El Escorial
This is a seriously creepy piece of architecture that screams Inquisition. It's a massive building with over 100 miles of passages built between 1562 and 1584, and its construction costs nearly bankrupt the country.
Tag: palace
Sintra
Sintra is the area of Portugal's fantasy castles perched on a tall green mountain above Lisbon. For many centuries Portugal's royalty used Sintra as an escape from the city. Sintra the town sits at th…
Grand Palace Bangkok
Bangkok’s most popular site houses several temples and religious buildings as well as the palace and a few government buildings. Every structure on the palace grounds is ornately decorated and stunningly beautiful. The religious buildings on the raised terrace to your left as you enter were particularly beautiful.
Independence Palace
Originally constructed by the French as the seat of their colonial government, the palace became the seat of Japanese colonialism during World War II, was then handed back to the French, and finally became the seat of the independent government of South Vietnam. Two North Vietnamese tanks breached the palace gates on April 30, 1975, marking the end of the Vietnam War. Today, the palace is still used for some official state functions, though it is primarily a tourist attraction.
Rosenborg Palace
A Renaissance palace dating to the 17th century. Rosenborg Palace houses the Danish crown jewels, as well as a collection of weapons and a special vintage of wine, some bottles of which date to the 1600s.
Christiansborg Palace
A beautiful palace with some overwhelmingly grand rooms and a remarkably cozy library. However, the structure only dates to 1920 because the palace previously on this spot burned down in the late 1800s. Christiansborg is the seat of the Danish Parliament (Folketinget), the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme Court of Denmark.
Drottningholm Palace
Known as "Sweden’s Versailles," Drottningholm Palace is an enormous and stunningly beautiful palace that mixes baroque, rococo, and neoclassical styles. It was built in the seventeenth century and is still used by the royal family. We recommend the guided tour and saving time to explore the beautiful gardens.
Håkon’s Hall
Built by King Håkon Håkonsson between 1247 and 1267, Håkon's Hall served as a royal residence and feasting hall. The hall is impressive, and it's not hard to imagine medieval Norsepeople feasting inside.