Five famous palaces

Below are images of five of our favourite "palaces" visited so far. Why have they made it into this list? Simple reason, in some way they all generate the WOW factor. There is something about all of them that makes you stand back to take in their beauty, the detail of the stonework or simply to admire their sheer scale. Is there a reason that Ankor Wat is featured first? Yes, if you want one recommendation to add to your Bucket List, add Ankor Wat. Once visited, you'll never forget that feeling of excitement and awe when you saw it for the first time.

Ankor Wat, Cambodia

Ankor Wat is the largest Hindu temple complex in the world. The temple was built by King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century. Close to the city of Siem Reap in Cambodia, Ankor Wat and the other temples in the region are truly stunning. The only way to really appreciate them is to visit them.

The Hofburg complex, Vienna

The Hofburg complex stands in the middle of downtown Vienna. It consists of 18 wings and 19 courtyards and houses a large number of museums, displaying unique treasures and collections. The Silberkammer and the Sisi exhibition are well worth a visit.

Schloss Charlottenberg, Berlin

Built by Elector Friederich III in 1699 as a summer palace for his wife Sophie Charlotte, this regal estate, the largest palace in Berlin, is framed by a baroque-style garden. Inside, a collection of 18th century French paintings is the largest of its kind outside France. 

Royal Palace, Aranjuez

The Royal Palace of Aranjuez, located on the side of the Tajo River, was built in 1561 by King Philip II as a royal summer residence. The palace was rebuilt by the Bourbon King Fernando VI in the 18th century after it was destroyed by fire.

The Alhambra, Granada

The Alhambra was so called because of its reddish walls (in Arabic, («qa'lat al-Hamra'» means Red Castle). It is located on top of the hill al-Sabika, on the left bank of the river Darro, to the west of the city of Granada and in front of the neighbourhoods of the Albaicin and of the Alcazaba. 

The Alcazar, Segovia

This Alcazar, a castle-palace, lies in the walled city of Segovia in the province of Segovia in Spain. It's one of the most famous castles in Spain due to the fact that a lot of Spanish kings resided here and because of its beautiful exterior.

To see more about the cities or places where these fabulous buildings are, simple click on any of the underlined links throughout this post or enter the place name into the Search This Blog box and click on the relevant post.