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Are there any nobler or more beautiful horses in the world than the gray-white Lipizzans who wow audiences with their high stepping at the Spanish Riding School? In the 16th century, the Hapsburg empire used Andalusian horses to create the breed in Lipizza (located in Slovenia). As they have for centuries, the Lipizzans perform their acrobatic haute école dressage in the Hofburg Palace’s Winter Riding School arena, an all-white baroque hall designed by Fischer von Erlach. Riders still wear the traditional uniform of bicorne hats and tailcoats, part of the reason UNESCO granted the Riding School its Intangible Cultural Heritage status. In addition to watching the performances, visitors can also tour the stables and sit in on morning training sessions set to classical music.

The main royal residence for emperors during the Tang Dynasty (from the 600s to the 900s), Daming Palace was discovered in 1957. After excavations and restoration work, the palace, also known as the Palace of Great Brilliance, opened to the public. Visitors learn about the Tang Dynasty and can admire the palace’s cultural relics and elegant architecture.

You’ll feel like royalty from the moment you touch down at the 19th-century Palais Sheherazade, a traditional Moroccan palace with zellige tiling, sculpted plaster, and stained glass. A massive courtyard patio lies at the hotel’s heart, with a pool bordered by 100-year-old palm trees, Andalusian-style greenery, and elegant black-and-white seating from the adjacent restaurant, where you can sip mint tea from etched-glass cups as the scent of jasmine wafts through the air. The 24 chandeliered suites are regal in size and decor, bedecked in sumptuous textiles, handpainted cedarwood ceilings, and gleaming copper sink basins. But the true star here is the Anne Sémonin spa, a palace unto itself with an array of decadent rooms, an Aquatonic pool, and a traditional hammam.

Built in the 17th century, Nymphenburg Palace is one of the largest royal castles in Europe. Planned as a summer residence for the Bavarian monarchy, it was expanded over time and now features additional pavilions and gallery wings, plus a French Baroque façade by Joseph Effner. The palace exterior and expansive, English-style gardens—complete with lakes, geysers, and waterfalls—are the real highlights here, but the interior, with its Baroque, Neoclassical, and Rococo era rooms, is also worth seeing. Be sure to check out the Steinerner Saal (Stone Hall) with its striking ceiling frescoes, the Schönheitengalerie (Gallery of Beauties) with works by court painter Joseph Karl Stieler, and the palace chapel of St. Magdalena. There are also a few interesting museums on site, including ones dedicated to royal coaches, porcelain, and natural history.

The Palace is located on the Lapad Peninsula, two and a half miles from Old Town. The 308 rooms all have balconies with sea views.

Of all the grand palaces in Austria, Esterházy is one you definitely don’t want to miss. It’s second, perhaps, to Schönbrunn. The 13th-century palace was acquired by the Hungarian family in 1622 and remains in their care. Magnificent rooms like the Empiresaal (dining hall) and the acoustically perfect Haydnsaal, a concert hall named for the composer who worked for the family for 40 years, are simply stunning. If the family’s wealth and importance wasn’t clear, one needs simply to visit the palace chapel where they’ll see the relics of St. Constantine.

The Royal Palace located in the center of Stockholm and is a must visit. The grand structure is impressive just to walk by but when you enter into the palace it is amazing to see how royalty lived with the grand rooms, intricate art and furniture, marble stairs and learn more about the history. I also recommend getting a Stockholm Card if you want to see the main sites in the city. It is a great way to get discounts and get into places like The Royal Palace.

While the tourist hordes in beautiful Sintra, Portugal, are flocking to Pena Palace, head instead to Monserrate. The gardens here are massive and have been recently restored. We wandered here for hours without hardly seeing another person. The palace itself, although not as large as Pena, is just as grand, if not more so. Every inch of the architecture is covered in delicate carving. The Moorish and Indian influences work together to create a cohesive and beautiful design.

The Belgian Royal Palace sits proudly in front of Parc Royal in Brussels. You can’t stop by for tea with the royals here unfortunately. They live at the Royal Residence in Laeken. However, you can have a look inside the Royal Palace during the summer months and wander through the rooms where official royal business is conducted. Throughout August, the palace is open to the public and can be visited free of charge. You can see the hall of mirrors (a downscaled version of Versailles) with a very quirky ceiling. The ceiling is actually an artwork, by Jan Fabre, called “Heaven of Delight” and is made up of the shiny wings of 1.4 million Thai jewel beetles and took three months to create.

Bangkok’s most iconic site is a massive palace complex that served as the royal residence until 1925. Of its many buildings, the one with the most architectural interest is Chakri Mahaprasat. It was designed in 1882 by British architects, in a style that could be described as traditional Thai meets Italian Renaissance. Nearby is the 1784 Wat Phra Kaeo, or Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Thailand’s most sacred Buddhist place of worship. Go inside to see the Emerald Buddha, carved not of emerald but of semiprecious green stone, robed in gold and just 66 centimeters (26 inches) high.

Retrace the steps of nobility on a self-directed tour that highlights the palaces and royal guesthouses of Hyderabad. Start with a visit to the Mirde Hamidkhan Devdi, a typical local Muslim home near Charminar. Also explore the devdis of Paigah noblemen Kursheed Jah, Asman Jah, and Sir Vicar-Ul-Umara. Continue to Chowmahalla Palace, the seat of the Asaf Jah dynasty and residence of the Nizams. Conclude the tour at Falaknuma Palace, once the Royal Guest House of the Nizam of Hyderabad, where he used to entertain foreign dignitaries. It has been converted to a Taj Hotel and is an outstanding example of the famed Nizam’s hospitality.

I absolutely love the interior courtyard of Christiansborg Palace. It is the type of place that seems straight out of a Disney fairy tale. Stand in the courtyard and close your eyes, imagining carriages, lanterns, and a steady stream of affluent Danes attending a grand ball—it’s a magical place. Started in 1733, the palace was completed in its present form in 1928. Over the years various stages were added and expanded in response to fire damage, periods of prosperity, and the latest design trends. The Palace currently serves as the seat of the Danish Parliament, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Supreme Court, The Royal Reception Rooms, and the Royal Stables which are the reason that the middle of the inner courtyard is a large dirt space (still used as part of the Royal Stables). You can access the ruins from the previous castle through the Christiansborg Palace museum.

Completed in 1614, Johannisburg Palace is one of the most important Renaissance castles in Germany. Located along the Main River, the immense, four-winged complex served as the second residence of the archbishop-electors of Mainz until 1803. Today, it’s home to innumerable cultural and historical treasures, including a unique collection of cork architectural models called Bringing Rome Across the Alps. The State Gallery displays early German and Dutch paintings, with a special emphasis on Lucas Cranach the Elder, while the Princely Apartments offer a fine array of neoclassical furnishings. In the Palace Church, modern technology brings the Renaissance altar to life in a new way, using light and sound installations to highlight the 31 alabaster sculptures and almost 150 relief figures. Also not to be missed is the Palace Museum, showcasing the history of Aschaffenburg, as well as the gardens, where the fruit trees and flower beds are particularly splendid in summer.

Built in 1500 by King James IV as a royal hunting lodge, this Renaissance palace was a favorite residence of Mary Queen of Scots, who took advantage of the vast estate to pursue falconry and play games of tennis on what is now Britain’s oldest court. Tour the palace to view intricate wood paneling, impressive painted ceilings, and beautifully carved furniture, then head to the south wing, where you’ll find twin, three-story gate towers with a unique mix of Gothic, Corinthian, and Palladian architecture. Visitors can also stroll through the formal gardens and orchard, complete with a living willow labyrinth.