TUI Musement crowns the 30 most popular castles and palaces in Europe in 2026
Castles and palaces in Czech Republic, UK, Austria, France, Poland, Spain, Germany and Romania make up the top 10
Prague Castle holds on to the top spot, Schönbrunn climbs onto the podium, and Buda Castle enters the top 30 as the only newcomer
Top 30 based on 2026 review volumes, with analysis comparing to 2023 data showing how the ranking has changed
Culture and heritage rank among Europeans' main reasons to travel this autumn, and they are the preferred type of holiday among those planning a trip in October and November, according to the European Travel Commission (ETC)*.
Independent market research** commissioned by TUI Musement's points in the same direction: 94% of respondents say they are interested, or very interested, in history, culture and heritage experiences on their next city break. And that interest doesn't stop when the trip ends, 8 in 10 say they have also visited a monument or landmark close to home.
The full ranking brings together 30 castles and palaces from across Europe, from former royal residences and medieval fortresses to UNESCO World Heritage sites. Spain has the strongest presence with six entries, followed by the United Kingdom with four. Italy and Portugal have three each.
The big news is the arrival of Buda Castle, which enters the ranking at number 23 after a 65% increase in reviews compared with 2023. Among the most notable climbers are Schönbrunn Palace, Neuschwanstein Castle and Malbork Castle, each gaining two places.
At the other end, Montjuïc Castle drops six places, the steepest fall in the ranking, followed by Edinburgh Castle, Peñíscola Castle and Heidelberg Castle, each down three.
Many of these landmarks can be visited with TUI Musement tickets and guided tours, with local guides on hand to bring the story behind each site to life.
*European Travel Comission: Monitoring Sentiment for Intra-European Travel
**Independent study conducted by Appinio for TUI Musement.
About TUI Musement
TUI Musement is a global Tours & Activities business that combines a highly curated product portfolio, scalable digital platforms and in-destination service by local teams, to source, develop, distribute and deliver products in three categories:
- Experiences: Excursions, activities & attraction tickets
- Transfers: Between airports, hotels and ports
- Tours: Multi-day itineraries encompassing hotels, experiences, guides and transportation
Available in all major beach and city destinations, products are sourced from leading travel businesses or developed in-house by TUI teams, including the TUI Collection, the flagship experiences portfolio of TUI Group.
Products are distributed to customers, including the +34,7 million TUI customers, through TUI websites and apps – such as the Tours & Activities dedicated TUI Musement app, as well as in-destination local teams and B2B partners, including some of the world's leading OTAs, tour operators, airlines, hotels, travel agencies and cruise lines. TUI Musement is one of the major growth areas of the TUI Group and employs approximately 7,000 people worldwide.
