Are you fascinated by the castles and palaces of Europe? Curious about the daily life of the European kings and queens, their mistresses, family and their servants?
About their outrageous wealth and display of power? Their madness, weaknesses and courage? And their love life..?
So do I!
On this website, I have gathered stories of famous European palaces, the people that lived there and details of life in a palace.
If you completely want to get into it, I have added some tips on spending the night in a European castle!
DISCLOSURE: I get commissions for purchases made through some of the links in this article.
Find the answer to burning questions
- Who lived in the Palace of Versailles?
- Whatever happened to the children of Marie Antoinette?
- (And where can I buy a Marie Antoinette dress?)
- Where did Empress Sisi spend her many holidays?
- And who did Sisi's hair?
- And also, whatever happened to her sister, Duchess Helene, after Franz-Joseph ditched her?
- (And where can I buy a Sisi Dress??)
- How did Charles II of Spain get his looks?
- Where can I get skip the line tickets for the Palaces of Europe?
- Can I sleep in an European palace?
My name is Jet. I am from the Netherlands, incidentally one of the few European countries that still have a constitutional monarchy.
Want to know more about me, my fascination with royalty, and about this website?
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Palaces of Europe by country
While Austria was ruled by the holy roman emperor, a char ruled in Russia. Italy was divided into several small city-states and kingdoms where the Doge ruled Venice and a Queen resided in Parma. French was ruled by a lot of Louis', always fighting with the United Kingdom on the other side of the sea.
European Countries that still have a royal family today are Andorra Belgium, Denmark, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and last but not least the United Kingdom. In most of these countries, the monarch has a mere ceremonial role these days.
All these royals left a wide variety of palaces and castles in almost all countries in Europe. Here are some of my favourites.
Famous palaces
Achilleon
Sisi's palace on the island of Corfu named after the Greek hero Achilles.
versailles
Louis XIV made Chateau de Versailles the centre of political and cultural power of france.
Neuschwanstein
Ludwig II 's palace , based on the opera's by Wagner and named after the "Swan Knight” .
More palaces:
Austrian Palaces
The habsburg rulers left behind magnificent castles in Austria.The most famous Austrian Palaces are found in Vienna.
Palace Film Locations
Visit the Best Palace Film Locations throughout Europe.
Palace of the Royal Mistress
Find out wich Palace the Royal Mistresses received from their king, as a reward for their services.
Virtual tour of the Palaces of Europe
Stuck at home? Why not take Take a Virtual tour of the Palaces of Europe? Virtual tours for Buckingham Palace, Versailles and more.
10 Russian palaces you can visit virtually
10 Russian palaces you can visit virtually. A virtual visit to the Russian palaces of the Romanovs
Palaces of Europe, who live(d) there?
Due to centuries of marriage politics, the royal families that exist today are almost all related to one another. Marriages were political, for love the kings and queens of Europe had to look elsewhere.
I gathered some stories of famous royals, the Royal Mistress, the King’s sister, the maid. What did they do, eat, wear, where did they sleep and what did they do for fun? You can find some of their stories here.
In the menu below, you find stories about the famous king Louis the 14th and Empress Sissi.
Also meet the last mistress of Louis the 15th, the sister of the crown prince of Austria and the children of Marie Antoinette.
Famous palace Residents
Beyond the regal rulers, palaces have been home to servants, visitors, children and mistresses, each with their captivating stories. Read more
Exploring the Palaces of Europe
- Where did Empress Elisabeth stay during her never-ending journeys across Europe?
- What castle do I visit when I want to go ghost hunting?
- Can I visit that castle where they filmed the famous Sissi Trilogy? Or that beautiful movie Marie Antoinette?
Look no further, you will find all the answers here:
Sleeping in the Palaces of Europe
When you have the chance, spending the night in a castle will truly make you feel like royalty for a few days!
Many European castles have opened their doors to commoners like us and transformed into a luxury hotel or simple bed & Breakfast. You can also put up your tent in the castle garden and enjoy the scenery from there.
So take your pick and choose your favourite stay; a Scottish castle, German Schloss, French chateau, or Dutch landgoed. Here are some other suggestions:
You might like these
Famous Palace Residents
Famous Palace Residents: Unveiling Europe's Hidden Stories. Royals, servants, visitors, children, and mistresses
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette, born as Archduchess Maria Antonia, married the Dauphin of France (Louis XVI) at the age of 15.
Madame du Barry
Madame du Barry, the last official mistress of King Louis XV of France and also the last Maitresse en titre of France.
Questions about The Favourite
Who is the film the Favourite based on? And other questions about The favourite.
Madame de Pompadour
Madame de Pompadour was the matresse-en-Titre to King Louis XV for nearly 20 years.
