TUI Musement has just updated its ranking of the 30 most popular castles and palaces in Europe, and there are three Portuguese entries on the list—as many as Italy, and second only to Spain (6) and the United Kingdom (4).
To arrive at this result, the company counted how many reviews each monument had accumulated on Google as of July 2026 and compared them with the figures from July 2023.
At the very top is, once again, Prague Castle, which has surpassed 199,000 reviews —a 31% increase compared to the previous edition of the study. Rounding out the top three are Buckingham Palace in London and Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.
The top 10
Here are the top 10 most popular castles and palaces in Europe, according to the TUI Musement study. The complete list goes up to 30th place and can be found on the TUI Group’s official website.
- Prague Castle (Czech Republic)
- Buckingham Palace (United Kingdom)
- Schönbrunn Palace (Austria)
- Palace of Versailles (France)
- Wawel Castle (Poland)
- Alhambra (Spain)
- Royal Palace of Madrid (Spain)
- Tower of London (United Kingdom)
- Neuschwanstein Castle (Germany)
- Bran Castle (Romania)
The three Portuguese monuments do not make the top 10, but they do appear in the top 30—and that’s where the national spotlight begins .
Pena Palace
No Portuguese landmark ranks higher than the Pena Palace in Sintra: it is in 13th place, with more than 106,000 reviews.
Built in the 19th century on the ruins of an ancient monastery, it is now the most popular Portuguese monument in the European ranking. Visitors can choose between the Essential Tour, which includes the terraces and the park, or the Complete Tour, which grants access to additional interior rooms of the palace.
Those who choose the Essential Tour pay €20 per person, or €65 for a family of four. The “Total Tour,” on the other hand, opens the doors to additional interior rooms of the palace for €45 per adult— €115 for a family. The difference between the two, for those traveling in a group of four, is around €50, and those who just want to photograph the multicolored facade and stroll through the gardens don’t need to spend more than that.
St. George’s Castle
One spot below, in 14th place, is São Jorge Castle in Lisbon, which has more than 101,000 reviews.
Dating back to the Middle Ages, the fortress played a decisive role in Afonso Henriques’ conquest of Lisbon and maintained a strategic role in the defense of the capital over the centuries. Today, in addition to its walls and towers, the site regularly hosts exhibitions, guided tours, and cultural events.
Adult admission is €17, with a discount for youth ages 13 to 25 (€8.50); admission is free for children under 12. Unlike the other two landmarks, there is no discount for families here—the price is multiplied by the number of adults entering.
Quinta da Regaleira
Rounding out the top three is Quinta da Regaleira, back in Sintra, in 24th place. The estate, purchased in the early 20th century by Brazilian millionaire António Augusto de Carvalho Monteiro, was designed in collaboration with architect Luigi Manini.
An adult ticket costs €20; for visitors aged 6 to 17, the price drops to €15. For families with two adults and two children, there’s a package deal for €60, and children 5 and under get in free. A useful tip for those who live nearby: residents of Sintra can enter for free—they just need to show proof of address.
All in one little getaway?
Geography makes it quite easy for anyone who wants to visit all three in a single weekend: the train ride from Lisbon to Sintra always takes less than half an hour, and within the town itself, Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira are within walking distance or a short ride away ( about 2 km).
With September coming to an end and fall setting in, it’s the perfect excuse for a fairy-tale getaway —without straying far from home. One last tip, applicable to any of the three: booking your ticket online a few days in advance usually saves you time waiting in line upon arrival.
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