--- title: "Castles & Palaces, 10 worth going inside | Wimup" description: "Ten castles and palaces ranked by building, setting and how much you can enter, from the Alhambra and Himeji to Prague Castle." url: https://wimup.com/castles type: Themed list updated: 2026-10-26 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Castles & palaces, ten worth going inside. By Wimup desk · 10 picks · 5 films · ≈ 4 min read The 10 castles and palaces we would cross a country for, from the Nasrid courts of the Alhambra to the white keep of Himeji, and the city guide that gets you there. We ranked these ten on the building and its setting first, then on how much of it a visitor can actually go inside. That second test is why the original wooden keeps of Japan make the list and its concrete rebuilds do not. ## Castles & palaces, ten worth going inside. ### 1. Alhambra, Spain Andalusia · Spain The Nasrid palaces of Yusuf I and Muhammad V, raised in the 14th century on a ridge above Granada, hold the finest Islamic interiors in Europe. Entry to them runs on a timed slot printed on the ticket, so book on the official site and arrive on time. - **Built:** 14th century - **Inside:** Nasrid Palaces, Generalife - **Tip:** Book a timed slot Links: [Spain guide](https://wimup.com/country/spain.md) ### 2. Himeji Castle, Japan Hyogo · Japan The best-preserved original castle in Japan, completed in its present form in 1609 and on the UNESCO list since 1993. You climb the six wooden floors of the keep in socks, up stairs that steepen as they go; come at opening, before the queue builds. - **Built:** 1609 - **Inside:** Six-floor wooden keep - **Tip:** Arrive at opening Links: [Japan guide](https://wimup.com/country/japan.md) ### 3. Prague Castle, Czechia Prague · Czechia Guinness lists it as the largest ancient castle in the world, a 9th-century complex of 7.28 hectares on the hill above the Vltava. The courtyards are free; a circuit ticket opens St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace and Golden Lane. - **Built:** 9th century - **Inside:** Cathedral, palace, Golden Lane - **Tip:** Buy the circuit ticket Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/prague.md) · [Watch the Prague film](https://wimup.com/watch/prague.md) ### 4. Pena Palace, Portugal Sintra · Portugal Ferdinand II turned a ruined monastery into this Romantic palace between 1842 and 1854 and set it on a peak of the Sintra hills. The state rooms are still furnished from its royal years; take the first slot of the day, before the coaches arrive. - **Built:** 1842–1854 - **Inside:** State rooms, terraces - **Tip:** First slot of the day Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/sintra.md) · [Watch the Sintra film](https://wimup.com/watch/sintra.md) ### 5. Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany Bavaria · Germany Ludwig II's mountain fantasy above Hohenschwangau, opened to the public on 1 August 1886, weeks after his death, and on the UNESCO list since 2025. It is seen only on a guided tour with a timed ticket; walk on to the Marienbrücke for the view. - **Built:** 19th century - **Inside:** Guided tour only - **Tip:** Book a timed ticket Links: [Germany guide](https://wimup.com/country/germany.md) ### 6. Schönbrunn Palace, Austria Vienna · Austria The Habsburg summer palace: 1,441 rooms and formal gardens climbing to the Gloriette, on the UNESCO list since 1996. The Grand Tour opens 40 of those rooms, Maria Theresa's interiors included; walk the free gardens after the tour. - **Built:** 18th century - **Inside:** 40 of 1,441 rooms - **Tip:** Gardens after the tour Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/vienna.md) · [Watch the Vienna film](https://wimup.com/watch/vienna.md) ### 7. City Palace Udaipur, India Udaipur · India The largest palace complex in Rajasthan, begun by Maharana Udai Singh II in the 16th century and added to for some 400 years on the east bank of Lake Pichola. Much of it is now the City Palace Museum; go in the morning, before the midday heat. - **Built:** 16th century - **Inside:** City Palace Museum - **Tip:** Morning visit Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/udaipur.md) · [Watch the Udaipur film](https://wimup.com/watch/udaipur.md) ### 8. Amber Fort, India Jaipur · India Raja Man Singh began this sandstone and marble palace-fort in 1592 on the ridge above Maota Lake, and it joined the UNESCO Hill Forts of Rajasthan in 2013. Its Sheesh Mahal is lined with mirror work; climb up from the lake early. - **Built:** 1592 - **Inside:** Sheesh Mahal, palace courts - **Tip:** Go early Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/jaipur.md) · [Watch the Jaipur film](https://wimup.com/watch/jaipur.md) ### 9. Český Krumlov Castle, Czechia Český Krumlov · Czechia The second largest castle complex in Czechia, some 40 buildings around five courtyards on a rock above the Vltava, on the UNESCO list since 1992. Its Baroque theatre, the best preserved in Europe by the castle's own account, opens on guided tours from April to October. - **Built:** 13th century - **Inside:** Tour routes, Baroque theatre - **Tip:** April to October Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/cesky-krumlov.md) ### 10. Matsumoto Castle, Japan Matsumoto · Japan The oldest surviving five-tiered, six-storey keep in Japan, built in the 1590s on flat ground and a National Treasure since 1936. Visitors climb all six floors inside, shoes off; the black walls read best from across the moat. - **Built:** 1590s - **Inside:** Six inner floors - **Tip:** Shoes off inside Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/matsumoto.md) ## FAQs ### Which castle on this list is hardest to get into? The Alhambra. The Nasrid Palaces admit visitors only on the timed slot printed on the ticket, and those slots go first in spring and autumn. Book on the official Patronato site and carry the ID you booked with. ### Can you go inside Neuschwanstein? Yes, but only on a guided tour with a timed ticket, sold by the Ticket Center Hohenschwangau, which also takes reservations. Ludwig II died before the castle was finished, so the view from the Marienbrücke is half the visit. ### Why is Osaka Castle not on the list? Its keep is a 1931 concrete reconstruction that houses a museum, so the building you walk through is modern. Himeji and Matsumoto keep their original wooden keeps, which is what the ranking rewards. ### What is the difference between a castle and a palace here? A castle was built to be defended and a palace to be lived in, and several here are both: Prague Castle holds a royal palace, and Amber Fort is a palace inside fortress walls. We judged them all the same way. ### Which of these work as a day trip? Pena Palace sits above Sintra, a suburban train ride from Lisbon. Himeji is on the Shinkansen line west of Osaka, and Neuschwanstein is a full day from Munich by train and bus through Füssen. ## Sources - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.