The World’s ‘Most Storybook’ Castles—According To A New Ranking

What makes a perfect storybook castle? It all comes down to the details—elements like a great collection of turrets, a non-symmetrical facade, and an ornate gateway, according to Oliver’s Travels, and it certainly helps if the castle is elevated, commanding a position in a unique or remote location. To crown the most storybook castles around the world (and there’s a lot—Germany alone has 25,000 castles and palaces) the luxury villa provider took all of these architectural and location details into consideration for its ranking of the most storybook castles around the world.

“From childhood, fairytales capture our imagination, and as adults, exploring castles and palaces lets us revisit that enchantment,” says Oliver Bell, co-founder of Oliver’s Travels, which has 200 castles and chateaux for rent.

The perfect castle, he says, combines awe-inspiring architecture with the whimsical elements of storybook tales, creating a nostalgic experience. “It’s a place where visitors can admire the detailed turrets, ornate entrances, and meandering paths, imagining themselves as the protagonist of their favorite fairytale,” he says.

Ideally situated in a unique location, like a rugged hillside or secluded island, the very best castles enhance the sense of wonder and fantasy, Bell says. Many of the castles that look like they’re straight out of a fairytale are open to the public to tour, visit, and photograph.

To create the “fairytale formula,” the Oliver’s Travel team took into consideration common elements that are often found in castles and palaces from folklore. Five of the castles achieved a perfect score with their tall and pointed turrets, non-symmetrical facade and fascinating locations.

Here’s the 5 most fairytale-like castles around the world, according to the 2024 report from Oliver’s Travel.

Hochosterwitz Castle in Austria

With a commanding presence on a 525-root rock in Carinthia, Hochosterwitz Castle epitomizes a fairytale castle, Bell points out, so much so that it’s believed to have inspired “Snow White.” Visitors can dine at the on-site restaurant or tour the castle’s medieval museum.

Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany

With a limestone facade and blue turrets, some believe that Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle was the muse for “Cinderella” and the “Sleeping Beauty” castle at Disneyland in Anaheim. Roughly 1.4 million people visit the castle each year.

“It’s perched dramatically on a rugged hill overlooking the Alpsee Lake, giving it the appearance of coming straight from the pages of a storybook,” Bell says.

Mont Saint-Michel in France

Mont Saint-Michel is a “perfect example of a fairytale castle,” Bell says. It sits in a bay that’s shared by Normandy and Brittany and is surrounded by tidal flats. A former Christian pilgrimage site, the holy island and its bay is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

“When it becomes encircled by the sea during high tide, its atmosphere is one of both magic and mystery,” he says.

Some think Mont Saint-Michel inspired the castle in Disney’s “Tangled.”

Hohenzollern Castle in Germany

“Often called the ‘castle in the clouds’, its lofty mountain location means that it is surrounded by the mountain mists of the Black Forest—something that, when it happens, truly makes it the quintessential fairytale castle,” Bell says.

The castle in Swabia, Germany is another popular castle destination for European travelers, drawing about 300,000 a year to see behind the fortress walls. A floor-to-ceiling hallway mural depicts the family tree of one of Europe’s most powerful ruling families, according to Britannica.

Lichtenstein Castle in Germany

Located on Germany’s 370-mile “Fairytale Route,” the neo-gothic, cliffside Lichtenstein Castle was built in the 19th century and features the pointed arches, narrow spires and ornate detailing that is characteristic of a fairytale castle, Bell says.

“Its precarious and dramatic position further adds to the feeling that it belongs in a storybook,” he says.