In the Forbidden City, bright red buildings topped with golden pagodas exemplify traditional Chinese architecture, while the Palace Museum showcases art, furniture and calligraphy.
1. Forbidden City, Beijing —
In the Forbidden City, bright red buildings topped with golden pagodas exemplify traditional Chinese architecture, while the Palace Museum showcases art, furniture and calligraphy.
Hemis/Alamy
The U-shaped Louvre housed generations of French kings and emperors beginning in the 12th century, and the remnants of the original fortress that occupied the site (built for King Philippe II in 1190) can be seen in the basement of the museum.
2. Louvre, Paris —
The U-shaped Louvre housed generations of French kings and emperors beginning in the 12th century, and the remnants of the original fortress that occupied the site (built for King Philippe II in 1190) can be seen in the basement of the museum.
iStockphoto
Royal offices are still used within Bangkok's Grand Palace, and state visits and royal ceremonies are held there each year.
3. Grand Palace, Bangkok —
Royal offices are still used within Bangkok's Grand Palace, and state visits and royal ceremonies are held there each year.
Michael Snell/Alamy
When Louis XIV built Versailles in the late 1600s, it became the envy of other European monarchs in Europe, and the opulent estate retains an unmistakable allure. Versailles gets seven times the visitors of any other château in France (apart from the Louvre).
4. Versailles, France —
When Louis XIV built Versailles in the late 1600s, it became the envy of other European monarchs in Europe, and the opulent estate retains an unmistakable allure. Versailles gets seven times the visitors of any other château in France (apart from the Louvre).
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Inside Topkapi Palace, the Privy Chamber of Murat III, pictured, has an indoor pool, gilded fireplace and walls decorated with blue, white and coral Iznik tiles from the 16th century.
5. Topkapi Palace, Istanbul —
Inside Topkapi Palace, the Privy Chamber of Murat III, pictured, has an indoor pool, gilded fireplace and walls decorated with blue, white and coral Iznik tiles from the 16th century.
Shutterstock
Catherine the Great and Nicholas I are among the Russian royals who occupied this green-and-white baroque palace along the Neva River from 1762 to 1917. Now the State Hermitage Museum, the palace is home to an extraordinary art collection including works by Titian, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci.
6. The Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia —
Catherine the Great and Nicholas I are among the Russian royals who occupied this green-and-white baroque palace along the Neva River from 1762 to 1917. Now the State Hermitage Museum, the palace is home to an extraordinary art collection including works by Titian, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci.
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This medieval fortress on the north bank of the River Thames was built to intimidate Londoners and keep out foreign invaders. The oldest part of the structure, the White Tower, dates back to the 12th century.
7. Tower of London —
This medieval fortress on the north bank of the River Thames was built to intimidate Londoners and keep out foreign invaders. The oldest part of the structure, the White Tower, dates back to the 12th century.
Courtesy Historic Royal Palaces
Austria's most-visited site is this Rococo palace, a summer retreat for Hapsburg emperors from the 1700s until 1918.
8. Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna —
Austria's most-visited site is this Rococo palace, a summer retreat for Hapsburg emperors from the 1700s until 1918.
Courtesy Danica Jorge
Refined and expanded over centuries, this hilltop palace and fortress complex combines fortifications, gardens, churches and several palaces, notably the Alhambra, and the Generalife, the country estate of the kings of Granada and Andalusia. Both are remarkable examples of Islamic architecture from Spain's medieval period.
9. Alhambra y Generalife, Granada, Spain —
Refined and expanded over centuries, this hilltop palace and fortress complex combines fortifications, gardens, churches and several palaces, notably the Alhambra, and the Generalife, the country estate of the kings of Granada and Andalusia. Both are remarkable examples of Islamic architecture from Spain's medieval period.
Images & Stories/Alamy
Shuri Castle was the seat of the kings of Ryukyu for more than 400 years. The castle was completely destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, and reconstruction work was only completed in the early 1990s.
10. Shuri Castle, Okinawa, Japan —
Shuri Castle was the seat of the kings of Ryukyu for more than 400 years. The castle was completely destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, and reconstruction work was only completed in the early 1990s.
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