The World's Most Beautiful Royal Palaces

These amazing palaces were once the homes of kings and emperors. Now most of them stand as a popular tourist attraction, but they are definitely among the most famous monuments in the world. Here is our list of the most beautiful royal palaces in the world. Buckingham Palace, originally known as Buckingham House, is the official London residence and principal workplace of the British monarch. Located in the city of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focus for the British people at times of national rejoicing and crisis. The palace has 775 rooms and a large park-like garden. The garden, together with its lake, is the largest private garden in London. The state rooms, which are used for official and state entertaining, are open to the public each year for most of August and September, and on Sundays in winter and spring. Pina National Palace, built in 1842 by King Ferdinand II, the Pina National Palace in Portugal is the oldest European castle in Romanticism style. The palace was constructed on the ruins of a monastery severely damaged in the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755. Today, with its original colors of red and yellow restored, the Pina National Palace is one Chateau de Chambord features 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces, and 84 staircases. Construction of the chateau started in 1519 by King François I, so he could hunt in nearby forests. The cold and massive rooms of the chateau made it unpopular as an actual residence, and François I himself located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It was originally constructed as a fortress in 889 and was converted into a royal palace in 1333 by Yusef I, Sultan of Granada. The Alhambra's Islamic palaces were built for the last Muslim emirs in Spain and its court of the Nasrid dynasty. After the reconquest by the Rias Catolicos in 1492, some portions were used by the Christian rulers. The Alhambra is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions, and many visitors come to Granada just to see the Alhambra. The Palace of Versailles, The Palace of Versailles is a royal chateau in Versailles, in the Ile-de-France-Région of France. Versailles was originally a hunting lodge built in 1624 by Louis XIII. When the chateau was built, Versailles was a country village. Today, however, it is a wealthy suburb of Paris, some 20 kilometers southwest of the French capital. It is a very popular tourist attraction and is now open as a museum.