European architecture is a huge part of the continent’s appeal. Royal lines from the early Welsh dynasties and Greek ruling families to the Bourbons, Hapsburgs, and Romanovs have all been outlasted by the emblems of their magnificence—castles, palaces, and châteaux. Monarchs had loose purse strings and were jealous of each other; Louis XIV’s palace at Versailles , which has become a byword for opulence, whet the ambition of rival monarchs and spurred the construction of competing domiciles. No expense was spared for God, either, as the many splendid cathedrals, monasteries, synagogues, temples, and mosques rising skyward from their cityscapes attest. Córdoba’s Mezquita and Budapest’s Great Synagogue are among the finest of their kind, while Chartres’s Cathédrale de Notre Dame and Cologne’s Dom are pinnacles of Gothic style.
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AUSTRIA: SCHLOß SCHÖNBRUNN . If the palace isn’t impressive enough, check out the classical gardens that extend behind for four times the length of the structure. |
BRITAIN: WESTMINSTER ABBEY . Royal weddings and coronations take place in the sanctuary; nearby, poets and politicians from the earliest kings to Winston Churchill rest in peace. |
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BRITAIN: BUCKINGHAM PALACE . Britain’s royal family has lived in Buckingham Palace since 1832, guarded by everybody’s favorite stoic, puffy-hatted guards. |
FRANCE: CHARTRES CATHEDRAL . The world’s finest example of early Gothic architecture has intact stained-glass windows from the 12th century and a crypt from the 9th. |
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DENMARK: EGESKOV SLOT . This idyllic castle seems to be floating in a lake. Its moat is straight out of a fairy tale, with imaginative gardens and hedge mazes to match. |
GERMANY: KÖLNER DOM . With a 44m ceiling and 1350 sq. meters of stained glass illuminating the interior with particolored sunlight, Cologne’s cathedral is Germany’s greatest. |
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FRANCE: VERSAILLES . Once home to the entire French court, the lavish palace, manicured gardens, and Hall of Mirrors epitomize Pre-Revolutionary France’s regal extravagance. |
HUNGARY: THE GREAT SYNAGOGUE . Europe’s largest synagogue can hold 3000. Inscribed leaves of a metal tree in the courtyard commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. |
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GERMANY: NEUSCHWANSTEIN . A waterfall, an artificial grotto, a byzantine throne room, and a Wagnerian opera hall deck out the inspiration for Disney’s Cinderella Castle. |
ITALY: SISTINE CHAPEL . Each fresco on its famous ceiling depicts a scene from Genesis. Michaelangelo painted himself as a flayed human skin hanging between heaven and hell. |
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ITALY: PALAZZO DUCALE . The home of the Venetian Doge (mayor) could pass as a city unto itself, complete with on-site prisons that miscreants once entered via the Bridge of Sighs. |
RUSSIA: ST. BASIL’S CATHEDRAL . Commissioned by Ivan the Terrible to celebrate his victory over the Tatars, today its colorful, onion-shaped domes are instantly recognizable. |
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LUXEMBOURG: CHÂTEAU DE VIANDEN . Though its displays of armor, furniture, and tapestries are run-of-the-mill, the expansive views from the hills make the castle a must-see. |
SPAIN: MEZQUITA . Córdoba’s Mezquita, one of the West’s most important Islamic monuments, is supported by 850 pink and blue marble and alabaster columns. |
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PORTUGAL: QUINTA DA REGALEIRA . An eccentric millionaire owner turned this stunning palace into a fantasy land in the early 20th century, complete with “Dantesque” caves below. |
SPAIN: SAGRADA FAMILIA . Though it looks like it’s already melting, Antoni Gaudí’s cathedral isn’t even finished. The world’s most visited construction site should be completed in 2026. |
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SPAIN: THE ALHAMBRA . The Spanish say, “Si mueres sin ver la Alhambra, no has vivido.” (“If you die without seeing the Alhambra, you have not lived.”) We agree. |
TURKEY: AYA SOFIA . The gold-leafed mosaic dome of Byzantine emperor Justinian’s masterful cathedral-turned-mosque appears to be floating on a bed of luminescent pearls. |
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SWEDEN: KUNGLIGA SLOTTET . Still the official residence of the Swedish royal family, the Kungliga Slottet (Royal Palace) recently hosted lavish festivities for the Crown Princess’s 30th birthday. |
UKRAINE: KYIV-CAVE MONASTERY . Kyiv’s oldest holy site houses the Refectory Church, the 12th-century Holy Trinity Gate Church, and caves where monks lie mummified. |
For 50 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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