburgCastles & Palaces · Munich
Schloss CharlottenburgCastles & Palaces · Berlin
Burg HohenzollernCastles & Palaces · Bisingen
Würzburger ResidenzCastles & Palaces · Würzburg
Zisterzienserabtei MaulbronnCastles & Palaces · Maulbronn
Schweriner SchlossCastles & Palaces · Schwerin
Schloss LinderhofCastles & Palaces · Ettal
Castles, palaces and monasteries worldwide with free admission
Schloss SalderHistory · Salzgitter
Haus IssumRegional · Issum- Museen Burg AltenaHistory · Altena
- Museum Burg StickhausenCastles & Palaces · Detern
Schloss RodenbergRegional · Rodenberg
Schlossmuseum IsmaningRegional · Ismaning
Turmhügelburg LütjenburgOpen-air · Lütjenburg
Hammershus BesøgscenterHistory · Allinge
Castles, palaces and monasteries worldwide with programs for families
- WartburgCastles & Palaces · Eisenach
- KronborgCastles & Palaces · Helsingør
- Schloss NymphenburgCastles & Palaces · Munich
- Schloss CharlottenburgCastles & Palaces · Berlin
- Burg HohenzollernCastles & Palaces · Bisingen
- Würzburger ResidenzCastles & Palaces · Würzburg
- Zisterzienserabtei MaulbronnCastles & Palaces · Maulbronn
- Schweriner SchlossCastles & Palaces · Schwerin
- Schloss LinderhofCastles & Palaces · Ettal
Heidelberger SchlossCastles & Palaces · Heidelberg
Wheelchair-accessible castles, palaces and monasteries worldwide
- Würzburger ResidenzCastles & Palaces · Würzburg
Markgräfliches OpernhausCastles & Palaces · Bayreuth
Barockschloss MannheimCastles & Palaces · Mannheim
Schloss JohannisburgCastles & Palaces · Aschaffenburg
Residenzschloss RastattCastles & Palaces · Rastatt
Schlossmuseum BraunschweigCastles & Palaces · Braunschweig
Eutiner SchlossCastles & Palaces · Eutin
Museum de FundatieArt · Zwolle
RüstkammerHistory · Dresden
MORE RuurloArt · Ruurlo
Castles, palaces and monasteries worldwide with the highest published visitor numbers
- Schloss NeuschwansteinCastles & Palaces · Schwangau
- Heidelberger SchlossCastles & Palaces · Heidelberg
Schloss SchwetzingenCastles & Palaces · Schwetzingen- WartburgCastles & Palaces · Eisenach
- Schloss LinderhofCastles & Palaces · Ettal
- Schloss NymphenburgCastles & Palaces · Munich
- Würzburger ResidenzCastles & Palaces · Würzburg
Schloss MoritzburgCastles & Palaces · Moritzburg
Frederiksborg SlotCastles & Palaces · Hillerød- Schloss CharlottenburgCastles & Palaces · Berlin
Current special exhibitions at castles, palaces and monasteries worldwide
- Schätze, Schutt, Skurrilitäten. Geschichten von der BaustelleWartburg · Eisenach · until March 25, 2027
- Reitzeuge Kurfürst Max EmanuelsSchloss Nymphenburg · Munich
- verzuckert. Die Kunst des königlichen DessertsSchloss Charlottenburg · Berlin · until January 9, 2028
- Dünnes Eis – Inuit zur Schau gestelltSchloss Moritzburg · Moritzburg · until November 1, 2026
- Drei Haselnüsse für AschenbrödelSchloss Moritzburg · Moritzburg · until February 28, 2027
Capa in ColditzSchloss Colditz · Colditz · until November 30, 2026
Goldene ZeitenSchloss Sigmaringen · Sigmaringen- Klimawandel in historischen Gärten – Baustelle ArtenvielfaltSchloss Schwetzingen · Schwetzingen · until November 1, 2026
MAKING SENSE OF THINGSVilla Hügel · Essen · until August 15, 2027- BUNT! Papier – Made in AschaffenburgSchloss Johannisburg · Aschaffenburg · until November 15, 2026
By country
Cities with the most museums
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
How many castles, palaces and monasteries are there worldwide?
Our directory currently lists 226 castles, palaces and monasteries worldwide across 208 towns and cities.
What are the best-known castles, palaces and monasteries worldwide?
Some of the best known are Schloss Neuschwanstein, Wartburg, Kronborg, Schloss Nymphenburg, and Schloss Charlottenburg.
Which castles, palaces and monasteries worldwide offer free admission?
8 museums are free to visit – for example Schloss Salder, Haus Issum, Museen Burg Altena, and Museum Burg Stickhausen.
Which castles, palaces and monasteries worldwide are open on Mondays?
Many museums are closed on Mondays, but according to their regular hours 62 are open, such as Schloss Neuschwanstein, Wartburg, and Kronborg.
Which castles, palaces and monasteries worldwide are wheelchair accessible?
46 museums are fully wheelchair accessible, including Würzburger Residenz, Markgräfliches Opernhaus, and Barockschloss Mannheim. Others are partially accessible – you’ll find the details on each museum’s page.
How much does it cost to visit castles, palaces and monasteries worldwide?
A regular adult ticket costs €8 at the median, with prices ranging from €2 to €26. Children, students and families usually pay less.
Other categories: Art & Design · History & Cultural History · Natural History · Science & Technology · Archaeology & Antiquity · Memorials · Open-Air Museums · City & Regional Museums · World Cultures & Ethnology · People & Literature · Special-Interest Museums