Jaw-Dropping Castles To Visit If You Truly Believe You’re Secretly A Royal

God royals have it good, don’t they? They just swan around, wearing fancy gear and crowns and sitting inside 586 year old castles and shit. Okay, so they probably have to do more than that. But not much more, surely. It’s still a sweet life. 

If you’ve ever wanted to pretend for an hour or so that you, too, lived the lush royal life, the best way to do it is by touring a castle while travelling. They’re plonked all over the globe, and while it’s hard to whittle ’em down to a top gang, we’ve given it a good shot in this article. Here are our faves to hit up next time you’re in their respective countries.

This 19th century palace is often called the ‘fairy-tale castle’ because, well, look at it. Set up high on a rugged cliff with views for days, it’s a must-do if you’re in the Southwest Bavaria region of Germany.

If you’re a tv buff, you’ve already clocked this one as the main home from Downton Abbey. That’s not the only reason it’s worth a road trip from London, though (although it’s a good enough reason tbh). The 19th Century castle is also filled with stunning interiors, from period furniture through to out of control wallpapers and all that fancy shit ye olde people loved.

This is one of the most recognisable chateaux in the world, and it’s easy to see why it’s shot to the top of castle stardom. Constructed by King Francis I in the mid-1500’s, around 700,000 people visit every year, so expect some crowds.
One of Japans most famous landmarks, Osaka castle was built between 1583 and the mid-1600’s, although did get burnt down a couple of times. Standard. Like loads of the castles in this list, it’s situated on some beaut gardens, so if you get bored of squizzing the interiors, just go sit by a perfectly manicured hedge or something.


This 14th century beauty (14th century! How insane is that) played a key role in defence during the Hundred Year’s War. It’s also got an insanely beautiful setting – check out that reflection, hoo boy.

Home to a community of nuns, this epically peaceful castle in Ireland is also home to the famous Victorian Walled Garden. Just try and take a bad Instagram pic. Just try.

People come to this seriously extra palace just as much for its lush gardens. They’re pretty damn amazing, and it’s considered one of the most impressive in Northern Germany. 
Into horror stories? This is the castle people call ‘Dracula’s Castle’ – even though there’s actually no evidence to suggest Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, even knew about it. Regardless, it’s got that gothic creepiness down, and dates back to the 1200’s.
All this castle talk got you dreaming of a side-hustle involving you being a royal? Okay, more like a niche travel agent. Whatever your side-hustle is, you should enter our comp c/o Set for Life – you could win $5k to jumpstart it, plus a luxe weekender in Sydney including lunch with girl boss extraordinaire, Eleanor Pendleton of Gritty Pretty.

Images: Getty Images.

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