The castle atlas · issue 09.09.2026 · Europe

Every castle worth the trip.

66,493 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 42,517 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 →

457 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?

32,151 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: 32,151 towns and cities →

  1. Florence474
  2. Venice443
  3. Milan361
  4. Rome303
  5. Naples248
  6. Vienna236
  7. Genoa210
  8. Turin186
  9. Warsaw154
  10. Bologna112
  11. Kraków99
  12. Munich86
  13. Bergamo86
  14. Rhineland-Palatinate85
  15. Verona84
  16. Mantua83
  17. L'Aquila79
  18. Siena75
  19. Bavaria, Germany74
  20. Pisa73
  21. Madrid72
  22. Canton of the Grisons, Switzerland71
  23. Vicenza69
  24. Ferrara69

Chapter 04 · coverage

47 countries. Where is it densest?

Germany leads with 13,579 castles, France has 12,196, and Italy 11,643. Click a country to see every castle it holds.

Chapter 05 · the map

All of Europe: 66,493 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 09.09.2026 · 66,493 records