The castle atlas · issue 19.10.2026 · Europe

Every castle worth the trip.

66,686 castles, palaces, fortresses and ruins across 47 countries — with the things that decide a visit: can you go inside, what it costs, and how to get there. Check before you drive an hour to a locked gate.

Kraków · Prague · Edinburgh · Open the map →

Open the map →

Chapter 01 · the real thing

Medieval castles — keeps, moats and border strongholds

The fortified residences that gave the continent its skyline: hilltop keeps, river crossings, royal seats. We hold 43,403 of them — each with what it is, when it rose, and whether the gate actually opens for you.

All medieval castles →

Chapter 02 · the legend

We check the gate, not just the coordinates

Google Maps will show you a castle. It won't tell you it's a private residence behind a wall, or that the courtyard is free but the tower is ticketed — and by then you've already driven the hour. So every place in the database carries a visiting status, and where we can't confirm one, it says so instead of guessing.

The same badges on every castle:

UNESCO free entry ticketed private check locally

A record from the database

Spiš Castle Žehra · castle ruin

UNESCO
World Heritage Site
Built
12th century
Style
Romanesque
Directions
Google Maps ↗
See the castle page →

459 castles on this map are UNESCO World Heritage Sites — we record what the data confirms, not what would look good on the page. Spotted a mistake? contact@castlestovisit.com

Chapter 03 · city index

Which castle is near you?

32,248 towns and cities keep a castle within reach — from capital citadels to a ruin above a village of two hundred people. Every city page lays out the castles, palaces and ruins around it, with a map and the visiting details.

Full index: 32,248 towns and cities →

  1. Florence475
  2. Venice443
  3. Milan361
  4. Rome304
  5. Naples250
  6. Vienna236
  7. Genoa219
  8. Turin192
  9. Warsaw154
  10. Bologna112
  11. Kraków99
  12. Rhineland-Palatinate86
  13. Munich86
  14. Bergamo86
  15. Verona84
  16. Mantua83
  17. L'Aquila79
  18. Siena75
  19. Pisa73
  20. Madrid72
  21. Canton of the Grisons, Switzerland69
  22. Vicenza69
  23. Ferrara69
  24. Prague68

Chapter 04 · coverage

47 countries. Where is it densest?

Germany leads with 13,563 castles, France has 12,215, and Italy 11,698. Click a country to see every castle it holds.

Chapter 05 · the map

All of Europe: 66,686 castles on one map

One map instead of ten open tabs. Filter by type, check the visiting status, pick the one worth the detour.

Open the map →

Saturday comes around again. This time you know which gate is open.

Sources: Wikidata (CC0) · OpenStreetMap (ODbL) · updated 19.10.2026 · 66,686 records